Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rich, chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies with deep caramel-y flavor, crisp edges, and pools of melted chocolate.
Servings: 24
Calories: 216kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup tablespoons unsalted butter (2 tablespoon extra)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 12 oz chocolate chunks or chips
- flaky sea salt for topping optional
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Add butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter melts, foams, and begins to turn amber with brown flecks on the bottom of the pan and a nutty aroma. This takes about 12 minutes — don't rush it. Remove from heat immediately once you see small brown flecks forming.
- Transfer the browned butter to a room-temperature bowl to stop it from cooking further. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and stir until just combined.
- Check the dough. If it still feels warm, allow it to cool slightly before adding in the chocolate. Gently fold in the chocolate chunks or chips.
- Using your hands, shape the dough into balls about 2 inches wide. The dough will be slightly greasy from the browned butter - totally normal. For flatter cookies, gently press each ball with the back of a measuring cup. Place the cookie dough balls on a plate or baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange chilled dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt if desired.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes. The cookies will look slightly underdone, which is what you want. They will finish setting as they cool on the pan.
- Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Don't rush the butter browning. It took about 12 minutes; yours may vary depending on the type of butter and pan you use. Look for the butter to turn a golden amber color and for the brown bits to start appearing to know it's done.
- Cool the browned butter slightly before adding to the sugars.
- Check dough temperature before adding chocolate. If it's warm, the chunks will melt before baking.
- Chill time is non-negotiable. One hour minimum; overnight produces a better cookie.
- Cookies will look underbaked at 14-16 minutes. Pull them anyway — they finish on the hot pan.
- To freeze: shape into balls, freeze solid on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 16-18 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
