Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Chill Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
My Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe has rich, nutty brown butter flavor, crisp edges, gooey centers, and melty chocolate puddles.
Servings: 16 cookies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (5 oz/142 g) butter , diced
- 1 ½ cups (7 ½ oz/213 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg , at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (4 oz/115 g) dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (2 ½ oz/71 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (4 oz/115 g) chopped bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
To Brown the Butter
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Add the butter to an uncoated, light colored 8 inch (20 cm) frying pan over medium-low heat.
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Once melted, cook while stirring constantly until the butter turns deep golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.
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Immediately pour into a large heatproof bowl to stop the cooking.
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Let cool completely to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
To Make the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
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In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and baking soda. Set aside.
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Whisk the egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt into the brown butter.
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Fold in the flour mixture until just incorporated, then mix in the chopped bittersweet chocolate.
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Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To Bake the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) fan assist and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon (about 1 ½ oz/40 g) portions and arrange half of the cookies on each sheet, evenly spaced out.
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Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are just set.
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Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack so they stop cooking and the center stays gooey.
To Serve and Store the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Serve warm or at room temperature with a cold glass of milk. Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- Using an uncoated, light colored pan for browning the butter. This is important because it helps you see the brown bits when the butter gets toasty, so you can brown it enough without burning it.
- Let the browned butter cool completely. Be sure the butter is cooled before making the dough, or it can melt the chocolate and affect the texture.
- To cool it quickly, pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl, and place it on a larger bowl filled with ice.
- Stir until the butter reaches room temperature.
- You can scoop the cookie dough balls before chilling if you prefer. The dough gets very firm when chilled.
- Be sure to chill the dough before baking. This ensures that the cookies don’t spread too much.
- I prefer bittersweet chocolate in these cookies for the best flavor. If you prefer, you can use an equal amount of dark or semisweet chocolate.
- Use less milk chocolate. If you like milk chocolate, use only half milk chocolate and the rest either semi-sweet or dark chocolate. This will keep the cookies from being overly sweet.
- Chips are fine to use. We think chopped chocolate, which melts into pools, makes the best cookies, but you can use chocolate chips in the same amount if that’s easier for you.
- Add nuts. If you like a nutty cookie, add 1 cup (5 oz / 142 g) of chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts, along with (or in place of) the chocolate.
- Deepen the flavor. Adding 1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso powder enhances the browned butter and chocolate (and it won't make the cookies taste like coffee!).
- Top with flaky sea salt. A light sprinkle brings out the chocolate and toasty butter flavors beautifully.
- Baking in a conventional oven. If your oven does not have a convection setting, increase the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake one tray at a time.
- Don't overbake. Pull the cookies out of the oven when the centers are just barely set. They will continue to cook on the pan as they cool.