Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Print)
Nutty brown butter chocolate chip cookies with chewy centers and crisp edges, finished with optional flaky sea salt.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dairy & Eggs
01 - 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
02 - 2 large eggs
→ Sugars
03 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
→ Dry Ingredients
05 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 tsp baking soda
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ Flavorings
08 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
09 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
10 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
03 - Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Gently fold the semisweet chocolate chips into the dough using a spatula, distributing them evenly throughout.
06 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each portion approximately 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the centers remain soft and slightly underdone.
08 - Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Optionally sprinkle flaky sea salt over the warm cookies. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Browning the butter adds a toasted, caramel depth that makes people ask what your secret is every single time.
- The contrast of chewy centers and crisp edges means every bite has a different texture, which keeps you reaching for another.
02 -
- Watch the butter like a hawk while browning, because the window between fragrant and acrid is only a few seconds wide and burnt butter cannot be fixed.
- Letting the brown butter cool before adding the eggs prevents you from accidentally scrambling them into the sugar mixture, which is a mistake I have made more than once.
03 -
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform dough portions so every cookie bakes evenly and you never end up with one burnt and one raw on the same tray.
- A light colored saucepan lets you actually see the butter changing color, which is the single most important visual cue for getting the browning exactly right.