Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Chewy and crisp brown butter chocolate chip cookies arranged on parchment paper.

5 from 19 votes

Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

These are my best brown butter chocolate chip cookies – soft and chewy in the middle, crisp at the edges, and packed with deep caramel-toffee flavor from properly browned butter. I’ve tested the bake and chill time so the dough bakes thick (not flat), and I’ll show you exactly what to look for when browning butter so you nail it on the first try.

Prep Time15

Cook Time17

Chilling Time2

Total Time2 32

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: cookies

Calories: 234kcal

Author: MaryAnne

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks; 227 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (220 grams) brown sugar
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
2 ½ cups (320 grams) 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. (For bakery-size cookies, use a 2-3 tablespoon scoop, and bake 1-2 minutes longer.)
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

Troubleshooting Notes

Cookies spread too much: Your dough was likely too warm – it needs to chill longer.
Cookies didn’t spread/look puffy: Too much flour is usually the culprit – don’t scoop straight from the bag. If the dough is very cold, let it sit at room temp. for 10 minutes before baking.
Cookies are dry or cakey: This is usually the result of over-measured flour and/or overbaking. Pull cookies when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone (they firm up as they cool).
Cookies are greasy: This can happen if your brown butter was still hot when mixed with the sugars. Let it cool until warm, not hot, then mix. Chilling the dough also helps.
Brown butter tastes burnt or bitter: The milk solids browned too far. Take it off the heat when it turns deep amber and smells nutty.
Not very chewy: Don’t overbake, and make sure your brown sugar is soft/fresh (dry brown sugar can lead to drier cookies).
Chocolate sinks or looks uneven: Press a few extra chips on top right after scooping (or right when the cookies come out of the oven for a “bakery” look).

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