The Best Chewy Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: An Irresistible Indulgence
Prepare to have your perception of chocolate chip cookies transformed. These aren’t just any cookies; these are the kind of salted brown butter chocolate chip cookies that demand to be savored, the kind you’ll find yourself planning your day around. Imagine: thick, perfectly chewy edges giving way to an impossibly soft, gooey center, each bite bursting with melty pools of rich milk hazelnut and intense dark chocolate. And the secret weapon that elevates them beyond ordinary? The magic of brown butter, which infuses every crumb with a deep, nutty, toffee-like flavor, making classic chocolate chip cookies feel, well, a little uninspired in comparison.
Our journey to cookie perfection begins with a foundation of the same beloved toasty brown butter cookie dough that makes our brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies so famous. But for this particular masterpiece, we’ve taken the chocolate factor up a notch, studding the dough with an even more generous amount of premium chocolate. The result is a truly spectacular homemade treat that will have you rethinking every bakery-bought cookie you’ve ever enjoyed. Get ready to bake what are, hands down, the best brown butter chocolate chip cookies you will ever experience.
For those times when you crave an even more profound salty-sweet symphony of flavors, my brown butter chocolate miso cookies are a revelation. My mother, a discerning critic, swears they are the absolute best thing I bake – consistently soft, perfectly chewy, and utterly addictive!
The Magic of Brown Butter: Why It Matters
Before we dive into the step-by-step baking process, let’s talk about the star of the show: brown butter. This isn’t just a fancy technique; it’s a transformative step that unlocks incredible depth of flavor. When you gently cook unsalted butter over medium heat, the milk solids within begin to caramelize. This chemical reaction, known as the Maillard reaction, creates a nutty, toasted aroma and a rich, complex flavor profile reminiscent of toffee or caramel.
This golden elixir is the secret to why these chocolate chip cookies stand out. It adds an unparalleled warmth and sophistication that a simple melted butter base can’t achieve. It’s the difference between a good cookie and an unforgettable one. Taking the time to brown your butter is a small effort with a massive payoff in terms of flavor and aroma, setting the stage for truly exceptional cookies.
Achieving the Perfect Cookie Texture
One of the hallmarks of an exceptional chocolate chip cookie is its texture. We’re aiming for that ideal contrast: a crisp, slightly caramelized edge that gives way to a supremely soft, chewy, and gooey center. Several factors in this recipe contribute to this desired texture:
- Brown Sugar vs. Granulated Sugar: The combination of both light brown sugar and granulated sugar is crucial. Brown sugar, with its molasses content, adds moisture and chewiness, while granulated sugar contributes to crispness and spread.
- Egg Yolk: The addition of an extra egg yolk provides richness and helps create that tender, chewy texture without making the cookie cake-like. The extra fat and emulsifiers in the yolk are key.
- Cornstarch: A secret weapon for many bakers, cornstarch helps to soften the flour’s gluten structure, resulting in a more tender, less tough cookie. It also contributes to that signature soft, thick center.
- Chilling the Dough: This step is non-negotiable for superior texture. Chilling allows the flour to fully hydrate, preventing excessive spreading. More importantly, it gives the flavors (especially the brown butter!) time to meld and deepen, resulting in a more complex and satisfying cookie.
The Baking Process: Step-by-Step Perfection
1
Make the brown butter. If this is your first time browning butter, don’t worry – it’s easier than it sounds! I’ve put together a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to brown butter that’s perfect for beginners, covering all the visual cues and tips for success. The key is to watch it carefully for those delightful amber milk solids and nutty aroma, then immediately transfer it to a heat-safe bowl to stop the cooking process.
2
Whisk the sugars and eggs into the browned butter. This step is critical! It’s paramount to cool the brown butter to room temperature before combining it with the sugars and eggs. If the butter is too warm, it will melt the sugar granules, leading to a thinner dough. When baked, warm dough results in cookies that spread excessively, have darker, crispier edges, and lack that desirable chewy center. Patience here ensures the perfect texture.
3
Fold in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Gently fold the whisked dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. The golden rule here is do not overmix. Overmixing develops too much gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough cookies instead of tender ones. Once the flour is almost incorporated, add your generous medley of chocolate chips and continue folding until they are evenly distributed. Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for a quick 15 minutes. This brief chill will firm up the dough, making it much easier to scoop into uniform balls.
4
Use a spring-loaded 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. For consistent size and baking, a cookie scoop is your best friend. A 3-tablespoon scoop yields beautifully substantial, bakery-style cookies. Once scooped, place these perfect dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking tray. For that extra professional touch, gently roll each dough ball between your palms to smooth them out, and then press a few extra chocolate chunks or chips into the tops for stunning visual appeal.
As soon as pumpkin season arrives, I wholeheartedly embrace the flavors by making my brown butter chocolate chip pumpkin cookies: a cozy blend of warm spices, earthy pumpkin puree, and an abundance of chocolate in every delicious bite!
5
Chill overnight (or at least 3-4 hours). This is where the true magic of these cookies unfolds! While a few hours of chilling will still yield a delicious cookie, an overnight rest allows the flavors to fully develop and meld, deepening the brown butter’s toffee notes and creating a richer, more complex taste. Furthermore, chilling thoroughly firms the dough, which significantly reduces spreading in the oven, ensuring those coveted thick, chewy edges. Make sure to wrap the tray securely in plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out and to keep it moist and hydrated.
6
Bake the cookies! Once your dough is perfectly chilled, preheat your oven. Arrange the cookie dough balls 2-3 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking tray to allow for proper air circulation and even baking. If you’re baking the entire batch, you’ll likely need to use two trays, baking one at a time while keeping the other chilled. Bake until the edges are beautifully golden brown, but the centers still look slightly puffy and a touch underbaked – this is the key to their gooey perfection! Immediately after baking, and while they’re still warm, you can use a large round cookie cutter to gently scoot the edges into a perfectly round shape. Finally, for that irresistible sweet and salty bite, don’t forget to sprinkle them generously with flaky sea salt.
Pro Tips for the Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Measure Your Flour Correctly: This is my number one baking tip! Never scoop your measuring cup directly into the flour bag, as this compacts it and leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the “spoon-and-level” method: fluff the flour in its container, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. For truly the BEST results, always use a kitchen scale for precise measurements.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your eggs and browned butter (once cooled) are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify better with the sugars, creating a smoother, more uniform dough and a better-textured cookie.
- Quality Chocolate Makes a Difference: Don’t skimp on the chocolate! Using a variety of high-quality chocolate, like a 70% dark chocolate bar, a milk hazelnut chocolate bar, and semi-sweet chocolate chips, creates a complex flavor profile and varied textures of melty goodness throughout the cookie.
- Don’t Overbake: For that perfect gooey center, take the cookies out when the edges are set and golden, but the middle still looks soft and slightly underdone. They will continue to bake slightly on the hot baking sheet as they cool.
- The Flaky Sea Salt Finish: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt just after baking isn’t just for garnish; it enhances all the other flavors, providing a delightful contrast to the sweet chocolate and nutty brown butter.
Ingredient Spotlight: What Makes These Cookies Shine
- Cultured Butter: While regular unsalted butter works, using cultured butter (like Kerrygold) elevates these cookies significantly. Cultured butter has a richer, tangier flavor due to its fermentation process, and often a higher butterfat content. This results in a more intensely buttery, balanced, and truly bakery-style cookie.
- Vanilla Powder: This might be a less common ingredient for some, but vanilla powder provides a deeper, more concentrated vanilla flavor that holds up exceptionally well during baking, unlike some liquid extracts that can dissipate. It imparts that warm, sophisticated vanilla note that makes these cookies truly shine. I recommend Cook’s Vanilla Powder (often found on Amazon or in the spice aisle). If you can’t source it, an extra teaspoon of high-quality vanilla bean paste can be used as a substitute.
- Mixed Chocolates: The thoughtful blend of 70% dark chocolate, milk hazelnut chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate chips ensures every bite is an adventure. The dark chocolate provides depth and a slight bitterness, the hazelnut milk chocolate adds a creamy, nutty sweetness, and the semi-sweet chips offer classic comfort. Using chopped chocolate bars also means you get those glorious puddles of melted chocolate.
If you thought these cookies had enough chocolate… think again. My brown butter chocolate chip blondies are absolutely loaded with even more decadent chocolate chunks and baked into wonderfully easy-to-cut bars!
Storage and Freezing Tips
- Storing Baked Cookies: Keep any leftover baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. While they are best enjoyed fresh, they retain their delightful chewiness and flavor for several days.
- Freezing Cookie Dough Balls: These cookies are fantastic for making ahead! Once you’ve scooped your cookie dough balls onto a baking tray (step 4), flash freeze them for about an hour until solid. Then, transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Baking from Frozen: You can bake the cookies directly from frozen. Simply add an extra 2-4 minutes to the baking time. However, be aware that baking from frozen might result in slightly crispier edges. For the absolute best texture, I recommend letting the frozen dough balls thaw in the fridge overnight before baking as directed in the recipe. This allows them to return to a state closer to fresh dough, ensuring that perfect balance of chewy and gooey.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cambrea Gordon
Print Recipe
Save Recipe
Saved!
Pin Recipe
1 hour
10 minutes
1 hour
10 minutes
Dessert
American
15
large cookies
Prevent your screen from going dark
Need Metric Measurements?
Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams!
Ingredients
-
14
tablespoons
unsalted cultured butter -
1 2/3
cup
all-purpose flour
, *See notes below for measuring* -
1
tablespoon
vanilla powder -
1
teaspoon
baking soda -
2
teaspoons
cornstarch -
1/4
teaspoon
fine sea salt -
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
light brown sugar, packed -
1/2
cup
granulated sugar -
1
whole egg, room temperature -
1
large egg yolk, room temperature -
2
teaspoons
vanilla bean paste
-
1/2
cup
70% dark chocolate bar, chopped -
1/2
cup
hazelnut or milk chocolate bar, chopped -
1/2
cup
semi-sweet chocolate chips -
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
-
Cook the butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat until it looks foamy, smells nutty, and has browned bits of milk solids. The butter will foam, crackle, and pop as it cooks. Scrape into a large bowl and cool to room temperature (this can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes). You should have about 3/4 cup (160 grams) of browned butter.14 tablespoons (196 g) unsalted cultured butter
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, vanilla powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.1 2/3 cup (215 g) all-purpose flour,
1 tablespoon (8 g) vanilla powder,
1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda,
2 teaspoons (5 g) cornstarch,
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt -
Once the butter feels room temperature, whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar vigorously for 1 minute. Then whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (128 g) light brown sugar,
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar,
1 (55 g) whole egg,
1 (18 g) large egg yolk,
2 teaspoons (4 g) vanilla bean paste -
Fold in the flour mixture. When it’s almost combined, add the chocolate chips and continue folding until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes; this will firm up the texture and make it easier to scoop.1/2 cup (63 g) 70% dark chocolate bar,
1/2 cup (63 g) hazelnut or milk chocolate bar,
1/2 cup (75 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips -
Scoop the dough with a 3-tablespoon scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. For smooth, bakery-style tops, roll each cookie dough ball between your palms and press extra chocolate pieces into the tops.
-
Wrap the tray in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or a minimum of 3-4 hours).
-
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Bake the cookies spaced 2-3 inches apart, baking one tray at a time (keeping the other in the fridge) for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the middle is puffy and underbaked.
-
Straight out of the oven, use a large round cookie cutter to gently scoot the edges into a perfect circle. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired, then let them cool completely on a wire rack.Flaky sea salt
Notes
Cultured butter: This butter has a richer, tangier flavor than regular butter. Its higher butterfat and complex flavor make the cookies taste more buttery, balanced, and bakery-style! I use Kerrygold.
Vanilla powder: Vanilla powder gives these cookies a deeper, more concentrated vanilla flavor that holds up during baking. It adds that warm, bakery-style vanilla note that really makes them shine. I use Cook’s Vanilla Powder (available on Amazon or in the spice aisle). If you can’t find it, add an extra teaspoon of vanilla bean paste instead.
Storage: Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freezing: First, freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking tray, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can bake them straight from frozen, but the edges will be noticeably crispier. For best results, let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as directed.
Serving:
1
serving
|
Calories:
281
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
27
g
|
Protein:
3
g
|
Fat:
18
g
|
Saturated Fat:
11
g
|
Polyunsaturated Fat:
1
g
|
Monounsaturated Fat:
5
g
|
Trans Fat:
0.4
g
|
Cholesterol:
53
mg
|
Sodium:
204
mg
|
Potassium:
116
mg
|
Fiber:
2
g
|
Sugar:
14
g
|
Vitamin A:
365
IU
|
Calcium:
18
mg
|
Iron:
2
mg
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Tried this recipe?
Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!