Description
These Brown Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with warm flavors from cinnamon and cardamom. Rolled in a fragrant cardamom-sugar mixture and finished with flaky Maldon sea salt, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweetness and spice with a delicate texture that melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1½ cups dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg and 1 yolk (room temperature)
- 1 Tbsp. whole milk
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. fine salt
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
For Garnish and Rolling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp. cardamom
- Maldon flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Prepare pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure cookies bake evenly and do not stick.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar: Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and packed dark brown sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the egg, egg yolk, whole milk, and vanilla bean paste until the batter is smooth and fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl sides again to blend thoroughly but avoid overmixing.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.
- Mix together: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to over-mix, which can make the cookies tough.
- Prepare the rolling sugar: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cardamom to create the fragrant coating for the dough balls.
- Scoop and roll: Use a 2½ tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough. Roll each dough ball in the cardamom-sugar mixture to coat thoroughly. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for about 8–10 minutes until the edges are set while the centers remain slightly underbaked. Immediately after removing from the oven, use a large round cutter or the back of a spoon to gently press the cookies into perfect round shapes.
- Finish and cool: Lightly sprinkle the cookies with any remaining cinnamon/cardamom sugar mixture and a pinch of Maldon flaky sea salt. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5–10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to settle and become soft and chewy as they cool.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter and eggs to ensure even mixing and proper texture.
- Do not over-mix the dough once the flour is added to avoid tough cookies.
- Rolling the dough balls in cardamom sugar adds a delightful aromatic flavor and a slight crunch.
- Pressing the cookies into shape right after baking helps achieve a neat, uniform appearance.
- Allow cookies to cool fully for the best chewy texture.
- You can substitute vanilla bean paste with pure vanilla extract if unavailable.
- For softer cookies, slightly underbake and allow residual heat to finish the cooking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: brown sugar cookies, cardamom cookies, chewy cookies, soft cookies, homemade cookies, cinnamon cookies
