These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are cookie perfection. They feature crisp, golden brown edges and soft middles with tons of melty chocolate! This is the only recipe you'll ever need.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies:
I set out to make the best chocolate chip cookies and I didn't stop until I finally nailed it.
Perfectly thick and heavy with cracked tops, soft middles, tons of chocolate chips, and oats for a bit of texture - these cookies are otherworldly.
I can NOT resist them. And my kiddos kept begging me for Just. One. More. These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are so DANG good!
Key Ingredients:
Every ingredient and amount is intentional! Here's what you need:
- Unsalted butter - For the browned butter! You need one stick of butter which equals 8 tablespoons or 4 ounces.
- White and brown sugar - Dark brown sugar has a richer molasses flavor to it! It contributes to the overall texture of the cookie.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla isn't cheap, which is why I buy a big bottle at Costco for a steal. It lasts much longer than the tiny bottles they sell at the store.
- Egg + yolk - Trust me on this one! That extra yolk ensures a rich yet soft middle.
- All-purpose flour - Don't add more. The dough will be sticky and that is what it should look like! You can swap regular flour with Bob's Red Mill's 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour if desired.
- Baking soda - Baking soda is what gives you those lovely crackled tops and the perfect amount of spread.
- Kosher salt - If you only have table salt, reduce the salt by half.
- Chocolate chips - A combo of milk and semi-sweet chocolate is a slam dunk!
How to Brown Butter:
Browned butter transforms melted butter into a nutty, caramelized delight! It's very easy to make in just a few minutes:
- In a light, small saucepan, add the butter over medium heat. Medium-high is too hot and risks burning the butter.
- Let the butter melt, then wait for it to sizzle. It will sizzle for a little while before it turns color. Watch it, stirring occasionally.
- The butter will start to turn golden brown. Stir continuously until the butter is golden brown and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan are brown.
- Immediately take the butter off the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. Don't let it sit in the hot pan or it may burn.
How to Make Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Now that you know how to brown the butter, let's start the cookies!
Before I start, I preheat my oven and line my sheet pans with silicone baking mats.
The temp. for the cookies should be set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I tested them at 325, 350, 375, and 400. It's key to the perfect amount of spread and golden brown coloring.
- Brown butter - See directions above.
- Mix with sugars - You don't need a mixer! Just stir the butter, sugar, and brown sugar with a spatula.
- Add the egg/yolk - Again, no mixer. Just stir until incorporated. Don't go overboard and beat the heck out of it.
- Add the dry ingredients - The flour, baking soda, oats, and kosher salt. The dough will be stickier than typical cookie dough.
- Stir in the chocolate - I add lots of chocolate chips! Nobody wants to search for the chocolate in a cookie. Am I right?!
- Scoop the cookies - You can make these big or small/medium. This recipe makes 12 big cookies or 21 small cookies. I use a portion scoop for easy scooping!
- Bake the cookies - Bake big cookies for 9 minutes or small cookies for 7 minutes. Trust me on these times! The cookies should look a little underbaked when pulled from the oven. They set up as they cool!
Expert Tips:
- You don't need a mixer for this recipe! Just a spatula and a bowl.
- The cookies should look slightly underbaked when you pull them from the oven. If they look fully cooked, they're overbaked!
- Don't try to move hot cookies! Cookies set up as they cool. If you try to move them while they're warm/hot, they will fall apart!
Storage & Freezing:
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are freezer-friendly! You can freeze the cookies or the cookie dough!
To store:
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing!
- Transfer the baked cookies to an airtight container or zip-top bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- After 3 days, it's best to store them in the freezer for a longer shelf life.
To freeze:
- Freeze the cookies: Transfer the cooled cookies to a zip-top bag and label with the date. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat a cookie in the microwave until warm.
- Freeze the cookie dough: Use a portion scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto a plate or sheet pan. Place the pan in the freezer until the dough balls are frozen. Transfer them to a zip-top bag and label with the date. Bake as directed.
More Cookie Recipes:
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are cookie perfection. They feature crisp, golden brown edges and soft middles with tons of melty chocolate! This is the only recipe you'll ever need.
Equipment
- Sheet pans
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips I used Ghirardelli
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not a typo! It should be 400 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a small saucepan, add the butter. Melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter starts to sizzle, stir the butter until it turns a golden brown color and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn brown. Be careful not to burn it.
- Transfer the butter to a large bowl to cool so it doesn't continue to brown. Add the sugar and brown sugar and stir to combine.
- Add the vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk to the mixture. Stir until incorporated.
- Add the all-purpose flour, oats, baking soda, and kosher salt to the mixture. Use a spatula to stir until a cookie dough forms. The dough will be sticky!
- Add the semisweet and milk chocolate chips to the dough and stir to mix in. This recipe makes 12 big cookies or 21 small cookies.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop 6 cookie dough balls onto each pan, giving them space to spread.
- Bake for 9 minutes for big cookies and 7 minutes for smaller cookies. They don't take long to bake! They will look golden brown but underbaked when they come out of the oven. They set up as they cool!
- Let the cookies set up on the sheet pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 152mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 278IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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