Brown Butter Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe did something I didn’t think possible—I think I might have a new favorite cookie.

For years, my family’s molasses cookies have occupied the main cookie-shaped place in my heart, with their combination of warm spices and biting dark molasses.  And these brown butter cinnamon chip oatmeal cookies definitely share some of the same DNA.  Subtly sweet but not overpowering, spiced, textured, and soft, these will make your house smell amazing and bring all the co-workers to the yard.

In fact, the first time I made this recipe, my only note was something I never thought I’d say, which was, “Waaayyyy too much cinnamon chip.  Pull that crap back.”

So I cut the cinnamon chips by more than half, and am completely in love with the result—the more subtle cinnamon chip presence allows the brown butter flavor to really shine through in all its rich, nutty glory.  Add the oatmeal texture and you have a cookie made in heaven.

I’ve done a separate post with detailed steps and photos of how to brown butter, if that’s helpful.  Otherwise here it is in a nutshell.  Melt the butter in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat (not too high!), stirring constantly until it foams, then turns clear, and then turns a deep brown on the bottom.  This should take 5-6 minutes, and it will smell amazing.  Pour the browned butter into a glass measuring cup and chill in the fridge or freezer until solidified (30-60 minutes).

Once the butter is decently solid, beat the brown butter and both white and brown sugars in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy.

Then beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just incorporated.

Fold in the cinnamon chips gently.

If you have time, cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight (if overnight, you’ll need to let the dough stand at room temp for 20 minutes prior to baking).  I baked my first batch right away and stuck my remaining dough in the fridge while it baked.  While I’m sure there’s a chemistry reason for chilling the dough, I find that I rarely plan ahead that much and don’t like the extra steps.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.  Form 1.5-inch balls of dough and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets; flatten the mounds slightly.

Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.  You want the edges set and the cookies to have a little color, but still be super soft in the middle.  Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

You might also like:  Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Brown Butter Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Note, it has become challenging to find cinnamon chips in the store, even around the holidays.  I now buy mine on Amazon, I use the Hershey’s ones though I know a couple other brands have their own.  You can find a link here to different sizes/numbers of bags.

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of rolled oats, toasted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• Slightly heaping 1/2 cup of cinnamon chips

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat (not too high!), stirring constantly until it foams, then turns clear, and then turns a deep brown on the bottom.  This should take 5-6 minutes, and it will smell amazing.  Pour the browned butter into a glass measuring cup and chill in the fridge or freezer until solidified (30-60 minutes).
2. Once the butter is decently solid, beat the brown butter and both white and brown sugars in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy, then beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
3. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just incorporated.
4. Fold in the cinnamon chips gently.  If you have time, cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight (if overnight, you’ll need to let the dough stand at room temp for 20 minutes prior to baking).  I baked my first batch right away and stuck my remaining dough in the fridge while it baked.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.  Form 1.5-inch balls of dough and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets; flatten the mounds slightly.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.  You want the edges set and the cookies to have a little color, but still be super soft in the middle.  Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Adapted from Tutti Dolci