These unique cookies are soft and chewy, loaded with gooey chocolate chips, and have a deep caramel-y flavor from nutty brown butter, like these brown butter snickerdoodles and apple turnovers with brown butter. Likely to become your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe!
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The hardest part of making this chocolate chip cookie recipe is trying not to eat all of the cookie dough before you bake them. But they are worth the wait!
I always associate brown butter with eating popcorn in the summer as a kid. My small town had a popcorn stand in the liquor store parking lot, and my family and I would walk the mile or so uptown frequently to buy popcorn on warm summer nights. It always felt like an exciting event, and sometimes my sister and I would ask our parents if we could go without them.
I'm not sure if the popcorn made it home on those particular outings; the enticing smell was overwhelming. I didn't know it at the time, but this popcorn was bathed in brown butter and salt. Whoever made the popcorn must have been re-melting butter in the same pan so the leftover bits would brown and take on a yummy nutty flavor.
These drool-worthy cookies are an homage to the magic that is brown butter. They're soft and chewy, loaded with chocolate chips, and have a deep caramel-y flavor because of brown butter. Likely to become your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe!
For more cookie recipes, try my chocolate chip pecan cookies, chocolate chip marshmallow cookies, coffee cookies, and dairy free chocolate chip cookies.
Jump to:
What Is Brown Butter?
If you haven't had the pleasure of eating or making brown butter, you are in for a real treat with these cookies. Browning butter is the process of caramelizing the milk solids in butter, so it transforms the flavor into one that is more intense and slightly nutty (see picture above).
If you think about the difference in taste between granulated sugar and caramel, it's similar with butter and brown butter in that you are changing the flavor by enhancing it and making it richer, with caramel-like flavor notes.
In French, instead of calling it brown butter, they call it "beurre noisette" or hazelnut butter. When you make it, your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible.
Brown butter has gained in popularity with chefs over the years, so more people are cooking and baking with it. This is a very good thing! It only takes a few minutes to make and you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
It can be used in sweet or savory preparations, so play around with it! It's fun to use it when you want to enhance a dish or recipe and make it a bit more sophisticated. It would be incredible used in this strawberry cake!
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Dark chocolate chips (60% or higher)
How To Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown the butter*: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, swirl the pot a few times and cook for several more minutes, until mixture starts to get foamy and becomes a deep amber color. Scrape the bottom of pan a few times to gather brown bits (this is a good sign!). Remove from heat and transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Chill until solid, 2-3 hours.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, sugars, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined, 2-3 minutes. Turn off mixer, scrape down sides of bowl, and mix again for 2 minutes. Mixture should be light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for an additional 2 minutes until well incorporated.
Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed at first, and when flour is almost absorbed, mix on medium until just combined.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and, using a rubber spatula, mix in chocolate chips by hand. Chill dough mixture for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or rolling by hand, place 1-tablespoon balls onto baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges become a light golden brown. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Expert Tips
- Make ahead: You can make the brown butter several days ahead of time. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before using so that you can properly cream it when it's time to be mixed in.
- Cool your brown butter. If you brown the butter the same day as making the cookies, be sure to let it cool after you make it. You want butter that is room temperature. If it's still warm when you use it, you could potentially cook the eggs and melt the chocolate chips - not a desired outcome!
- Chill the dough. At the end of the dough-mixing process, chill the dough for at least 2 hours. This prevents the cookies from becoming flattened discs when you bake them. It's not a necessary step, but I recommend it.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups dark (60% or higher) chocolate chips
- coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter*: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, swirl the pot a few times and cook for several more minutes, until mixture starts to get foamy and becomes a deep amber color. Scrape the bottom of pan a few times to gather brown bits (this is a good sign!). Remove from heat and transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Chill until solid, 2-3 hours.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, sugars, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined, 2-3 minutes. Turn off mixer, scrape down sides of bowl, and mix again for 2 minutes. Mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for an additional 2 minutes until well incorporated.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed at first, and when flour is almost absorbed, mix on medium until just combined.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer and, using a rubber spatula, mix in chocolate chips by hand.
- Chill dough mixture for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or rolling by hand, place 1-tablespoon balls onto baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges become a light golden brown.
- Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- Make ahead: You can make the brown butter several days ahead of time. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before using so that you can properly cream it when it's time to be mixed in.
- Cool your brown butter. If you brown the butter the same day as making the cookies, be sure to let it cool after you make it. You want butter that is room temperature. If it's still warm when you use it, you could potentially cook the eggs and melt the chocolate chips - not a desired outcome!
- Chill the dough. At the end of the dough-mixing process, chill the dough for at least 2 hours. This prevents the cookies from becoming flattened discs when you bake them. It's not a necessary step, but I recommend it.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Barbara J Haner says
OMG! The pictures of these cookies are amazing! It seems you can reach in and grab one to eat! I will be making these cookies!
Gastronotherapy says
Thank you! 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Andrea says
Wow! These cookies look absolutely scrumptious! Love using brown butter in baking.
Gastronotherapy says
Thanks, Andrea!
Karly says
Hands down best cookies!!!
MaryAnne says
So glad you love them, Karly! 🙂
Jill says
I'm certain the only way to improve a chocolate chip cookie is by adding brown butter. Thanks for the recipe!
Gastronotherapy says
You are welcome, Jill!
Gina says
It's amazing how transformative brown butter can be. This is the most PERFECT chocolate chip cookie you'll ever eat!
Gastronotherapy says
Thanks, Gina!
Deirdre Gilna says
I've actually never had brown butter, but running to the kitchen to try these out now!
Gastronotherapy says
Yay!!
Barb+Haner says
Just took these out of the oven. They look just like MaryAnne’s posted pics! They are delicious!!
Michelle says
Chocolate chip cookies are the best. I love the extra flavor from the browned butter in these
Gastronotherapy says
Thanks, Michelle!
Barbara J Haner says
I am making these again tomorrow! I don't think I will ever make another chocolate chip cookie again! I plan on putting in the freezer so we have some for our road trip in June!
Gastronotherapy says
They would be perfect for a road trip! 🙂
Ohreally124 says
If I wanted to incorporate chopped nuts in the recipe (Pecans) what changes if any would I need to the measurements.
P.S. I tried them without and they were FANTASTIC.
MaryAnne says
No need to make any changes to the recipe if you want to add chopped nuts. I would add 1 cup of chopped nuts and mix them in when you add the chocolate chips. Pecans sound delicious! Thanks for the great review!
Barb Haner says
I talked to my friend in Minnesota last night and she was making these to take up to the state fair today - to feed her relatives that show horses in the arena. She said they just love these cookies!
MaryAnne says
So glad that they're a hit with so many! 😍
Barb Haner says
I made these cookies again yesterday to take to an outdoor gathering today. I know they will get rave reviews from the people that will be trying them for the first time. Thanks so much for this recipe. It is a winner!
MaryAnne says
So happy to hear that you love them as much as I do! 😊
Lauren says
I made these last weekend and I still can't get over how incredibly delicious they are!! I've had several different brown butter chocolate chip cookies from different local bakeries on my travels, but these are far and away THE BEST COOKIES!! Thanks so much, MaryAnne!
MaryAnne says
Oh, that makes me so happy, Lauren! Thanks so much for leaving a review! 🙂
Taryn says
I've tried many brown butter chocolate chip cookies over the years, but this is the best recipe I've found!! They're soft, chewy, and crispy, and loaded with chocolate chips. My friends have started requesting them whenever we have a game night! Thanks for such a great cookie recipe!!
MaryAnne says
That is so nice to hear, Taryn!! They're also one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes! 🙂