Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best kind of cookies! The browned butter gives the cookie dough a rich, toffee-like buttery taste. Swirl in classic chocolate chips for a cookie so scrumptious they will disappear before your eyes! A decadent chocolate chip cookie recipe that will become your new favorite.

Ingredients Needed for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mixing up and baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies is good for the soul, and this recipe is no different! Classic pantry items bring this recipe to life. Here are the ingredients needed for this cookie recipe:
- Butter – I always use salted! I know, most people will tell you unsalted, but salted butter is the best to me!
- Brown sugar
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for garnish (optional but SO worth it)


How to Make Brown Butter
Making brown butter isn’t tricky, but it does require a close eye. Meaning, it can easily go from wonderfully browned butter to burned haha! Which is what we don’t want! Here are the steps to follow for making browned butter:
- Add the butter to a sauce pan over low-medium heat.
- Watch carefully and stir occasionally as the butter melts and bubbles. I’ve noticed that ones it stops bubbling a lot is when it starts to actually brown.
- Swirl the butter around until it turns a wonderful amber brown color and smells like toffee. Remove from the heat immediately once this is achieved.
- Pour straight into your bowl you will use to make the cookie dough to allow the brown butter to cool.
The result of making browned butter and adding it into this cookie recipe is a rich, toffee, buttery flavor that can’t be beat. It’s just SO good and sets these chocolate chip cookies apart!


Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQ
What type of chocolate chips should I use?
A classic, semi-sweet chocolate chip works perfect for this recipe! You can also chop up semi-sweet chocolate bars if preferred.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes, definitely! Simply use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough balls out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer on a flat surface and allow to harden all the way through, at least a couple hours. Transfer the frozen cookie dough balls into a freezer-friendly bag and keep in the freezer for whenever you need a chocolate chip cookie fix! A few extra minutes will need to be added onto the baking time, but they turn out just as delicious!
What does browned butter taste like?
Heavenly! Browning the butter gives it a rich, buttery, toffee-like flavor. It really can’t be beat! It’s just so good. The smell of it even pulls you in.
What is the best flaky sea salt to use?
I love using this Maldon flaky sea salt! I know it may sound odd to top your cookies with salt, but it really makes the flavors of the cookies shine! Flaky sea salt is typically more mild than regular salt.
Looking for other cookie recipes? Look here!


Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
Description
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best kind of cookies! The browned butter gives the cookie dough a rich, toffee-like buttery taste. Swirl in classic chocolate chips for a cookie so scrumptious they will disappear before your eyes! A decadent chocolate chip cookie recipe that will become your new favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for garnish as desired
Instructions
- Place 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat to melt. Allow to melt and bubble while stirring occasionally and watching closely. Once the butter is an amber-brown color and smells like toffee, remove from the heat immediately as it can quickly burn after this point. Pour the brown butter into the bowl you will use to make the cookie dough to allow to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the brown butter has cooled, add in the remaining 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of softened butter and mix on low speed to combine. Add in the brown sugar and the sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about a couple minutes. Mix in the vanilla.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in one egg at a time, wiping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition.
- Add in the flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix on low speed until the cookie dough forms, try to not over-mix at this point. Add in all of the chocolate chips, except for about 1/3 cup of them (set aside for garnish). Gently fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough out onto a non-greased cookie sheet, placing each one a few inches apart. Use the saved 1/3 cup of chocolate chips to gently press 4-5 into the tops of each cookie dough ball before baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies have just set and are slightly golden brown. While the cookies are still warm, lightly sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the flaky sea salt.
- Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until all the cookie dough has been used.
Notes
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them in an air-tight container.
- To freeze the cookie dough: follow steps 1-5. Instead of baking the cookie dough balls, you will place them in the freezer on the baking sheet to harden completely, about a couple hours. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag to store in the freezer for whenever you need a chocolate chip cookie fix. Add on a few minutes to the bake time.
- The flaky sea salt garnish isn’t required but SO worth it!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 194
- Sugar: 12.9g
- Sodium: 254mg
- Fat: 10.2g
- Carbohydrates: 23.9g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Protein: 2.3g
- Cholesterol: 43mg
Keywords: brown butter chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cookies, dessert, chocolate


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