Brown Butter Hojicha Earl Grey Cookies (Print Version)

Nutty brown butter meets roasted hojicha and fragrant Earl Grey in these aromatic, sophisticated cookies with a perfectly chewy texture.

# What You'll Need:

→ Brown Butter

01 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter

→ Dry Ingredients

02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 tablespoon hojicha powder
06 - 2 teaspoons Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 large egg yolk
11 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

12 - 2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

# How To Make It:

01 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, hojicha powder, and ground Earl Grey tea leaves until evenly combined.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract; mix until smooth.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. If using, fold in white chocolate chips.
05 - Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight, for best flavor and texture development.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon mounds, spacing 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft.
08 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The brown butter gives you that toasty, almost caramel-like depth that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
  • Hojicha and Earl Grey together create a flavor profile that feels sophisticated without being fussy or pretentious.
  • These cookies stay tender in the center while the edges crisp up just enough, and they taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Brown butter is non-negotiable and must cool before mixing, otherwise it will cook the egg and create a greasy, dense dough that never bakes right.
  • Grinding your own tea leaves from Earl Grey bags makes a noticeable difference in flavor intensity and even distribution compared to using whole leaves.
  • The overnight chill isn't optional if you want the cookies to taste sophisticated, because the flavors need time to develop and deepen together.
03 -
  • If you can't find hojicha powder, buy hojicha tea bags and grind them in a spice grinder until fine, or even blend them briefly in a food processor.
  • Scooping the dough with a 2-tbsp cookie scoop ensures uniform sizes, which means even baking and consistent results every single time.
Go Back