Best Ever Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

What is Brown Butter?

Brown butter is…butter. Surprise! 

More specifically, brown butter is butter that is cooked until the water particles are evaporated and the milk solids begin to turn golden brown. The result? A rich, beautiful, butter with a nutty, toffee-like aroma. The end result is the most magical, delicious 1-ingredient sauce that ever existed. Thanks to its unbeatable flavor, you’ll often find baked goods like bars, blondies, and (especially cookies!) filled with brown butter.

How to Make Brown Butter

All you need is 5 (maybe 7) minutes.

1. Grab a light-colored pan or skillet (cast iron is not recommended here).
2. Over medium heat melt your butter, making sure to swirl your pan for even cooking.
3. The butter will start to foam. That’s a good thing.
4. Then the butter will start to change color from a golden yellow to a darker, nuttier brown. Don’t stop swirling.
5. Then you’ll smell…the smell. The magical, amazing nutty aroma signaling that you should probably keep a very close eye on your butter because at any moment, it will be time to remove it from the heat.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the browned beautiful butter to a heatproof bowl to cool.

It really is that easy. And brown butter? Well, it tastes pretty delicious on everything from fish to chicken, veggies to creamy mashed cauliflower, and of course, added to these brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

How to Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

To make these delicious brown butter chocolate chip cookies simply,

Start by browning your butter. Heat a light-colored saucepan or skillet over medium heat. The light color will help you see when the butter begins browning (whereas a dark skillet will make this much more challenging). Add the butter, continuously whisking or swirling the butter in a circular motion to keep it moving. Once the butter is melted, you will see that it starts to foam. Continue swirling and whisking for an additional 4-7 minutes. At this point, the butter will start browning and you’ll see lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. It will also start to smell nutty. Once it reaches this point, immediately remove the pan from heat and transfer butter to a large heat-proof baking dish (9×9 or 9×13, for example). Cover and immediately transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely (at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day). 

Prep your dry ingredients. As the butter cools, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

Make your cookie dough. Remove your chilled brown butter from the refrigerator and transfer to the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, or until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue to mix until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Finally, beat in the dry ingredients over medium speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and continue to mix on low speed for an additional 15 seconds, or just until the dough comes together.

Chill your dough. You must chill your dough before baking otherwise they will spread like crazy. Simply transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight.

Prepare for baking. Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes as you preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Position the racks on upper and lower-middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or spoon (approximately 2-3 tablespoons of dough in total per cookie) to carefully scoop cookie dough on to prepared sheets.

Bake. Transfer baking sheets to the oven and bake for approximately 12-16 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden. Rotate pans halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and immediately dot with additional chocolate chips if desired (this is just for looks).

Store. After 5 minutes, transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Chilling is Critical for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some of you may be disheartened to discover that this cookie recipe actually requires quite a bit of chill time. This hands-off chill time comes in two stages and totals at least 3 hours and 30 minutes minimum. I say minimum because I strongly urge you to chill your butter for at least 1-3 hours.

1. Chill your brown butter: After you’ve browned your butter, it’s important to chill it in the refrigerator so that it’s solidified. I suggest chilling for at least 30 minutes but aim for 1-2 hours if you have the time. Once solidified, you can cream it in your standing mixer with your sugars just as you would if you used regular butter. To chill faster, transfer your brown butter to a large heat-proof dish so that it can spread in a thin layer.
2. Chill your dough: YES, you need to chill your dough…for at least 3 hours. Why? Chilling your dough not only promises a thicker cookie with less spreading but also a cookie with more flavor. 

These cookies are well worth the wait! But also why I always recommend doubling (or even tripling) the batch and freezing dough for later use.

Tips & Tricks

• Your baked cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days- allow your cookie dough to come to room temperature before scooping and baking.
• You can also freeze your baked cookies for up to 3 months. To freeze your cookie dough roll it into balls, transfer to a baking sheet, and freeze before transferring to a large ziplock bag. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. To bake allow an extra minute of bake time- no need to thaw.
• Do not burn your butter. If you find that your butter accidentally burns, start over.
• Chill your butter for at least 30 minutes to 24 hours.
• Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours before baking.
• Store the dough in the very back of the refrigerator (otherwise, you may just come back to a bowl of half-eaten cookie dough). True story. 
• Make extra. One batch is never enough.
• Use chunks of chocolate instead of chips.
• Sprinkle with just a teeny tiny pinch of course sea salt just after baking.

Helpful Tools and Equipment

• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat
• Stand Mixer– worth the investment if you like to bake.
• Wire cooling rack– tight grid (especially if you like slightly under-baked cookies).
• Mixing bowls, measuring spoons, and measuring cups.