Easy Cashew Cookies with frosting are made with a simple oatmeal cookie base packed with chopped nuts. This chewy, flavorful favorite from my childhood features a delicious browned butter frosting, and is sure to disappear quickly at any gathering!
In this article you'll learn:
- How to make cashew cookies using a soft, chewy oatmeal cookie base packed with chopped cashews.
- What defines a drop cookie and why this easy method makes these cookies with cashews beginner-friendly.
- How browned butter frosting adds deep, nutty flavor, and how to make it smooth, creamy, and spreadable every time.
- Key baking tips from my test kitchen to keep oatmeal cashew cookies tender, including how to avoid overmixing and overbaking.
- Storage and freezing tips so you can make these bakery-style cashew cookies ahead for gatherings or gifting.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
I could eat an entire pan of these Cashew Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting; they are so addicting! Like many of my favorite cookie recipes, this one comes from my Great Aunt Ruth.
They are soft, buttery oatmeal cookies on cashew steroids topped with a creamy brown butter icing. With their deep brown sugar flavor, no wonder they were my favorite drop cookie growing up! (Don't tell my Chocolate Chip Cookies though, they will always have my heart.)
What are drop cookies?
Any cookie that is made by dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet is considered a drop cookie. You won't need to do any rolling out, cutting, or shaping to make drop cookies.
In the world of drop cookies I definitely have some favorites like Pecan Crispies, Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies and my ying-yang Monster Cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
Nothing compares to these cashew drop cookies. Even though they are oatmeal cookies at heart, the cashews and brown butter frosting take them over-the-top, making them a next-level cookie!
Here are the other reasons you'll love this:
- Simple ingredients: Other than salted cashews, you'll only need a few pantry staples to make these delicious cookies.
- Bakery-style cookie: With their soft and chewy texture, nuanced flavors, and rich frosting, these cookies taste like they're fresh from the local bakery.
- Easy to make: I also love how easy this recipe is. Even a beginning baker can feel confident making these cashew cookies.
- Brown butter frosting: Although the cookies taste amazing plain, top them with frosting as an extra special addition. The frosting can even be made in advance.
If you're looking for simple and flavorful cut-out cookies, try my Soft Sugar Cookies and Honey Cinnamon Cut Out Cookies. Both recipes make beautiful, decorated holiday cookies.
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Truly one of my all-time favorite cookies!
- Mary
Ingredients
I love how simple the ingredients are for these cookies. Here's some ingredient tips to help you find exactly what you'll need. See recipe card for quantities.
Cookie dough
- Unsalted butter: Give the butter time to soften before getting started. It will take about 30 minutes.
- Brown sugar: Gives the cookies added moisture and flavor.
- Sour cream: It's best to use full-fat sour cream.
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Leaveners: This recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda for soft and fluffy cookies.
- Old fashioned rolled oats: Don't use quick-cooking oats as the cookies will turn out dry.
- Salted cashews: Use roasted, salted cashews (not raw cashews) for the best flavor. Chop them coarsely to make them easier to chew. Don't replace the chopped cashews with cashew butter.
Frosting
- Confectioners' sugar
- Unsalted butter: For classic flavor, make sure to use unsalted butter.
- Vanilla extract
- Evaporated milk: Gives the frosting a richer flavor. You could also use regular milk.
How to make cashew cookies
Make deliciously beautiful cookies by following this step-by-step photo tutorial. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
Make cookies
- Step 1: Set oven to 375ºF. In a mixer, cream softened butter and brown sugar. Then mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Step 2: Add sour cream and mix until lightened, about 1 minute.
- Step 3: In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then add them to the creamed mixture. Stir to combine, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Step 4: Prepare 1-inch domes of dough, almost 2 tablespoons each. You can chill them if you want to bake later.
- Step 5: Place domes onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced out evenly.
- Step 6: Bake until golden brown around the edges and just barely set in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire wrack.
Hint: Use the flat end of a spatula to shape the still-warm cookies and smooth out uneven edges.
What is browned butter?
Browned butter, or buerre noir is butter that has been melted slowly and allowed to heat until the milk solids have separated from the fat and caramelized to a brown color. The milk solids in butter brown because they have natural sugars just like regular milk.
The browning process takes a while, but at the end things happen quickly! Pay close attention once the butter has slowly melted in the pan. It will most likely foam a bit as the milk solids begin to cook and can burn quickly if you aren't watching closely.
I like to swirl the pan around so I can watch the browned bits change color. When the bits are almost to chestnut color, remove the pan from the heat and immediately scrape it into a bowl. Make sure to get all the browned bits from the pan, that's where the flavor is!
Make frosting and finish cookies
- Step 1: Slowly melt the butter over medium heat. It will begin to bubble.
- Step 2: Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until butter is foamy on top and golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Step 3: To cool the butter quickly, pour it in a bowl and place it over an ice bath to cool. It should only take a minute or two to come to room temperature.
- Step 4: Scrape the browned butter into a bowl of sifted confectioners' sugar. Add the vanilla and milk.
- Step 5: Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Step 6: Add more milk to adjust the consistency as desired.
- Step 7: Frost cooled cookies.
- Step 8: Then top with extra cashews if desired. The cookies can also be eaten plain.
Tara's top tips
Room temperature butter: It's important to soften the butter before mixing the cookie dough. It will blend with the other ingredients much easier and help prevent overmixing.
Don't over mix the dough: If you work the dough for too long, the gluten in the flour will become strong and your cookies will turn out flat and dense.
Don't overbake: To ensure a soft and chewy texture, don't overbake the cookies. They are ready to come out of the oven when they are set and golden brown around the edges but just barely set in the center.
Equipment
Use a stand mixer or a hand mixer for the cookies and frosting.
I love rimless baking sheets for making cookies. Use parchment sheets or a silicone mat for a nonstick surface.
A cookie scoop makes easy work of dough.
I brown butter in one of my stainless steel saucepans rather than one with a nonstick coating. Dark nonstick coating makes it difficult to tell when the milk solids start to turn brown! With a stainless steel pan you'll be able to see the color change and can pull the melted, browned butter off the heat before it burns.
Storage
Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days.
You can freeze the cookies for up to a month. Let come to room temperature before eating.
FAQ
Cashews are soft and buttery, and have a nice mild flavor. I wouldn't recommend leaving them out! If you must, try macadamia nuts or pecans.
No, these cookies taste fantastic plain. The frosting is optional, but highly recommended, and how I grew up eating them!
More easy cookie recipes
If you love bakery-style cookies as much as I do, give these flavor-packed recipes a try:
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📖 Full Recipe
Cashew Cookies with Frosting
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup salted cashews (coarsely chopped)
Brown butter frosting
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons evaporated milk (or milk*)
Instructions
Make cookies
- Heat oven to 375ºF. In a mixer, beat softened butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add egg, vanilla, and sour cream, and beat until lightened, about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, stir together dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, oats, and cashews).
- Add the dry ingredients to the sugar and butter mixture and mix until combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl to incorporate everything evenly.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop 1 inch domes (about 2 tablespoons) of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden around the edges and just barely set in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. [Use a metal spatula or cookie cutter to tap around the edges while the cookies are still hot, to shape them into perfect circles.]
Make frosting and finish cookies
- Make brown butter frosting by sifting the confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, slowly melt butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. (Optional: place butter in a bowl over an ice bath to cool it to room temperature. It should only take a minute or two.)
- Immediately scrape the butter and all the browned bits into the confectioners' sugar. Add vanilla and milk and mix to combine. Add more milk depending on the consistency you desire.
- Frost cooled cookies. Top with extra cashews if desired. Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Melinda Caldwell says
Adding this to my cookie exchange list. Yum!
Mary Bench says
Truly one of my all-time favorite cookies!
Sandra says
These are so good, hafted the icing recipe, dipped the cookie tops, left everything else the same, even better the next day. Thanks Tara
Marie says
These cookies, this brown butter frosting, that recipe, Tara Teaspoon makes it all amazing 🤩 🤩🤩
Julie says
I just saw your batch browned butter trick on Insta and gotta say it's genius! Plus it's a great way to have browned butter on hand when I have a craving for these cookies. Oh my goodness the frosting!