These Browned Butter Crispies are chewy, yet crispy on the edges. You can really taste the butter! We love the added pecans and the small amount of oatmeal compliments the nuttiness of the pecans. Best of all, I can shape the dough into a log, slice them and freeze. It’s a matter of self-preservation because I’d be tempted to eat them all if I baked the entire batch!
I’m retired, at last! I’m adjusting to no more work alarm clock waking me up in the week hours of the morning. Instead of raiding the refrigerator and pantry, out of boredom, I’ve been enjoying my new luxury of reading magazines and spoiling our dog. Fortunately, my husband is still working from home (due to COVID) and our dog “Walter” is so happy that his humans are home 24/7!
I’m ready to start sharing recipes again and I want to start with these addictive cookies! They are super simple to make. The dough is very soft, so you need to shape it into a roll with waxed paper for at least an hour.
To begin, you’ll want to brown two sticks of butter. My recommendation is to use a light colored skillet so that you can actually see when the butter is beginning to brown.
This can take 2-3 minutes. Once the bubbling subsides, pay close attention! Once the butter becomes a golden color, remove it from the heat. Otherwise, if the butter burns– you have to start all over again. Allow the brown butter to cool.
The cookie batter can be made by hand, or with a mixer (I used my stand mixer). The ingredients are basic pantry items– sugar, brown sugar, butter, browned butter, vanilla, oatmeal and chopped pecans. The dough is very soft, so you need to scoop the dough onto two pieces of waxed paper, and roll it up and freeze it for at least an hour.
Once the dough is firm, cut cookie slices.
I ended up baking only one dozen cookies, and placed the rest of the cookie dough slices into a plastic freezer bag. I’m so glad that I did! (These are perfect to store for when you have a cookie craving, or last minute company.)
Set the oven to 350F. I always place my cookie dough on parchment paper, because it’s easier to clean up and I like the way my cookies turn out crispy.
The baking time will vary, depending on your oven– 10-15 minutes. Check to see that the edges are firm and slightly golden. Mine were perfect at 15 minutes. The center will appear to be soft. That’s okay!
Let the baked cookies set for about 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
Once the cookies cooled, for a few minutes, I took my first bite. Oh, wow! I could taste the browned butter, and the nuttiness from the pecans and oatmeal paired perfectly. The cookies were delightfully chewy and crispy just around the edges.
TASTING NOTES: This dough is very versatile, too. If you don’t like pecans, choose walnuts. If you don’t like nuts, leave them out! You could add raisins. Or, add chocolate or butterscotch chips. Have fun with this recipe.
I guarantee you that your friends, coworkers and family members will ask you for the recipe.
Browned Butter Crispies Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheets and Parchment paper
Ingredients
Brown Butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter make this first, so it can cool
For the cookie batter:
- 1 cup Brown Butter recipe follows, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup pecans finely chopped
Instructions
- Cream the Brown Butter with both sugars in a stand mixer until well combined.
- Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the vanilla and stir to combine. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix well.
- Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl. Mix carefully into the egg/butter mixture until well combined. Add the quick-cooking oats and mix well again.Add the finely chopped pecans and mix well to combine.
- Divide the dough in half and place each half of the dough on a sheet of waxed paper. Roll the dough into a log and wrap it tightly in the waxed paper. Now you can either chill or freeze the dough until later, or you can go ahead and slice and bake the dough.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the dough 3/4-inch-thick, then place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until they are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven.NOTE: My oven took 15 minutes to bake. The edges were a light golden brown. The middle of the cookies look a lot softer in the center- but set, once they had cooled. Let cool on the cookie sheets, then store in an airtight container. The baked cookies were good for up to 3 days.
Notes
There’s no baking temperature?
I’m so sorry, you are right! We are in the midst of the California River Fire and were evacuated (still are). This is my first chance to get on to my PC. I have corrected the instructions.
Sorry to read that you had to evacuate your home because of the fires…hope all is well. Your cookie recipe is one that both my husband and I would enjoy. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Thanks, Karen! We are so very grateful that our homes were spared. Firefighters are heroes, for sure. The cookies? They are addictive!
Wondering if the nuts should be toasted (as is the ATK way) before adding. Or do you think the cookies are so thin that enough roasty toasty flavor happens for the nuts? I love that these can be frozen. Can you please say how thick (or long) of a log to make and how thick the slices are? Thanks so much!
I debated toasting the nuts, but didn’t do so. As far as measurements, I just eyeballed it. Sorry. I made to logs and I’d say about 2” in circumference. I got close to five dozen cookies. I didn’t bake,them all once, and helped me to control how many we ate. They are so good!
Dear Debby,
I thought I knew cookies. Turns out I had no idea what I was missing until I made your BBCC’s – ohhhh my goodness. Genius you are. Simply the best cookies ever, with a dose of practical advice – not to bake the whole batch at once. At my house, will never truly know if these cookies will be good for three days.
Now everyone wants “my” secret recipe.
You are too sweet! I had to freeze half of the batch or we’d eat them all!