Upgrading your Brown Butter Chocolate Cookies to nutty brown butter adds incredible depth and richness, while perfectly crispy edges give way to soft chewy centers riddled with melting chocolate chips.
Ingredients
For the Brown Butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar granulated
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips semi-sweet
- Flaky sea salt (optional) for topping
Instructions
The Brown Butter:
Start with one cup of butter and cube it into tablespoon-sized pieces.
Put the cubed butter into a light-colored saucepan or skillet where it can all form a single layer.
Place the pan over medium heat and let it fully melt, stirring.
Easiest to see the solids turning brown with a light pan.
Once the butter has melted, you can let it sit without stirring.
Melted butter will rise and make some noise as it begins to boil and bubble, but don’t worry, it’s doing its job.
Around the 5 to 7 minute mark during the melting stage, you need to pay very close attention to the butter.
At this point, the bubbling and boiling will have calmed down and will have golden brown flecks at the bottom of the pan.
As the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn brown, you will smell very delicious aromas, caramelized and toasted.
When you smell that very delicious toasty smell at this point it’s time to remove the pan from the stove and remove the pan from the heat.
If you poured the brown butter straight into the mixing bowl, it would add more heat to the entire mixing bowl. Which is not what we want.
Brown butter needs to sit and cool, and the best way to remove the heat the quicker way is to pour the butter into a separate heatproof bowl.
30 to 45 minutes at room temperature would cool it down enough, but you can add it faster by sticking the bowl in the fridge for a bit.
The butter needs to still be a liquid when you add it to the dough.
Make the Cookie Dough
In a different bowl you will want to whisk together the dry ingredients which will be the flour, baking soda, and the fine sea salt in a separate bowl.
Once you’ve whisked these dry ingredients together, you can set the bowl aside.
Pour the cooled brown butter into a large mixing bowl.
Pour in the sugars. Using a hand mixer or whisk, mix the batter for 2-3 minutes. It should lighten in color and turn a bit fluffy.
It is fine if the batter doesn’t fluff as if regular butter and sugar have been creamed.
It should be fully combined and smooth.
Add eggs into the mixture one by one. Mix fully in between each addition.
The mixture should turn glossy and thick.
Add in the vanilla extract and beat in until the mixture is fully incorporated.
Pour the dry mixture into the bowl in 2 parts.
Mix using low speed or a wooden spoon until the ingredients come together and there are no dry flour streaks left.
Make sure to be gentle and don’t mix too much, or the cookies can turn out tough.
Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
It needs to chill for a minimum of 2 hours, but can be in there for as long as 3 days.
The dough needs to chill to develop the flavor and texture.
The dough can be scooped more easily once the dough firms up.
The chill time is essential for a great result.
Baking the Cookies
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 175 degrees Celsius, while you line two baking sheets.
You can use either parchment paper or silicone baking mats to line each sheet.
Using either a cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the dough into 36 equal pieces before rolling them into 2-tablespoon balls.
Be sure to space the balls about 3 inches apart to give them enough room to spread while baking.
If you prefer thicker cookies, you can stack the dough balls a little taller and make them a bit larger.
Put the cookies in the oven to bake for between 11 and 13 minutes, or until the edges look set, the cookie tops are puffy and soft, and the centers look a bit underbaked.
If you want the cookies to be chewy rather than dry, be careful not to overbake them.
If you want to add a little bit of a gourmet touch,
You can sprinkle the cookies with a little bit of flaky sea salt right after pulling the baking sheets out of the oven.
After the salt is added, let the cookies rest right on the baking sheets for 5 minutes while they cool and firm up a little more.
After baking, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Or enjoy them warm with a glass of cold milk.
While the cookies are best on the day of baking, they do stay soft and fresh for a few days after.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Brown Butter Success
Pay close attention to the butter as it reaches the final minute of browning, because it could burn quite easily.
If you’re concerned, you can remove the pan from the heat for a moment when it reaches a medium amber color and smells nutty.
It’ll finish browning on its own with the heat that’s still in the pan.
Chilling is Non-Negotiable
For best results, the dough should chill for 2 hours, or ideally, overnight.
Cold dough results in cookies that spread less in the oven, which translates to thicker centers and crisper edges.
Plus, the flavor of the dough will improve after sitting for a while.
Room Temperature Eggs
For a smoother incorporation into the dough, your eggs should be near room temperature.
Egg temperature can be quickly brought to room temperature by either letting them sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking
Or by placing them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
Consistent Cookie Size
For cookies of the same size that will bake evenly, use a cookie scoop to get uniformly sized dough balls.
A standard 2-tablespoon cookie scoop is what you will want to use for this recipe.
They Will Still Cook After Taking The Tray Out
The cookies you take out will still keep cooking after they come off the hot baking sheet.
It’s best to take them out looking a little undercooked, as there will still be a lot of baked growth even after taking them off the hot sheet.
On Chocolate Type
It all depends on your preference.
People usually enjoy the semi-sweet chocolate, which is a favorite, while dark chocolate(60 to 70 percent cacao) is a classier favorite, and milk chocolate tends to be sweeter and favored by younger kids.
For even more melty chocolate pockets, you could also use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips.
Ingredient Substitution For Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
On Using Butter
When baking, you could use salted butter instead of unsalted butter, but this will require you to reduce the amount of salt you are supposed to add to the recipe.
It is best to use the European-style butter, as it has a higher fat content, which will create a richer-tasting cookie.
Substituting the Type of Flour
If you want a more chewy cookie, you could replace around 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour with bread flour, as this has more protein in it.
But also keep in mind, if you are substituting the flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour, you may end up with drier cookies.
Changing the Sugar Type
It’s not a problem if you want to use dark brown sugar, as it can be swapped out with light brown sugar.
But if you do this, keep in mind that it will not have as strong a molasses flavor.
A more caramelized alternative can be used, too, which is coconut sugar, but this may result in the texture of the cookie being altered a little.
On The Chocolate Chips
Using a combination of chocolates is a great option in this recipe, especially if it includes any that are dark, milk, or even white.
Alternatives such as chocolate chunks, or even a chopped bar of chocolate, work great, and even peanut butter chips are a nice add-in.
Mix-Ins Include 1 cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans for a nutty crunch.
Toffee bits, cherries, or butterscotch chips go beautifully with the brown butter.
Make-Ahead Tips & Storage
At Room Temperature, ensure that the cookies have cooled down, and then store them in an airtight container with a piece of bread for softness. They’ll last for 5 days.
Baked cookies can last in a freezer-safe bag, layered with parchment, for 3 months. Let them thaw for 30 minutes before serving.
Freeze Cookie Dough Scoop balls of the dough onto a baking sheet and flash freeze before transferring them to a freezer bag.
They can last for 3 months too. Add 1-2 minutes to the baking time if baking from frozen.
Dough can also be made ahead of time, and may even be better the longer you refrigerate it before baking, up to 3 days.
Bakers often say the cookies taste the best on days 2 or 3.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Upgrading your Brown Butter Chocolate Cookies to nutty brown butter adds incredible depth and richness, while perfectly crispy edges give way to soft chewy centers riddled with melting chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- For the Brown Butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar granulated
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips semi-sweet
- Flaky sea salt (optional) for topping
Instructions
The Brown Butter:
Start with one cup of butter and cube it into tablespoon-sized pieces.
Put the cubed butter into a light-colored saucepan or skillet where it can all form a single layer.
Place the pan over medium heat and let it fully melt, stirring.
Easiest to see the solids turning brown with a light pan.
Once the butter has melted, you can let it sit without stirring.
Melted butter will rise and make some noise as it begins to boil and bubble, but don't worry, it's doing its job.
Around the 5 to 7 minute mark during the melting stage, you need to pay very close attention to the butter.
At this point, the bubbling and boiling will have calmed down and will have golden brown flecks at the bottom of the pan.
As the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn brown, you will smell very delicious aromas, caramelized and toasted.
When you smell that very delicious toasty smell at this point it's time to remove the pan from the stove and remove the pan from the heat.
If you poured the brown butter straight into the mixing bowl, it would add more heat to the entire mixing bowl. Which is not what we want.
Brown butter needs to sit and cool, and the best way to remove the heat the quicker way is to pour the butter into a separate heatproof bowl.
30 to 45 minutes at room temperature would cool it down enough, but you can add it faster by sticking the bowl in the fridge for a bit.
The butter needs to still be a liquid when you add it to the dough.
Make the Cookie Dough
In a different bowl you will want to whisk together the dry ingredients which will be the flour, baking soda, and the fine sea salt in a separate bowl.
Once you've whisked these dry ingredients together, you can set the bowl aside.
Pour the cooled brown butter into a large mixing bowl.
Pour in the sugars. Using a hand mixer or whisk, mix the batter for 2-3 minutes. It should lighten in color and turn a bit fluffy.
It is fine if the batter doesn’t fluff as if regular butter and sugar have been creamed.
It should be fully combined and smooth.
Add eggs into the mixture one by one. Mix fully in between each addition.
The mixture should turn glossy and thick.
Add in the vanilla extract and beat in until the mixture is fully incorporated.
Pour the dry mixture into the bowl in 2 parts.
Mix using low speed or a wooden spoon until the ingredients come together and there are no dry flour streaks left.
Make sure to be gentle and don’t mix too much, or the cookies can turn out tough.
Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
It needs to chill for a minimum of 2 hours, but can be in there for as long as 3 days.
The dough needs to chill to develop the flavor and texture.
The dough can be scooped more easily once the dough firms up.
The chill time is essential for a great result.
Baking the Cookies
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 175 degrees Celsius, while you line two baking sheets.
You can use either parchment paper or silicone baking mats to line each sheet.
Using either a cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the dough into 36 equal pieces before rolling them into 2-tablespoon balls.
Be sure to space the balls about 3 inches apart to give them enough room to spread while baking.
If you prefer thicker cookies, you can stack the dough balls a little taller and make them a bit larger.
Put the cookies in the oven to bake for between 11 and 13 minutes, or until the edges look set, the cookie tops are puffy and soft, and the centers look a bit underbaked.
If you want the cookies to be chewy rather than dry, be careful not to overbake them.
If you want to add a little bit of a gourmet touch,
You can sprinkle the cookies with a little bit of flaky sea salt right after pulling the baking sheets out of the oven.
After the salt is added, let the cookies rest right on the baking sheets for 5 minutes while they cool and firm up a little more.
After baking, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Or enjoy them warm with a glass of cold milk.
While the cookies are best on the day of baking, they do stay soft and fresh for a few days after.
Notes
Recipe Notes & Tips
Brown Butter Success
Pay close attention to the butter as it reaches the final minute of browning, because it could burn quite easily.
If you're concerned, you can remove the pan from the heat for a moment when it reaches a medium amber color and smells nutty.
It'll finish browning on its own with the heat that's still in the pan.
Chilling is Non-Negotiable
For best results, the dough should chill for 2 hours, or ideally, overnight.
Cold dough results in cookies that spread less in the oven, which translates to thicker centers and crisper edges.
Plus, the flavor of the dough will improve after sitting for a while.
Room Temperature Eggs
For a smoother incorporation into the dough, your eggs should be near room temperature.
Egg temperature can be quickly brought to room temperature by either letting them sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking
Or by placing them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
Consistent Cookie Size
For cookies of the same size that will bake evenly, use a cookie scoop to get uniformly sized dough balls.
A standard 2-tablespoon cookie scoop is what you will want to use for this recipe.
They Will Still Cook After Taking The Tray Out
The cookies you take out will still keep cooking after they come off the hot baking sheet.
It's best to take them out looking a little undercooked, as there will still be a lot of baked growth even after taking them off the hot sheet.
On Chocolate Type
It all depends on your preference.
People usually enjoy the semi-sweet chocolate, which is a favorite, while dark chocolate(60 to 70 percent cacao) is a classier favorite, and milk chocolate tends to be sweeter and favored by younger kids.
For even more melty chocolate pockets, you could also use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 145kcalTotal Fat: 7ggCholesterol: 25mgmgSodium: 95mgmgCarbohydrates: 19ggFiber: 0.5ggSugar: 12ggProtein: 2gg