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The Sofî Edit

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These bakery-style Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies combine rich, nutty browned butter with brown sugar and plenty of chocolate to create cookies with crisp edges, chewy centers, and deep caramel flavor. Chilling the dough before baking helps develop even better texture and keeps the cookies thick and beautifully golden.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 1 minute
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH
  • 226 g 1 cup / 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 200 g 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 100 g ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 300 g 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 255 g 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
FOR FINISHING (Optional)
  • Flaky sea salt

Equipment

  • Medium saucepan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons)
  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

PREPARE THE BROWN BUTTER
  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the bubbling slows and the milk solids turn deep golden brown with a rich, nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl, scraping in every browned bit, and let it cool for about 20 minutes until warm but no longer hot.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Having the dry ingredients ready makes it easier to mix the dough quickly without overworking it later.
  3. Tip: Brown butter can burn quickly during the last minute of cooking. Remove it from the heat as soon as the milk solids become amber and fragrant rather than dark brown.
MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH
  1. Whisk the cooled brown butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, whisking until fully incorporated. Fold in the dry ingredients just until no dry flour remains, then gently mix in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate until evenly distributed.
    2. Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cookies less tender.
CHILL, BAKE & COOL
  1. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  2. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden while the centers still look slightly soft. If desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt immediately after baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
    3. Tip: The centers should appear slightly underbaked when the cookies come out of the oven. Residual heat finishes baking them while keeping the centers soft and chewy.

Notes

  • Browning the butter is the signature step in this recipe and gives the cookies their rich caramel and toasted hazelnut flavor.
  • Chilling the dough improves both flavor and texture while helping the cookies bake thicker with less spreading.
  • Chopped chocolate creates larger pools of melted chocolate, while chocolate chips hold their shape better. Either option works well.
  • Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  • The unbaked cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
  • For the most consistent results, bake one sheet at a time on the center oven rack.