These brown butter chocolate chip cookies take a well-recognized favourite and elevate it with wealthy, nutty brown butter. Browning the butter provides deep caramel-like notes that pair completely with melty chocolate chips and tender, chewy facilities. Observe that this recipe requires 2 chill instances, however I promise these cookies are definitely worth the wait!
I initially shared this recipe in 2014, and I’ve up to date it with new pictures, clearer directions, and extra success ideas. One minor however useful change: form the cookie dough balls earlier than chilling as an alternative of after, which makes the method simpler and helps the cookies bake up evenly.
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies take my fan-favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies and elevate them with wealthy, nutty depth. Browning the butter transforms the flavour like magic, including delicate caramel-like, toffee notes that pair completely with melty chocolate chips. The consequence? Thick, chewy cookies with tender facilities, golden edges, and irresistible depth in each chunk.
One reader, Mackenzie, commented: “These cookies are superb! Effectively definitely worth the effort to brown the butter, and so they’ve turn out to be my go-to cookie recipe. ★★★★★”
One other reader, Amie, commented: “I’ve been searching for that ooey-gooey scrumptious bakery recipe for years—FOUND IT! If you need a heat, tender chocolatey cookie that has that skilled bakery taste—that is it. That is now my ONLY chocolate chip recipe!!!! ★★★★★”
Why These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Work
These aren’t simply common chocolate chip cookies with browned butter swapped in. Your complete dough is constructed to help it. Right here’s what makes them stand out:
- Cornstarch: Including cornstarch helps make the feel additional tender and tender. Use it in my shortbread cookies and brown butter marshmallow crispy cookies, too.
- Milk: Browning butter reduces moisture, so including a splash of milk brings that steadiness again with out weighing down the dough.
- Sugars: Use extra brown sugar than white for a chewier, softer cookie.
- Egg + Egg Yolk: An additional egg yolk equals a richer-tasting cookie.
- High quality Chocolate Chips: I like utilizing Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and Callebaut chocolate morsels, or a mixture of each. The latter is unquestionably a splurge, however the taste and soften are unbelievable for those who’re feeling fancy.
- Flaky Sea Salt: An optionally available topping, this provides essentially the most unbelievable salty-sweet taste combo that works wonders with the toffee-like notes of brown butter!
What Is Brown Butter?
Browning butter merely means melting it and persevering with to cook dinner it till the milk solids toast. Because it cooks, moisture evaporates, the milk solids sink to the underside of the pan and switch golden brown, and the butter develops a deep amber colour. This small additional step fully transforms the flavour, making a fantastically advanced, nutty richness with delicate caramel-like notes that common melted butter simply doesn’t have. It’s a easy method with a giant payoff. Should you’d like an in depth walkthrough, I wrote a complete tutorial on how one can brown butter.
Strive it in recipes like brown butter apple blondies, brown butter pound cake, brown butter cream cheese frosting, and brown butter pecan pie bars.
How one can Brown Butter
Step one on this recipe is, you guessed it, browning the butter.
Minimize the butter into uniform items and place it in a light-colored pan over medium warmth (this helps you monitor the colour). Stir because it melts, then proceed cooking. The butter will foam because the water evaporates and the milk solids toast on the underside of the pan.
Watch and hear carefully as you stir. The butter will flip deep golden amber in colour, scent a bit nutty, and the scorching will cool down. Instantly take away from warmth and pour right into a heatproof bowl. Don’t depart behind any of the browned bits… they’re full of taste!
Brown Butter & Moisture Loss
Browning butter can flip a superb cookie into a terrific one, however you’ll be able to’t merely swap it into any recipe with out changes.
Why? Moisture loss. Throughout browning, butter loses about 20–35% of its water content material. That’s a big quantity, and for those who don’t account for it, your cookie dough could also be crumbly and/or the cookies could unfold an excessive amount of. Including additional butter gained’t repair the problem both—you’d simply be rising the fats.
The answer is easy: add a bit liquid to the dough. Browning butter delivers unbeatable taste, however the dough wants moisture added again deliberately. In my brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies, the moisture-rich pumpkin does the job.
On this recipe, 2 Tablespoons of milk restores that steadiness with out weighing the cookies down.
The Butter and Dough Have to Chill
This recipe requires a bit planning forward—there are two chill instances, and each matter.
Chill the browned butter: After browning, pour it right into a bowl or shallow dish and refrigerate till strong, about 90 minutes. As soon as agency, cream it with the sugars simply as you’ll softened butter.
That is solidified browned butter:
Right here is the creamed browned butter and sugars:
Chill the dough balls: Scoop the dough into 45g (about 2 Tablespoons) parts, roll/form, and refrigerate for at the least 2 hours earlier than baking.
Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading into greasy puddles and intensifies the flavour because the brown butter settles into the dough. The consequence? Thick cookies with tender, buttery facilities and calmly crisp edges—properly definitely worth the wait!!
When you’ve browned your butter and chilled each it and your dough, these cookies bake into fantastically thick rounds with tender, buttery interiors and edges that crisp ever so barely. Over time, we’ve discovered that baking these at 375°F (191°C), barely hotter than normal, helps set the form shortly so the cookies keep thicker.
Make-Forward Tip: This is a wonderful freezer-friendly dough. Freeze the formed cookie dough balls and bake straight from frozen (add 1 additional minute). Contemporary brown butter chocolate chip cookies at any time when the craving hits? Sure, please! 🙂 See how one can freeze cookie dough.
Wanting For The Proper Chocolate Chip Cookie?
Description
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are thick, tender, and chewy with deep caramel-like taste from toasted butter. The dough contains an additional egg yolk for richness and a contact of milk to interchange misplaced moisture. Plan forward for 2 chill instances—your persistence is rewarded with bakery-style cookies each time.
- Brown the butter: Slice the butter into items and place in a light-colored skillet. The sunshine coloured helps you establish when the butter begins browning. Soften the butter over medium warmth and stir or whisk always. As soon as melted, the butter will start to foam. Preserve stirring/whisking. After 5–7 minutes, the butter will start browning and also you’ll discover calmly browned specks start to kind on the backside of the pan, that are the milk solids toasting. Prepare dinner till it’s golden in colour. As soon as browned, take away from warmth instantly and pour right into a heatproof bowl, together with the entire browned bits (taste!). Let cool for 10 minutes, then place within the fridge and chill till strong, about 90 minutes. After about half-hour, tightly cowl the bowl.
- Take away the solidified brown butter from the fridge and spoon it into a big bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Utilizing a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on excessive velocity for 1–2 minutes till clean and creamy. It could look barely grainy at first—preserve beating and it’ll come collectively. If the butter is simply too agency to cream, let it sit at room temperature for five–10 minutes. You can too microwave it for five–8 seconds to barely soften it, however don’t soften it; it ought to stay strong, simply softened sufficient to beat easily.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium-high velocity till lightened in colour and mixed, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat till mixed. Scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl as wanted.
- In a separate bowl, whisk collectively the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry components to the butter combination and blend on low velocity till simply mixed. With the mixer operating on low, drizzle within the milk and blend till included. The cookie dough will probably be thick and tender. Add the chocolate chips and blend till evenly distributed.
- Scoop and roll the dough into balls, about 2 Tablespoons or 45g every. Form them taller slightly than huge—virtually like a cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet or plate, cowl, and refrigerate for at the least 2 hours or as much as 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line giant baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put aside. Prepare 8 dough balls per baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches aside. Sprinkle sea salt, if utilizing, on prime of the dough balls.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, or till the perimeters are calmly golden brown. The facilities will look tender whenever you take away them from the oven. Cool on the baking sheet for five minutes. Throughout this time, you’ll be able to press a number of additional chocolate chips into the tops (only for seems to be!). The cookies will barely deflate as they cool. After 5 minutes, switch to a wire rack to chill fully.
- Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 5 days.
Notes
- Make Forward Directions: You can also make the cookie dough and chill it within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Baked cookies freeze properly for as much as 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze properly for as much as 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an additional minute, no have to thaw. Learn my ideas and tips on how one can freeze cookie dough.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Mild-Coloured Skillet or Stainless Metal Skillet | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt
- Why Do I Solidify the Browned Butter? Solidifying the browned butter means that you can cream it with the sugars, which creates construction and offers the cookies a thicker texture. Utilizing melted brown butter will produce a thinner, denser, and presumably greasy cookie.
- Further Egg Yolk: The additional yolk provides richness and chewiness with out making the cookies cakey; don’t skip.
- Why Add Cornstarch? Cornstarch helps create a softer, thicker cookie by tenderizing the crumb. If wanted, you’ll be able to depart it out.
- Milk: Browning butter reduces moisture, so including a splash of milk brings that steadiness again with out weighing down the dough. I like to recommend reduced-fat milk, although entire milk and nondairy milks work in a pinch.
- Oven Temperature Replace: Over time, we’ve discovered that baking these at 375°F (191°C), barely hotter than normal, helps set the form shortly so the cookies keep thicker.
- Be sure you try my prime 5 cookie baking success ideas AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking instruments.
