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Close-up of a soft brown sugar cookie covered with glossy brown sugar frosting
Jacob Hensley

Grandma's Brown Sugar Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Soft old-fashioned brown sugar cookies made from Grandma's handwritten recipe. They stay thick with a slightly cakey, biscuit-like texture and can be served plain or topped with boiled brown sugar frosting.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Frosting cooling time 15 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes

Ingredients
  

Brown Sugar Cookies
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened; Grandma's card says oleo
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted; add a little more only if needed to smooth the dough
Optional Add-Ins From Grandma's Card
  • chopped nuts, coconut, or chopped cherries optional; omitted from my batch
Brown Sugar Frosting
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare baking sheets.
  2. Beat the softened butter or margarine and packed brown sugar together until smooth and well combined.
  3. Beat in the eggs until fully incorporated.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the brown sugar mixture.
  6. Mix in the vanilla extract and milk.
  7. Add 3 tablespoons melted butter and mix until the dough is smoother and workable. Add a little more melted butter only if needed; the dough should remain thick.
  8. Portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Because the cookies do not spread much, lightly shape or flatten them if desired.
  9. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes, until the cookies are set but still soft and not deeply browned.
  10. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.
  11. For the frosting, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and milk, bring to a gentle boil, and boil for about 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
  12. Remove from the heat and let cool until lukewarm, about 10–15 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar and optional vanilla until smooth and spreadable.
  13. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies before the icing sets. If it becomes too thick while working, stir in a very small splash of milk.

Notes

Grandma's Brown Sugar Cookies Tips

TEXTURE: These are not thin, chewy brown sugar cookies. They stay fairly thick with a soft, slightly cakey, almost biscuit-like texture.
MELTED BUTTER ADJUSTMENT: The additional 3 tablespoons melted butter is my adjustment rather than part of Grandma's handwritten formula. Add more only if the dough still feels unusually dry or stiff.
ORIGINAL INGREDIENT: Grandma's card calls for 1/2 cup oleo, an older term for margarine. Butter was used in this version.
OPTIONAL MIX-INS: Grandma notes that nuts, coconut, or cherries may be added. I left them out of my batch.
FROSTING: The boiled brown sugar frosting is my addition and is not written on Grandma's original card.
YIELD: The original card does not provide an exact cookie count.

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