Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Printable Version)
Rich, chewy chocolate chip cookies flavored with nutty brown butter and crisp edges.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter
05 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
09 - 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
10 - 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter foams and turns deep golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning. Remove from heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - Add the packed brown sugar and granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter. Mix until well combined and smooth.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
06 - Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped nuts if using, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for thicker, chewier cookies.
08 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
09 - Scoop dough in portions of about 2 tablespoons each onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
10 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly underbaked. This ensures a chewy texture.
11 - Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brown butter transforms a standard chocolate chip cookie into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did.
- That contrast between crisp caramelized edges and a soft barely set center is genuinely addictive.
- They require no fancy equipment and come together in about half an hour of active work.
02 -
- The butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt in seconds, so pull it off heat the moment you see deep golden flecks and smell that nutty aroma.
- Chilling the dough is not optional if you want thick chewy cookies, skipping this step yields flat crispy discs instead.
03 -
- Use a light colored saucepan so you can actually see the butter change color, dark pans make it dangerously easy to overcook.
- Rotate your baking sheet halfway through the bake time for even browning, especially if your oven has hot spots like mine does.