Vanilla Brown Sugar Cookies

Aug 19, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Origin: Madagascar Vanilla: Beans Easy

These cookies bake with lightly crisp edges and soft centers. Brown sugar adds flavor and texture. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works.

Prep 18 min

Cook 12 min

Cooling 5 min

Total 35 min

Yield 24 cookies

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

2 ¼ cups (270.0 g)all-purpose flour
1.0 cup (227.0 g)unsalted butter, softened
10.0 tbsp (120.0 g)granulated sugar
¾ cup (160.0 g)light brown sugar, packed
2.0 (100.0 g)large eggs
1.0 tsp (5.0 g)baking soda
½ tsp (3.0 g)fine sea salt
½ (2.0 g)VanillaGoods vanilla bean, split and scraped

Flavor Accent

2 ¼ tbsp (30.0 g)light brown sugar, packed

Make it at home

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Stir the light brown sugar into the granulated sugar until evenly blended with no clumps; use this mixture wherever the recipe calls for sugar.
Beat the softened butter with both sugars on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should look lighter and feel fluffy rather than greasy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the scraped vanilla seeds just until the mixture is smooth. Scrape the bowl once so no streaks of butter remain.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl, then add them to the butter mixture. Mix on low only until the last dry streaks disappear. Stop as soon as the dough comes together; overmixing makes the cookies tougher.
Divide the dough into approximately 24 equal portions and place them onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden while the centers still look a little soft.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack. They will finish setting as they cool.

Tips

Optional add-in: fold 110 g toasted almonds, pecans or pistachios (cooled and chopped) into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional add-in, cacao nibs: fold 110 g cacao nibs into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional finish, cocoa dusting (1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder): sift the finishing cocoa through a fine sieve in a light, even cocoa dusting over the fully cooled cookies just before serving. The finish should stay on the surface without melting into the dessert.
Optional finish, honey glaze (¾ cup confectioners' sugar, 1½ tbsp honey, 1 tbsp whole milk): whisk the confectioners' sugar, honey, and milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the fully cooled cookies.
Optional finish, maple glaze (¾ cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tbsp pure maple syrup): whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the fully cooled cookies.
Optional add-in, toasted coconut: fold 110 g unsweetened toasted coconut flakes, cooled into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional finish, vanilla glaze (1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1½ tbsp whole milk, ½ tsp VanillaGoods vanilla extract): whisk the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over the fully cooled cookies.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Best vanilla for this: Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla brown sugar cookies?

Plan on 18 minutes of prep and 12 minutes of cooking, plus 5 minutes to rest, chill, or cool. It makes 24 cookies.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.

These cookies bake with lightly crisp edges and soft centers. Brown sugar adds flavor and texture. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.

164 Calories / serving

8.2g Fat

21.3g Carbs

1.7g Protein

12.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (24 servings): ~3936 cal · 197g fat · 511g carbs · 41g protein · 305g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 164 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 31 min·1.8 mi·~3650 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 22 min·1.1 mi·~2200 steps
Moderate cycling 17 min·3.4 mi
Swimming laps 23 min
Jogging 16 min·1.3 mi·~2550 steps
Stair climbing 15 min·~1350 steps
Dancing 27 min
Bodyweight circuit training 17 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 38 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.