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 I’ve 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 they’ve become my go-to cookie recipe. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Amie, commented: “I’ve been looking for that ooey-gooey delicious bakery recipe for years—FOUND IT! If you want a warm, soft chocolatey cookie that has that professional bakery flavor—this is it. This is now my ONLY chocolate chip recipe!!!! ★★★★★”
Why These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Work
These aren’t just regular chocolate chip cookies with browned butter swapped in. The entire dough is built to support it. Here’s 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 you’re 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 doesn’t have. It’s a simple technique with a big payoff. If you’d 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… they’re packed with flavor!
Brown Butter & Moisture Loss
Browning butter can turn a good cookie into a great one, but you can’t simply swap it into any recipe without adjustments.
Why? Moisture loss. During browning, butter loses about 20–35% of its water content. That’s a significant amount, and if you don’t account for it, your cookie dough may be crumbly and/or the cookies may spread too much. Adding extra butter won’t fix the issue either—you’d 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 ahead—there 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 edges—well worth the wait!!
Once you’ve 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 375°F (191°C), 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! 🙂 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? You’re 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 times—your 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) 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 5–7 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 1–2 minutes until smooth and creamy. It may look slightly grainy at first—keep beating and it will come together. If the butter is too firm to cream, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes. You can also microwave it for 5–8 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 wide—almost 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 375°F (191°C). 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 12–14 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): Light-Colored Skillet or 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 375°F (191°C), 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
I have been searching for the best chocolate chip cookie for years and this is it! They look so professional, just like your photo and they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Your recipe includes some different ingredients, such as cornstarch, an extra egg yolk, milk and a higher baking temp but it all worked out! The browned butter smelled delicious but its flavor wasn’t obvious in the cookie. I used a food scale and my stand mixer with the paddle and parchment paper. I chilled the dough overnight and baked them for only 8 minutes because 12 minutes resulted in over-browning in my oven. After removing them from the oven, I immediately slid the parchment paper and cookies onto our granite countertop to cool. The next day they were still delicious, though a bit less crunchy outside, of course. I’m a rule and recipe-follower so I love that you provide so many details and mention that ingredients can be substituted (ie: any milk will do) it has really opened my eyes.
Hi!
I made these cookies one time and they were delicious! I just made them again and after making them for the fridge I forgot and sprinkled them with the sea salt before refrigerating them. Is that going to ruin the batch of cookies? I was pre-making them to bake later this week.
Should be just fine, Kim!
Hello! I ended up using this recipe, but replaced the regular baking flour with gluten free flour, specifically Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour. I also added an extra egg yolk because yum, but I would say the results were as good as glutenous cookies! I did have a bit of a problem with spreading with the first batch as I baked them after chilling in fridge for 28 hours, but putting them in the freezer fixed that. They are not as thick as it seems they were meant to be, but they were soft chewy and yummy. When using the flour, I saw after completing the dough that it was suggested to add Xanathan Gum to the flour, I did not do this as this was my first gluten free pastry but I still think they turned out great! Super great and informative recipe, I hope my gluten free adventures also help someone else <3
love this recipe, the addition of milk and cornstarch makes the texture of the cookies so soft. 10/10
I just made these today and followed the recipe exactly and baked at 375 for 14 mins and they don’t seem to spread out a ton while baking. I saw that the recipe was updated to 375 to set the shape quicker but they turned out pretty thick. So thick that I left them in for 4 more minutes to see if they would spread more but they didn’t stop when I took them out I actually had to press them down a tiny bit to make them more of a typical cookie shape. Should I try cooking at lower temp?
Hi Eric, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. It sounds like there is 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. You can certainly try reducing the temperature back down to 350 degrees, too. Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!
These didn’t last two days! I topped them with my Maldon sea salt flakes and used dark chocolate chips. I’m drooling just thinking about them. Next time I will try adding some toasted pecans or walnuts. I am now a bit obsessed with brown butter. Yum, yum!
Absolutely love this recipe…my only complaint is that they take sooo long to make start to finish
The browned butter smelled delicious but its flavor wasn’t obvious in the cookie. Can I just use softened butter in the future? Or will there be too much moisture since it wasn’t browned?
Hi Jenny, you could try this recipe for soft chocolate chip cookies, which uses softened butter, or this recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies, which uses melted butter instead.
Can I do larger cookies so the recipe yields one dozen? How long would you recommend baking them?
Hi Michelle, yes, you can make these cookies larger. We’re unsure of the bake time, so just keep an eye on them!
My family’s favorite are chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. These were a close second! I LOVED whipping the brown butter. That was my first time doing that and for a baker it brought me sick joy.! It was so beautiful. That and the corn starch made such a delicious cookie. Definitely will make again. Thanks for sharing!
“Scoop and roll the dough into balls. . .Shape them taller rather than wide—almost like a cylinder.” But your photos have round balls.
Hi Jenny, it’s the angle. They aren’t really round; they’re tall. You can see a better visual in the video.
This recipe makes so much sense to me. I have been using another brown butter cc recipe and it always turns out crumbly. The milk and the corn starch are game changers!
Sally, do you know why my cookies are not flattening when baking? They’re staying in that dome circular shape and they’re baked all the way through but they don’t look flat and circular like yours. Also, in general when I bake cookies they tend to just be on the harder side. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong
Hi Haneen! Could you be over-measuring your flour? It’s a common mistake! Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Turns out Brown Butter is the best way to make cookie. Moving forward I will have the have patience for cooling in order to get the best cookies ever. So happy with how they came out!
do we have to let the dough sit out before baking if it’s chilled for ~1-2 days?
You can bake straight from chilling, Emma!
I prefer dark chocolate and buy the Nestle dark chocolate chips which are larger than their milk chocolate chips. Can I substitute the dark chocolate chips for the milk chocolate without changing the quantity?
Should be just fine, Beth!
These turned out perfect! Thank you!
Can you add nuts and if so, how many?
Hi Carol, certainly! You can replace some of the chocolate chips with nuts. For example, you could use 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup nuts, or 3/4 cup of each.
If I want to make a very large batch of dough, lets say 4 times. Do you add ingredients straight across or do you add or lessen the amount of any ingredient?
These cookies are just awesome, the first batch went away very fast.
Thank you,
Gary
Hi Gary! Usually cookie recipes multiply well, as long as you have a mixer large enough to handle the volume. We usually recommend sticking to double batches for best results, doubling each ingredient. So glad you loved these!
I just finished putting the recipe for brown butter cc cookies together. I do not understand how you know the amount of flour. No measuring no leveling no weighing! What does this mean?
I always use the gram amounts. I live in the Netherlands. I do have cup measuring on hand but weighing is much more accurate. So please explain. I am addicted to Sally’s addiction. I am finally baking beautiful cakes and great cookies Thank you.
Hi Patricia, the recipe calls for “2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (do not scoop; weigh or spoon & level)”. This gives the cup measurement and the gram measurement. We also give instructions for readers who use cups – not to scoop, but to weigh or spoon and level when they measure. Hope this helps!
Can I substitute half and half for this and other recipes?
Hi David, we can’t speak to *every* recipe, but usually half and half is a fine substitute for milk.
Do you have to use a paddle attachment?
Hi Diane, that’s what we use with our stand mixer, but if your mixer doesn’t have a paddle attachment beaters work just as well!
When using browned butter in a recipe is there any guideline for the difference in amount to use for browning the butter to achieve the desired amount? Is the weight of browned butter different?
Hi Joe! Our post on how to brown butter has more information about this! See the section titled “Is There a Loss of Moisture?”
Thank you. I will take a look at it.
Two questions can you increase the butter by 2 T to account for the moisture loss? This was something you noted in another recipe. Also what happens if you use two whole eggs? So many of your recipes now require just a yolk and I would like avoid trying to find something to do with the egg white.
Hi Linda, you certainly can start with 2 extra Tbsp of butter, but the cookies will be greasy and may spread more. We’ve had better success with using milk. You could also try skipping the milk and using 2 whole eggs. The dough won’t be quite as smooth and may be tricky to shape. Let us know how it goes if you try that.
Cookies came out perfect! I baked a few off just to test. I’ll be letting the rest chill overnight and then flash freezing them as cookie balls so I can pop one or two out when I want since I live alone. Sally, you’ve never let me down!
Hi! The dough came out crumbly for me! Still tasted good but the dough didn’t stay together as much. Any suggestions for that?
Mine was crumbly too. I think next time I’ll either add less flour or a little more milk.
I just put the dough together with the 2 T of milk and my dough too is crumbly. I am going to try adding a tablespoon more milk.
The recipe didn’t say to soften the browned butter but doing this was helpful. I also didn’t chill the dough and had no spreading issues. I added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. This recipe also works great with regular butter and no milk!
Hey Jim,
Just read through your comment and the recipe again. It actually does say to let the butter soften a bit in the second paragraph.
That said, all the chilling she’s recommending is a little over the top , IMO, so I probably won’t use this one, unfortunately.
Hi! I have a batch of browned butter in my refrigerator. Since it’s already browned I need to factor in the weight loss in the browning process. Is the milk to make up for volume/liquid loss in the browning process? Can I just use the same volume of browned butter as the recipe states and would I just leave out the milk?
Hi Caitlin! Yes, that should work fine. Let us know if you try!
Are any adjustments needed for high altitude? I live in Colorado Springs.
Hi Mal! I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
There is only one brand of unsalted butter in the country I live in and it’s very expensive, so I used salted butter and omitted the 1 tsp salt. I did sprinkle flaked sea salt on top, which I believe is a must. I used mostly semi-sweet chocolate chips but ran out and had to use some milk chocolate. These biscuits turned out amazing. This recipe is a keeper for sure.
Hi Sally
Could I replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour?
Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally, do you think I could sub the milk for oat milk?
Should be fine!
If I wanted to cut the recipe in half, would you suggest just using one whole egg?
Hi Chelsea! The best thing to do would be to mix together one egg + one egg yolk, then use half the mixture. Using 1 egg should work ok here, with less trouble. Otherwise it may be best to just make a full batch and freeze the extras for later!