These brown butter chocolate chip cookies take a familiar favorite and elevate it with rich, nutty brown butter. Browning the butter adds deep caramel-like notes that pair perfectly with melty chocolate chips and soft, chewy centers. Note that this recipe requires 2 chill times, but I promise these cookies are worth the wait!
I originally shared this recipe in 2014, and Iโve updated it with new photos, clearer instructions, and more success tips. One minor but helpful change: shape the cookie dough balls before chilling instead of after, which makes the process easier and helps the cookies bake up evenly.
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies take my fan-favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies and elevate them with rich, nutty depth. Browning the butter transforms the flavor like magic, adding subtle caramel-like, toffee notes that pair perfectly with melty chocolate chips. The result? Thick, chewy cookies with soft centers, golden edges, and irresistible depth in every bite.
One reader, Mackenzie, commented: “These cookies are amazing! Well worth the effort to brown the butter, and theyโve become my go-to cookie recipe. โ โ โ โ โ ”
Another reader, Amie, commented: “Iโve been looking for that ooey-gooey delicious bakery recipe for yearsโFOUND IT! If you want a warm, soft chocolatey cookie that has that professional bakery flavorโthis is it. This is now my ONLY chocolate chip recipe!!!! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Why These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Work
These arenโt just regular chocolate chip cookies with browned butter swapped in. The entire dough is built to support it. Hereโs what makes them stand out:
- Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch helps make the texture extra soft and tender. Use it in my shortbread cookies and brown butter marshmallow crispy cookies, too.
- Milk: Browning butter reduces moisture, so adding a splash of milk brings that balance back without weighing down the dough.
- Sugars: Use more brown sugar than white for a chewier, softer cookie.
- Egg + Egg Yolk: An extra egg yolk equals a richer-tasting cookie.
- Quality Chocolate Chips: I love using Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and Callebaut chocolate morsels, or a mix of both. The latter is definitely a splurge, but the flavor and melt are incredible if youโre feeling fancy.
- Flaky Sea Salt: An optional topping, this adds the most incredible salty-sweet flavor combo that works wonders with the toffee-like notes of brown butter!
What Is Brown Butter?
Browning butter simply means melting it and continuing to cook it until the milk solids toast. As it cooks, moisture evaporates, the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn golden brown, and the butter develops a deep amber color. This small extra step completely transforms the flavor, creating a beautifully complex, nutty richness with subtle caramel-like notes that regular melted butter just doesnโt have. Itโs a simple technique with a big payoff. If youโd like a detailed walkthrough, I wrote an entire tutorial on how to brown butter.
Try it in recipes like brown butter apple blondies, brown butter pound cake, brown butter cream cheese frosting, and brown butter pecan pie bars.
How to Brown Butter
The first step in this recipe is, you guessed it, browning the butter.
Cut the butter into uniform pieces and place it in a light-colored pan over medium heat (this helps you monitor the color). Stir as it melts, then continue cooking. The butter will foam as the water evaporates and the milk solids toast on the bottom of the pan.
Watch and listen closely as you stir. The butter will turn deep golden amber in color, smell a little nutty, and the sizzling will quiet down. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Don’t leave behind any of the browned bits… theyโre packed with flavor!
Brown Butter & Moisture Loss
Browning butter can turn a good cookie into a great one, but you canโt simply swap it into any recipe without adjustments.
Why? Moisture loss. During browning, butter loses about 20โ35% of its water content. Thatโs a significant amount, and if you donโt account for it, your cookie dough may be crumbly and/or the cookies may spread too much. Adding extra butter wonโt fix the issue eitherโyouโd just be increasing the fat.
The solution is simple: add a little liquid to the dough. Browning butter delivers unbeatable flavor, but the dough needs moisture added back intentionally. In my brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies, the moisture-rich pumpkin does the job.
In this recipe, 2 Tablespoons of milk restores that balance without weighing the cookies down.
The Butter and Dough Need to Chill
This recipe requires a little planning aheadโthere are two chill times, and both matter.
Chill the browned butter: After browning, pour it into a bowl or shallow dish and refrigerate until solid, about 90 minutes. Once firm, cream it with the sugars just as you would softened butter.
This is solidified browned butter:
Here is the creamed browned butter and sugars:
Chill the dough balls: Scoop the dough into 45g (about 2 Tablespoons) portions, roll/shape, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before baking.
Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading into greasy puddles and intensifies the flavor as the brown butter settles into the dough. The result? Thick cookies with soft, buttery centers and lightly crisp edgesโwell worth the wait!!
Once youโve browned your butter and chilled both it and your dough, these cookies bake into beautifully thick rounds with soft, buttery interiors and edges that crisp ever so slightly. Over the years, we’ve found that baking these at 375ยฐF (191ยฐC), slightly warmer than usual, helps set the shape quickly so the cookies stay thicker.
Make-Ahead Tip: This is an excellent freezer-friendly dough. Freeze the shaped cookie dough balls and bake straight from frozen (add 1 extra minute). Fresh brown butter chocolate chip cookies whenever the craving hits? Yes, please! ๐ See how to freeze cookie dough.
Looking For The Right Chocolate Chip Cookie?
- Want a classic, no-brown-butter version? Try my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Looking for extra buttery brown butter and toffee flavors? Try my Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- In the mood for oatmeal cookies? Try my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Want pure brown butter flavor in a thick, chewy cookie? Youโre in the right place.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours (includes chilling)
- Yield: 26-28 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are thick, soft, and chewy with deep caramel-like flavor from toasted butter. The dough includes an extra egg yolk for richness and a touch of milk to replace lost moisture. Plan ahead for two chill timesโyour patience is rewarded with bakery-style cookies every time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (do not scoop; weigh or spoon & level)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml)ย milk, warmed or at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional: flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Slice the butter into pieces and place in a light-colored skillet. The light colored helps you determine when the butter begins browning. Melt the butter over medium heat and stir or whisk constantly. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring/whisking. After 5โ7 minutes, the butter will begin browning and you’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, which are the milk solids toasting. Cook until it is golden in color. Once browned, remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl, including all of the browned bits (flavor!). Let cool for 10 minutes, then place in the refrigerator and chill until solid, about 90 minutes. After about 30 minutes, tightly cover the bowl.
- Remove the solidified brown butter from the refrigerator and spoon it into a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on high speed for 1โ2 minutes until smooth and creamy. It may look slightly grainy at firstโkeep beating and it will come together. If the butter is too firm to cream, let it sit at room temperature for 5โ10 minutes. You can also microwave it for 5โ8 seconds to slightly soften it, but do not melt it; it should remain solid, just softened enough to beat smoothly.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until lightened in color and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. With the mixer running on low, drizzle in the milk and mix until incorporated. The cookie dough will be thick and soft. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
- Scoop and roll the dough into balls, about 2 Tablespoons or 45g each. Shape them taller rather than wideโalmost like a cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet or plate, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF (191ยฐC).ย Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Arrange 8 dough balls per baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle sea salt, if using, on top of the dough balls.
- Bake for 12โ14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. The centers will look soft when you remove them from the oven. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. During this time, you can press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops (just for looks!). The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool. After 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): ย Light-Colored Skilletย orย Stainless Steel Skillet | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt
- Why Do I Solidify the Browned Butter? Solidifying the browned butter allows you to cream it with the sugars, which creates structure and gives the cookies a thicker texture. Using melted brown butter will produce a thinner, denser, and possibly greasy cookie.
- Extra Egg Yolk: The extra yolk adds richness and chewiness without making the cookies cakey; do not skip.
- Why Add Cornstarch? Cornstarch helps create a softer, thicker cookie by tenderizing the crumb. If needed, you can leave it out.
- Milk: Browning butter reduces moisture, so adding a splash of milk brings that balance back without weighing down the dough. I recommend reduced-fat milk, though whole milk and nondairy milks work in a pinch.
- Oven Temperature Update: Over the years, we’ve found that baking these at 375ยฐF (191ยฐC), slightly warmer than usual, helps set the shape quickly so the cookies stay thicker.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking success tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hello! I’m wondering if I can brown the butter a day before, let it chill overnight and continue with the recipe the next day?
Hi Bojan, yes! Absolutely.
I am a big Sally fan but these didnt do it. Too much sugar and cookies are super flat. The dough rested overnight in the fridge. Could use 1/4 less of white sugar IMO. I am a seasoned baker and have taken countless baking classes.
I followed the recipe exactly and these cookies turned out beautifully! They are delicious and they look like they came from a specialty bakery. I watched the video of how to brown butter, which was very helpful and mine were done in 11 minutes. This will be my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on!
My one question is if the results would be the same if you used plain chilled butter. That probably wouldnโt be very often, but maybe if there were time constraints.
Thank you!
Hi Jean, we would recommend our regular chocolate chip cookies recipe. So glad you love this one with brown butter!
Is it necessary to chill the dough balls for two hours? What does this do?
Hi Ali, chilling is required to prevent the cookies from overspreading. Without chilling, the dough would spread into puddles.
These are perfection! My new go-to recipe!
I followed the directions to the letter. My oven doesnโt overheat, I have an internal thermometer. 45g cookies at 375 was too high a temp. Cookies looked nothing like your photo. They were much darker. And too crispy.
Hi Lourdes, I’m so sorry to hear that, and happy to help troubleshoot. What kind of pan were you using? Is it a dark metal baking sheet, or a light silver baking sheet? And did you line it with silicone baking mat or parchment?
The best brown butter cookies Iโve had! I also prefer not letting the dough chill, they end up a little more flat and crispy if you donโt chill the dough.
Cookies taste great, but am having a problem with how evenly they baked. The bottoms were really crispy, just a hair away from being burnt, and the insides were still pretty doughy. Wondering if maybe my oven runs hot and I should try at 370 instead of 375?
Hi Lily, it could certainly be your oven temperature. Are you using dark pans by chance? Cookies will bake faster on the bottoms when baked on a dark pan. You can try reducing the temperature next time to see if that helps. We’re glad you enjoy them!
Iโm not a fan of dark or semi-sweet chocolate, so Iโd prefer to use something less bitter, like milk chocolate. However, Iโm worried it may make the recipe too sweet. Would it be possible to reduce the sugar without affecting the texture, or perhaps add a bit more salt to balance the sweetness? Please let me know what you would recommend.
Hi Emanuel, you can use milk chocolate instead without any other changes to the cookies. They shouldn’t be too sweet.
Easy to make and pop them into my mini muffin tin to make perfect round cookie dough chill overnight and then place them on a parchment paper lined cookies sheet and they came out perfect!
So I have been a hobbyist baker for a long time. I always avoided recipes with browned butter because of the time commitment for 2 chill times, but after I read the explanations in this recipe I decided to bite the bullet and try it out. Let me just say, I’ve NEVER BEFORE had cookies spread just the right amount and come out so PRETTY! Pinterest worthy shapes!! And the taste? Best I’ve ever made. I added a pinch of MSG and really. Chef’s kiss on this recipe. Brava.
Hi! Best tasting cookies I’ve ever made, just did noticed dough “balls” didn’t “flattened” while baking and texture was more like a dry cookie it crumbled rigth away. I did left them overnight on the try before baking and set them right from the fridge to the oven. Any tips? Planning on doing another bacth tomorrow
Hi Alejandro, It sounds like there may be too much flour soaking up the wet ingredients, preventing the cookies from spreading. How are you measuring your flour? It’s best to weigh with a kitchen scale or spoon and level flour. This post on 5 tips to improve your next batch of cookies (see โWhat to do if my cookies ARENโT spreading?) will be helpful for more troubleshooting. Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!
I love Sallyโs, I use it frequently and am always successful with lovely results. I followed this recipe exactly and my dough turned out so crumbly that I couldnโt even shape it into balls to bake. Not sure what I did wrong. Flavor was lovely, but texture was extremely gritty and sandy.
Hi Grace! It sounds like there may be too much flour soaking up the wet ingredients, making the dough dry. How are you measuring your flour? It’s best to weigh with a kitchen scale or spoon and level flour. This post on 5 tips to improve your next batch of cookies (see โWhat to do if my cookies ARENโT spreading?) will be helpful for more troubleshooting. Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!
I only have whole wheat flour, can i use that?
Hi Megan, we don’t recommend it. All-purpose flour is best for these cookies, though you could also use bread flour if that’s what you have. Whole wheat flour will yield a crumbly and dry cookie.