These chewy brown sugar cookies are as simple as drop-style cookies come (no mixer required!), yet they deliver the kind of deep, caramelized flavor you usually only find in the richest chocolate chip cookies. No chips here, though—this recipe lets brown sugar shine all by itself!
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos and helpful success tips. After gathering feedback from readers over the years, we have also tweaked the recipe to add a little more flour, to keep the cookies from over-spreading.
I love cookies packed with add-ins—chocolate chunks, caramel, sprinkles, all of it—but sometimes you just want something simple, sweet, and chewy. These cookies let brown sugar shine in every soft-baked, molasses-kissed bite.
But don’t call them plain! They’re full of warm flavor and have such a delightfully chewy texture that they don’t need any extras.
Unfussy and cozy, these chewy brown sugar cookies are the kind you don’t expect to fall in love with… until one bite makes them the only cookie you want to bake all month. And the best part? They’re completely beginner-friendly and perfect for both holiday trays and everyday cravings.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Cookies:
- Chewy, soft centers + lightly crisp edges
- Simple ingredients you likely already have on hand
- Sweet, buttery, and cozy
- No special equipment or knowledge of how to decorate sugar cookies required here!
One reader, Michelle, commented: “I always considered sugar cookies as the candy corn of the cookie world: a waste of butter and sugar. This recipe changed my mind. These cookies are so delicious all of my dinner guests preferred the sugar cookies over chocolate chip cookies. Let me say that again: people actively chose something that didn’t have chocolate. Sally, you’re truly a magician. Thank you for opening a whole new world of cookies! ★★★★★“
The Secret Is… Brown Sugar
Using all brown sugar in the cookie dough gives these cookies their signature flavor and texture. Brown sugar doesn’t just sweeten; its molasses content adds moisture and chew that lasts for days. It also encourages more caramelization in the oven, which translates to deeper flavor and those pretty golden edges.
Light or dark brown sugar both work here. Use dark if you’re after an extra deep flavor. If I have both on hand, I use half light and half dark.
If you love brown sugar treats, try my cut-out brown sugar cookies with icing next, or my extra-tender brown sugar shortbread for a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth variation.
Other Ingredients You Need
The ingredients for these cookies may seem familiar if you’ve ever made my recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies. I used a few of the same ingredient ratios and recipe techniques in today’s chewy brown sugar cookies.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is best for cookies.
- Baking Soda: This leavener will cause the cookies to puff up while baking, then fall and crinkle a bit as they cool.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch gives the cookies that ultra-soft consistency we all love. Plus, it helps keep the cookies beautifully thick.
- Cinnamon: 1/2 teaspoon adds a subtle kiss of spice. If you love cinnamon-sugar-flavored treats, use 1 whole teaspoon. If you’re a brown sugar cookie purist, leave it out. Baker’s choice!
- Salt: To balance the sweetness of the brown sugar.
- Melted Butter: Melted butter produces the chewiest cookies. It can, however, make your baked cookies greasy, so I made sure there is enough flour to counteract that. And using melted butter is also the reason you don’t need a mixer to make these cookies, just like these M&M cookie bars.
- Brown Sugar: The moisture in brown sugar promises an extra soft and chewy baked cookie. You can use light or dark brown sugar in these cookies, and actually, I usually make them with half light and half dark.
- Egg: To bind the ingredients together.
- Vanilla Extract: Flavor enhancer extraordinaire!
Preparing the cookie dough is easy. Whisk dry ingredients in one bowl and whisk wet ingredients in another; then, combine everything together.
Chilling this cookie dough for at least 3–4 hours is a non-negotiable. We need to give the melted butter a chance to firm up before baking the cookies. These brown sugar cookies are very buttery and the colder the cookie dough, the less they’ll over-spread. Here are more tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading.
My advice? Make the dough ahead of time. It can chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so whip it up a day or two ahead of when you have time to bake the cookies.
Scoop & Roll These Drop-Style Sugar Cookies
A medium cookie scoop is helpful to portion out the cold dough into 1.5-Tablespoon-size pieces. Roll the cookie dough into balls, then coat them in granulated sugar.
You know a cookie recipe is a winner when its softness isn’t compromised as the days go by. We all love that about this recipe! True “soft-batch” style, just like the cookies you get from a bakery.
Here’s a Storage Tip: To keep them extra soft, try storing them in an airtight container along with a piece of bread. The bread will get stale, but the cookies will stay soft! It’s the same trick you can use to soften up brown sugar that’s gotten hard in the container.
If you love the pure brown sugar flavor of these cookies, be sure to try my brown sugar shortbread cookies next!
We see this question a lot, so we tested it! Yes, you can use brown butter for these cookies, but you need to add extra liquid to the dough to make up for the loss of moisture during the browning process. Add 2 Tablespoons of water or milk to the dough when you mix together the wet ingredients.
These chewy brown sugar cookies are proof that sometimes the simplest recipes can easily become a household favorite.
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 20-24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Bake a batch of chewy brown sugar cookies with plush centers, lightly crisp edges, and cozy brown sugar sweetness. A simple, no-mixer, beginner-friendly cookie recipe. See make-ahead and freezing instructions below.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/3 cups (292g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (use 1 teaspoon if you love cinnamon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I like to use half light + half dark)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a silicone spatula or large wooden spoon until completely combined. The dough will be very soft, yet thick.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 3–4 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 15 minutes if it chilled for longer than 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Pour the granulated sugar into a small bowl. Scoop and roll dough into a ball, about 1.5 Tablespoons (30–35g) in size, then roll in the sugar. Place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (8–9 cookies per baking sheet).
- Bake for 14–16 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are set and small cracks are appearing. The cookies will be puffy and still appear very soft in the middle, but they will deflate slightly and continue to set as they cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Cover cooled cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. Unbaked cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) freeze well for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, preheat the oven, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake as directed. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Melted Butter: Let the melted butter cool down for about 5–10 minutes before mixing with the other ingredients. Don’t want to cook that egg with the hot butter!
- Can I Use Browned Butter? We see this question a lot, so we tested it! Yes, you can use brown butter for these cookies, but you need to add extra liquid to the dough to make up for the loss of moisture during the browning process. Add 2 Tablespoons of water or milk to the dough when you mix together the wet ingredients.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps promise a softer, thicker cookie. I highly recommend it. I use it in my chocolate chip cookies and shortbread cookies, too. Feel free to leave it out if you don’t have it.
- Update in 2025: Based on reader feedback about over-spreading, we increased the flour from 2 cups (250g). If you’d like to make the previous version, use 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is absolutely the best baking site. The detail is wonderful. The fact that many ingredients are in grams for measuring, so much easier. Suggestions on the size of cookies ( in grams) is fabulous . I’ve made a number of different recipes and really haven’t been disappointed yet. Thank you
Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes, Ed!
Those look great, I think I can turn them into gingerbread flavored cookies by adding the right spices, since molasses is hard to come by in my region. I’d like advice on using natural peanut butter in place of regular butter, mostly because I love the stuff.
Hi! I’m looking for a tasty recipe to make Christmas cookies with my granddaughters. Would using a rolling pin and cookie cutters work with this recipe? Thank you
you please tell me if this recipe wou
Hi Michelle, this recipe is best as a drop-style cookie and won’t hold its shape as cut out cookies. We’d recommend these brown sugar cut out cookies instead.
These are such a simple but delicious cookie.Will definitely be adding these to my cookie favorites. Your recipes never fail.
Hey, what a great recipe! If you’re out of white granulated sugar can you roll it in brown sugar or a brown sugar/cinnamon combo? Or is it okay to not roll the dough in anything before baking?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Sally, I pre-made the dough and baked the next day after leaving it at room temperature 20 mins. The cookies didn’t flatten and are very thick. What did I do wrong?
Hi Jane! It sounds like the dough may have been a bit too cold or slightly over-measured on the flour, which can prevent these cookies from spreading properly. Even after 20 minutes at room temperature, chilled dough can still be quite firm, especially with a butter-heavy recipe like this, so you may need to let it soften a little longer. I also always recommend giving the flour a quick re-check (weigh or spoon and level it), since even a couple extra tablespoons can keep the cookies thick. Next time, try letting the dough sit out until it feels pliable when you scoop it, or gently flatten the dough balls with your palm before baking to encourage spreading. They should bake up perfectly chewy!
Thank you for replying, Sally. The dough was definitely rather hard! I have noted your comments for next time 🙂
These are so good! Would adding sprinkles cause any issues? I want to make them festive for the holidays
No issues! You can absolutely add sprinkles.
Why is my dough so crumbly?
Hi Bea – it’s a crumbly dough after chilling. That’s expected. You can try to reduce the flour ever so slightly next time.
Can this be made into bars instead of individual cookies?
Hi Liz, absolutely. We’d use a 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Enjoy!
How do I get them to have the cracks on top? Mine are kinda smooth. If it matters, I did all dark brown sugar instead of half light and half dark.
Also, after 15 minutes from being pulled from the fridge, the dough was hard to scoop with a cookie scoop. Is that to be expected? Or should it be softer?
Hi Sam! If the cookies didn’t crack and the dough was very hard, there could have been too much flour in the dough. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I used a kitchen scale, so I just went based off of the grams in the recipe. They still turned out great and are soft! Just not the same look as the pictures.
Perfect chewy texture. Golden. Received awesome compliments. Thanks! Delicious. 10/10.
hi sallly
Do you think it’s better to freeze the cookie dough or the baked cookie?
Which one do you think personally gives a better result/the most fresh baked good 🙂
Hi Belle, freezing the cookie dough and baking it fresh will give the freshest-tasting result. But both ways are good!
So delicious! These were a big hit at Thanksgiving. Soft and chewy. I used a tbsp scoop to make them a bit smaller and dipped the tops into coarse turbinado sugar. 7 min in the oven to start then 3 additional minutes after pressing. Will be making again for sure!
Really liked this recipe and liked that you only need simple ingredients to make them. The cookies had the perfect soft and chewy texture and the flavor was like a snickerdoodle but more subtle. Delicious and easy to make, will keep these in the cookie baking rotation!
Sally! I absolutely adored the original recipe. I just prepped the dough a day before you re published! Everyone in my home LOVED them. Can you please tell me the measurements for the old recipe and the cooking time please!
Hi Amanda! The only change was the flour; you made it with 2 cups as it was previously published, correct? Bake temperature and time are the same!
I always considered sugar cookies as the candy corn of the cookie world: a waste of butter and sugar. This recipe changed my mind. These cookies are so delicious all of my dinner guests preferred the sugar cookies over chocolate chip cookies. Let me say that again: people actively chose something that didn’t have chocolate.
Sally, you’re truly a magician. Thank you for opening a whole new world of cookies!
Easy and tasty, but it makes a small batch of 20. I used light brown sugar and a tad more cinnamon. Next time I will increase the cinnamon even more. I needed 30 cookies so made mine smaller and cooked for minimum times. Turned out well…most of mine were 2.5 inches. I needed something everyone would like that was easy and not chocolate so this fit the bill. I want to try them with cinnamon chips too! But the flavor is nice without changes.
I was seriously craving sugar cookies yesterday but I’m out of white sugar. Found this one and made up the dough last night after work. Just finished baking them this morning and they’re yummy.
Can arrowroot powder be substituted for the corn starch?
Hi De, we haven’t tested that substitution, but you can omit the cornstarch if needed.
We absolutely loved these cookies! However, mine came out flat and not fluffy 🙁 what should I do different? If it helps, my elevation is about 5,000 ft. Thanks!
Hi Devan, We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Made these for a group meeting tomorrow and they turned out delicious! We used 1 tsp of cinnamon and dark brown sugar. Great recipe!
This is my new favorite cookie recipe, and I didn’t even have to alter it like I always do with online recipes. Perfect as is!! BUT I have a question about doubling. I doubled this to make extra to add chocolate chips to, but they came out waaay too cakey and very flavorless this time. Should the corn starch not be doubled, or did I do something else wrong? Question 2- I have a little less than half of the dough left, is there something I can do to save the rest? Should I add more sugar or something to sweeten it or something else for flavor? Should I make another portion of the recipe without the corn starch to even out the amount of corn starch in the rest of the dough?
Hi Bri! When doubling cookie recipes, double every ingredient. It is easy to mis-measure when multiplying recipes, which may be what happened here. It can be best to stick with multiple batches instead to prevent this! We’re unsure what could be done to alter the remaining dough, without knowing what went differently with it. So glad you love this recipe!
I found your recipe during the pandemic and I’ve made it at least 10 X since. I usually make two versions at a time one I follow recipe to the T and the other I use 1 tsp Vanilla and 1 tsp of Almond extract and everyone loves them!
Can these be made with browned butter or will that change the texture of the cookies? Can’t wait to try them!
Hi Kristin, absolutely! Here’s our post on browning butter – we suggest reading the section titled “Is There a Loss of Moisture?” for some tips on using brown butter in recipes.
My chocolate lover family inhaled these- who knew a dessert could be so tasty without chocolate?? Mine cookies are a work in progress. They came out of the oven nice and thick but then flattened somewhat. Think maybe I didn’t let them cool completely before placing in a cookie tin. Might cook them a little longer too. Flavor out of this world.
Can these cookies be frozen after baking? I’m thinking of making a batch for daughter’s lunches. Any specific directions for freezing/thawing them? Thanks!
Absolutely! See recipe notes for freezing instructions.
I have several sugar cookie recipes that I love, but this one just trumped all of them – these are SO GOOD! Perfect chewiness and depth of flavor. I brought some to my coworker and she said they’re the best cookies she’s had in her life!