Name: Spiced Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 2 eggs room temperature (120 g ); 1 cup butter (2 sticks); 2 tbs molasses (40 g); 1 tsp vanilla extract (4 g); 2 cups flour (300 g); 3 cups old fashioned oats ( rolled oats) (360 g); 1 cup brown sugar (210 g); 1/2 cup sugar (120 g); 1 tsp baking soda (6 g); 1 tsp cinnamon (2 g); 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (2 g); 1 tsp salt (reduce to 1/2 tsp if using salted butter) (6 g)

Jump to Recipe

Spiced browned butter oatmeal cookies are chewy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside with notes of caramel and spice, making them the perfect cookie for cozy season.

When I think of desserts that best suit the colder months of the year, I gravitate towards rich and warm flavors like cinnamon and other spices. There’s something about them that really warm up your insides and make the dessert just a little more satisfying. One of the most underrated cookies in my opinion are oatmeal cookies. However, to me, they’re always missing something. Some people love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal raisin cookies, which are good, but not my favorite. I like a good old oatmeal cookie, but with a bit of twist.

That’s where browned butter comes in. If you’ve never added browned butter to your baked goods, then hold onto your britches. Browned butter really elevates the flavors of cookies and other baked goods and adds a richness you can’t achieve with plain ‘ol butter. Paired with warm spices, it ends up making for the perfect oatmeal cookie. These spiced browned butter oatmeal cookies are bursting with flavor, have a crunchy outside and a super soft inside and are a delicious treat on those cool autumn and winter days.

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FAQs

What’s the point of browning butter?

When it comes to baked goods, browned butter just hits different. When you brown butter, which happens beyond the point of melting, actual chemical reactions occur that create new compounds that are to thank for the caramelized, nutty flavor of browned butter. When added to baked goods like these cookies, brown butter adds an extra depth of flavor, almost that of caramel, and heightens the flavors of the cinnamon and pumpkin spice, resulting in a super indulgent and rich cookie.

Do I have to chill this dough before baking?

You do not need to chill this dough before baking, but if you do, I recommend rolling the dough into balls first. Once the dough has chilled for a few hours or overnight, you can place the cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet and bake as normal. I prefer not to chill the dough for this recipe because they turn out great without chilling, but it’s totally up to you. If you want to make the dough ahead, then chilling or freezing is a great option.

Can I use any type of oats in oatmeal cookies?

I prefer to use old-fashioned oats or rolled oats because it gives the cookies the best texture, that crunchy outside, which I love. You can use quick-cooking oats if you like, but know that they are smaller and could change the texture of the cookie. I wouldn’t necessarily use steel cut oats for this recipe, but again, you could, it would just change the overall texture.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour: I love using all-purpose flour for baking.

Old fashioned oats: Old fashioned or rolled oats give the this cookie a nice chewy texture.

Brown sugar: You can use light brown sugar or dark. The darker the brown sugar, the richer the cookies will be.

Sugar: I prefer to use cane sugar when baking, but you can use any type of sugar.

Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice: These spices help give the cookies some depth of flavor and the flavors of fall.

Salt: You always need salt in sweets to balance the flavor. Reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp if you decide to use salted butter.

Eggs: I always use large eggs in baking and for this recipe they need to be at room temperature.

Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter for this recipe.

Molasses: Unsulphured molasses gives these cookies a beautiful color and depth of flavor.

Vanilla extract: I always like to add vanilla extract to cookies, but it’s optional.

Optional Add-ins

Chocolate chips
Butterscotch chips
White chocolate chips
Toffee bits
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Walnuts
Caramel bits

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How to Make Spiced Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Tools You May Need

Stand mixer or large bowl and mixing spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Medium mixing bowl
Medium sauce pan or Dutch oven
Rubber spatula
Cooling rack
Small cookie scoop or ice cream scoop
Cookie sheet
Parchment paper

Ingredients

2 eggs room temperature (120 g )
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 tbs molasses (40 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract (4 g)
2 cups flour (300 g)
3 cups old fashioned oats ( rolled oats) (360 g)
1 cup brown sugar (210 g)
1/2 cup sugar (120 g)
1 tsp baking soda (6 g)
1 tsp cinnamon (2 g)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (2 g)
1 tsp salt (reduce to 1/2 tsp if using salted butter) (6 g)

Directions

Brown the Butter

In a medium saucepan, add 2 sticks of salted or unsalted butter and cook over medium heat until it’s melted, about 4-5 minutes.

Lower the temperature to low-medium heat and stir occasionally for about 5-7 minutes. The butter first will turn foamy, then you’ll see brown bits on the bottom and the butter is caramelized. Set the butter aside to give it time to cool.

Assemble the Dry Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 375°F, then in a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt and set aside.

Add the Wet Ingredients

Once the butter has cooled, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the brown sugar and regular sugar, and cream them together.

Add the eggs, molasses and vanilla and mix until it’s well incorporated and silky smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Mix in the Dry Ingredients

Slowly add the dry ingredients in thirds until they’re just incorporated.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake at 375° F for 6-8 minutes for smaller cookies and 8-10 minutes for larger ones, until they’re golden brown.

NOTES

When browning the butter, once it’s melted, it will become foamy, then it will start to caramelize. This is when you’ll see brown bits. Make sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
You do not have to chill this dough, but if you do, the cookies will keep their shape better. I prefer to bake without chilling, but it’s up to you.
I always underbake my cookies to keep them moist on the inside.
To get perfectly round cookies, as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a glass or small bowl, place it against the bottom of the pan around the cookie and move it in a circle. It will clean up the edges of the cookie and make it round.