White Chocolate Dipped Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
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If you’re looking for simple holiday cookies, this is the recipe to try! I love these White Chocolate Dipped Brown Butter Sugar Cookies because they feel festive and wintery without the cookie itself being overly complicated! The brown butter gives them a rich, nutty flavor, while a little cinnamon adds that cozy holiday warmth. Dip them in creamy white chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pistachios, and suddenly a simple cookie feels extra special and holiday-ready.
They’re a great option when you want something that looks beautiful on a Christmas cookie tray but doesn’t require complicated decorating or a bunch of extra steps. The combination of brown butter, cinnamon, white chocolate, and pistachios is also such a delicious balance of warm, buttery, sweet, and slightly nutty flavors. Plus, without being excessively red or green, you can bake these cookies any time of year, and no one will know the difference!
And for more fun holiday cookies, try my Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies, Fudgy Crinkle Cookies, Eggnog Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting, Tiramisu Cookies, or White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
Table Talk with Tawnie
I love how these cookies don’t feel overly festive, but are also a great addition to any cookie box or cookie platter! Thin, chewy, and the perfect cookie to get into the holiday baking spirit!
- Butter: Make sure to use unsalted butter and visit this post on how to brown butter for an easy tutorial.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the only flour I’ve tested this cookie recipe with. As always, it’s very important to make sure you’re using the spoon and level method to measure your flour when baking (you can also use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients). Too much flour can result in drier, harder cookies, which you definitely don’t want with these!
- Eggs and egg yolk: Adding an extra egg yolk helps create a richer, chewier cookie. You can save the egg white for breakfast the next day! Also, make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they will mix more easily with the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Sugar: I like using more brown sugar than white sugar in this recipe to make the cookies chewy.
- White chocolate melting wafers: For dipping, I love using Ghirardelli melting wafers; they melt smoothly and set up with that perfect glossy finish.
- Pistachios: I love adding pistachios to these cookies for the perfect little crunch, while also being festive! However, if you aren’t a fan, feel free to skip. Sprinkles, chopped chocolate, or any other chopped nut works great!
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Brown the butter
Check out my how to brown butter blog post if you need some guidance. Then let it cool slightly and mix in the milk.
Make the dough
Whisk the sugars with the brown butter mixture. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth and glossy. Add the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Chill the dough for 20-30 minutes.
Bake
Scoop the dough and arrange on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for ~8 minutes. Let cool completely
Dip in chocolate
Melt the white chocolate. Dip about half of each cookie into the melted white chocolate, then place on wax paper.
Garnish and enjoy!
While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Allow the white chocolate to set then enjoy!!
Expert Tips
- Spoon and level flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and be sure it’s leveled. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. Spoon and level by using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top of it. You can also use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements.
- Don’t over-mix the dough: Mix until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, making the cookies tough. To prevent this, I like to fold in the dry ingredients just until no more dry flour pockets are left.
- Chill the dough: Don’t skip this step! Letting the dough rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes helps it firm up, making it easier to scoop and roll while also giving you thicker, chewier cookies. You can also prep the dough and let it chill in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
- Don’t over-bake: Bake just until the edges are set and the centers still appear soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool. Always underbake!
- Do not crowd the baking sheet: I like to bake 6-8 cookies at a time. Overcrowding the cookies can lead to the cookies baking into each other and creating wonky-shaped cookies. We want the heat to circulate evenly around the cookies, so if you find your cookies are spreading too much, bake fewer cookies on your sheet at one time. If you’re baking more than that, just make sure there are at least about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Let cookies cool before dipping: Make sure to let the cookies cool all the way before dipping! If they’re even a little warm, the white chocolate can melt or slide right off.
Want perfectly circular cookies? Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place a circle cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around one of the cookies (it should be larger than the cookie so you don’t cut off any edges) and give the cookies a spin. Swirling the cookie helps to smooth out any uneven edges and make the cookies perfectly circular!
Variations / Substitutions
- White chocolate: You can use white chocolate chips instead of melting wafers, although melting wafers tend to melt more smoothly and are easier for dipping.
- Chocolate: Swap the white chocolate for milk or semi-sweet chocolate if you prefer a deeper chocolate flavor (or just make my Chocolate Dipped Brown Butter Cookies😉)
- Pistachios: Skip the pistachios or substitute finely chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
- Cinnamon: Adjust the cinnamon anywhere from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon depending on how noticeable you want the cinnamon flavor to be.
- Holiday sprinkles: Instead of pistachios, top the white chocolate with festive sprinkles, crushed peppermint, or colored sanding sugar.
- Chocolate drizzle: If you don’t want to fully dip the cookies, drizzle the melted white chocolate over the tops and sprinkle with pistachios instead.
Storage / Freezing
- Store these white chocolate dipped sugar cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze: Scoop the dough into 2 Tbsp. sized balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time, then dip them in the melted chocolate.
- Make ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Allow to come to room temperature, then continue to bake as directed.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. whole milk
- 1½ cups light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (just depending on how cinnamony you want your cookies)
- 3/4 tsp. Fine salt
For Dipping & Garnishing
- 10 oz. white chocolate melting wafers (I use Ghirardelli)
- 1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Use this post for reference. Set brown butter aside to cool for about 15 minutesStart Timer. It can still be slightly warm, but it should not be hot.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add milk: Stir or whisk in whole milk.2 Tbsp. whole milk
- Mix the wet ingredients: Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter and whisk until well combined. Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and glossy.1½ cups light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold together with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.2¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. Fine salt, 1 tsp. baking powder
- Chill the dough: Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for about 20-30 minutes Start Timer, or until it's firm enough to easily scoop and roll.
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop: Scoop the dough into ~2 Tbsp. portions and arrange on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake: Bake for ~8 minutes Start Timer. The edges should look just set, while the centers should still look soft and slightly underbaked. Do not overbake! The cookies will continue to bake and set on the hot baking sheet as they cool. They might seem really soft out of the oven; that’s perfect. This is what keeps them soft and chewy!
- Shape the cookies: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a circular cookie cutter or glass slightly larger than the cookie around each one. Gently swirl it in a circular motion to create perfectly round cookies. (I use these!) Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes Start Timer, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the white chocolate: Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-30 second increments, stirring between each, until completely smooth.10 oz. white chocolate melting wafers
- Dip: Dip about half of each cookie into the melted white chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. Place on parchment or wax paper.1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
- Garnish: While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Allow the white chocolate to set completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Store these white chocolate dipped sugar cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze: Scoop the dough into 2 Tbsp. sized balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time, then dip them in the melted chocolate.
- Make ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Allow to come to room temperature, then continue to bake as directed.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Amanda Chasten Photography
