Desserts Freezables

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you have a craving for chocolate chip cookies, there are about a million and one recipes out there you can try. And while there’s nothing like the classic flavor, you have to keep these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies in mind for the next time you want a twist on the original!

brown butter chocolate chip cookies

These cookies are chewy with crisp edges and have the perfect amount of nutty flavor from our brown butter! The chocolate chunks are so much better than standard chocolate chips, too.

Ingredients

  • Brown Butter – Using unsalted butter, we’re going to create some brown butter as a base for these cookies. It’s so simple but really elevates desserts to the next level!
  • Brown & White Sugar – A combination of brown and white sugar help give us the perfect chewy texture for cookies.
  • Eggs + Egg Yolks – An extra yolk in our recipe gives a richness and more moisture to the cookie dough.
  • Mix-Ins – You can freestyle with the mix-ins; I love to add chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate, some nuts like pecans or walnuts, and a hint of flaky salt on top. The brown butter flavor is so good, you could just make these cookies plain!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on a cookie sheet with a spoon of flaky salt in the background.
The flaky salt truly sets off these brown butter chocolate chip cookies!

What is Brown Butter?

First off – what is brown butter exactly? Can you buy this? Is it just burnt??

Brown butter is simply butter that has been cooked long enough for the milk to separate from the butter; the milk sinks to the bottom and carmelizes, hence the “brown” in brown butter. Brown butter has a nutty, almost caramel-like aroma which takes anything you cook/bake it with to another level.

The best part is that browning butter only takes about 15 minutes! (Just be sure you don’t stop whisking – we don’t want it to burn.)

Once our butter has cooled off, the rest of the recipe is pretty standard to a normal chocolate chip cookie. If it ain’t super broke, don’t fix it. I added another personal spin by using dark chocolate chunks and walnut pieces. Oh, and topping it off with sea salt? OMG! I originally just photographed them with the flaky salt because it looks amazing in pictures. But as a fan of the salty + sweet combo, a small sprinkle of sea salt was so freaking good that I just kept doing it. My suggestion is to sprinkle it on right after taking the cookies out of the oven, but before they have set for a few minutes.

A random cookie craving led me to my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, but check out my desserts category for other sweet treats, including Chewy One-Bowl Oatmeal Cookies (for when you want to be a little healthy.)

P.S.: This dough freezes extremely well. Great news for those of you like me who have little self-control when a huge bowl of cookie dough is in the house! Simply form cookie dough balls, lay them on a sheet and freeze until solid (about 10 minutes), then add the pre-portioned cookie dough to a large freezer bag.

Other Tasty Desserts For Your Sweet Tooth!

No-Churn Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

Brown Sugar Blondies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on a cookie sheet with a spoon of flaky salt in the background.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Shani W.
Don't skip browning the butter for these beauties; it really elevates the cookie from a basic chocolate chip to something next level! These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies have a delicious depth of flavor that you'll crave again and again.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 9 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 25 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 ct. egg
  • 1 ct. egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp milk/almond milk
  • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup walnut pieces

Instructions
 

  • Brown the butter. To do this, slice the butter into even pats. Add to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, consistently whisking, for about 10-15 minutes. The butter will form bubbles, then turn a light caramel color while giving off a nutty aroma.
  • Immediately transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow the butter to cool for 15 minutes or until it is cool to the touch.
  • Add the brown butter, dark brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat until completely combined. I use a whisk (and a bit of arm strength!), but you can use an electric mixer as well.
  • Pour in the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk and mix until well combined.
  • In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, in about 3 batches, mixing each addition until combined.
  • Finally, pour in the chocolate chips and walnut pieces (optional) and stir well.
  • Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Use a medium cookie scoop/spoon to measure out cookie dough and place it on the parchment paper. Make sure to leave some space between each cookie.
  • Bake for 9-10 minutes, then remove the cookies and let rest for 5 minutes. The cookies will look slightly underdone but will continue to cook while resting. Enjoy!
Keyword brown butter, brown butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, Easy Desserts

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brown hand holding a brown butter chocolate chip cookie

The Coined Breakdown

  • Total Cost per serving: $0.65
  • Total Cost (about 30 cookies): $6.49
  • Those Other Guys: $8.99 per serving

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