Brown Butter Maple Oat Cookies

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional
• Flaky salt for finishing, optional

Instructions

1. Brown the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. It will foam, crackle, and then smell nutty with amber bits on the bottom. Immediately pour it into a mixing bowl, scraping in the browned bits, and cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, fine sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This helps distribute the leavening before the wet ingredients are added.
3. Whisk the brown sugar and maple syrup into the cooled brown butter until glossy. Add the egg and vanilla, then whisk until the mixture looks smooth and slightly thickened.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with a spatula. When only a few flour streaks remain, fold in the pecans and dried fruit if using. The dough will be soft but not runny.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. This short rest allows the oats to absorb moisture and keeps the cookies from spreading too thin.
6. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look a little soft. Tap the tray gently on the counter once to settle the centers.
8. Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired. Cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes, then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

• Use old-fashioned rolled oats rather than quick oats for the best chewy texture.
• Do not walk away while browning butter; it moves from golden to burnt quickly once the milk solids darken.
• If the dough feels greasy or loose after mixing, rest it for an additional 10 minutes before scooping.
• For rounder cookies, use a large round cutter to gently scoot each warm cookie into shape right after baking.
• Bake until the centers look slightly underdone; they finish setting as they cool.

Storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature. Scooped unbaked dough can be frozen on a tray, transferred to a freezer bag, and baked from frozen with 1 to 2 extra minutes added to the bake time.

Variations

• Swap pecans for walnuts or leave the nuts out for a simpler oat cookie.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate for a deeper dessert cookie.
• Use dried cherries instead of cranberries for a tart fruit note.
• Replace cinnamon and nutmeg with 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice for a fall-spiced version.

Nutrition note

Nutrition will vary based on exact ingredients, cookie size, and optional add-ins. As a general estimate, each cookie is a moderate dessert portion with butter, oats, sugar, and nuts; this note is informational only and not medical or dietary advice.

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