Name: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 17 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 2 eggs, room temperature; 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 cups semi-sweet or 60% chocolate chips; coarse sea salt

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These unique chocolate chip cookies are thick and chewy, loaded with chocolate chips, and have a deep caramelly flavor thanks to brown butter. Likely to become your go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies!

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.

close up of chocolate chip cookie dough in a silver bowl with white rubber spatula.

Why 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 these Almond Butter and Apricot Bars.

two white plates with brown butter chocolate chip cookies arranged on them. next to that is a silver baking sheet with additional brown butter chocolate chip cookies. all sitting on a wooden table.

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.

brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough arranged in five rows on a baking sheet

Tips For Cookie Success

You can make the brown butter several days ahead of time if you prefer. 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. 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! At the end of the dough-mixing process, you will 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. The hardest part of making this recipe is trying not to eat all of the cookie dough before you bake them. But they are worth the wait! These drool-worthy cookies are thick and chewy, with slightly crisp edges, plump full of chocolate chips, with rich and nutty brown butter. You are going to love them!

Enjoy your week, and feel free to drop me a line in the comments – I would love to hear if you try this recipe! Also, if you are enjoying my blog, please consider recommending it to your friends. They can subscribe here.