Vegan Brown Butter Cookies
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My vegan brown butter cookies have crisp edges, a warm caramelized flavor, and gooey half-melted chocolate chips. You’d never believe they’re made with no eggs OR dairy!
Why I love vegan brown butter cookies
As much as I love a good vegan chocolate chip cookie, sometimes I need a more elevated version. Que, my vegan brown ‘butter’ cookies. The vegan brown butter adds a slightly nutty, toffee-like flavor, and the chocolate chips take it to another level.
The trick is using the right vegan butter to replicate what traditional dairy butter does. Once you get that down pat, it tastes like any good cookie out there. Here’s why you should make them:
- The perfect texture. They’re soft yet chewy, with crispy edges and pools of half-melted chocolate chips. Sign me up!
- Brownbutter flavor- without the dairy. When I first developed this recipe, there were only a handful of vegan butters worth baking with. Nowadays, there are some fantastic options that make all the difference.
- Simple ingredients. If you bake vegan desserts regularly, there’s a good chance you already have everything you need.
Table of Contents
Ingredients needed
The full printable list with measurements is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Vegan butter. Use high-quality vegan butter (I like Miyoko’s Creamery or Country Crock plant sticks), preferably in block form. Vegan butter in spreads often contains added water, which can make the cookies firmer rather than soft.
- Brown sugar. I tried this recipe with white granulated sugar, brown sugar, and a mix of both. I preferred using all brown sugar as it gave the cookies a deeper buttery flavor while keeping the centers soft and gooey.
- Dairy-free milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any plant-based milk works.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie recipe!
- All-purpose flour. Sifted to remove any clumps. Use gluten-free AP flour (with xanthan gum) if desired.
- Baking soda. To keep them from overspreading.
- Salt. Brings out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Chocolate. I like to use chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips. It helps ensure there are pools of chocolate. Luckily, my vegan chocolate chips can be made into bars, then broken into chunks.
- Mix-ins (optional). Swap the chocolate for chopped walnuts, pecans, or vegan white chocolate chips.
How to make vegan brown butter chocolate chip cookies
Step 1- Brown the butter. Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it simmer until it begins to bubble, then reduce the heat to low. Mix the butter with a rubber spatula until it thickens and turns golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool in a bowl for 10 minutes.
Step 2- Mix the wet and dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, add the brown sugar. Pour the butter over the sugar, whisk to combine, then add the milk and vanilla.
Step 3- Combine. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Let the dough mixture sit for 10 minutes, then fold in the chocolate. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 4- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, form 24 cookie dough balls.
Step 5- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until the edges lift from the baking sheet. Let them cool completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Be patient when browning the butter. I tested a few different brands, and some took longer to caramelize. Keep the heat low, stir often, and remove from the heat as soon as it smells nutty to prevent it from burning.
- Let the butter cool before mixing. For thick, bakery-style cookies, the browned butter should be cooled until it’s no longer hot and has started to thicken. If I’m in a hurry, I pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- Want even gooier cookies? Five minutes before they’re done baking, press an extra square or two of chocolate into the tops, then return the cookies to the oven to finish baking.
Storage instructions
To store: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. If you want to keep them fresher for longer, refrigerate them for up to one month.
To freeze: Place the cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to six months.
More vegan cookie recipes
- Vegan peanut butter cookies
- Vegan cookie dough
- Vegan Levain cookies
- Vegan shortbread cookies
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
Vegan Brown Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour 245g
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan butter chopped, 225g
- 2 1/2 cups brown sugar or use a mix of white and brown, 500g
- 1/2 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk, 120mL
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chopped, 170g
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a small saucepan, add the chopped butter. On medium heat, melt it, until it begins to bubble. When it bubbles, reduce to low. Using a rubber spatula, mix the butter around until it thickens and goes a golden color. Remove from the heat and transfer into a glass bowl. Let it cool for 10 minutes. It should have the texture of softened butter. If not, chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add your brown sugar. Add the browned butter and beat together, until combined. Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat together, until smooth.
- Gently fold through your dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes, to cool slightly. Add the chopped chocolate. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Form 24 balls of dough and place on the two baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to look cooked.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
THANK YOU for this DELECTABLE vegan cookie recipe! I’ve made it several times now just as you recommend but have also added walnuts to it as well. Family and friend rave about how yummy these cookies taste!
Cookies suuuuper spread out waaay too much when baking! 10 minutes was not enough time so I added 5-10 more minutes and the center still looked gooey and underbaked.
Let rest on pan, was chewy and sticking to my teeth!
Hi Lopez- I’m sorry to hear that. Did you mix the brown butter in when it had firmed up a little? That’s usually what keeps them nice and thick and puffed up. Unless you made the cookie balls super large, adding extra time would make them super dark.
Arman, what vegan butter did you use? I tried to brown Earth Balance butter it had the worse smell. NO, it was not burnt. I just bought the butter so I know that it was good. I have used a vegan butter for brown butter cookies before and I forgot which one I used and it turned out really well for the browning of the vegan butter.
Hi Linda! Oh no, I’m not a fan of Earth Balance, as it does not bake well at all. I swear by Miyoko’s and Country Crock, and those are the two I named for this recipe, and had success with. If you get a chance to pick either of those up, you won’t be disappointed.
I followed the recipe exactly, but sadly my cookies never puffed up at all. They just spread out and flattened 🙁 I’m disappointed with the result, but at least they taste great!
Hi Raena- I’m sorry to hear that. Did you mix the brown butter in after it had firmed up a little? If it’s too liquid-like, they usually stay flat and won’t puff up.
These cookies are not good with gluten free flour. I followed the directions to a T and ended up with horrible excuses for cookies, LOL! I don’t blame the recipe. I’m sure it’s great otherwise.
Oh no, Anjelica- which GF flour did you use? I’ve made these with King Arthur GF flour, and they worked well- that or Bob’s Red Mill are the only two I really find are a true cup for cup measurement- there’s so many brands on the market now, but all vary considerably.
The cookies spread out more than you’d think, make sure to give a lot of space.
Made these this past weekend and while I had my doubts, these came out amazing! Some tips: I used miyokos butter and it browned perfectly (although it took way longer than normal butter), but to add more flavor I let it cool over some walnuts which I added it at the end. For the sugar I did half light brown sugar and half white sugar but I would probably put a little less in next time since they were pretty sweet. I also didn’t have any alternative milk so I quickly blended up some water with a little bit of oats, flax, and cashews which turned out perfectly for this recipe. I then formed the dough and let them sit in the freezer for a few days to let the flavors come together. I tried baking them straight away and they came out very round and vegan butter forward rather than like a good cookie. So I would definitely recommend letting them chill for a bit and then flattening them down 1/2 before baking, then at the 5 min mark give them a few taps in the oven. I would 10000% recommend this recipe to anyone looking for an awesome and impressive vegan cookie or just cookie recipe in general.
These are honestly the best cookies i’ve ever had. Even better than David Lebovitz’s recipe. Just follow exactly, including letting things sit. They turn out crispy yet soft, chocolatey, and delightful.
Sorry I forgot to leave a rating in my last comment
This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! I’ve been searching around for a good recipe for years since I’ve gone vegan, and I assumed I couldn’t brown plant-based butter. But I’m so glad I was wrong. I did 1 and 1/4 cups each white sugar and brown sugar, which worked out well, though maybe a little flat. Might try more brown sugar next time
These are a weekly staple in my house! Everyone begs for me to make them and they cannot even tell they are vegan!!!
Can this recipe be made keto friendly? How much sugar/brown sugar should I use if using a keto friend sugar replacement??
I’d stick with my keto chocolate chip cookies recipe, Caeol- this one wouldn’t just require the sugar swapped, but the flour too.
I have tried countless vegan cookie recipes and this is IT. She’s a legend, she’s an icon, she’s the moment! Seriously I have been brought to tears by my failed cookies but this recipe was so easy and unfussy and the cookies were phenomenal! I did half brown/half white sugar and def let the dough rest, 10/10! Can’t wait to try more recipes! Ty!
You are the icon and legend, Jess!
I made these and the texture is perfect! The problem I had was a baking soda taste. That seems to indicate some of the soda did not react. I will try reducing the amount of soda next time.
Vegan or not- best cookies ever! This is everything I could ever want in a cookie and it’s so perfectly balanced. Used country crock vegan butter sticks and the cookies turned out just like the ones pictured!!