These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are the perfect cookie. The brown butter gives these cookies a rich toffee flavor and a hint of salt. They have crisp, golden edges, a nice crust on the outside, but are still soft and gooey in the center with melty semisweet chocolate.
Why this Recipe Works
I spent years trying to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I tested dozens before deciding to just come up with my own. The brown butter and high baking temperature I think it what gives these brown butter chocolate chip cookies an edge.
The brown butter offers a subtle nutty flavor that blends perfectly with the molasses in the brown sugar to give the cookie that amazing rich slightly smoky and nutty toffee flavor.
Baking your cookies at a higher temperature will cook the outside of the cookie faster before the inside cooks too much. This trick is going to give you those crispy edges and exterior and keep the inside nice and soft.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter. The amount of butter listed in the ingredients is the amount needed before you brown it. Once browned you will probably lose about 25% of your butter as liquid evaporates during the browning process.
- Brown Sugar. We use a higher proportion of brown sugar to white sugar in this recipe. The molasses in the brown sugar compliments the brown butter well and amps up that amazing toffee-butterscotch flavor. If you want an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe without brown sugar, we have a delicious and super easy one!
- Flour. A classic, no-frills, all-purpose flour is all we use here. The most important thing when it comes to flour is making sure you don't use too much-spoon and level, weigh, and check out our guide on How to Measure Flour Correctly.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips. I prefer semisweet chocolate chips over milk in this recipe. The slight bitterness from the semisweet chocolate chips adds the perfect contrast to this rich brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make this Recipe
- How to Brown Butter. Start by browning your butter. Place the butter in a heavy bottomed pan, make sure it is large as the butter tends to foam up quite a bit. Keep stirring it over medium-high heat until the butter has reached an amber color and there are brown bits at the bottom. Consult out How to Brown Butter tutorial for FAQs on browning butter, pictures, and a video!
- Chill the butter. Place the butter in a large bowl and chill or freeze until it has returned to a solid state. You want it to be room temperature, solid, but soft enough to be creamed. Chilling the butter is essential to these brown butter chocolate chip cookies, so do not try to skip this step. Picture A shows what the butter will look like after it is chilled and Picture B shows it after it has been moved to the mixing bowl. Notice the toasted milk solids (the dark bits) have sunk to the bottom of the dish. Don't forget to get all those dark bits into your mixing bowl, they add lots of toasted butter flavor!
- Cream the butter and sugar. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar for 1 minute.
- Add the eggs. Then add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Please note: the image pictured is a double batch, which is why you see 4 eggs in the image instead of 2.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients in so they are just barely incorporated. Overworking the dough will result in tough cookies.
- Add the chocolate chips. Stir in the chocolate chips until they are evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
- Bake. Take 4 tablespoons of dough and shape into round balls. Place on a greased or lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread (I typically place 6 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet). Let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When butter is browned the milk solids are toasted giving it a nutty and toffee flavor that complements the rest of the ingredients. If 1 ¼ cups of butter seems like a lot to you in this recipe it is because butter loses about 25% of its liquid when it is browned. So you end up with closer to 1 cup of butter by the time you add it into the mixing bowl.
If your cookies are too flat, this is usually a result of not chilling the butter after it has been browned. We need the butter chilled back to room temperature so that air can be whipped into it when it is creamed together with the sugars and eggs. Otherwise you will end up with puddles for cookies.
Typically, if your cookies are hard after they have cooled it means that you didn't make the cookies large enough. Remember, we're using about 4 tablespoons of dough per cookie. If you make them smaller they will end up slightly overbaked and won't have that same soft center that you get with the larger cookies.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your flour is measured correctly. Too much flour is a cardinal sin in baking. You need to take care when measuring it, I prefer to weigh my flour, but otherwise take a second to review our guide on How to Measure Flour Properly. Too much flour in your brown butter chocolate chip cookies can make them dry, tough, crumbly, or too thick, none of which are good.
- Get all the brown bits in your brown butter. After you brown your butter you'll see all sorts of little brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Those are toasted milk solids and they add a delicious toasted and salty flavor to the brown butter chocolate chip cookies. So scrape every last bit of them into your bowl for maximum flavor.
How to Make Pretty Cookies
- Make your cookies big. Bigger cookies look prettier. I use ¼ cup of dough for the perfect crispy and gooey ratio. This is my favorite cookie scoop to use.
- Top the off. Before you put your cookie dough balls in the oven top them with a few extra chocolate chips. This makes sure you've got some chocolate chips picture perfect on top of every cookie.
- Bang the Pan. Right when your cookies come out of the oven bang the pan on the counter. the pushes the cookies out and gives them those beautiful wrinkles.
- Make them circular. If your cookies are a little misshapen it's okay, you can fix them. While the cookies are still hot take your spatula and gently push in the edges anywhere the cookies aren't perfectly round. You can also use a large round cookie cutter or even a large mason jar to shape your brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Just move the cookie cutter in a circular motion around the cookie to make it a perfect circle.
How to Store this Recipe
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
I love to have a stock of these in my freezer for when I'm craving a cookie or in case I need to bring a little treat to someone fast! So here's what you'll want to do:
- Scoop the cookie dough into ¼ cup balls and line them up on a lined cookie sheet and place the entire cookie sheet in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. This is going to make sure they maintain their shape and don't get squished and misshapen in the freezer
- Then you can place them in a freezer safe gallon back or stack them on top of each other in a tupperware container, I like to place a piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or even plastic wrap in between the layers of cookie dough so that they don't get stuck to each other. You can freeze these for up to 3 months.
- Before baking, pull out however many cookie dough balls you want and let them sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then bake according to normal instructions, you may need to add a minute to the baking time
How to Store at Room Temperature
- To maintain the crispy edges and soft centers, my preferred method of storing these is to leave them on a plate or tray and loosely cover them with a towel overnight.
- If you decide to store them in a sealed container (like a Ziploc bag or Tupperware) The cookies will likely lose their crisp exterior and take on a chewy texture overall (still delicious though!).
You May Also Like These Other Cookie Recipes:
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup butter (280 grams) see notes
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¾ cups of flour (357 grams) measured correctly
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2-2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (360-480 grams)
Instructions
- Brown 1 ¼ cups of butter in a medium-large saucepan, stirring constantly over medium-high heat, until you reach a deep honey color. Remove from heat and pour into your mixing bowl. Cool butter in fridge or freezer until room temperature consistency, you want your butter to be solid. If you use it when its still liquid your cookies will be flat.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease baking sheets with cooking spray or line with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Once butter has set up, cream together butter and both sugars for 1 minute. Add in eggs and vanilla for and additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. (Make sure you get all those toasty brown bits at the bottom of your brown butter!)
- Add in flour, baking soda, and salt. Only mix the dry ingredients in until just barely combined-over mixing will make the cookies tough. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Take ¼ cup of dough (about 68 grams) and shape into round balls bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the top and edges are just golden. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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originally published August 19, 2018
Hunter says
Has anyone tried to make a gluten free version of this? My family loves when I make these, but my sister is allergic to gluten and she’s always so jealous when everyone else gets to enjoy them! Thought maybe I could make a gluten free batch as her Christmas gift this year. Please let me know!
In Fine Taste says
HI Hunter, while I have not personally tried a gluten-free version of this, several readers have tried this out with 1:1 gluten-free flour (like Bob's Red Mill) and have reported that they turned out great!
- Alyssa
Tee says
My new go to♥️ love it! Thank you so much!
Toni says
I’ve been searching for a good cookie recipe that starts with browned butter and need look no further. These are superb and easy to prepare. I made jumbo sized cookies which I baked for 12 minutes. Used a mix of chopped chocolate and nuts.
Melissa says
How long do you leave the butter in the fridge and do you use salted butter plus a half teaspoon of salt ?
In Fine Taste says
Hi Melissa, I leave the butter in the fridge or freezer as long as it takes to return a solid state. This can sometimes take a couple hours in the fridge depending on the type of container you put it in. It needs to be room temperature, so if it gets too hard I just let it sit on the counter until its softened a little bit. I typically use salted butter and also add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If I use unsalted butter than I add 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- Alyssa
Hailee says
Can the cookie dough go in the fridge if I want to make them the next day?
In Fine Taste says
Hi Hailee, yes, you can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. Just make sure it is covered tightly so it does not dry out. You may need to bake them for an extra minute or two if the dough is cold when going into the oven.
-Alyssa
Nancy says
The taste is just wonderful. The cookies are extremely large. I weighed mine to 65 grams each. I love the large chewy cookie but would love to get a few more from each batch. I may try to make them smaller but am afraid to loose that great soft chewy middle.
Vicky says
This is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever used. So easy, yet turns out perfect every single time.
Angel says
Can you use margarine instead of butter?
In Fine Taste says
Hi Angel, unfortunately margarine won't work well in this recipe. Margarine is vegetable oil based, which means it won't brown the when cooked like butter will. Brown butter is what really sets these cookies apart, so butter is a must!
- Alyssa
Kari says
Best browned butter chocolate chip cookies ever. I’ve made them 4-5 times now and it’s the only recipe I’ll use! Thank you
Ally says
Fantastic recipe! These cookies are amazing! Any tips to keep them fresh? The only problem I have is that after the first day or two they aren’t nearly as tasty! It’s just two of us at home so they don’t go as quickly so I’d love to be able to preserve them for a few days.
In Fine Taste says
Hi Ally, I've found that if i store them in an airtight container after they've cooled, they lose their crispy edges and just take on a chewy texture, which I don't love as much. I usually leave them out and loosely cover them with a dish cloth. However, this may work for me because I live in a dry climate, it may not work as well if you live somewhere humid. The other thing you can do is freeze the cookie dough into balls and just pop a cookie dough ball into the oven whenever you want a fresh cookie.
- Alyssa
Ally says
Perfect, thank you so much! I’ll definitely give that a try:)
SK says
Tried these on 11/11/2023 and they came out great, especially when they are fresh from the oven. Thank you for the recipe!
Cwilli says
Made these today & substituted wit Bobs gluten free flour- they were delicious!! Easy recipe. Definitely a winner!
Gini Black says
Made this delicious cookie recipe today. They are definitely the best cookie recipe I’ve ever made. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. My family loves them.
Gabby says
These were perfect! I usually only make a few then freeze the rest of the cookie dough balls. How do you suggest I bake them from frozen? Same temp but more time or lower temp? I want them to be as good as this everytime!!!
In Fine Taste says
Hi Gabby, I’m so glad you love these as much as I do! I usually let the frozen cookie dough sit out for about 30 minutes before baking and just add 1 minute or so to the bake time!
- Alyssa
Lou Hart says
Thank you for putting the ingredient weights in the recipe!
Taylor says
Do you recommend chilling the dough before you cook them? Mine keeping coming out flat! So yummy, just wish they didn’t come out so flat. Thanks!
In Fine Taste says
Hi Taylor, if your cookies are coming out flat you can try browning the butter for just a little bit longer, this will reduce the water content further, and they won't spread quite as much. If you are still having issues with them spreading more than you like, you can add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the dough and cover and refrigerate the dough for a few hours. Let me know if any of those help!
- Alyssa
Brianna says
I love these cookies, I’ve been baking them for almost 4 years, but there’s been a few times where they flattened too much and almost seemed too oily. I always follow the recipe exactly so I’m not sure what would be different.
In Fine Taste says
Hi Brianna, off the top of my head, I think the difference could be how long the butter is browned for. When the butter is browned, some of the water content in the butter is lost, and it can vary slightly each time. So if it was cooked for less time you'd end up with slightly more butter or if cooked for longer, then you'd end up with less Butter. I usually lose 20-25% of the amount of butter, and end up with roughly 1 cup of browned butter. I hope that helps!
- Alyssa
Tricia Kellogg says
This recipe is fantastic!!! I’ve been baking good ol’ chocolate chip cookie recipes forever but this one will now be the only recipe I use. My batch came out perfect I added a sprinkle of kosher salt to the tops…perfection! Thank you for such an amazing recipe, especially the ingredients listed in grams.
Kelly Fetterman says
The flavor and texture was spot on but mine came out thick they weren’t cake like or anything they still had that ooey gooey texture, but I was wondering what I may have done wrong to where they did not thin out and came out thicker?
In Fine Taste says
Hi Kelly, it is possible you either had a little too much flour or when your butter browned it lost more moisture than mine did. If neither of these seems like the issue, and you prefer your cookies a little thinner, you can flatten the cookie dough balls out a little bit on top.
- ALyssa
Ally says
I rarely try new chocolate chip cookie recipes because I have one I love that I’ve used forever but I’m SO glad I tried this one. These cookies are incredible. They don’t last long in our home that’s for sure, and the boys request them regularly.
Christina says
Hi I’d like to try your recipe but I love my chocolate this cookies to be thicker and gooey in the middle. How do I achieve that while using your recipe ? Should I add baking power ? I’d so how much.
Thanks in advance
In Fine Taste says
Hi Christina, These cookies are definitely gooey in the center, though not overly thick. you can cover and chill the dough for a few hours to help them not spread as much, giving you a thicker cookie.
- Alyssa
Victoria says
This is truly the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever tried. My sisters ask me not to bring them to family functions because they so good. Such a good basic recipe! I add whatever I have handy and they’re always delicious!
Nina R. says
Omg, absolutely amazing! Added some Heath toffee bits, used both milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips, and topped with sea salt.. freaking AMAZING! 100% recommend
Jenn says
How would this do making it for a cookie cake?
In Fine Taste says
Hi Jenn, I've never used this recipe to make a cookie cake so I cannot personally attest to it. i imagine it would turn out just fine! You may have to play around with the bake time a little bit, depending on the size. I think I would drop the temperature down to 350 so it doesn't cook too quickly, since you'll likely have to bake the cookie cake for longer than the cookies call for. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!
- Alyssa
Diana says
So delicious!!!