A brown sugar version of sugar cookies, with a touch of molasses. These cookies are rich in flavor, with crispy edges and an almost fudgy center. When they bake, they rise; when they cool, they fall, giving them a beautiful crackly surface. So simple, so good!

I will never say no to a simple sugar cookie or pan-banging sugar cookies, but adding brown sugar makes for an interesting twist.
A teaspoon of molasses increases the dark brown sugar flavor without making it taste like holiday fare (but, to be sure, these are a great addition to your holiday cookie tray). Rolling them in a bit of sugar gives them a beautiful sparkle, but even more important: another interesting texture.
These cookies debuted in my 100 Cookies cookbook, and have been a reader favorite!
A few tips for making Brown Sugar Cookies:
- Don’t skip the egg yolk! It helps make the center fudgy and rich.
- The cookies will puff in the oven and then collapse as they cool, forming cracks across the top.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for the time called for — this helps them set and will ensure the perfect texture upon first bite.

More Cookie Recipes:
- Neapolitan Cookies
- Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Toasted Sesame Cookies with Bittersweet Chocolate

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon [364 g] all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup [2 sticks | 227 g] unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup [350 g] dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup [100 g] granulated sugar for rolling
Equipment
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and the molasses and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
- Place the granulated sugar in a medium bowl.
- Form the cookies into 1 1/2 oz [45 g] balls (2 tablespoons). Roll each ball in the sugar and place 8 cookies on a sheet pan.
- Bake one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the sides are set and the bottoms are light golden brown, 10 to 11 minutes.
- Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the pan, then remove them and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
38 Comments
medital
Friday, February 10, 2023 at 3:38 amthanks for sharing
medital
Friday, February 10, 2023 at 3:25 amgreat
trish
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 2:32 amThese cookies are so delicious! They are crispy on the edges and soft and chewy in the center. I was out of vanilla so I used the equivalent amount of a vanilla bean. Not only are these cookies my favorite out of Sarah’s book but they are now one of my all time favorite cookies!
Sarah Kieffer
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 8:34 amSo glad you are enjoying them!
Nancy
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 11:33 amI would like to see a note on recipes mentioning how well the recipe works with sugar alternatives such as Purecane and King Arthur’s Baking Sugar Alternative for those of us who are diabetic or cook for diabetics.
Lindsey
Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 10:38 amThese cookies are beautiful and delicious! They absolutely take the sugar cookie to the next level! This is being added to our favorites for sure!
Jess
Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 11:57 amI added two table spoons of apple cider liquor to mine, it was a little dry as noted in the comments so the texture turned out well! going to put a dollop of apple butter into the next batch.
Kerri
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 3:22 pmThese were so delicious. Easy to make and perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle. I sprinkled mine with red and green sugar and a pinch of coarse salt to make them look Christmasy.
Holly
Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 10:14 pmshould the eggs be straight from the fridge, or room temp?
DS
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 6:05 pmWhat should I do if I only have light brown sugar? Can I just add more molasses?
Betsyros
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 4:57 pmVery tender and delicious cookie. And easy to make. I made 8 – the rest I will bake over the next few days. Very good recipe. I will try adding cinnamon to the next batch.
Elyse
Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 12:57 amI just have to say – out of all the cookie recipes in 100 Cookies, these are far and away my favorite (and that’s saying a lot!!!) I’ve taken to adding a bit of cinnamon to emulate that particular pop tart flavor 😉 But truly, I can’t say enough about this cookie. The flavor. The texture. This is the greatest cookie I’ve ever tasted.
Sarah Kieffer
Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 9:13 amSo glad you like them!
Michael
Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 12:18 pmThe texture is my favorite part. The cookies taste similar to my favorite pop tarts. All my studio mates loved them.
Holly
Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 10:09 pmIf you don’t have a paddle for your mixer, can you use the normal beaters?
Sarah Kieffer
Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 1:46 pmHello! I haven’t tested this recipe using beaters, but it should be fine. It might just take longer to properly cream the butter and sugar.
Haley
Friday, March 18, 2022 at 5:36 pmAmazing recipe! Sometimes the recipes I find on Pinterest are a total flop. This is the opposite! They came out absolutely perfect and the recipe was extremely easy to follow, with no second-guessing. I did use a small icecream scoop which ended up being between 40-50g per cookie so that worked out perfect. It also made 22 cookies but I can’t complain about the extra cookies! Thanks again and can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Mary
Sunday, February 20, 2022 at 11:57 pmI made 2 batches at the same time, one with regular dark brown sugar and the other exactly the same but with Splenda™ brown sugar and with 2 tablespoons less flour. I misread the amount of molasses and used a tablespoon instead for both and they turned out great, anyway. Both batches are still soft and chewy 3 days later and they don’t stick to each other in the cookie jar like a lot of soft cookies do. These will be on regular rotation in my house.
Ashley
Friday, February 4, 2022 at 11:56 amAbsolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly except I also added some cinnamon to my flour mixture. They turned out amazing, so soft and rich flavour! Great recipe, thank you!
JaxJayne
Friday, January 7, 2022 at 1:10 pmA note for others who do not have dark brown sugar on hand. I measured out white sugar and added 3 and 1/2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses. If you have light brown sugar, measure it out and add 1 and 3/4 blackstrap molasses. If your cookies are not puffing up, you might want to check if your baking soda is still good. Try Google search to see how to check. These cookies are deceptively simple, but complex in flavor. They are quite delicious.
Zulema
Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 5:41 pmWhen using light brown sugar do you mean to add an additional 1tsp and 3/4 molasses or increase the molasses to that amount?
Thank you!
naanie
Monday, January 3, 2022 at 8:31 pmI LOVE that you include weights for each cookie dough ball, it really ensures even-ness. I love how easy this recipe is yet yields great results. They came out so perfect, perfect texture, so delicious! What a winner.
Beth
Friday, December 31, 2021 at 1:20 pmThese look delicious! Quick question: Can you portion these and then freeze to bake from frozen a few at a time?
Sarah Kieffer
Sunday, January 2, 2022 at 10:48 amyes!
JaxJayne
Friday, January 7, 2022 at 1:01 pmHi Beth. That is just what I did. I used a cookie scoop to portion (36 cookies, so smaller than the recipe states) and froze on a tray. When I like to have a cookie or two, I take dough balls out of the freezer, roll in sugar, and place in 350 degree toaster oven for 11 or 12 minutes.
Grace
Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 1:41 pmYes, I froze mine (already rolled in sugar) in a single layer on a sheet pan, and then transferred to a Ziploc bag once frozen. Works out great to have on hand whenever I want some fresh cookies!
Dawn Elrad
Monday, December 6, 2021 at 9:19 amThese cookies are so delicious! The best taste and texture! They will be a staple on my cookie list!
Ashley B
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 10:55 pmThese are so delicious! I had to give most away or else it’s all I would want to eat for each meal 😛 They are so soft, with a delicious flavor and easy to make. Everyone I shared them with loved them!
Brittany
Monday, November 1, 2021 at 4:24 pmI made these with fantastic results! So simple and so delicious! I appreciate you including the weighted measurements, especially for the brown sugar. Mine are on day 3 and still perfectly chewy, which is the texture I want in a cookie. These might make it onto this year’s Christmas cookie platters!
Sage
Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 6:29 pmI was craving something sweet and these buttery decadent cookies hit it right on the head! Thank you for an easy to make delicious cookie recipe. And yes, these will be in the holiday cookie rotation!
Marilyn Mahmud
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 6:14 pmI made these today, and they are delicious! One question, though, mine puffed up as you said but they didn’t really collapse much or get the crinkles? I did use European butter, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Any suggestions?
Samantha Prouty
Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 7:09 pmHad the same happen to mine, using land o lakes park butter! Hers seem so much more more puffy and crackley.
Megan Suarez
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 11:39 pmMe too!!! Still good, but I was looking forward to the chewy crackles 🙁
Ashley
Friday, December 31, 2021 at 6:32 pmSame for mine as well! I used Tillamook butter and I’m not sure the butter is the culprit but who knows! Excited to try 🙂
Giftbasketworldwide
Thursday, January 7, 2021 at 12:30 amVery inspiring post. Thanks for sharing.
agreso
Sunday, January 3, 2021 at 7:19 pmMade these yesterday…fantastic! Soft and chewy, and sweet – with just the right amount of salt for balance. Sometimes you want a simple, straightforward cookie without all the competing flavors and textures, and this one nails it. Thanks for a really nice recipe.
Ana
Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 4:13 pmDelicious cookies and I love how quickly this recipe came together!
Liz
Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 7:07 pmMade these yesterday…fantastic! Soft and chewy, and sweet – with just the right amount of salt for balance. Sometimes you want a simple, straightforward cookie without all the competing flavors and textures, and this one nails it. Thanks for a really nice recipe.