Listen, these salted brown butter chocolate chip cookies are the kind you plan your day around: thick, chewy edges, soft, gooey centers, and melty pools of milk hazelnut and dark chocolate in every bite. And the brown butter? It adds this rich, nutty toffee flavor that makes classic chocolate chip cookies feel a little… ordinary.
It all starts with the same toasty brown butter cookie dough as my brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies, only this time, it’s studded with even more chocolate.
These are hands down the best homemade brown butter chocolate chip cookies you will ever bake (yes, even better than from a bakery!).
When I’m craving even more salty-sweet flavor, I bake my brown butter chocolate miso cookies. My mom swears they’re the best thing I bake, soft and chewy every time!
The Baking Process
1
Make the brown butter. If this is your first time, I’ve got you! I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to brown butter that’s perfect for beginners.
2
Whisk the sugars and eggs into the browned butter. Make sure to cool the butter to room temperature. If the butter is too warm, it will melt the sugars, and when you bake the cookies, they will spread too much and have dark edges.
3
Fold in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Once combined, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes. This will firm the dough, making it easier to scoop.
4
Use a spring-loaded 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Then, place the dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
Once pumpkin season rolls around, I can’t resist making my brown butter chocolate chip pumpkin cookies: warm spices, pumpkin puree, and plenty of chocolate in every slice!
5
Chill overnight (or at least 3-4 hours). I swear the magic happens with the overnight chill, but you can still have a delicious cookie with just a few hours!
Make sure to wrap the tray in plastic wrap so the dough stays moist and hydrated.
6
Bake the cookies! Once chilled, space the cookies 2-3 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. You will need to use two trays if baking the whole batch!
After baking, don’t forget to sprinkle them with flaky sea salt for the perfect sweet and salty bite!
If you think these cookies have enough chocolate… think again. My brown butter chocolate chip blondies are loaded with even more chocolate chunks and baked into easy-to-cut bars!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1 tablespoon vanilla powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup 70% dark chocolate bar, chopped
- 1/2 cup hazelnut or milk chocolate bar, chopped
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Cook the butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat until it looks foamy, smells nutty, and has browned bits of milk solids. The butter will foam, crackle, and pop as it cooks. Scrape into a large bowl and cool to room temperature (this can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes). You should have about 3/4 cup (160 grams) of browned butter.14 tablespoons (196 g) unsalted cultured butter
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, vanilla powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.1 2/3 cup (215 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon (8 g) vanilla powder, 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda, 2 teaspoons (5 g) cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Once the butter feels room temperature, whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar vigorously for 1 minute. Then whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (128 g) light brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1 (55 g) whole egg, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons (4 g) vanilla bean paste
- Fold in the flour mixture. When it’s almost combined, add the chocolate chips and continue folding until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes; this will firm up the texture and make it easier to scoop.1/2 cup (63 g) 70% dark chocolate bar, 1/2 cup (63 g) hazelnut or milk chocolate bar, 1/2 cup (75 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Scoop the dough with a 3-tablespoon scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. For smooth, bakery-style tops, roll each cookie dough ball between your palms and press extra chocolate pieces into the tops.
- Wrap the tray in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or a minimum of 3-4 hours).
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bake the cookies spaced 2-3 inches apart, baking one tray at a time (keeping the other in the fridge) for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the middle is puffy and underbaked.
- Straight out of the oven, use a large round cookie cutter to gently scoot the edges into a perfect circle. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired, then let them cool completely on a wire rack.Flaky sea salt
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
