Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The best dang chocolate chip cookies you will EVER eat! Brown butter with tons of semi-sweet chocolate and a sprinkle of flakey salt. These Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies will change everything you ever knew about chocolate chip cookies. It's all in the butter.

Why This Recipe Works

These brown butter cookies will quickly become your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. You're going to love it just as much as we do because:

• The cookies have a deep, rich, chocolatey flavor. There are the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
• There is loads of chocolate in this recipe, making them rich and delicious.
• They are easy to make and freeze like a dream.
• Kids and adults equally love them. My kids can pound these cookies. And rightfully so! They are amazing!

What is Browned Butter?

Browned Butter, sometimes called Brown Butter- is butter cooked until it turns a golden brown and has a delicious nutty flavor! Brown butter can be used in sauces, cupcakes, cookies, frostings and many other delicious recipes. If you like Browned Butter - try our zucchini bars with browned butter frosting. They'll blow your mind!

About The Ingredients

The ingredient list is simple. You probably have all of the ingredients on hand already. Here are a few items to note:

• Butter - I like to use salted butter. I think it has more depth and brings out the flavor of the chocolate.
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels - I like to use a variety of sizes in my chocolate chip cookies. It gives you chocolate in every bite. Choose the size you like, or use mini, regular, and chunks like I do.
• Flakey Sea Salt - this is optional, but takes these cookies from ordinary to over the top. Use it as a finisher after the cookies are done.
• Pantry Items - you'll also need all purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar (You can use light brown sugar, but but the dark makes the cookies more chewy) baking soda, salt, vanilla, and eggs.

How To Make Them

The biggest part of this recipe is browning butter. Let me know you how to do it like a pro!

The Browned Butter

Pro Tip: The trick to making browned butter is to stand and stir most of the time. It really needs to be babysat. Stir with either a whisk or a silicone spatula.

1. Cut the butter up into 1-2 Tablespoon cubes. This helps it melt evenly and quickly.
2. In a large skillet melt your butter over medium heat.
3. The butter will start to separate the milk solids from the oil.
4. It will then start to boil and foam. Whisk, whisk, whisk so that it browns evenly. After a couple of minutes, you'll smell a nutty aroma: yay! You're on your way.

5. After a couple of minutes, you'll smell a nutty aroma and that the butter is starting to darken - yay! You're on your way.
6. Once you notice the butter darkening to an amber color, you are about done. The bits at the bottom will begin to darken. As soon as those browned bits start to increase and get darker, take it off the heat and get it out of the hot pan so it doesn't burn. Use a spatula and get ALL the goodness out of the pan. Set aside to cool slightly.

Making The Cookie Dough

7. In a large mixing bowl, add both brown and granulated sugar.
8. Pour melted browned butter on top.

Pro Tip: There is a fine line between burned butter and browned butter. It should be a nice, amber, dark golden color. If there are black bits in the butter, it is burned and you need to throw it out and start over.

9. With a hand or stand mixer, beat your butter and sugars for about 2 minutes. You want them to be nice and mixed together.
10. Add your 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the dough. Mix until just combined.
11. Add in your flour, baking soda, and salt.
12. Mix until just combined. Scraping the sides as needed to incorporate all of the flour.

13. Add your chocolate pieces to the dough.
14. Fold them in until evenly distributed.
15. Scoop dough into cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet using a cookie scoop. The scoop holds about a tablespoon of dough. Cover and freeze for 30-45 minutes until firm. You can also refrigerate for 3 hours, or up to overnight.
16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer chipped dough balls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and garnish with flakey salt.

Pro Tip: Chilling the choc chip cookie dough spreads the moisture and makes for a chewier cookie rather than a cake cookie.

Variations

• Browned Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies - swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate. This gives a nice deep and sophisticated flavor.
• Browned Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut - Replace chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and add chopped macadamia nuts for a delicious twist.
• Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Substitute ½ cup of the flour with old-fashioned rolled oats to add a chewy texture.

Pro Kitchen Tips

Cookie Tips -

1. Use a cookie scoop: they help create a more uniform size of cookies and consistency in baking.
2. Preheat Your Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the cookies. This will make your baking more consistent and even.
3. Space Cookies Appropriately: Leave enough space between cookie dough ball on your baking sheet. This will prevent them from spreading into each other. t
4. Underbake Slightly: Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are just starting to turn golden brown. They'll continue cooking slightly on the hot baking sheet outside the oven. This will result in a more chewy cookie.

Browned Butter Tips -

1. Cut the Butter Into Pieces: Cutting the butter into smaller pieces helps it melt more evenly and brown consistently.
2. Stir Frequently: Continuously stir the butter while it melts and then occasionally as it browns to prevent burning. The milk solids in the butter will sink to the bottom and brown quickly, so keep an eye on it.

FAQs

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