Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe for Perfectly Chewy Results

The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies You’ll Ever Eat

I have been chasing this cookie for years. Not a cookie that is merely fine, but one that makes someone stop mid sentence and ask what is in it.

The answer is brown butter, a generous amount of dark brown sugar, and two kinds of chocolate chips. That is the whole trick, and it took months of testing to land on it.

The goal was texture from the very first batch. Crispy edges, a soft and chewy middle, and enough structure to survive a dunk in cold milk. Most standard recipes spread flat and shatter.

These do not, because the dough rests in the fridge, the butter firms back up, and the sugars deepen into something close to butterscotch. Out of the oven the centers look slightly underdone, and that is exactly what you want.

This recipe makes 24 cookies, with about 2 hours 30 minutes of prep that is mostly hands off chilling, plus roughly 10 minutes of baking per batch. Here is the quick version before we get into the details.

Now the full method, step by step.

1. Line a large plate or baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Brown the butter. Melt 1 cup of sliced salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it melts, whisk constantly. The butter will crackle, then foam, and after a few minutes it turns a golden amber color. As soon as it smells nutty and looks brown, 5 to 8 minutes, take it off the heat and immediately transfer everything, including the brown bits, into a medium bowl. Set it aside until it is cool enough to touch, about 15 minutes.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cooled brown butter, the dark brown sugar, and the granulated sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg, the extra egg yolk, the vanilla, and the yogurt until the mixture is smooth and creamy and looks like caramel sauce, about 1 minute. A whisk works too and takes about the same time.
4. Prepare the dry ingredients. In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined, about 1 minute. Add both kinds of chocolate chips and mix on low speed until they are just incorporated. Do not overmix. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes.
5. Chill the dough. Use a medium cookie scoop or a spoon to measure 2 heaping tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll the dough into balls, and place them on the prepared plate or baking sheet. Cover the balls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. This is the step that keeps the cookies thick instead of flat, and it is worth the wait.
6. Preheat and soften. When you are ready to bake, place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it soften for 15 minutes.
7. Bake. Place the dough balls on the prepared sheet 2 inches apart and bake until the edges just begin to turn golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Not all of the cookies will fit on one sheet, so plan for a second batch. The centers will look a little underdone, and they will keep cooking on the hot pan.
8. Cool and finish. Let the cookies set on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, sprinkle each one with flaky sea salt, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the sheet has cooled, repeat with the remaining dough balls.
9. Store. Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or move them to the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you want to push these even further, there is a Nutella stuffed version. Chill a jar of Nutella until it firms up, flatten each dough ball in your palm, place a teaspoon of the chilled Nutella in the center, and fold the dough around it. Then chill and bake as directed.

The BEST cookies you’ll ever eat

I am clearly not the only one who feels strongly about these. Friends who baked them once have told me they never went back to their old chocolate chip recipe, and the original post has gathered glowing reviews for years.

At my house they are now the default request for picnics, potlucks, and the church bake sale, and I have stopped trying to talk anyone out of it.

The magic of brown butter

Brown butter is the ingredient that defines this cookie. It is why the finished cookie tastes toasted and nutty instead of simply sweet.

The process takes only 5 to 8 minutes in a saucepan, and the moment it smells like caramel and hazelnut, it is ready. If you have never browned butter before, do not worry.

It is a simple technique, and once you have it down you will want to brown butter for everything.

Let’s talk ingredients

Every item on this list has a job. Skip one or swap it carelessly and the texture shifts, which is why I test before I tweak. Here is what goes into the dough.

A few notes on the choices. The sugar ratio leans heavily toward brown sugar, and dark brown sugar is the favorite because its extra molasses keeps the cookies softer and chewier while the edges still crisp up.

Light brown sugar works if that is what you have in the pantry. The single egg plus an extra yolk brings richness, and the tablespoon of Greek yogurt helps activate the baking soda, which gives you a moist dough and those pretty crinkly tops. Sour cream is the one acceptable stand in for the yogurt.

Two kinds of chocolate chips give you layers of flavor. Semisweet brings the classic deep chocolate note, while milk or dark chocolate chips or chunks add pockets of sweetness. If you like a sweeter cookie, go with milk chocolate. The finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt, Maldon is my favorite, pulls all of it together.

Can I make them gluten free?

Yes. Swap the all purpose flour for a gluten free measure for measure flour, such as King Arthur’s blend, and keep every other ingredient, the chill time, and the bake time exactly the same.

Tips for making perfect brown butter chocolate chip cookies

These cookies are forgiving, but a few habits make the difference between good and unforgettable.

• Let the brown butter cool. Give it 10 to 15 minutes, until it is cool enough to touch, and scrape every bit of it out of the pan, brown bits included. Those browned specks are flavor.
• Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs can seize up when they hit the butter. Run them under warm water for about a minute, or let them sit in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
• Do not substitute unless the swap is listed. If a change is not spelled out here, such as sour cream for the Greek yogurt, assume it will change the result.
• Measure the flour correctly. Too much flour makes a dry, crumbly cookie. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off instead of packing it down.
• Chill the dough. This is non negotiable. The fridge solidifies the butter so the cookies do not spread too much, and the sugar absorbs flavor for a deeper butterscotch taste, crisp brown edges, a chewy interior, and crackly tops.

If you take only one thing from this list, take the chill time. A warm dough goes into the oven as a puddle. A chilled dough goes in as a scoop that holds its shape and bakes into something with height, chew, and a caramel edge.

Cold dough, hot oven, and a little patience. That is the whole secret to a thick, chewy cookie.

How to freeze cookie dough

This is the part I love most, because it means fresh cookies on demand. Once the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours, roll it into balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Pop the whole sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to flash freeze them. When the balls are firm, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container, where they keep for up to 3 months.

When a craving hits, bake them straight from frozen as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time. No thawing, no scooping, no waiting for a whole batch to chill all over again.

I keep a bag in the freezer for the nights when dinner was light and dessert was non negotiable, and it has saved me more than once when guests showed up without warning.

Freeze baked cookies for later

Already baked a batch and have leftovers, which honestly rarely happens? Let the cookies cool completely first. Then store them in a single layer in a freezer safe bag or container lined with wax paper or parchment paper, which keeps them from breaking or sticking together.

They hold up beautifully in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before eating, and they taste just as good as the day you baked them.

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The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies You’ll Ever Eat I have been chasing this cookie for years. Not a cookie that is merely fine, but one that makes someone stop mid sentence and ask what is in it.

• Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
• Yield: 24 cookies 1x

Ingredients

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Wet ingredients
1 cup (226 grams) salted butter, sliced
1 ½ cups (320 grams) packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Dry ingredients
2 ¼ cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup (135 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
¾ cup (135 grams) milk or dark chocolate chips or chunks
Flaky sea salt (I like Maldon)

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Instructions

1-Line a large plate or baking sheet: Line a large plate or baking sheet with parchment paper.
2-Brown the butter: Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk constantly; the butter will begin to crackle, then foam. After a few minutes, the butter will begin to turn a golden amber color. As soon as the butter turns brown and gives off a nutty aroma, 5 to 8 minutes, remove from the heat and immediately transfer it to a medium bowl, scraping all the butter and brown bits from the pan. Set aside until cool enough to touch, about 15 minutes.
3-Mix the wet ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until the mixture is smooth and creamy and similar in appearance to a caramel sauce, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, you can do this with a whisk; it will take roughly the same amount of time.)
4-Prepare the dry ingredients: Prepare the dry ingredients: In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined, about 1 minute. Add both types of chocolate chips and mix on low speed until just incorporated into the dough (don’t overmix!). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
5-Chill the dough: Chill the dough: Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to measure 2 heaping tablespoons of the dough, roll the dough into balls with your hands, and place onto the prepared plate or baking sheet. Repeat with all of the dough. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 24 hours. (Chilling the dough will allow the flavors to come together, the butter to solidify so that the cookies do not spread too much, and the sugar to concentrate into a deeper butterscotch flavor. Please note that the dough needs to chill to be perfect. Have patience, because the results are worth it!)
6-When you are ready to bake, place: When you are ready to bake, place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge to allow them to soften for 15 minutes.
7-Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies: Transfer the dough balls to the prepared baking sheet, placing them 2 inches apart. (Not all cookies will fit on the sheet for one batch.) Bake until the edges of the cookies just begin to turn golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. (They will look a bit underdone in the middle but will continue to cook once out of the oven.)
8-Cool the cookies on the sheet for: Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes to allow them to set, then sprinkle each cookie with flasky sea salt. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the baking sheet has cooled, repeat with the remaining dough balls.
9-To store: To store: Keep cookies in an airtight container or reusable silicone bag at room temperature for up to 1 week, then transfer to the freezer for up to 3 months.

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• Prep Time: 150 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Method: bake