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This rich, buttery brown butter chocolate chip cookie has a chewy center and crisp edges and highlights the nutty richness of browned butter. The caramel-like flavor perfectly complements pockets of melted, gooey chocolate. These browned butter chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate upgrade to the classic chocolate chip cookie.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
I am obsessed with brown butter chocolate chip cookies. A simple step of melting and browning the butter on a stove will transform your chocolate chip cookies. It is a game-changing trick to create toffee-flavored, rich buttery cookies by just elevating one ingredient. It is truly remarkable! These are the best chocolate chip cookies!
I have been making brown butter chocolate chip cookies for at least 15 years and they have become one of my signature cookies. I shared my MJ’s Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies, all made in one saucepan, which is one of my go-to cookie recipes.
Since I am always playing in the kitchen with different ingredients and methods, I wanted to work on melting and browning the butter until it is a perfectly warm amber color and letting it chill in the refrigerator before creaming the butter and sugars in a mixer. Since some of the liquids can evaporate when browning the butter, I needed to compensate for that. I decided to add one egg yolk, which adds both liquid and fat.
Ingredients:
- Butter (melted until an amber color with browned bits on the bottom of pan)
- Dark Brown Sugar (may use golden brown sugar)
- Sugar
- Eggs + Egg Yolk
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Chunks
What type of chocolate should I use?
Use high-quality chocolate chips or chunks for the best flavor. Semi-sweet or milk chocolate complements the richness of the browned butter. I like to use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips. My favorite brands are Guittard and Ghirardelli.
How to Brown Butter:
This is an important step. The butter will go through different phases. It will begin to melt and bubble. Take a wooden spoon or spatula and stir often and around the sides of the pan. Let the butter melt and watch for it to begin changing colors from a creamy yellow to a deep amber yellow.
The butter will begin to foam and this is why it is important to stir often so you can see what is going on below the foam. Small brown bits will begin to form and that will be a signal that the butter is officially browned. Butter can burn quickly so watch carefully. It is better to pull off of the heat a little early instead of browning too long and risk burning it.
Since you want the butter to chill quickly, pour it into a large bowl and place in the refrigerator. Use a spatula to get every bit of butter out of the pan. Every bit of butter matters! Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes.
Creaming the Brown Butter and Sugars:
This is an integral step as it creates a smooth and creamy dough and gets rid of the graininess from the sugars. It needs to be creamed for at least 4-5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often. The eggs and egg yolk can be added one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition.
Why is chilling the cookie dough important?
If time is on your side, an easy way to make chocolate chip cookies even BETTER is to chill the cookie dough. The chilling process is important because it helps the ingredients marry together and you end up with a richer chocolate chip cookie. Chilling the dough allows the fats to solidify, which means your cookies will spread less and have a thicker, chewier texture. It also enhances the flavor and texture of the cookies.
The dough doesn’t spread as much in the oven so you end up with a chewier cookie with crisp edges. Trust me on this one, chilling the dough is worth the sacrifice!
How to make Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Place butter in large pot or deep skillet. Melt butter over medium-low heat. The butter will go through different phases. It will begin to melt and bubble. Take a wooden spoon or spatula and stir often and around the sides of the pan. Let the butter melt and watch for it to begin changing colors from a creamy yellow to a deep amber yellow.The butter will begin to foam and this is why it is important to stir often so you can see what is going on below the foam. Small brown bits will begin to form and that will be a signal that the butter is officially browned. Butter can burn quickly so watch carefully. It is better to pull off of the heat a little early instead of browning too long and risk burning it.Since you want the butter to chill quickly, pour it into a large bowl and place in the refrigerator. Use a spatula to get every bit of butter out of the pan. Let it chill in the refrigerator for about 40-60 minutes.
- Pour chilled butter into mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and sugar and cream for 4-5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until combined, avoid overmixing. Stir in chocolate chips.
- If time allows, wrap cookie dough tightly and let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. If time allows, chill for 24-48 hours.
- Preheat oven to 385 degrees. Place parchment paper liners or Silpat liners on baking sheets. Roll balls of cookie dough and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until edges starts to become a light golden color.
FAQ’s:
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep them longer, freeze the baked cookies or freeze the dough. You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. You can also freeze baked cookies and reheat them in a low oven for a few minutes. To enjoy frozen cookies, let them thaw at room temperature or warm them in the oven.
The cookies are done when the edges are set and golden brown, but the centers are still soft and slightly underbaked. They will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet. If you prefer crispier cookies, bake them until the entire surface is golden.
Substitutions:
Can I use regular butter instead of browned butter?
Yes, but browned butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that elevates the cookies. If you use regular butter, the cookies will still be delicious but have less toffee flavor.
Can I use light, golden brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar?
Absolutely! The dark brown sugar creates a chewier cookie but both brown sugars work well in this recipe.
Here are some of my favorite baking tools:
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If you love chocolate chip cookies, check out these other popular recipes:
- MJ’s Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Charmina’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
More Popular Cookie Recipes:
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter (melted until an amber color with browned bits on the bottom of pan)
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar (may use golden brown sugar)
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/4 cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Chocolate Chips (may use more and a combination of chopped up chocolate bars and chips)
Instructions
To Brown Butter:
- Place butter in large pot or deep skillet. Melt butter over medium-low heat. The butter will go through different phases. It will begin to melt and bubble. Take a wooden spoon or spatula and stir often and around the sides of the pan. Let the butter melt and watch for it to begin changing colors from a creamy yellow to a deep amber yellow.The butter will begin to foam and this is why it is important to stir often so you can see what is going on below the foam. Small brown bits will begin to form and that will be a signal that the butter is officially browned. Butter can burn quickly so watch carefully. It is better to pull off of the heat a little early instead of browning too long and risk burning it.Since you want the butter to chill quickly, pour it into a large bowl and place in the refrigerator. Use a spatula to get every bit of butter out of the pan. Let it chill in the refrigerator for about 40-60 minutes.
- Pour chilled butter into mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and sugar and cream for 4-5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until combined, avoid overmixing. Stir in chocolate chips.
- If time allows, wrap cookie dough tightly and let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. If time allows, chill for 24-48 hours.
- Preheat oven to 385 degrees. Place parchment paper liners or Silpat liners on baking sheets. Roll balls of cookie dough and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until edges starts to become a light golden color.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Happy Baking, my friends! Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter below. Thank you for following along!
Hi! Making these for Christmas. Salted or unsalted butter?
I made them with unsalted and they were great
These cookies are awesome! I have never used browned butter in a cookie recipe and we all loved the taste! I have two daughters who are gluten-free and these worked great with GF flour. I will make the next batch with regular flour. I imagine that they will taste even better.
Fantastic recipe..I encourage everyone to try this!!..Takes an ordinary recipe for chocolate chip cookies to a new level. I added some instant coffee powder to the mixture but not too much because the brown butter is simply so rich on its own! The cookie flavor and texture were amazing! Temperature to bake at is perfect. I baked mine for 8 – 9 minutes and it was spot on crispy yet chewy…
Hi Pam! Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it and I am so happy you loved the cookies! The brown butter puts them over the top! Have a great day! — Melissa
Hi- I’m a big fan of brown butter cookies and this one reminds me of the one published by Cook’s Illustrated in 2009. Love your website and your enthusiasm for cooking!
Hi Julie! I am such a huge fan of Cooks Illustrated and own many of their cookbooks. Their recipes are amazing! Have a great day!
Made your recipe last night and oh my goodness…I didn’t think you could perfect perfection! Follow the steps as specified- These cookies are phenomenal! ????????
Hi, I’ve really been into experimenting with new chocolate chip recipes and I can’t wait to try this one as well!! I was just wondering if I can use a non-stick cookie sheet instead of a regular parchment lined one?
What’s the difference in taste and texture between these cookies and MJ’s Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies? Just trying to figure out which one to try first.
This is such a great question! Here are the differences — MJ’s is made in a saucepan so you never use a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Brown Butter recipe takes longer to brown the butter and it needs to be chilled for longer. There are more steps in the brown butter recipe but because the butter is browned for longer, it has a more pronounced brown butter flavor. Both are amazing! I would say MJ’s is easier and takes less time but there’s more flavor with the Brown Butter recipe. Hope that helps!
In the description you said you like to add an egg yolk when you brown the butter, but in the recipe it doesn’t say to add the yolk. Should the egg yolk be added when browning the butter or no?
Hi Anthony! After you brown the butter and let it chill in the refrigerator, you mix it with the sugars for 4-5 minutes. After that, you add the 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, and vanilla. I hope that helps!
That does indeed! Thank you for the clarification.
I was confused, too, Anthony. I had to re-read it to get clarification.
This is almost an exact recipe I have except
mine calls for 3 cups flour instead of 2- 1/4 cups.
What’s the difference using less flour? Sorry I’m not the most experienced baker
I love the brown butter idea.
Thank you
Hi David! Great question. Less flour = a chewier texture with a more pronounced butter and brown sugar flavor. They are amazing! If you want a little more flour for a thicker cookie, I would suggest only adding about 2 Tablespoons more. I hope that helps!
Why 385 degree oven? Sounds too hot.
Hi Amy! I love experimenting with oven temperatures. One of my cookie recipes calls for 410 degrees! Some call for 385, 375, 350, and 325. It just depends on the type of cookie dough and the result that I am looking for. After testing these cookies at different temps, I found 385 to be ideal. If your oven runs hot, I would suggest reducing it to 375. I hope that helps!
Hello Melissa
I’m from Europe (Belgium). Our oven here are going to 250° maximum.
Also we don’t use cup as measures. Could you send me an idea of the quantities in gram.
Thank you for your help.
These temperatures are given in Fahrenheit. You should convert to Celsius to figure out what to use for your oven.
It’s around 195 degrees in Celcius
Did you ever get the recipe in grams? I have the measurements if you did not
It is too hot! I ruined two trays of cookies by doing this. I had to throw them all out. This may not make the posts, but I hope you get it.
I really want to try the brown butter chocolate chip cookies can I use my kitchen aid stand mixer or does it have to be mixed with a wooden spoon
Hi there, Nancy! Here’s what I do…I brown the butter and stir it with a wooden spoon. Then I let it chill in the refrigerator. Once it is chilled for about 45-50 minutes, I pour it into my Kitchenaid mixer. I cream the butter and sugars together for 4-5 minutes until it starts to become creamy. Then I add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. I hope that helps!
What kind of flour do you use? I usually use all purpose, but I see in this recipe it calls for baking soda….?