Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I made the Brown Butter Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and I can’t stop thinking about the crisp edges and gooey, chocolate-thick centers.

I am obsessed with these chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies. I love how browned butter, cooled, throws a deep nutty hit against melty semisweet chocolate chips.

Seriously, I call them The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies in my house, and people fight for the last one. But it’s not just hype; the outside gets crisp, the middle stays gooey, and that contrast makes me weak.

Cookie Recipe Chocolate Chip lists never mention this particular mess of flavors, and I don’t care. Give me a plate and shut up while I eat them right this very second, no sharing, ever.

Ingredients

• Browned butter: nutty, toasty fat that makes cookies rich and slightly caramelized.
• Granulated sugar: adds crisp edges and straightforward sweetness you’ll notice first.
• Light brown sugar: moistness and chew, with that molasses warmth in every bite.
• Eggs: bind everything together and give structure while keeping cookies soft inside.
• Vanilla extract: caramel-y background note that makes everything taste homey and rounded.
• All purpose flour: the backbone, gives chew and keeps cookies from collapsing.
• Baked-in cornstarch: Basically keeps cookies tender and pillowy, not cakey though.
• Baking soda: makes them spread and gives that slightly airy, light texture.
• Fine sea salt: balances sweetness and brings out the brown butter’s nuttiness.
• Chocolate chips or chunks: gooey pockets of bittersweet joy in every bite.
• Flaky sea salt: Plus a finishing pop that punches up chocolate and sweetness.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed (200 g) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups (255 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

How to Make this

1. Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter in a light colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling often; once it foams then turns nutty brown and you smell caramel, remove from heat and let cool to just warm, about 15 to 20 minutes. do not let it solidify.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

3. Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl: 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp fine sea salt; set aside.

4. In a large bowl combine the cooled brown butter with 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar and 1 cup packed (200 g) light brown sugar. Beat with a paddle or wooden spoon until well mixed and a little glossy, about 1 minute. it’s okay if the mixture seems a bit grainy.

5. Add 2 large room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating after each until combined, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract. scrape the bowl sides so nothing is left behind.

6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until no streaks of flour remain; do not overmix. then fold in 1 1/2 cups (255 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks, leaving some pockets of chips for gooey bites.

7. Chill the dough 20 to 30 minutes if it seems very loose; for thicker, taller cookies chill up to 60 minutes. scoop rounded tablespoons or a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) onto the prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until edges are golden brown and centers still look slightly underbaked. every oven is different so start checking at 9 minutes.

9. Remove from oven and immediately press a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie for prettiness, then sprinkle flaky sea salt if using. let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 to 8 minutes so they set, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

10. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days, or freeze dough balls for later baking. to revive a slightly stale cookie, warm in a 300 F oven for 3 to 4 minutes so they go soft and gooey again.

Equipment Needed

1. Light colored saucepan for browning the butter
2. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl for dry ingredients
3. Whisk for the dry mix and a spatula or wooden spoon for folding
4. Stand mixer with paddle attachment or a sturdy wooden spoon to beat sugars and eggs
5. Silicone spatula for scraping the bowl sides
6. Baking sheets (2) plus parchment paper or silicone mats
7. Medium cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon for portioning dough
8. Cooling rack to finish the cookies
9. Measuring cups and spoons and an oven thermometer if you want more accurate baking

FAQ

Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Butter: Substitute 1 cup melted coconut oil or 1 cup vegetable shortening. Coconut oil gives a slight coconut flavor and makes the cookies a bit softer, shortening keeps them tender but less brown butter taste.
• Eggs: Use 1/2 cup (120 g) applesauce or 1/2 cup mashed banana for each egg to make them egg-free. Cookies will be a touch denser and chewier, and may brown less.
• All purpose flour: Swap with 1:1 gluten free flour blend (same weight 280 g) for gluten free cookies. Texture can be a little crumblier so chill the dough before baking.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: Use chopped dark chocolate or milk chocolate chunks, same weight 255 g. Chopped bar pieces melt unevenly and give gooey pockets of chocolate.

Pro Tips

1) Chill the dough even if it seems doable without it. Cold dough spreads less so you get taller, chewier cookies. If you forget to chill, try popping the scooped dough on the sheet into the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. It wont change the flavor but it really helps texture.

2) Watch the brown butter close, dont walk away. Once it foams and smells caramel it can go from perfect to burnt fast. Pour into a cool bowl as soon as you smell that nutty aroma and give it 15 to 20 minutes to drop to just-warm. If it cools too much, microwave 5 to 8 seconds to loosen but dont melt it completely solid.

3) Use a mix of chips and chunks and press a few extra on top right out of the oven for those glossy chocolate pockets. Bigger chunks give gooey hot centers, small chips give even chocolate distribution. Also, sprinkle flaky sea salt right after baking, it makes the sweetness pop.

4) Don’t overbake. Pull them when edges are set and centers still look a touch underdone. They keep cooking on the sheet and will be soft and chewy. If they come out a little stale later, warm one at 300 F for 3 to 4 minutes and it’ll taste just-baked again.