Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies (3 Ingredients!)

baked brown sugar shortbread cut out cookies on a white platter on a red plaid scarf.

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Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies (3 Ingredients!)

3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Cut Out Cookies are tender, buttery cookies made with browned butter and dark brown sugar for deep, rich flavor. The cookies hold their shape beautifully -- perfect for decorating during the Christmas season.

Prep Time15

Cook Time14

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

Ingredients

1 cup butter, salted or unsalted,* cut into cubes
¾ cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

Optional Icing

Maple Icing

Instructions

Brown the butter: Melt and stir butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat while it bubbles and foams. After 5-8 minutes, it will develop golden-brown flecks. Quickly transfer to a shallow heat-proof bowl (like a pie plate) and place it in the freezer. Chill until the browned butter feels cold and is mostly solid, about 30 minutes. It will take longer in a deeper bowl.
Beat cold browned butter (and salt, if using unsalted butter) and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Sift in the flour and mix until combined. If it doesn't come together after a couple of minutes, gather the dough with your hands and form it into a ball.
Pat the dough into two flat discs and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes, but a few hours or overnight is best for flavor and texture.
When you're ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature until soft enough to roll, it may take 30 minutes or more.
Preheat oven to 325 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out dough between layers of parchment paper to ¼" thickness. Sprinkle parchment with powdered sugar if the dough sticks. Cut the dough with cookie cutters and place the cut outs 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown around the bottom edges. Do not overbake. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If desired, glaze cooled cookies with Maple Icing and let them sit for about an hour to allow the glaze to fully set.

Notes

*If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt when you cream the butter and brown sugar.
Brown the butter in a light-colored saucepan or skillet so you can see when the brown bits start to develop.
To easily roll the dough to an even thickness, use rolling pin guides, dowels, or two thin cutting boards on either side of the rolling pin.
If the dough sticks while rolling it out, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the parchment paper.
For thinner cookies, adjust the baking time down -- you don't want to overbake these cookies!
This recipe yields about (14) 3" cookies. The exact amount will depend on how thick you roll the dough and the size of the cookie cutters.

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