Cornbread Cookies

Cornbread cookies made with rich, nutty brown butter for a soft, bakery-style chew, topped with creamy honey buttercream and drizzled with golden honey for a perfectly sweet finish.

Course cookies, Dessert, holiday

Cuisine American

Keyword cornbread, cookies, cornmeal, brown butter, crumbl, copycat, honey butter

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Chill time 2

Total Time 2 55

Servings cookies

Calories 381

Author Kristen-The Epicurean Mouse

Ingredients

Cornbread Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter browned
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1/2 cup yellow fine cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp milk powder

Honey Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/4 cup honey plus more for drizzling on top
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

Cornbread Cookies

Melt the butter slowly in a small saucepan over low heat. You'll notice it starting to foam and then release a very nutty, fragrant aroma. Stir until the butter turns a golden amber color, with toasty bits on the bottom of the pan.
Pour the butter into a large bowl. Then, place it in the fridge for 25-30 minutes or until it has the texture of softened butter.
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dry milk powder in a separate bowl. Set aside.
Using a paddle attachment, beat the softened brown butter with the sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.
Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop to portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, cover with plastic and chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375℉. Place 6 cookies onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are slightly puffed.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack.

Honey Buttercream Frosting

Place the softened butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
Then, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla extract.
Next, increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Assemble The Cookies

Transfer the honey buttercream frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip. Pipe the frosting onto each cooled cookie. Then, drizzle with extra honey and a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

Notes

Brown the butter carefully- keep an eye on the butter and stir frequently. Remove it from the heat once it's nutty and aromatic with those toasted milk solids on the bottom of the pan.
Measure your flour correctly- first, fluff up the flour in the bag, then scoop it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Don't dip the measuring cup straight into the flour, as this can compact it and lead to cookies that are dry, dense, or that don't spread properly.
Don't skip chilling the dough- refrigerating the cookies for at least 1 hour helps the cookies hold their shape, prevents spreading, and develops more flavor.
Perfectly round, every time- as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round cutter slightly larger than the cookie over the top and gently swirl it in a circle. This pulls the edges in and gives you that perfectly round, bakery-style look.

Nutrition