Desserts · American
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy chocolate chip cookies with nutty browned butter and crisp edges. Makes about 24 cookies.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Cool and chill
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Makes
- about 24 cookies
- Level
- Medium
Browning the butter cooks its milk solids until they smell of toasted nuts, which gives these cookies a deeper, toffee-like flavour.
Browning also evaporates some water, so this dough uses an egg plus an extra yolk to keep the cookies chewy. Let the butter cool before mixing, or it will melt the sugar and make greasy cookies.
Recipe card
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Quantities are scaled. Amounts mentioned in the steps refer to the original 24 cookies. Tips for scaling.
Equipment
- Light-coloured saucepan (so you can see the butter brown)
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
Instructions
Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat, swirling often. It will foam, then the foam will subside and brown flecks will form on the bottom. When it smells nutty and is amber-brown, 5 to 8 minutes, pour it into a large bowl, scraping in the brown bits.
Let the butter cool for 15 minutes, until warm but not hot.
Whisk both sugars into the butter, then whisk in the egg, yolk and vanilla until glossy, about 1 minute.
Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the chocolate.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. It firms up and the cookies spread less.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line the baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions, about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are golden and the centres still look slightly underdone, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
Times are estimates. Status: Awaiting kitchen test (what this means).
Nutrition is not listed. We publish nutrition only after calculating it from a recognised food-composition database.
Tips for success
- Brown butter goes from golden to burnt quickly. Take it off the heat as soon as it smells nutty; it keeps cooking in the hot pan.
- Raw dough contains raw egg and raw flour, which can carry bacteria. Bake it before eating.
Substitutions
- Semisweet chocolate
- Milk or dark chocolate, or a mix.
Storage and make-ahead
Fridge
Not needed. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezer
Freeze portioned raw dough balls for up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes. Baked cookies freeze for 2 months.
Reheating
Warm a cookie in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes to soften the chocolate.
Make ahead
The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days; the flavour deepens.
Questions and troubleshooting
Why did my cookies spread too much?
The butter was probably still warm when mixed, or the dough was not chilled. Measuring flour by weight also helps.
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