Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are amazing

Some people seem to be over the whole brown butter thing. Never! Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are all the proof you need that brown butter is still a good idea.

Is brown butter worth the bother?

That is, of course, a matter of opinion.  But if you think deep caramel notes and a nutty flavor are important in a cookie, then I believe you will agree. The small effort in browning the butter [and chilling it – more on that in a minute] is more than worth doing.

Brown butter isn’t difficult

It’s not difficult, but you do have to pay attention.  Brown butter is good, but burned butter is quite the opposite. Put the butter [for this recipe, you need 8 ounces, or two sticks] in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, and place over low-medium heat.  Don’t wander off or get too absorbed in Instagram reels – you will need to stir and pay attention the whole time. The butter will foam up a bit, and then the foam will mostly subside, and you will begin to see some browning. Just about the color below is what you want. Starting with 2 sticks of butter, you will end up with around 7 ounces, which is perfect. You also need a heavy saucepan to ensure the butter browns evenly.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

You will find lots of recipes that are very fussy on this point, but this is not one of those. I use salted butter for nearly everything, and rarely have unsalted butter around. I love salt, so the amounts given in this recipe are not too salty for me.  If you’re sensitive to the flavor of salt, and using salted butter, cut 1/4 teaspoon of salt from the recipe.

Can I use the butter right away?

You can but the cookies will be much flatter and crisper than the ones pictured here. There is nothing wrong with that, if that is how you like your Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies to come out. Normally, you make cookies with softened butter, and these are the same. So, if you want your end result to look like mine, brown the butter, and set it aside until it solidifies again. It will look like the photo below.

It is a good idea to have your other ingredients at room temperature too, so I always take them out first thing in the morning.

How to make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Donalyn Ketchum

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time22 minutes mins

Servings: 40 cookies

Calories: 128kcal

Equipment

• heavy baking sheets
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Scoops

Ingredients

• 2 sticks [8 ounces] butter, browned as described in post
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chip
• 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Instructions

• If baking right away, preheat the oven to 350º. Prepare heavy baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
• Scrape the solidified browned butter into the mixing bowl, and beat briefly.
• Add the sugars and beat until well combined
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla
• Measure the salt and baking powder in and give it a few quick beats
• Add the flour all at once, and beat just until combined.
• Dump in the nuts and chips and beat briefly so they are distributed evenly
• This is optional, but chilling the dough for 24 hours or more does improve both the flavor and texture. If you have the time, this is a good idea.
• Scoop the dough by tablespoonfuls - or use a medium cookie scoop - onto parchment lined baking sheets.
• Bake for around 10 to 12 minutes, until evenly browned, but still soft in the center.
• Remove to a cooling rack, and store in a sealed container once cooled.

Notes

If you brown the butter ahead of time, and refrigerate it, be sure to take it out a few hours early so it can soften.

These cookies can frozen, either before, or after baking.

Baked cookies should be stored in a tightly sealed container for several days at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for a week or more.

Don't want to bother with browned butter?  No problem - these are very good made with regular butter too.

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Should I chill the dough for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies?

There is a school of thought in cookie baking that most cookie doughs benefit from spending 24 hours in the refrigerator before baking.  I don’t argue with idea at all, and if I have time, I absolutely think it’s a good idea. You can portion it into balls before chilling, and then just take out what you want to bake.  Freezing works the same way – it’s a lot easier if you portion the dough beforehand. Make the dough balls, and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer.  When they have frozen solid, pop them into a sealed container or ziplock bag, and you have cookies ready to bake whenever you want them. You need even need to thaw them completely – just leave them on a parchment-lined sheet about 10 minutes before baking.

After baking, let them cool completely before storing them.  Once baked, these cookies will keep several days in a sealed container on the counter and for more than a week in the fridge.

There you go – lovely, nutty, rich cookies that everyone will love!

Looking for more Chocolate Chip Cookie ideas? How about Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies or Chocolate Chunk Cookies?

originally published in 2017, updated in April 2014