This brown butter chocolate chip cookies recipe is the best you’ll ever taste. It starts with brown butter for a rich, nutty taste and uses two types of flour to achieve crisp edges and a soft, chewy center. Then, I include not one but two types of chocolate and a pinch of flaky sea salt for the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.
I have shared these brown butter cookies with thousands of people in person and online, and they’re an instant favorite with everyone who tries them. After all, there’s nothing better than biting into a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie, and these are practically oozing with rich chocolate flavor, unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before.
Ingredients and Notes
See the recipe card below for the complete ingredients list and instructions.
- Salted Butter – Once browned, this adds a rich, nutty taste that truly makes these the best ever chocolate chip cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour – This adds structure to the cookies, helping them hold their shape and contributing to the slightly crisp edges.
- Bread Flour – This has a higher protein content than other types of flour, which contributes to increased gluten development, creating a slightly more elastic dough. Once baked, it leads to a softer, chewier texture.
- Baking Soda – A leavening agent, this helps the cookies rise as they bake and creates a chewy, crispier texture. It also promotes a Maillard reaction, which leads to a darker brown color around the edges of the cookies.
- Salt – I use kosher salt in the dough to enhance the rest of the ingredients and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for a nice contrast to the sweetness of the cookies.
- Dark Brown Sugar – This sweetens the dough while keeping it soft. I use dark brown sugar over light brown sugar for a richer molasses flavor.
- Granulated Sugar – Like the brown sugar, this enhances the sweetness of the cookies and provides a bit of texture for the nice, subtle crunch we want around the edges.
- Eggs – I like to use two whole eggs for flavor and structure, and add an extra egg yolk to increase the rich flavor and chewy texture.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – You can use vanilla extract if that’s what you have on hand. However, I prefer vanilla bean paste because it provides a much bolder flavor.
- Chocolate – I use both roughly chopped dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips. This creates a balance of rich, sweet flavors and ensures you get melty bits and chunks of chocolate in every bite.
How to Make Brown Butter
As mentioned, this is my secret to creating the best chocolate chip cookies of all time. Trust me. It’s worth the extra effort and is pretty easy to do.
How to Make Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Prepare the Dough
2. Bake and Serve
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the center, and oozing with dark and semi-sweet chocolate!
Equipment
- 1 Small Saucepan
- 1 Small Heat Proof Bowl
- 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment
- 2 Large Sheet Trays
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 stick (115 gram) salted butter
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 gram) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (130 gram) bread flour
- ½ teaspoon (~3 gram) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 gram) kosher salt
- 1 cup (220 gram) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 gram) white sugar
- 2 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon (13 gram) vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ⅔ cup (110 gram) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- ⅔ cup (110 gram) semi-sweet chocolate chips
For Serving
- flaky salt
- vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Prepare the Brown Butter
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, and stir frequently to melt.1 stick salted butter
- Once the butter foams, stir constantly to avoid any of the milk solids from burning.
- After four to six minutes, or once the milk solids smell nutty and turn deeply golden brown, remove the saucepan from the stove.
- Transfer the browned butter to a small, heat-proof bowl.
- Place a tea towel folded over in the freezer. Set the bowl on the towel, and cool until the butter is thickened, but not solid.
Make the Cookie Dough
- While the butter is cooling, mix the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk for one minute to fully combine.1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 cup bread flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Once the butter has cooled, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and egg yolk, and vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, and turn the mixer on medium speed.1 cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, 2 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Process for about two minutes, or until the mixture is lighter in color and fully incorporated.
- Next, add the flour mixture and mix on low until the flour is 75% incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chunks and chips, and mix on low until just barely combined and no streaks of flour remain.⅔ cup dark chocolate, ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chill
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and press plastic wrap onto the surface of the bowl.
- Refrigerate for at least one day or up to three days (or 24 to 72 hours).
Bake and Serve
- When ready to bake the cookies, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it come slightly to room temperature, about one hour.
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Scoop the cookie dough into equal-sized balls, 140 grams in weight, and place them on the parchment paper.
- Add flakey salt to a small bowl, then dip the tops of the cookies into the salt, lightly pressing it into the bowl to help it adhere. Transfer back to the sheet tray, then cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate while the oven preheats.flaky salt
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line two sheet trays with parchment paper. Add three cookies to each sheet tray, staggering the cookies to allow for at least three inches in between each cookie.
- Bake for eight minutes, then rotate and swap the cookie trays, moving the bottom to the top, and the top to the bottom. Bake for another six minutes, and remove from the oven.
- Gripping both sides of the sheet tray, assertively bang the cookie tray on a countertop two to three times, or until the cookies slightly flatten. Repeat with the other tray, then add both back to the oven.
- Bake for another two to three minutes or until the surface of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the edges are a bit darker than the top.
- Remove both sheet trays from the oven, and repeat the pan banging process to create little ripples and flatten the cookies slightly for that classic bakery-style look.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for five minutes. Then, remove the cookies from the sheet tray and place them directly on the wire rack.
- Repeat as needed until all the dough is baked.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.vanilla ice cream
Video
Notes
Storage:
– Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for three to five days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
– Freeze baked or unbaked cookies for up to three months.
– Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for three to five days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
– Freeze baked or unbaked cookies for up to three months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 632kcal, Carbohydrates: 93g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 340mg, Sodium: 502mg, Potassium: 386mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 49g, Vitamin A: 505IU, Calcium: 100mg, Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add nuts to browned butter chocolate chip cookies?
Yes, you can include any chopped nuts you like best, such as walnuts or pecans. Add them to the dough along with the chocolate chips.
Why did my cookies flatten while baking?
The most common reasons for cookies to flatten in the oven are the butter being too warm, overmixing the dough, and overcrowding the pan. To avoid this, make sure to refrigerate your dough until just before baking, mix just until the ingredients combine, and leave plenty of space between each cookie.
How long do baked brown butter chocolate chip cookies last?
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they will keep fresh for up to three to five days in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Can I freeze chocolate chip cookies with brown butter?
Yes, you can freeze both the baked cookies and cookie dough for up to three months. To store the dough, roll it into a ball and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Or, portion it into cookies, freeze them until solid, and then transfer them to a sealable bag or an airtight container.
Can I bake brown butter chocolate chip cookies from frozen?
Yes, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time as needed to ensure they cook through.
Why do my cookies stay in a ball shape when they’ve already come out of the oven?
If your cookies are staying in little ball shapes and not spreading, it’s usually because the dough has too much flour, not enough fat, or it’s just too cold going into the oven. Also worth checking your oven temp or even the kind of baking sheet you’re using. Those things can sneakily affect how they bake.
what are the measurments for the dough?
When you’re ready to bake, let the dough sit out for about an hour to take off the chill. Then line a baking sheet with parchment and scoop the dough into big 140-gram balls—perfect for those thick, bakery-style cookies.
Not the healthiest, but definitely taste amazing!!
The best cookies on Earth!
hi Nick Giovanni I love your recipes and your videos from your best friend stephen weitzman.
I wish you could have fed me directly.
How do you know if the dough is cooked properly. I baked it for 30 minutes and the edges are barely crispy. Confusing but delicious
How do you know if the dough is cooked properly. I baked it for 30 minutes and the edges are barely crispy.
I also had the cookies it’s chocolatey soft and sweet also it’s a little crunchy I’m making this cookies again amazing taste
BEST cookies I’ve ever made 10/10
Thank you, I really like your recipe, but when I make it, what makes the bottom of the cookies sticky/not dry?