Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown butter chocolate chip cookies– Thick, bakery style chocolate chip cookies made with browned butter, lots of melty, dark chocolate, and finished with flaky sea salt. A super simple recipe (no mixer required and just one bowl). This is the BEST brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe out there, in my opinion!

If you’ve never browned butter before, don’t worry–it’s actually really easy. I’ve got a simple explanation in the recipe that will guide you through the process (plus a helpful video). It adds just a little extra to this recipe, but it’s so worth it. Browned butter gives these chocolate chip cookies an amazing, nutty, caramelized depth of flavor.

The rest of the recipe is super straightforward. No mixer or special equipment needed, just a bowl and a spatula. The dough comes together very quickly, and then it’s ready to chill in the freezer overnight before baking (the hardest part is waiting!).

Bake them all at the same time or just a couple cookies at a time–whichever you prefer. I love having frozen dough on hand to be ready to bake a few cookies on demand whenever I need them.

These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are thick, caramelized, nutty, and buttery-rich, chocolaty, sweet and salty with perfectly crispy, chewy edges and melty-soft, gooey centers. I can’t wait for you to try them for yourself!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Deep, rich, caramelized brown butter flavor
• Thick, gooey, soft insides + crispy, chewy edges
• Lots of dark, melty chocolate
• Dough comes together in just one bowl
• No mixer required
• Makes THE BEST chocolate chip cookies
• Chill dough balls in freezer – bake them all at once or on an “as needed” basis 😍

Notes from the test kitchen:

It took me at least twenty rounds of recipe testing over the course of a few months to perfect these cookies. I tested out different chill times, chill methods, mixing methods, melted vs. cold browned butter, scooping vs. rolling, and different amounts of flour and chocolate. Two things I wanted to highlight in these cookies:

1. The browned butter (because you’re not going to go to all that trouble and not be able to taste a difference between this cookie and a regular chocolate chip cookie). This seems obvious, but in my experience, too many browned butter recipes don’t really taste that different compared to those using plain old butter.
2. Another thing–lots of brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipes result in a flatter, chewier, cookie, but I wanted to develop one that was thicker and soft in the middle, yet, chewy and crispy on the edges. And let me tell you–THIS IS IT.

Ingredients

Butter: Gets turned into browned butter for the best caramelized flavor. Butter also helps keep the cookies tender. I like using salted butter in all of my baked goods, so that’s what I used for these cookies.

Granulated sugar: Gives the cookies sweetness, tenderness, and structure. In most of my cookie recipes I’ve found that a 1:1 ratio of granulated sugar to brown sugar gives the best texture and taste.

Light brown sugar: Provides sweetness, chew/texture, and caramelized flavor.

Egg: Binds everything together, gives some moisture and richness to the dough, and provides structure.

Vanilla: For classic, cookie dough flavoring and aroma. I recommend using pure vanilla extract over imitation for better flavor.

Bread flour: Denser and higher protein content than all purpose flour for a denser, thicker cookie. I really like using King Arthur bread flour and have really noticed a difference in the end product between this flour and generic brand bread flour.

Baking soda & baking powder: Leavening agents give the cookies some height.

Salt: To balance out and bring out the sweetness of the sugars and chocolate. Also magnifies the flavor of the browned butter. I use regular, fine salt for the dough and my favorite Maldon Sea Salt Flakes for finishing on the tops of the cookies.

Chocolate chips: I like using Nestle Tollhouse Dark Chocolate Chips. Intense, rich dark chocolate flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness. They stay nice and soft after baking, too.

Equipment

• Sheet pans – These “quarter” sheet pans work perfect for storing frozen cookie dough and these regular, half sheet pans are great quality for baking.
• Kitchen scale – The best way to accurately measure flour in baked goods and result in the ideal finished cookie!
• Small stainless steel saucepan and whisk – for browning the butter
• Silicone spatula – I have several of these silicone spoonulas and they’re SO nice for baking.
• Glass mixing bowl
• 1/3 cup cookie scoop – my go to scoop for the perfect, large cookies
• Parchment paper sheets
• 4 inch cookie cutter – for swirling around cookies just after baking to get even, round edges
• Measuring cups and spoons

How to Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Brown the butter. This can feel intimidating, but it’s actually really simple. Add the butter to a small saucepan and heat on medium, or *just* higher than medium heat. You’ll want to make sure to whisk it constantly to prevent it from bubbling over and in order to see the color of the butter beneath the foam. First it will become foamy and bubbly, then it will slow down and get “crackly”. Around the 8-10 minute mark, the butter will begin to brown, which you should be able to see and smell. Keep whisking for another minute or two, and once the butter is a rich, milk chocolate color, take it off the heat and transfer to your large glass mixing bowl.
2. Mix the sugars and butter. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the browned butter. Mix together with a silicone spatula until combined.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in the egg and vanilla and stir for a few seconds until incorporated.
4. Add flour, leavening agents, and salt. For the most accurate measurement, weigh out the flour using a kitchen scale. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips. Mix the dough until the chips are evenly dispersed.
6. Scoop and chill. Use a 1/3 cup cookie scoop and roll each dough ball to smooth. Place cookie dough balls on a small sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and cover with a lid. Let chill in the freezer for at least 12 hours.
7. Bake. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Once preheated, take cookie dough from freezer and place onto parchment lined sheet pans (6 cookies per pan). Bake for about 20 minutes. Immediately after taking out of the oven, swirl each cookie with a bowl or round cookie cutter to shape into a perfect circle.

Notes & Tips

Tips for Success

Browning the butter: Don’t let the idea of browning butter keep you from making these–I’ll walk you through it all and you’ll really understand that it’s worth it once you sink your teeth into these perfectly caramelized, brown-buttery cookies. Take a look at this video for a tutorial:

Weigh your flour. The most accurate way to measure ingredients for any recipe, especially with baking, is to measure by weight. Measurements can vary when done by hand with a measuring cup. It’s really easy for the flour to get too packed down, causing you to over-measure it. This can alter the recipe and lead to a dense, dry end product. To use this method, set your mixing bowl (with dough in it) on a kitchen scale and tare it. Set it to grams. Then slowly pour in the flour until it reads 390 grams. That’s it!

Measuring the flour (if you don’t have a scale): To measure the flour most accurately by hand, “fluff” the flour with a large spoon, then use the spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup. Overfill it, then level it off with a butter knife. Repeat this process for the full measurement of flour.

Chill the dough. Chilling the dough allows the wet and dry ingredients in the dough to blend fully, which develops and intensifies the flavor and improves the texture of the cookies. Freezing the dough balls and keeping the butter cold helps produce a taller, thicker cookie that spreads less once baked. I know it can be hard to wait, but it’s so worth it to not skip this step! The very minimum chill time would be two hours if you really need these in a pinch.

Use parchment paper. Lining your sheet pans with parchment paper for cookie baking is the way to go. It’s super easy, less messy, and makes for easier clean up. It also prevents the cookies from sticking to the pan and burning or getting too browned on the bottom. These parchment paper sheets are cut just to the right size and are super handy!

Don’t over bake the cookies. It can be so tempting to let those cookies sit in the oven for just a couple more minutes, but don’t do it! They may still look underdone or a little doughy, but they’ll continue to bake a little bit even after coming out of the oven, and they’ll set up as they cool. Take them out after 20 minutes and they’ll be perfect. Just trust me. 😜

Shape the cookies: Roll each scooped dough ball between your palms to smooth out into a perfect sphere before freezing. This gives them a nice smooth appearance. Swirl the cookies with a round cookie cutter right after pulling from the oven. This pushes in the sides slightly so the cookies are perfectly round and creates some nice crunchy texture around the edges.

Substitutions and Additions

Chocolate chips: Feel free to substitute the dark chocolate chips for your favorite variety (milk, semi-sweet, chunks, chopped, mini).

Butter: I don’t recommend skipping the brown butter, but if you do, make sure you use no more than 14 tablespoons. This accounts for the water/moisture loss in browned butter vs. regular butter.

Brown sugar: For an even deeper, richer, caramelized flavor, try using dark brown sugar.

Bread flour: I only tested this recipe using bread flour, so recommend sticking to that. I Substituting with all purpose flour would give a different texture and shape to the cookies.

Storage

These brown butter chocolate chip cookies keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days. I recommend refrigerating or freezing them as soon as possible if you plan to keep them longer than that. Because the brown butter is lower in moisture content, the cookies tend to dry out quicker. If you freeze your cookies after baking, simply leave out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before enjoying.

Other Recipes You Might Like…

• For more “fancy” chocolate chip cookies, try my popular chocolate chip marshmallow cookies
• Another thick, soft-on-the-inside, and chewy-on-the-outside cookie recipe: mini m&m cookies
• A fun, viral cookie recipe: honey butter cornbread cookies
• If you’re looking for more dark chocolate inspiration, try my double dark chocolate banana muffins

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These bakery-style brown butter chocolate chip cookies are thick, buttery, and salty-sweet with perfectly crispy, chewy edges and soft, gooey middles. Comes together in just one bowl and no mixer required. These are THE BEST brown butter chocolate chip cookies!

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Chill Time12 hours hrs

Total Time12 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown butter, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies

Servings: 12 cookies

Author: Kate Reeder

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter (two sticks)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups (spooned and leveled*) bread flour (390 grams)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ¾ cup dark chocolate chips (10 oz bag)
• flaky sea salt optional

Instructions

• To make the browned butter: In a medium sized saucepan, heat the butter over medium (or just slightly higher) heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk constantly. At first, the butter will be bubbling and foamy. Then it will thin out and change to tiny, crackling bubbles. After about 8-10 minutes the butter will start to brown. Continue to whisk constantly for another minute or two, until the butter turns to a deep, milk chocolate color. Take off of the heat and immediately transfer the butter to a large glass mixing bowl. This should take about 10-15 minutes total. Let the butter cool while gathering the rest of the ingredients.
• Add both sugars and mix well with a silicone spatula for about 1 minute until fully combined.
• Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix again until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Add the flour (see notes about measuring), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just fully incorporated. The dough should be firm and not sticky, almost like a play-dough consistency when pressed with a finger. If your dough is sticky, slowly add about a tablespoon of flour at a time until it becomes the right consistency.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Use a ⅓ cup cookie scoop to portion, then roll each dough ball between your hands until smooth and round. Place the 12 dough balls onto a parchment lined pan (I like to use my quarter sheet pan or a 9"x13" cake pan).
• Sprinkle each dough ball with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
• Cover and place in the freezer for at least 12 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place six frozen dough balls onto each baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown.
• Optional: Immediately after pulling out of the oven, swirl each cookie with a 4 inch round cookie cutter to shape evenly, then lift and lightly tap each end of the baking sheet onto the counter. This will create a nice thick, slighlty crinkly look.

Notes

*The most accurate way to measure the flour is to weigh it. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I recommend doing the following: “fluff” the flour with a large spoon, then use the spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup. Overfill it, then level it off with a butter knife.

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