Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies are a delicious twist on the classic recipe, combining the nutty flavor of browned butter with the richness of peanut butter. The not-so-secret ingredient of brown butter makes these cookies WAY different than any you’ve had before!

I’m a big believer in using baking as a way to bring people together. And these cookies are no different! You can get your kids involved in the baking process and they’re a great treat to bring to your next gathering.

Plus, these cookies are versatile and can include any of your family’s favorite treats – M&M’s, chocolate chips, white chocolate, etc. Their balance of flavors and soft, chewy texture make them a recipe worth trying. Let’s get started!

How to Make Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies

Although this is a relatively simple recipe, there’s a couple key parts of the recipe you don’t want to go wrong! Let’s break it down step by step. 

Brown the Butter

I promise you don’t want to skip this step! Because it takes some extra time, you’ll be tempted to use regular butter. But I promise it makes the biggest difference in the taste of the finished cookie!

To brown the butter, start by melting your ½ stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As it cooks, the butter will foam, then turn golden brown with a nutty aroma and little brown specs at the bottom of the pan. This should take around 4-6 minutes. 

Once the butter is browned, take it off the heat and place it in a temperature-safe bowl. Place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes until the butter has solidified to a “softened butter” consistency.  

Cream the Fat and Sugar

Combine the browned butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or whisk to cream them together until smooth and fluffy. This step ensures a tender, chewy texture in your cookies.

Add the Dry Ingredients

After the egg and vanilla are combined into the fat/sugar mixture, add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the bowl.

Once the flour is added, mix the dough until just combined. Over-mixing once the flour has been added will lead to a bready, tough cookie. 

Bake

Roll the dough into 12 balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. For the classic peanut butter cookie look, use a fork to press a crisscross pattern on each ball. Flattening these cookies is necessary because they won’t spread much on their own.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to fully set before eating.

What Does Brown Butter Do to Cookies?

Brown butter adds a boost of rich, deep, nutty flavor to baked goods. Similarly to how caramelized onions are just BETTER than regular onions, brown butter adds that same toasty goodness. 

Because brown butter has a different water ratio than regular butter, I wouldn’t replace it in all baked goods without adjusting the rest of the recipe. That’s why recipes like these cookies are great – everything is adjusted for you!

What Happens if You Don’t Flatten Peanut Butter Cookies?

If you skip the flattening, the cookies will not spread very much in the oven, and likely not cook all the way through. Peanut butter makes cookies more dense, which can lead to a tall dense dough ball if you don’t flatten!

If you don’t want the traditional “criss-cross” pattern in your peanut butter cookies, you can flatten with the bottom of a drinking glass. Just make sure the cookies are around 1” thick before putting them in the oven. 

Variations & Substitutions

• Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, or Sunflower Butter. You can swap out the peanut butter for any other nut butter you’d like in a 1:1 ratio. No need to adjust anything else in the recipe!
• Mix-ins. This recipe is an easy base for mix-ins! Try adding chocolate chips, M&M’s, coconut, white chocolate, nuts, or even pretzels!
• Regular Butter. Again, I wouldn’t recommend skipping the browning step (because it gives these cookies SO much flavor), but if you need to, you can substitute softened butter in a 1:1 ratio. 

Getting Kids Involved

Although these cookies aren’t traditionally a “health food”, getting your kids involved in the baking process IS healthy for their long-term relationship with food. 

Here are some ways you can get them involved while making these cookies:

• Measuring ingredients 
• Cracking eggs
• Stirring the dough OR pressing buttons on the mixer
• Rolling dough into balls
• Pressing fork patterns into dough balls

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Let’s get into the recipe! You’ll have the best Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies in no time. I’m jealous of the delicious smell that’s about to fill your kitchen!