Easy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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The BEST brown butter chocolate chip cookies! These browned butter chocolate chip cookies are rich, sweet and SO delicious! Easy to make too!

brown butter chocolate chip cookies in a pile on a white plate

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You've probably had regular classic chocolate chip cookies, but browned butter chocolate chip cookies are SO much better.

Browned butter adds such a depth of flavor to cookies, giving them almost a caramel-like taste. It also gives you perfectly crispy edges and chewy centers!

overhead shot of brown butter chocolate chip cookies laid next to each other.

If you love chocolate cookie as much as I do- these Nutella Filled Cookies and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies are some of my other favorites!

What is Browned Butter?

Browned butter is butter that has cooked over low heat, resulting in a light amber color. It's basically the happy medium between melted butter and burnt butter which gives you a nutty earthy flavor that is so delicious in baked goods.

The browned butter bits at the bottom of the pan are the milk solids in the butter that have browned, aka flavor!

You'll Love Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Delicious: Even though this recipe is made with only a few ingredients it’s loaded with flavor.
Better than regular chocolate chip cookies: Brown butter is truly the MPV that elevates these chocolate chip cookies to the next level!
Easy to make: Once you've browned your butter, putting this cookie recipe together is quick and easy!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

To make these brown butter cookies you'll need:

How to Make the Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

In a sauté pan on the stove, brown butter. Cook over medium- heat, stirring occasionally until the butter foams and turns a light brown color (don’t burn it!)
Let the butter cool for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cooled butter, brown sugar and white sugar for 2 minutes until smooth.
Add in baking soda, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Add flour gradually, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure dough is combined.
Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll into 1 ½ tablespoon balls.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

brown butter cookie dough mixed together in a bowl

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Alterations

Browned Butter: Butter is essential to this recipe. We haven't tried it with dairy-free butter but it might work!

Sugar & Brown Sugar: We don't recommend substituting white sugar unless you have to, but White sugar can be used interchangeably with brown sugar. You can add 1 teaspoon of molasses to white sugar to make brown sugar. Check out this post on Sugar Substitutes for Baking for other ideas.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is essential for this recipe. Do not substitute with baking powder.

Eggs: We don't recommend substituting eggs, but you can read this article on Egg Substitutions for Baking if you need to substitute. Try it at your own risk!

Vanilla Extract: Helps to add flavor, we don't recommend substituting.

All Purpose Flour: We don't recommend substituting the flour, but you can check out this article on Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour or Substitutions for All-Purpose Flour. I haven't tried making these gluten free, but these Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are great!

Dark Chocolate Chips: You can substitute dark chocolate chips for milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or other flavored morsels.

Flaky Sea Salt: Used as a garnish or topping, this ingredient is optional.

If you are looking for a smaller batch of cookies check out these Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies!

a chocolate chip cookie broken in half on a white plate

Storing Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Storing: Make sure you allow your cookies to cool completely before storing. You can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. They'll keep longer in the refrigerator.

Freezing: Baked and cooled brown butter chocolate chip cookies will store in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.

Freezing Cookie Dough: You can freeze this cookie dough. Scoop into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or use these cookie dough freezing trays. Check out this post for How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips on saving cookie dough for later.

Tips & Variations for this recipe

Top with Flaky Sea Salt: Top the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Toffee: Replace the chocolate chips altogether with toffee bits.
Room temperature ingredients: While you're making browned butter, let your eggs come to room temperature. Similar temperature ingredients will blend a lot smoother than if some are cold and some are hot.

stack of brown butter chocolate chip cookies with one leaned up against the stack.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe FAQ

What does brown butter do to cookies?

Browned butter adds another depth of flavor. Browned butter is mostly used in cooking, but in baking, it can be a secret weapon to elevate your bake over another. Browned butter is rich, earthy, buttery, and nutty. Combine this with the sweetness of your baked goods you'll have a delicious combination.

What does browned butter taste like in cookies?

You'll notice a caramelly, nutty flavor added to your cookies when using browned butter over regular softened butter.

Why are my brown butter cookies flat?

Flat cookies are usually the result of an oven that is too hot. Oftentimes older ovens can either run too hot or too cold. Use an oven thermometer to check this before altering your recipe.

Does brown butter affect cookie texture?

In a normal chocolate chip cookie we like to "cream the butter and sugar together" this typically incorporates some air into the mixture which results in a fluffier cookie. When adding browned butter, no air is whipped in. This will result in a denser cookie, but one that is more flavorful.

Why are my brown butter cookies greasy?

A greasy browned butter cookie can be the result of not enough flour, or too much butter. Measuring out your flour correctly can be tricky, for this, I'd recommend a kitchen scale. Using too much butter will also create greasy cookies.

Other tasty desserts you'll love:

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The BEST brown butter chocolate chip cookies! These browned butter chocolate chip cookies are rich, sweet and SO delicious! Easy to make too!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown butter chocolate chip cookies, browned butter chocolate chip cookies

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: cookies

Calories: 162kcal

Ingredients

1 cup butter browned & cooled- 2 sticks
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 cups dark chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a sauté pan on the stove, brown butter. Cook over medium- heat, stirring occasionally until the butter foams and turns a light brown color (don’t burn it!)
Let the butter cool for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cooled butter, brown sugar and white sugar for 2 minutes until smooth.
Add in baking soda, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Add flour gradually, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure dough is combined.
Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll into 1 ½ tablespoon balls.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

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