If you think you have already found your favorite chocolate chip cookie, these brown butter chocolate chip cookies may change your mind. Cooking the butter until it turns golden and smells like toasted hazelnuts adds a deep toffee flavor that regular butter cannot match. The cookies bake up with crisp, lacy edges, soft and chewy centers and big pools of melted chocolate.
In this post I explain how to brown butter without burning it, why chilling the dough matters, the best chocolate to use, variations, common mistakes and how to store and freeze the cookies. The printable recipe card at the bottom has exact measurements and estimated nutrition.
Why Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Better
Browned butter is simply butter that has been cooked until the milk solids toast and turn golden brown. It takes about 8 minutes and transforms a good cookie into a great one. There are a few other details in this recipe that I have tuned over many batches in my own kitchen.
- Toasty flavor. The milk solids in butter caramelize as they brown, giving the dough a nutty, butterscotch-like taste.
- Extra brown sugar. More brown sugar than white sugar keeps the centers soft and chewy and adds molasses flavor.
- An extra egg yolk. The added yolk gives richness and a fudgy, tender bite.
- A rest in the fridge. Chilling the dough hydrates the flour, deepens the flavor and stops the cookies from spreading too thin.
Because some of the water in butter cooks off while it browns, this recipe includes a splash of milk to bring the moisture back. That is the small adjustment that keeps the cookies from turning dry or cakey.
Ingredients You Will Need
The ingredient list looks like a regular chocolate chip cookie, with a couple of small changes for the browned butter.
- Unsalted butter: Use real butter. You will need 3/4 cup (170 g), which cooks down to a little less once browned.
- Dark brown sugar and granulated sugar: The brown sugar is the main sweetener and provides the chew.
- Egg and egg yolk: Use them at room temperature so they blend smoothly into the butter.
- Vanilla extract: Pairs wonderfully with the nutty butter.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level it, or weigh it, for the right texture.
- Baking soda and salt: Baking soda helps the cookies spread and brown, and salt brings out the toffee notes.
- Milk: A tablespoon replaces some of the moisture lost when browning the butter.
- Chocolate: About 1 1/2 cups of chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chips. Chopped bars give the prettiest melted pools.
How to Brown Butter
This is the one technique that matters in this recipe, and it is easier than it sounds. Stay by the stove and use your eyes and nose.
- Melt. Cut the butter into pieces and melt it over medium heat in a light colored pan, stirring or swirling often.
- Foam. The butter will foam and sputter as the water cooks off. Keep swirling.
- Watch the color. After 5 to 8 minutes, tiny brown flecks will appear on the bottom and the butter will smell nutty.
- Stop the cooking. As soon as the butter is amber brown, pour it, with all the brown bits, into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes.
Those brown specks are toasted milk solids, and they hold the flavor, so scrape every bit from the pan. If the butter smells burnt or the flecks turn black, start over. It is worth the extra stick.
How to Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Once the butter is browned and cooled, the dough is quick to mix. Use a whisk and a spatula and skip the mixer.
- Mix the sugars. Whisk the cooled brown butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the eggs. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla until glossy and thick.
- Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until a few streaks remain, then fold in the chocolate.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or up to 48 hours.
- Scoop. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underbaked.
- Finish. Sprinkle with flaky salt, rest on the pan for 5 minutes and move to a wire rack.
For bakery-style cookies, tap the pan firmly on the counter as soon as it comes out of the oven. The cookies deflate a little and get those attractive wrinkled tops.
Tips for Perfect Cookies Every Time
- Chill the dough. Even 1 hour makes a difference. A full day is even better for flavor.
- Use chopped chocolate. A mix of chips and a chopped bar creates layers of melted chocolate.
- Weigh the flour. Too much flour is the main reason cookies turn out dry. A cup of flour should weigh about 125 grams.
- Pull them early. The cookies continue to set on the hot pan, so take them out when the centers still look soft.
- Use cool pans. Placing dough on a hot pan makes the cookies spread too much.
If you enjoy cookie-style desserts, you might like my chocolate peanut butter bars or the classic Christmas sugar cookies. You can find even more ideas in my easy dessert recipes collection.
Choosing the Best Chocolate
The chocolate makes up a big part of these cookies, so it is worth a little thought. Since the dough is already rich and sweet from brown sugar, I prefer semisweet or bittersweet chocolate with 55 to 70 percent cocoa. It balances the toffee flavor instead of adding more sugar.
- Chopped chocolate bar: Melts into thin shards and puddles, for the bakery look.
- Chocolate chips: Hold their shape more, which gives a classic look and texture.
- Chocolate chunks: Somewhere in between, and good for big pockets of chocolate.
- Milk chocolate: Sweeter and creamier. Try half milk and half dark.
Easy Variations
- Toasted walnuts or pecans: Fold in 3/4 cup of chopped nuts for crunch.
- Extra large cookies: Scoop 1/4 cup of dough and bake for 14 to 16 minutes for 10 big cookies.
- Espresso: Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Toffee bits: Replace 1/2 cup of chocolate with toffee pieces.
- Cookie bars: Press the dough into a parchment-lined 8-inch pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Ice cream sandwiches: Sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cooled cookies.
Brown Butter Cookies for Gifting and Cookie Swaps
These cookies are sturdy, rich and stay good for several days, which makes them a wonderful choice for gifts and holiday cookie swaps. With Christmas on Friday, December 25, many of us start baking in early December, and a dough that freezes well is a real help.
- Freeze dough balls early. Scoop and freeze the dough in November, then bake a fresh tray whenever you need one.
- Pack with parchment. Layer cooled cookies between sheets of parchment in a tin so the chocolate does not smear.
- Add a label. Write a short note with baking instructions if you are gifting frozen dough balls: 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Size them down. Use a 1-tablespoon scoop for party-size cookies and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
I also love to tuck a couple of warm cookies into a napkin for a neighbor. The smell of browned butter in the house makes everyone curious about what you are baking.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely cause | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spread too thin | Dough too warm or butter too hot | Cool the butter and chill the dough for at least 1 hour |
| Cookies are dry or cakey | Too much flour | Weigh the flour and add the tablespoon of milk |
| Bitter or burnt taste | Butter cooked too long | Stop when amber brown and pour it out right away |
| Cookies are greasy | Butter not cooled enough | Let it cool 15 minutes before mixing |
| Hard once cooled | Overbaked | Pull them when the centers still look soft |
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
The dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, and I think the flavor is even better after a day. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Because the dough contains raw egg, avoid tasting it before baking. For safe storage times, see the USDA guide to leftovers and food safety.
To freeze, scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a tray until solid and transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C), adding 1 to 2 minutes. Warm a baked cookie for 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave for a just-baked center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to chill brown butter cookie dough?
It is strongly recommended. Chilling for at least 1 hour keeps the cookies from spreading too thin and deepens the toffee flavor.
Can I use salted butter for brown butter cookies?
Yes, but reduce the added salt to about 1/4 teaspoon because salted butter varies by brand. Unsalted butter lets you control the seasoning.
How do I know when the butter is browned?
It will turn amber, smell nutty and have tiny brown flecks on the bottom of the pan. Remove it from the heat right away.
Why do you add milk to the dough?
Browning butter cooks off some of its water. A tablespoon of milk replaces that moisture and keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
Can I freeze brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough?
Yes. Freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months and bake straight from the freezer, adding a minute or two.
Ready to bake? Here is the full printable brown butter chocolate chip cookies recipe with exact measurements and estimated nutrition.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Melt the butter in a light colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, for 5 to 8 minutes until it foams, turns amber and smells nutty. Pour it with all the brown bits into a bowl and cool for 15 minutes.
- Whisk the cooled butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla until glossy.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until a few streaks remain, then fold in the chocolate.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon balls of dough onto the sheets, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly soft.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt, rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
I hope these nutty, chewy cookies become your new go-to batch. If you bake them, please leave a comment and a star rating below to tell me how they turned out. Happy baking, friends!
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