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Square top view image of decorated brown sugar cookies in Christmas tree shapes resting on a wire rack.
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Brown Sugar Cut Out Cookies Recipe

Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies bring a warm, caramel-kissed twist to classic sugar cookies. Soft, tender, and perfect for decorating, they’re a beautiful addition to any holiday cookie tray.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Inactive Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 136kcal
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and combine. Continue to beat until the dough comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Divide the dough in half and roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate cut-out cookies on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cold.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350° F.
  • Bake cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, or until set and light brown around the edges. Let sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

  1. Serving Size: This recipe makes 30 two-inch cutout cookies, but the quantity will vary depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
  2. Chilling: For the cleanest cut-out shapes, chill the dough until cold. I chill unbaked cut out cookies in the refrigerator while preheating the oven.
  3. Sugars: A blend of brown and white sugar adds extra flavor while helping the cookies maintain structure in the oven.
  4. Rolling the dough: Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment for the easiest handling and cleanup.
  5. How to tell when the cookies are done baking: Cookies will look soft when they come out of the oven — they firm as they cool.
  6. Freezing cookies: These baked cookies freeze beautifully and are great for decorating ahead of time.
  7. Icebox Variation: This dough works great as an icebox cookie. Instead of forming the dough into a disk, form it into a log, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Then slice and bake. Or... roll the log in sprinkles or chopped nuts and then slice and bake. As you can see, there are endless variations!

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg