So hear me out. I’m really not a fan of chocolate chip cookies. I roll my eyes when people ask me to make them. (Crazy, I know). They’re just SO boring!!! However, you can get me to try just about anything with brown butter. After testing out several recipes, I do believe I have created THE BEST brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
Unlike most brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipes, this recipe doesn’t spread super thin and get crispy on the outside. I can’t stand crispy cookies. 😠 These stay extra soft and chewy inside and out! So what’s the secret? Extra flour! Adding more flour gives cookies a fluffy, cakey texture. It’s an absolute game changer.
What makes these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies so incredible?
Brown Butter: Brown butter is what gives these cookies all of their flavor! Make sure your butter is properly browned so you can get the best flavor out of these cookies.
Vanilla: This recipe calls for two whole teaspoons of vanilla extract. Vanilla provides an excellent flavor to these cookies AND helps bring out all the other flavors as well.
Salt: This recipe calls for one teaspoon of salt which is more than you would typically add. Like vanilla, salt helps to enhance the flavors present. In this case, it also adds just a touch of saltiness to these cookies which pairs perfectly with chocolate and brown butter. If you don’t want to taste the salt (big mistake 😉) you can reduce the salt down to 1/2 tsp.
Chocolate chunks: Not chips, chunks!! Using chocolate chunks is the key to getting those beautiful pools of chocolate in your cookies. They melt significantly better than chocolate chips, which are designed to hold their shape. Either will work here, but I think you know my preference.
Freezing: I know, I know. No one wants to wait to bake off their cookies, but you need to. Chilling your dough helps the gluten in the flour to relax and create that extra tender, chewy cookie. It also gives more time for the flavors to develop. I’ve found putting dough balls in the freezer for 2 hours before baking gives them the best flavor and helps keep their tall shape.
Tips for success
- Weigh your ingredients. If you have a scale, use it! If you don’t, I highly recommend you get one. I got mine on amazon for $10 and I use it ALL the time. Weighing your ingredients is the only way to ensure you get the perfect product every time.
- Keep an eye on the oven. The secret to getting really chewy cookies is to make sure you don’t over bake them. You want your cookies to have just the slightest browning on the edges and top. If your cookies still look wet and shiny on top, they probably need another couple minutes in the oven. Once the cookies are matte on top, they are good to come out of the oven!
- DON’T skip the salt or vanilla!!! These two ingredients help pull out all the other flavors, including the delicious brown butter flavor!
Make ahead / Store
If you want to make these cookies ahead of time, my suggestion is to keep the dough balls in the freezer and bake them off right before serving. If you plan to keep your dough balls in the freezer for more than 2 hours, make sure you place them in an airtight container or bag to keep them fresh! You can leave cookie dough in the freezer for up to three months. Or, you can bake these cookies and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 170 g Butter, browned 1.5 sticks
- 200 g Brown sugar 1 cup
- 50 g Granulated sugar 1/4 cup
- 1 Whole egg + 1 yolk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 250 g All-purpose flour 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 100 – 200 g Chopped chocolate, dark or semi-sweet 1-2 cups or 1 – 2 bars
Instructions
- Start by browning your butter in a saucepan over the stove. Do this by placing the butter over medium low heat, stirring occasionally so that the butter doesn’t burn. Your butter will start to foam after a couple minutes. At this stage, stir constantly. The butter will turn a golden caramel color with brown crumbs at the bottom. It should give off a nutty aroma. Once your butter gets to this stage (about 5-8 minutes), remove it from heat and let cool for 10-20 minutes. If you’ve never browned butter before, check out this post by Sally’s Baking addiction!
- Once the butter has cooled, add your butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar to a large bowl and whisk until combined.
- To the butter/sugar mixture, add eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate, medium bowl, add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until just combined.
- Slowly pour your flour mixture into the large mixing bowl with the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix together until there is no more flour visible throughout the dough. It should be uniform in color.
- Add chocolate chunks and gently fold them into the dough with a rubber spatula.
- Using a 1/4 cup, scoop out the dough and roll into balls. Do not flatten them!!
- Place dough balls on a tray and into the freezer for at least 2 hours.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Bake 11-13 minutes or until just golden brown and no longer wet on top.
