These Brown Butter Chocolate Chipless Cookies are simple, nostalgic, and all about the cozy, caramel-like flavor of browned butter and a touch of nutmeg. With no chocolate to distract from their rich, toasty notes, they’re all about depth and warmth in every bite.
The edges are lightly crisp, the centers soft and chewy, and the flavor is anything but plain. If you're someone who loves a buttery, golden cookie with a slightly nutty twist, this one’s for you.
These chocolate chipless cookies are perfect for fall and winter baking, when warm, comforting flavors really shine—think crisp afternoons, cozy nights in, or a quiet moment with tea. They also make a lovely addition to holiday cookie boxes or dessert tables when you want something classic with a little extra something.
In the warmer months, they’re a great “anytime” bake—easy to make, no fancy ingredients, and crowd-pleasing without being too rich or heavy. Whether you're baking for a casual weekend treat, a friend drop-off, or just because, these cookies always feel just right.
If you love brown butter as much as I do, you need to try my brown butter oatmeal cookies, my brown butter coconut pecan cookies (my favorite ever), and my sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies!
Ingredients
What I love about this recipe is that the cookies taste like they are made with complex ingredients (thanks to the brown butter and nutmeg), but they use only a handful of kitchen staples.
- Unsalted butter - salted is fine too.
- Brown sugar - I used dark brown sugar.
- Cane sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Nutmeg (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the butter. You will start out with 170g of butter and by the end of the browning process you should have 140g.
Allow the butter to cool before mixing it with the brown sugar, cane sugar, vanilla, egg and egg yolk.
Step 2: Mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined. This is what the batter will look like!
Step 3: Chill for 30 mins to an hour before baking at 350F for best results. (I've skipped chilling and they baked fine, however, chilling or resting the dough creates a deeper flavor with an even better texture in the end).
(I used a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion them and scooped them out after chilling)
Step 4: Bake for 11-12 mins at 350F. Immediately after taking them out of the oven, use a large drinking glass or large round cookie cutter to scoot the cookies into thicker cookies. Enjoy!
Hint: Take these chocolate chipless cookies out of the oven when the edges are slightly browning and the center is matte and domed (it shouldn't look shiny or raw on the outside). They will collapse a bit while cooling. Taking them out before they overbake is essential to making a perfectly chewy cookie!
Example of a "scooted" chocolate chipless cookie. Much thicker!
Example of an "unscootted" chocolate chipless cookie. Still chewy, but much thinner.
Substitutions
If some of these ingredients don't work for you, that's okay! Here are some of my tried and true baking substitutions:
- Butter: Use a non-dairy butter like Country Crock's plant butter. A neutral oil (like coconut oil) would work well here too!
- Note: this butter is salted, so you might want to use a little less salt in the rest of the dough. I normally don't find the need to adjust it when using salted butter, but if you are sensitive to salt, you might want to cut the additional salt in half to start.
Variations
These cookies are rich and flavorful on their own, but here are a few fun ways to dress them up or change the vibe entirely:
- Toasted Pecan – Add ½ cup of chopped toasted pecans for a nutty crunch that pairs perfectly with the brown butter.
- Espresso Infused – Mix in 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder for a deeper, more complex flavor with subtle coffee notes.
- Maple Glazed – Drizzle cooled cookies with a simple maple glaze for a sweet fall-inspired finish.
- Sea Salt Finish – Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking for a sweet-and-salty bite that enhances the brown butter richness.
- Brown Sugar Crinkle – Roll dough balls in brown sugar before baking for a sparkly, caramelized crust and extra depth of flavor.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Two-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Butter warmer saucepan
- Large cookie cutter (or large drinking glass)
Storage
Store your chocolate chipless cookies at room temperature for 5-7 days in an airtight container.
Freeze in an airtight container lined with plastic wrap for up to 6 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator to prevent condensation from making the cookies wet.
I find that these cookies get better each day from days 1-7, so these are definitely make-ahead friendly!
Top tip
Weigh your ingredients! I can't recommend this enough. Kitchen scales are easy to find, affordable, and beneficial to your baking journey. It is the best way to make sure your recipes turn out as accurate as possible. See my "equipment" section above for links to scales I recommend.
FAQ
Yes! See my "substitutions" section for my favorite dairy-free baking ingredients. Nondairy butter might not brown the same as dairy butter. If that is the case, just use 140g of melted butter in its place.
Sure! Try my sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies and omit the chocolate. 🙂
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Brown Butter Chocolate Chipless Cookies
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Two-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Butter warmer saucepan
- large cookie cutter or large drinking glass (for scooting the cookies)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 170g before browning, 140g after browning
- 1 cup brown sugar packed, 200g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature preferred
- ½ tablespoon milk
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Start by putting your butter in a small saucepan and melt it on medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly to prevent burning.¾ cup unsalted butter
- You will know when it is done browning when it starts to smell nutty, and the bubbling butter develops a film on top, and the butter is golden brown with brown flecks at the bottom. You will start with 170g of butter, and by the end of the browning process, you should have 140g.
- If you have less than 140g at the end, add milk to the butter until you reach 140g.
- Allow the butter to cool before mixing it with the brown sugar, cane sugar, milk, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk.1 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, ½ tablespoon milk, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Mix the dry ingredients separately and mix them into the liquids until fully combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides to make sure everything is mixed in properly!2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Chill for 30 minutes to an hour before baking at 350F for best results.*
- Bake for 11-12 mins**. Immediately after taking them out of the oven, use a large drinking glass or a large round cookie cutter to scoot the cookies into thicker cookies.
- Allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
ALSO! Make sure you check out this amazing book written by Stephanie Hawkins called "At The End of The Day". So good and you won't regret it!
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