Just wait until you bite into one of these Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies.  They are soft and thick and are just like tender little cakes with a divine brown butter icing.  My friends literally beg me to make these cookies and I’ve made them a zillion times.  I dare you to make these and eat just one!

Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies.

You might have seen these Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies on my blog a very long time ago.  Truth be told, they were one of the first recipes I posted when I launched my site, and the pictures were taken with my I-phone and not so good.  The pictures just didn’t serve these wonderful cookies justice, they were that bad.

These Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies are one of my two most requested cookie recipes from all of my friends and family, and I’ve been making them for over forty-five years.  I know…I’m telling you my age.   I make these cookies every single year at Christmas, upon request for many birthdays and sometimes just because I want to devour a whole plate of them with a hot cup of coffee.  Well anyhow, I decided to repost this recipe with some updated pictures so I can show you just how big, soft, and thick they are and because this cookie recipe deserves to be shared with everyone.

One more thing…I mean no disrespect to anyone who likes those cookies made from a cake mix, but I am not a fan of cookies or any dessert made from a dry cake mix.  They taste like they’re made from a dry cake mix full of preservative, and they do not taste homemade.  Sorry… just being honest here.  If you do like those cake mix cookies, I promise that once you eat one of these delicious cookies, you’ll never eat another cake mix cookie again.

Besides, these cookies are so quick and easy to make, why would you want to make those cookies when you can make homemade just as easy.  Just saying…  I promise I won’t let you down on this wonderful recipe! You have my word!!

About these cookies…

Let me tell ya about these cookies.  Real butter and sour cream are both added to the batter, along with a splash of real vanilla and some finely ground pecans.  When baked, the cookies rise up like soft little cakes, and you’ll think you are eating little cakes. 

But that’s not all.  The icing is made by browning real butter, then adding real vanilla and powdered sugar to make a thin brown butter icing that is to die for. The icing is spread over the tops of these little cake-like gems and just wait until you take your first bite of one.  You will think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

HOW TO MAKE THESE COOKIES

  1. Grease cookie sheets with solid Crisco shortening, (including non stick pans).
  2. Mix dry ingredients, except sugar, in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, (or use a hand mixer), cream the butter on medium speed until it is light and creamy.
  4. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is combined and becomes light and fluffy.
  5. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for a few seconds, just to incorporate. Do not over mix.
  6. Add sour cream and pecans and mix once again, just to incorporate.
  7. Using a large cookie scoop, drop scoopfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cookies are light brown on top. Using a metal spatula, immediately remove cookies from cookie sheets and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

PRO TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE

  • Don’t use butter to grease your cookie sheets. Butter will over brown the bottoms before the tops and middles are done. I use solid Crisco shortening. If you don’t have solid shortening, rub some liquid canola or vegetable oil on your cookie sheets.
  • These cookies need to be removed immediately from the cookie sheets, once they come out of the oven. They stick easily to any cookie sheet. These aren’t like typical cookies such as chocolate chip that can finish baking for a minute on the cookie sheets.
  • Make sure to measure your flour correctly, so you don’t end up with dry cookies. Use a spoon and spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level it off with a knife edge.
  • Make sure your eggs, butter and sour cream are at room temperature.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes. You can freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Place them between layers of wax paper, then in a freezer safe container. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. This frosting does not freeze well.

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Yes. The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. I suggest using a cookie scoop and placing scoops of dough on a cookie sheet first. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the dough balls are almost frozen, then place them in a freezer bag. This keeps them from sticking together. When you thaw them, take them out of the bag first and spread them on a cookies sheet so that they aren’t touching.

Sour cream brown butter cookies.

I have a second cookie recipe that’s every bit as delicious and popular as this one.  These Butter Cookies are melt in your mouth delicious and I make lots of them at Christmas!

If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love hearing from you!

Wanna see different recipes each day? Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies

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  • Author: Cindy Gibbs @ My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 45
  • Yield: 20 1x

Description

Just wait until you bite into one of these Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies.  They are soft and thick and are just like tender little cakes with a divine brown butter icing.  My friends literally beg me to make these cookies and I’ve made them a zillion times.  I dare you to make these and eat just one!


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Cookies

  • 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour, spoon & leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 8 ounces sour cream, room temperature

For the Icing

  • 1 stick real butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, maybe a little more if needed
  • 23 tablespoons water as needed to thin icing
  • Pecan halves for tops of cookies, optional


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the Cookies

  1. Grease cookie sheets with solid Crisco shortening, (including non stick pans).
  2. Mix dry ingredients, except sugar, in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, (or use a hand mixer), cream the butter on medium speed until it is light and creamy.
  4. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is combined and becomes light and fluffy.
  5. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for a few seconds, just to incorporate. Do not over mix.
  6. Add sour cream and pecans and mix once again, just to incorporate.
  7. Using a large cookie scoop, drop scoopfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cookies are light brown on top. Using a metal spatula, immediately remove cookies from cookie sheets and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Note: Cookies will stick to cookie sheets if they are not immediately removed.

For the Icing

  1. Melt butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Whisk butter constantly until the butter turns an amber color. This will take at least 3-4 minutes. Do not let butter get darker than an amber color or it will burn. Remove immediately from heat.
  2. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar and one tablespoon of the water. Whisk until the icing is very smooth. It will be thin.
  3. Using an offset spatula, spread the icing over the tops of cookies and place a pecan half on top of each cookie, if desired. (I do this to let people know that there are nuts inside of the cookies). If icing starts to become thick while using, whisk in a little bit of the water.
  4. Let icing set up on cookies before storing. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.
  5. Cookies will keep for up to one week.

Notes

  • Prep and cook times include making the icing.
  • Yield is for large cookies. I used a large cookie scoop to drop cookie dough onto the cookie sheets.
  • Make sure you have a thin metal spatula for removing these cookies from the cookie sheet and remove them immediately after taking them from the oven.