Home » Desserts » Brown Butter Coyotas

Brown Butter Coyotas

posted by Liz Berg on October 26, 2013 (updated 1/10/24)

Brown Butter Coyotas are delicious, caramelly sugar cookies enhanced by brown butter and flavored with a touch of cinnamon!

This Southwest Cookie Recipe is sure to please your family!!! These Brown Sugar Cookies have Mexican roots.

Why You Must Make

These Brown Butter Coyotas are chewy, caramelly with a subtle cinnamon undertone.
With a Mexican origin, they’re perfect to end a Tex Mex meal like tacos, enchiladas or quesadillas.
You’ve never heard of coyotas? If you like soft sugar cookies, you’ll enjoy this recipe with a boost of flavor from brown sugar!

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Flour, Baking Soda, Salt
Unsalted Butter – May use salted butter, but eliminate the added salt in the recipe.
Dark Brown Sugar – May use light brown sugar, but mix in 1 tablespoon of molasses for each cup needed. Dark brown sugar adds caramel undertones to the cookies.
Eggs – Use large eggs. Have them at room temperature for easier incorporation. If you forget to remove the eggs from the refrigerator an hour or two before mixing the dough, you can place them in a bowl of very warm water (not boiling) to help take the chill off.
Vanilla Extract – Always use real vanilla extract, not artificially flavored. I use the Nielsen-Massey brand.
Ground Canela or Cinnamon – I used cinnamon.
Salt – Eliminate if using salted butter.

Recipe Tips

For the most accurate flour measurement, spoon flour into the measuring cup, then use a straight edge, like an offset spatula or knife, to sweep the excess from the top of the cup.
Have your eggs at room temperature so they blend more easily into the dough.
To brown the butter, cook it over medium heat until it is golden brown with a nutty aroma. Make sure to cool it slightly before using.
Use a large cookie disher (3 tablespoon capacity) if you have one, to make even-sized cookies.
Roll the scoops into rounds if needed so they bake up into attractive circular cookies.
Place only six dough balls per baking sheet since these are large cookies and will spread.

Oh, my. I could have eaten the whole bowl of this outrageously delicious cookie dough. But I’m glad I didn’t. These Brown Butter Coyota were just as wonderful baked as unbaked. They’re chewy, caramelly with a subtle cinnamon undertone. You’ve never heard of coyotas? Well, like with Meghan Micozzi’s Leek and Mushroom Migas, I learned a new foodie term and fell in love with another Southwest dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Coyotas?

Coyotas are a Mexican sugar cookie that’s flatter and larger than a typical cookie. They are considered a staple of the northern Mexican state of Sonora. Made with brown sugar instead of white sugar, and the addition of lard or vegetable shortening is more traditional than butter. But Meghan’s twists made them new, modern, and spectacular. Butter replaced lard and provided a wonderful flavor booster, plus browning the butter added that certain je ne sais quoi, an underlying nuttiness.

What’s the Difference Between American Cinnamon and Mexican Cinnamon?

And if I had done a little research on “canela” before jumping into the recipe, I would have realized it’s a Mexican term for cinnamon. It’s not the cassia cinnamon we’re used to in the States but more like the milder Ceylon version with a subtle hint of citrus (which I’m certain I have in my spice drawer). But regular old cinnamon is still wonderful in these cookies, so don’t worry if you don’t have Mexican cinnamon.

How Should You Store Coyotas?

Coyotas can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.