Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
User Reviews
4.6
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
12 mins
-
Additional Time
2 hrs
-
Total Time
2 hrs 32 mins
-
Servings
24 cookies
-
Course
Baked Goods
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Description
These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies enhance traditional chocolate chip cookies by cooking butter until it browns, introducing a rich, nutty flavor that complements the sweet and salty elements well. The browning process takes about 6–8 minutes and requires careful attention to avoid burning the butter solids. After cooling the browned butter, it is creamed with sugars and salt, then eggs and vanilla are incorporated. Flour mixed with baking soda is gently folded in to avoid overworking the dough, preserving tenderness. Chocolate chunks are folded in last, with a tip to press the chips into the dough log before chilling to help them stick better during baking.
The cookies finish with flaky sea salt scattered on top, which enhances the flavor contrast. Baking produces cookies with a balance of chewy and crisp textures. This recipe is well suited to those wanting a cookie with a deeper butter flavor and a slightly more complex taste profile than standard chocolate chip cookies.
The dough should be chilled after mixing to firm up before baking. Using your preferred type of chocolate—milk, semi-sweet, or dark—allows customization of sweetness and intensity. Carefully monitor the butter browning step to prevent bitter burnt bits from developing, which can spoil the flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 egg room temperature, large
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 11 ounces chocolate chunks or chips
- sea salt flaky
Instructions
- Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams up and then browns. This should take about 6–8 minutes. Don’t take your eyes off it because no one wants burnt butter bits in their cookies. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer or wooden spoon (yes, you can mix this dough by hand) combine the sugars, salt and cooled brown butter. Mix until smooth.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Stir together the flour and baking soda and gradually add it to the butter mixture. Mix until it just comes together, but don’t overmix. Fold in the chocolate of your choice. The chocolate chips may not seem to adhere to batter very well due to the melted butter, so I like to place the dough into a gallon zip-top bag and kind of roll the dough into a log to push the chips into the dough while it chills.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I typically shoot for overnight, but you can go as long as 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Let the dough sit out at room temperature while the oven preheats. It will be quite hard until it sits out for a bit. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. You should end up with right around 24 cookies.
- Bake cookies in preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges barely start to brown. The centers will appear undercooked, this is what you’re looking for. At this point, you can press some additional chips or chunks into the tops of the cookies and give them each a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt - both of these steps are completely optional, but totally delicious. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet placed on a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- You can use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chunks according to your preference.
- Brown the butter slowly and watch closely to prevent burning and bitter flavors.
- Chill the dough after shaping into a log to help the chocolate chunks adhere better and improve texture.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
You'll Also Love
