These brown sugar cookies are soft and chewy with a crunchy sugar coating. They offer a rich brown sugar taste accented by cinnamon and vanilla — a delightful twist on classic rolled sugar cookies.
This recipe transforms traditional rolled sugar cookies by using only brown sugar in the dough, which gives the cookies a deeper, caramel-like flavor and an extra-chewy texture. A touch of cinnamon and an extra splash of vanilla enhance the brown sugar’s warm notes.
They resemble ginger molasses cookies in appearance, but this version contains no molasses and uses far less spice. These cookies are perfect with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate on chilly days. While they’re excellent for holiday cookie trays, they’re easy enough for everyday baking too.
Making Brown Sugar Cookies
This is a straightforward recipe. Chilling the dough isn’t required, but if you prefer thicker cookies, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line your cookie sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Lining helps prevent greasing and keeps cookie bottoms softer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, cinnamon (use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon to taste), baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy. You may still see some brown sugar granules, but the mixture should be smooth without lumps.
- You can use either dark or light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper caramel flavor and a slightly darker cookie, as shown in the photos.
- Beat in the large egg, plus an extra egg yolk, and the vanilla extract until combined.
- The extra yolk helps make the cookies chewier.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. To avoid flour puffing everywhere, stir a few times by hand, then finish on a low mixer speed.
- If you’d like to chill the dough for thicker cookies, cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or up to 48 hours after mixing.
- Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll each ball in granulated or raw sugar.
- Important: do not roll the dough in brown sugar. Brown sugar contains more moisture and will dissolve into the dough instead of forming the crunchy sugar coating.
- Arrange the rolled dough balls about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the preheated oven for about 8–11 minutes, or until the tops appear just set. Baking times vary by oven; watch closely so the cookies don’t overbake.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make Ahead Tips
After preparing the dough, cover and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, preheat the oven, form the dough into balls, roll them in sugar, and bake as directed.
Freezing: To freeze, shape the dough into balls and roll them in granulated or raw sugar, then place the balls in a freezer bag and remove excess air. Freeze for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen — do not thaw — following the same baking instructions, adding a minute or two if needed.
Soft, chewy, and full of warmly caramelized flavor — these brown sugar cookies are a simple, cozy twist on classic rolled sugar cookies.
If you enjoy these brown sugar cookies, try other favorites like snickerdoodles, pumpkin spice cookies, gingersnaps, or eggnog snickerdoodles.
Brown Sugar Cookies
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Equipment
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Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (344 grams)
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), softened
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (315 grams), dark or light
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk (extra)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup granulated or raw sugar (67 grams) for rolling
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
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Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy and mostly smooth.
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Beat in the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
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Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, starting on low speed and adding the flour in portions.
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Form the dough into balls of about 1.5 tablespoons each. Roll each ball in granulated or raw sugar, coating evenly.
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Place dough balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared sheets.
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Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 8–11 minutes, until the tops look just set.
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Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Flour: Whisk the flour, then spoon into measuring cups and level off. For best accuracy, weigh the flour (344 g).
- Freezing: Freeze rolled dough balls (coated in granulated sugar) for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen; do not thaw first.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition: Nutrition facts are estimates per cookie, assuming 32 uniform cookies.
Nutrition
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