Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 162 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups butter (unsalted); 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar (packed); ¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs (room temperature); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp baking soda; 2 tsp water (hot); ½ tsp salt; 3 cups flour (all-purpose); 2 tsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp milk; 1 ½ cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet); Flaky sea salt (optional)

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There’s something special about the smell of brown butter filling your kitchen. These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are rich, nutty, and perfectly chewy with crisp edges and melty chocolate in every bite.

If you love classic chocolate chip cookies but want a deeper, richer flavour, brown butter is the secret ingredient. It adds a caramelized nuttiness that pairs perfectly with melty chocolate chips and crispy cookie edges.

These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are chewy in the middle, crisp on the edges, and packed with chocolate in every bite. They’re simple to make but taste like something you’d get from a high-end bakery.

Perfect for cozy baking days, lunchbox treats, or weekend baking with the family.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

Rich nutty flavour from brown butter
Crispy edges and soft centers
Easy to make with pantry ingredients
No mixer required
Perfect for freezing and baking later

What Is Brown Butter?

Brown butter (also called beurre noisette) is simply butter that has been cooked until the milk solids toast and turn golden brown.

This process creates a deep, nutty flavour with caramel notes that transforms ordinary chocolate chip cookies into something extra special.

It only takes a few minutes, but it makes a huge difference in flavour.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter: a key ingredient for these brown butter cookies.
Brown sugar: sweetness for a bit of warmth and a softer, chewier cookie.
Granulated sugar: I like to use a mix of white and brown for chocolate chip cookies.
Large eggs: to bind the ingredients together.
Vanilla extract: flavour enhancer.
All-purpose flour: all-purpose is all you need.
Baking soda: helps the cookies rise.
Corn starch: the secret ingredient in my cookies to make the centers soft and chewy. I add corn starch to many of my drop cookies, such as white chip chocolate cookies and my double chocolate cookies.
Salt: increases the flavours of the recipe. I like to add a fine grind sea salt or Redmonds.
Milk: to add just a touch more moisture to the cookies because the butter loses some of its moisture when browned.
Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, semi-sweet: invest in a good quality chocolate if you can, for the best taste, such as Nestle or Hershey’s.
Flaky sea salt: optional, but a great addition to add after baking for a bit of salty and sweet contrast.

How to Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Brown the Butter

Melt the butter in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly as it begins to foam. After about 5-7 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown and smell nutty. You’ll see small golden-brown specks forming on the bottom of the pan—these are the milk solids toasting and adding flavour. Continue cooking until the butter turns a deep golden colour.

Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape in all of the browned bits (that’s where the flavour is!). Let the butter cool for 10 minutes, then transfer it to the refrigerator and chill until solid, about 90 minutes. After about 30 minutes, cover the bowl tightly.

2. Mix the Sugars

Remove the solidified brown butter from the refrigerator and transfer it to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on high speed for 1–2 minutes until smooth and creamy. It may appear slightly grainy at first, but continue beating, and it will smooth out. If the butter is too firm to cream, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes. You can also microwave it for 5–8 seconds to soften it slightly, but be careful not to melt it—the butter should stay solid, just soft enough to mix easily.

Pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes.

3. Add Eggs and Vanilla

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.

4. Combine Dry Ingredients

Dissolve baking soda in water and add to the batter along with salt. Stir in flour and corn starch. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the milk and mix until fully incorporated. The cookie dough will be thick and soft.

5. Fold in Chocolate

Stir in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.

6. Chill the Dough

Cover and chill the dough for 30–60 minutes, or up to 3 days. This helps develop flavour and prevents the cookies from spreading too much.

7. Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Scoop dough about 2 tablespoons or 45 g each onto a lined baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Place a few extra chocolate chips on the top if desired (for aesthetic). Bake for 10–14 minutes, until the edges are golden, but the centers are still soft. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.

8. Finish with Sea Salt

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while warm for the perfect sweet-salty finish.

Tips for Perfect Cookies

Don’t skip chilling the dough. It makes the cookies thicker and more flavorful.
Use high-quality chocolate for the best taste.
Slightly underbake for soft centers.
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Storage Tips

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

The cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply scoop into dough balls and freeze. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.

Can I make these cookies without chilling the dough?

Yes, but chilling helps prevent spreading and improves flavour.

Can I use salted butter?

Yes — just reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon.

Can I freeze the dough?

Absolutely. The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply scoop into dough balls and freeze. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.

These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are one of those recipes that once you try them, you’ll never go back to regular chocolate chip cookies again.

The rich, nutty flavour from the brown butter combined with melty chocolate creates a cookie that’s warm, comforting, and completely irresistible.

If you make these, they probably won’t last long!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are rich, nutty, and irresistibly soft with perfectly crisp edges. Made with deeply caramelized brown butter and loaded with melty chocolate, they have a warm, bakery-style flavor that takes a classic cookie to the next level. Perfect for cozy baking days or whenever you’re craving a truly unforgettable chocolate chip cookie.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword bakery style cookies, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, chewy chocolate chip cookies, homemade cookies

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Chill 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 42 minutes

Servings 26 cookies

Author Taylor Harrison

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups butter unsalted
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar packed
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp water hot
½ tsp salt
3 cups flour all-purpose
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp milk
1 ½ cups chocolate chips semi-sweet
Flaky sea salt optional

Instructions

Melt 1 ¼ cups butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. After 5–7 minutes, it will turn golden brown with nutty aromas and browned bits at the bottom. Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl, scraping in all browned bits. Cool for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until solid (about 90 minutes). After 30 minutes, cover tightly.
Remove the solidified brown butter from the refrigerator and transfer it to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on high speed for 1–2 minutes until smooth and creamy. It may appear slightly grainy at first, but continue beating, and it will smooth out. If the butter is too firm to cream, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes. You can also microwave it for 5–8 seconds to soften it slightly, but be careful not to melt it—the butter should stay solid, just soft enough to mix easily.
Add 1 ¼ cups brown sugar and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Mix in 2 eggs one at a time, then add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 2 teaspoons water and add to the batter along with ½ tsp salt. Stir in 3 cups of flour and 2 teaspoons of corn starch. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly drizzle in 1 tablespoon of milk and mix until fully incorporated. The cookie dough will be thick and soft.
Fold in 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Cover and chill for 30–60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop dough onto baking sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers are soft.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.