Butterbeer Sugar Cookies

After a spring break trip to Universal Studios® Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to try my hand at making a butterbeer-flavored cookie. After a few test batches, this recipe was finally approved by my family of extremely picky Harry Potter fans as being the perfect cookie recreation: lightly butterscotchy, with vanilla and brown sugar accents, just like the Wizarding World drink!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 145 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons white sugar, or as needed
• ¾ cup butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla butter and nut flavoring

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together in a large bowl until creamy using an electric mixer. Add egg, maple syrup, sour cream, vanilla butter and nut flavoring, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat again until combined. Add baking soda and slowly mix in flour, 1/2 cup at a time; dough will be sticky.

Step 3

Chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Pour 2 tablespoons white sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls using your hands, roll balls in sugar, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly using your palm, and leave space between each, as cookies will spread during baking.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.