Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies
A cookie that melts in your mouth. These sour cream brown butter cookies are soft, thick, and topped with a butter, cream cheese frosting. They have the perfect amount of rich flavor in each bite.
A cookie recipe no one can refuse. The combination of brown butter and sour cream gives these cookies an indulgent taste that makes everyone want seconds. Almost like a bite of dense cake, these cookies have a rich texture in addition to their comforting flavor.
Combining both brown sugar and brown butter makes these cookies have a soft, caramelized undertone that’s then enhanced with a brown butter frosting. They’re a cookie that works perfectly for potlucks, exchanges, or family dinners as they’re always in demand.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80 g) sour cream
- 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter (for brown butter)
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
Preparation time:
Brown Butter Preparation: 6-7 minutes
Dough Preparation: 10 minutes
Dough Cooling: 30 minutes
Cookie Shaping: 5 minutes
Baking: 8-10 minutes
Cooling: 15 minutes
Frosting Preparation: 2 minutes
Decorating: 5 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 40 minutes (not including freezing time)
Serves: 14 cookies
Directions
Preparing the brown butter:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook, stirring constantly, until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma.
Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Set aside for the frosting.
Preparing the cookies:
In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sour cream, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy and smooth.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until fully incorporated.
Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix with a spatula until a homogeneous dough forms.
Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
Using a #20 scoop, form dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes, checking for doneness. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack. Preparing the frosting:
In a bowl, beat the brown butter with the cream cheese and powdered sugar for about one minute until smooth and creamy.
Decoration:
Once the cookies are completely cool, top each with a tablespoon of frosting.
Variations and Substitutions
Texture: Sprinkle some chopped pecans or pistachios on top of the cookies for a little bit of extra crunch.
Caramel: Drizzling some warm caramel sauce over top of the frosting gives even more indulgence to the cookies.
Spices and seasonings: Vary the cookies as per the season by adding in extra spices like cinnamon, pumpkin pie, or apple pie spice.
Chocolate chunks: For all the chocolate lovers, add chocolate chips into the dough to change the texture from dense to gooey with each bite.
Espresso: Mix a tiny bit of espresso powder into the cookie base or the brown butter frosting for a warm, coffee flavor.
How To Make the Best Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies
Bring all the chilled ingredients to room temperature before you need them. This goes for the sour cream, butter, and eggs. This helps them mix more evenly into the batter.
The brown butter needs to cool completely before you make the frosting. If you mix it while still warm it can melt the cream cheese which will ruin the texture. you can adjust the texture by adding a splash of milk or more powdered sugar as needed.
The cookies also need to be completely cooled before applying the frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt as it touches the cookie and slide off.
If you can chill the dough overnight that’s great. Chilling the dough helps the brown butter cookies have a more potent flavor and prevents them from spreading or thinning as they bake.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough so that all of them are evenly sized.
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, don’t grease it with butter. Greasing the sheet will cause the cookies to cook to much and their texture will become too crispy.
Make them in advance: If you want to make the sour cream cookies beforehand, portion the dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, store them in a freezer container until needed. When you’re ready, bake the cookies from frozen adding a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can refrigerate them so that they keep longer though the texture will change slightly.
Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 g) at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream (80 g)
- 1/3 cup sugar (65 g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (100 g)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (190 g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter (113 g) (for brown butter)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (113 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
Instructions
Preparing the brown butter:
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook, stirring constantly, until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Set aside for the frosting.
Preparing the cookies:
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sour cream, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix with a spatula until a homogeneous dough forms.
- Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Using a #20 scoop, form dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes, checking for doneness. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Preparing the frosting:
- In a bowl, beat the brown butter with the cream cheese and powdered sugar for about one minute until smooth and creamy.
Decoration:
- Once the cookies are completely cool, top each with a tablespoon of frosting.
Notes
- Brown Butter Cooling: Allow the brown butter to cool completely before using it in the frosting. If it’s still warm, it can melt the cream cheese and create a runny frosting.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that the butter, sour cream, and egg are at room temperature for a smooth and even cookie dough texture.
- Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough helps prevent excessive spreading and enhances the flavor. For best results, chill for at least 30 minutes or even overnight.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: Using a #20 cookie scoop ensures uniform cookies
that bake evenly. - Baking Time Variations: Depending on your oven, baking time may vary. Keep an eye on the cookies, and remove them when the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Frosting Consistency: If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar until the desired consistency is reached.
- Extra Texture: Sprinkle chopped nuts, a pinch of sea salt, or even a drizzle of caramel over the frosted cookies for added depth.
- Storage Tips: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for a longer shelf life.
- Make-Ahead Option: You can freeze the cookie dough balls before baking. When ready to bake, place them directly in the oven, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
