These brown butter cinnamon cookies have crisp edges, chewy centres and plenty of chocolate in every bite. Browning the butter adds a deep, nutty flavour, while dark brown sugar keeps the centres soft and gives the cookies a lovely caramel note.
They're big, chunky cookies with a generous amount of chocolate and just enough cinnamon to bring everything together. The dough needs time in the freezer before baking, but the actual preparation is straightforward. If you love a bakery-style cookie with a little extra flavour, these are well worth making.
Recipe Snapshot
Flavour: Nutty brown butter, cinnamon, caramel and chocolate.
Texture: Crisp around the edges, chewy in the middle and packed with chocolate.
Difficulty: Easy.
Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cook time: 17 to 20 minutes.
Chilling time: Allow approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes for cooling the butter and freezing the dough.
Makes: 10 large cookies.
Best for: Baking ahead, sharing with friends or keeping a batch ready for when you fancy something sweet.
Why You'll Love These Brown Butter Cinnamon Cookies
Brown butter makes all the difference - Cooking the butter until the milk solids turn golden brown gives it a toasted, nutty aroma that you won't get from ordinary melted butter.
The centres stay chewy - Dark brown sugar helps the cookies retain moisture and brings a rich, treacly flavour to the dough.
You get crisp edges and soft middles - Using both plain flour and self-raising flour gives these cookies their chunky texture, with enough lift to keep the centres from becoming too dense.
Chocolate in every bite - With 400g of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, these are generously filled cookies. Use dark chocolate if you enjoy the contrast between bittersweet chocolate and the sweet dough.
The cinnamon has room to shine - Rather than using a blend of spices, this version keeps things simple with ground cinnamon. It works beautifully with the brown butter and chocolate without overpowering either.
Ingredients You'll Need
Unsalted butter - The foundation of the recipe. Browning it adds a toasted, nutty flavour that makes these cookies taste more complex. Unsalted butter also allows you to control the salt in the dough.
Dark brown sugar - Adds moisture, chewiness and a deep caramel flavour. Its molasses content gives the cookies a richer taste than caster sugar alone.
Caster sugar - Helps create crisp edges and balances the deeper flavour of the dark brown sugar.
Eggs - Bind the ingredients together and contribute to the chewy texture. Beating them into the butter and sugar mixture also helps build the structure of the dough.
Self-raising flour - Provides some lift, helping the cookies become thick and chunky rather than flat and dense.
Plain flour - Adds structure and balances the raising power of the self-raising flour.
Salt - A small pinch brings out the flavours of the butter, cinnamon and chocolate.
Bicarbonate of soda - Helps the cookies spread and contributes to their texture.
Baking powder - Provides additional lift, giving the cookies a little more body.
Ground cinnamon - Adds a gentle warmth that complements the caramel notes of the brown butter and dark brown sugar. Use fresh, fragrant ground cinnamon for the best flavour.
Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate - Both work well. Chocolate chips hold their shape, while chopped chocolate creates irregular pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cookies. Dark chocolate is my preference, but use whichever chocolate you enjoy.
How to Make Brown Butter Cinnamon Cookies
1. Brown the butter
Add the butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Let it melt, then continue cooking as it foams and bubbles, stirring regularly.
The butter will gradually change colour, and small golden-brown flecks will form at the bottom of the pan. Remove it from the heat as soon as it smells nutty and the milk solids are golden brown. Watch it carefully because it can go from browned to burnt quickly.
Pour the butter into a large bowl and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to cool before using.
2. Beat the butter and sugars
Add the cooled brown butter, dark brown sugar and caster sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat for 3 minutes until well combined.
3. Add the eggs
Add the eggs and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients
Add the self-raising flour, plain flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and ground cinnamon. Fold in the ingredients along with the chocolate.
Mix only until a dough forms. Avoid over mixing once the flour has been added.
5. Freeze the dough
Place the dough in the freezer for 2 hours. This gives the dough time to firm up and helps the cookies hold their shape during baking.
6. Shape the cookies
Divide the dough into 10 large cookies using your hands. Arrange them across 3 to 4 lined baking trays, leaving plenty of space between each cookie because they will spread.
7. Bake
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C fan, 200°C conventional or Gas Mark 6 for 17 to 20 minutes.
The edges should be set and lightly golden, while the centres may still look a little soft. Leave the cookies on the baking tray to cool before transferring them to a cooling rack.
How to Brown Butter
Browning butter is straightforward, but it needs your attention.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Continue cooking as it foams and bubbles, stirring regularly.
- Look for golden-brown flecks forming at the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the butter smells nutty and the milk solids have browned.
- Transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and chill for 20 minutes before using.
The colour and aroma are your best guides. Don't wait until the butter becomes very dark, as the milk solids can burn and turn bitter.
Tips for Making the Best Brown Butter Cinnamon Cookies
Keep an eye on the butter - The difference between beautifully browned butter and burnt butter can be a matter of seconds. Stir regularly and remove it from the heat as soon as the flecks turn golden brown.
Don't skip the freezer time - The dough needs those 2 hours to firm up before baking. This also gives the flavours time to develop.
Leave room between the cookies - These are large cookies and they spread in the oven. Use several lined baking trays rather than squeezing them all onto one.
Reshape them while they're warm - If the cookies spread unevenly or run into each other, use a metal spoon to gently push the edges back into shape as soon as they come out of the oven.
Let them cool before moving them - Freshly baked cookies are delicate. Leaving them on the tray allows the centres to set while the edges become firmer.
Variations
Use a different chocolate - Dark, milk or a mixture of the two will work. Dark chocolate gives a lovely contrast to the sweet cookie dough.
Make them extra chocolatey - Use a mixture of chocolate chips and roughly chopped chocolate for different textures throughout the cookies.
Adjust the cinnamon - Keep the quantity as written for a gentle cinnamon flavour, or add a little more if you prefer it to be more pronounced. The recipe otherwise stays the same.
Serving Suggestions
These cookies are lovely served slightly warm, when the chocolate is still soft. Pair them with a cup of tea or coffee, or serve them alongside a glass of cold milk.
For a simple dessert, warm a cookie gently and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Storage
Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep well for up to 1 week.
If you prefer them slightly warm, reheat one in the oven at 150°C conventional or Gas Mark 2 for 5 to 7 minutes.
Can You Freeze Brown Butter Cinnamon Cookies?
Yes. You can freeze the dough before baking or freeze the baked cookies.
Freezing unbaked cookie dough - Shape the dough into 10 cookies and arrange them on a lined baking tray. Freeze until firm, then transfer to freezer bags. Store for up to 6 weeks.
When ready to bake, defrost the dough overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours at room temperature, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
Freezing baked cookies - Allow the cookies to cool completely, then freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Defrost at room temperature before serving. To warm them, place in an oven at 150°C conventional or Gas Mark 2 for 5 to 7 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you brown the butter for these cookies?
Browning the butter develops a nutty, toasted flavour that adds depth to the cookies. It works particularly well with dark brown sugar, cinnamon and chocolate.
Why do the cookies need to be frozen before baking?
Chilling the dough helps it firm up before it goes into the oven. This makes it easier to shape and helps the cookies bake with a better texture.
Why are my cookies spreading too much?
The dough may not have been chilled for long enough, or the butter may have been too warm when the cookies went into the oven. Follow the full chilling time and make sure the baking trays are cool before adding the dough.
Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?
Yes. Chocolate chips are convenient and hold their shape well. Chopped chocolate also works, giving you a mixture of small pieces and larger melted pockets throughout the cookies.
How do I know when the cookies are ready?
The edges should look set and lightly golden, while the centres can still look slightly soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking tray.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. You can prepare the dough in advance and keep it chilled until you're ready to bake. If the dough becomes very firm, allow it to soften just enough to shape before baking.
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📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Cinnamon Cookies
Ingredients
- 220 g Unsalted Butter
- 150 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 225 g Self Raising Flour
- 285 g Plain Flour
- Pinch Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 400 g Chocolate Chips or Chopped Chocolate
Instructions
Brown the butter
- Add the butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Let it melt, then continue cooking as it foams and bubbles, stirring regularly.
- The butter will gradually change colour, and small golden-brown flecks will form at the bottom of the pan. Remove it from the heat as soon as it smells nutty and the milk solids are golden brown. Watch it carefully because it can go from browned to burnt quickly.
- Pour the butter into a large bowl and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to cool before using.
Beat the butter and sugars
- Add the cooled brown butter, dark brown sugar and caster sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat for 3 minutes until well combined.
Add the eggs
- Add the eggs and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Fold in the dry ingredients
- Add the self-raising flour, plain flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and ground cinnamon. Fold in the ingredients along with the chocolate.
- Mix only until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing once the flour has been added.
Freeze the dough
- Place the dough in the freezer for 2 hours. This gives the dough time to firm up and helps the cookies hold their shape during baking.
Shape the cookies
- Divide the dough into 10 large cookies using your hands. Arrange them across 3 to 4 lined baking trays, leaving plenty of space between each cookie because they will spread.
Bake
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C fan, 200°C conventional or Gas Mark 6 for 17 to 20 minutes.
- The edges should be set and lightly golden, while the centres may still look a little soft. Leave the cookies on the baking tray to cool before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
How to Brown Butter
Browning butter is straightforward, but it needs your attention.- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Continue cooking as it foams and bubbles, stirring regularly.
- Look for golden-brown flecks forming at the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the butter smells nutty and the milk solids have browned.
- Transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and chill for 20 minutes before using.
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