These Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies are studded with pools of dark chocolate and tart dried cherries! The brown butter gives these cookies extra depth, richness, and caramel flavor. They’re the most wonderful combination of chewy, chocolatey, sweet, salty, and tart. My perfect cookie!
In my book, not much can be better than a brown butter oatmeal cookie. I’m an oatmeal cookie fanatic – especially when chocolate is involved. A really good chocolate chip oatmeal cookie has to be my all time favorite. Add some tart dried cherries and a healthy sprinkle of flaky salt…perfection.
The foundation for these cookies starts with rich, nutty, caramelly brown butter.
For this particular recipe, I like to brown the butter, and then chill it so it re-solidifies. Whipping the butter helps keep the cookies a bit softer and airier, and I knew these would be plenty chewy with the oats and dried cherries. Once you brown the butter, just stick it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
If you love brown butter in cookies like I do, these and these are two other favorites of mine!
All you need for this recipe:
- salted butter
- dark brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- oats
- baking soda
- kosher salt & flaky salt
- dark chocolate chips or chunks
- dried cherries
You can substitute any type of chocolate you love – milk chocolate, chopped dark chocolate bars, even white chocolate! Same goes for the cherries – dried cranberries would be lovely here too.
Here’s a quick rundown on how to make these delectable brown butter oatmeal cookies:
- Brown your butter. Once you’ve melted the butter, it will begin to bubble, get a little foamy, and develop a golden brown color with a nutty aroma. Once the little brown bits start to appear, you just keep cooking it, whisking constantly for about a minute, until the butter is deeply golden brown and has a nutty aroma. You want to remove it from the heat as soon as this happens, because it can burn very quickly.
- Chill your brown butter. I don’t always re-chill my butter for my cookie recipes, but for this one I like to. It yields a bit of an airier, softer cookie, which I love here. You only need to chill it for about 30 minutes.
- Make your cookie dough. Once the brown butter has chilled and solidified, we want to cream it in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for a minute or so, and then add both sugars, and cream the brown butter and sugars together. Next, in go the eggs and vanilla, and we mix for another couple minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then, we add the dry ingredients, carefully and gradually, being careful not to over-mix. Lastly, the oats, dark chocolate, and dried cherries go in.
- Scoop your cookie dough. I like to make 2-3 tablespoon balls for these cookies – there has to be enough surface area to stud the cookies with extra dark chocolate and dried cherries!
- Bake. These cookies are perfect at 10-12 minutes. I like to err on the side of underbaked, always.
The last thing you want to do, is sprinkle them with flaky salt, which I think goes without saying. 😉
If you love these brown butter oatmeal cookies, you will also love these recipes:
Brown Butter Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Brown Butter Chai Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Bites with Brown Butter Glaze
Spiced Pear Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream and Chai Salted Caramel
Dark Chocolate Cherry Coconut Almond Oat Bars
And don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen!
Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Dried Cherries
These Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies are studded with pools of dark chocolate and tart dried cherries! The brown butter gives these cookies extra depth, richness, and caramel flavor. They're the most wonderful combination of chewy, chocolatey, sweet, salty, and tart. My perfect cookie!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, chunks, or chopped dark chocolate bar
- 1 cup dried cherries
- flaky salt, for finishing (optional)
Instructions
Begin by browning your butter. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Once it has melted, start whisking constantly for 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully, as it can burn easily. The butter will begin to bubble, get a little foamy, and develop a golden brown color with a nutty aroma. Once the little brown bits start to appear, keep cooking for about a minute, until the butter is golden brown, but not too dark. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a heat-safe bowl. Let cool for several minutes, then transfer to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes, until the butter solidifies.
Preheat oven to 350℉. Make the cookie dough. Add the chilled butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment - be sure to scrape all of those beautiful brown bits into the mixer, you don't want to miss any! Beat for 1 minute on medium-high speed. Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar and cream together with the butter for another couple minutes, until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing on low to medium speed, until incorporated. Do not overmix. Add the oats, and mix again to combine. Add the dark chocolate chips and dried cherries, and mix until just combined.
Scoop your cookie dough into 2-3 tablespoon sized scoops, rolling with your hands to create dough balls. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Stud the tops of the dough balls with extra dark chocolate chips and dried cherries, if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just set - be careful not to over-bake. Sprinkle finished cookies with flaky salt and enjoy!
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