There are some recipes you make once, think “that was nice,” and move on. And then there are recipes that somehow become a family project, survive several questionable batches and eventually have people messaging you personally to tell you how good they were.
These cookies are very much the latter.
This recipe actually started with another baking adventure of ours: brookies. We had some leftover cookie dough and, as we usually do, decided to start experimenting instead of just putting it in the freezer like normal people.
JJ, in particular, has a slight obsession with making sure everything has an umami element. So naturally, at some point she thought, “Why not put soy sauce in a cookie?”
And thus began the experiments.
There were several failed attempts. And by “experiments,” we mean JJ making the family taste test every single version while we all tried to give useful feedback. Some were good. Some were definitely not making it onto the blog.
Eventually, though, she landed on the one.
The biggest change was brown butter. Our original cookie recipe did not use it because, honestly, we did not think it was necessary for a good cookie. But brown butter completely elevated this version. It gives the cookies that deep, nutty flavour that makes you wonder what exactly is in them.
Then comes the maple syrup, which adds another layer of depth, and the soy sauce. Do not worry, these are not soy sauce flavoured cookies. The soy sauce brings a subtle salty, savoury umami flavour that makes all the sweetness and chocolate taste even better.
We first made these for a community bake sale, and they were one of the first things to disappear from the table. People kept asking us for the recipe, and after a few very convincing personal messages from people telling us they were absolutely insane, we figured it was probably time we stopped gatekeeping them.
So here we are.
These brown butter soy sauce cookies are crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, packed with milk and dark chocolate and have that little something extra that makes you go back for another one before you have even finished the first.
And yes, we know you might be looking at the soy sauce in the ingredients and thinking, “Are you sure?”
Trust us. We would not have put it through that many family taste tests if we were not.
Brown Butter Soy Sauce Cookies
Ingredients
- 110 g Unsalted Butter (1/2 cup)
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Vanilla essence
- 50 g White sugar (1/4 cup)
- 90 g Brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed )
- 1 Large egg
- 170 g Plain flour (approx 1 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 120-160 g Mixed milk and dark chocolate (3/4- 1 cup)
Instructions
- Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, as it begins to foam. The milk solids will gradually turn golden brown and you will start to smell a deep, nutty aroma.
- Once you see golden brown flecks at the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat. Keep a close eye on the butter because it can go from beautifully browned to burnt very quickly.
- Allow the brown butter to cool slightly, then stir in the maple syrup, soy sauce and vanilla essence.
- Add the white sugar and brown sugar to the butter mixture, followed by the egg. Mix until everything is just combined. Do not overmix the mixture. Once everything has come together, stop mixing.
- Add the plain flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until a cookie dough forms and there are no obvious pockets of dry flour.
- Fold through the milk and dark chocolate until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Divide the dough into 10 to 12 portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls onto a lined tray or plate.
- Place the cookie dough in the fridge and chill ideally overnight, but for a minimum of 4 hours.
- For an even thicker cookie, you can freeze the shaped dough after chilling it. If freezing, allow the dough to freeze for a few hours before baking.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180°C or 356°F. Allow the oven to fully preheat before baking.
Bake
- Place the chilled or frozen cookie dough balls onto a lined baking tray, making sure to leave plenty of space between each cookie.
- Bake at 180°C or 356°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden and set, while the centres should still look slightly soft. Do not worry if the centres look a little underbaked. They will continue to set as the cookies cool.
