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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfectly thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies that are made even better with rich browned butter. They might just be better than the classic and are just as simple to make!

Browned Butter is a special ingredient that makes every sweet a little bit more special. Warming it up in the pan gives it an extra depth of flavor and I love it so much! Once you try these amazing cookies, you will want all the browned butter recipes! You’ve got to try these Browned Butter Snickerdoodles, these amazing Brown Butter M&M Cookies, and one of my favorites, these Maple Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting.

Browned butter chocolate chip cookies, chewy, thick and incredible.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown butter just makes every cookie recipe better. Actually, I’m going to be bold here are say it makes EVERY recipe better. It gives everything a caramelly, nutty flavor that is to die for! And it is no exception in this brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe. This recipe takes chocolate chip cookies to the next level. It tastes sweet and nutty at the same time. I immediately had to try it in some of my other recipes, like these Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars.

I think that this might just be the best cookie recipe that I have tried! And that is saying a lot, because I make a mean Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodle. There is just something so perfect about a chocolate chip cookie, and the brown butter just takes it to the next level. You definitely won’t regret giving this recipe a try! You can even say the browned butter is your secret ingredient to the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I know people will be asking for your recipe once they try these!

Ingredients

Brown butter cookies need the same ingredients as a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. I like to include some yogurt for extra moisture and flavor, and I use coarse sea salt instead of regular. I just love the little bites of salt! You will also want some wire racks for cooling the cookies, and a cookie scoop for scooping out the cookie dough ball. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.

  • Butter: Use unsalted butter. I explain how to brown the butter in the recipe card.
  • Flour: All purpose will work.
  • Baking Soda: The leavening agent.
  • Coarse Sea Salt: You get a nice salty flavor in every bite and it totally makes it taste like a salted caramel cookie.
  • Brown Sugar: Light or dark will both work.
  • Sugar: White granulated is what I use.
  • Egg: Make sure to use large grade A eggs.
  • Egg Yolk: Adds extra moisture.
  • Vanilla: Adds classic sweetness and flavor.
  • Plain Yogurt: Creates the moisture lost by browning the butter.
  • Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet, dark, milk, chunk or a mixture of chocolate works. I really like a mixture of milk chocolate and chocolate chunks.
Making the perfect browned butter chocolate chip cookie

There is nothing better than a gooey chewy warm out of the oven brown butter chocolate chip cookie. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it! The only extra step you need to take is to brown the butter. The rest of the recipe is really pretty much the same as any chocolate chip cookie recipe. The key is to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, I promise it will make a difference!

  1. Brown Butter: Cut the butter in piece and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly allow the butter to brown. Then remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
  2. Mix: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and sea salt together in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine: In a stand mixer combine sugars and brown butter, blend until smooth. Then add in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and yogurt.
  4. Fold: Next fold in the flour mixture into the wet. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Chill: Cover and place in refrigerate for at least 30 min.
  6. Bake: On a baking sheet lined with parchment scoop the dough out by tablespoons about 2 inches apart and then bake for 10-12 min. in a 350 degree oven.

How to Brown Butter

Browning butter is quite simple but you do have to be careful you don’t burn it. Make it on the stovetop and wait for the nutty aroma to fill your home.

  • Use a Light Colored Pan: If you have one, use a light-colored pan. This will help you see when the butter is browned. This will help you tell the difference between browned and burnt.
  • Stir: Continue to stir as it melts and watch as it turns to an amber color and smells nutty. Then it’s done.
  • Remove: To keep it from continuing to cook, quickly remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Make sure to scrape all the dark brown bits from the bottom. Those are the flavor makers.
  • Moisture: When you brown butter, you get incredible flavor but you do lose moisture. That’s why adding yogurt or milk to your brown butter chocolate chip cookies is necessary.
Browned butter chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy and amazing.

Tips for Making Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Even if you have made brown butter chocolate chip cookies, go through these tips! They will help you get the perfect cookie every time.

  • Chill: It is so important to chill cookie dough. It ensures a thicker cookie and a more intense flavor. It will also heighten the buttery caramel flavor of the browned butter.
  • Nuts: Add chopped nuts for extra texture and flavor!
  • Sea Salt: The sea salt creates these pockets of saltiness that balances the sweetness, you can add up to 1 teaspoon of the sea salt.
  • Yogurt: Seems weird but it’s necessary since the browned butter loses moisture, so this replaces it.
  • Storage: Keep cookies in a fresh in an airtight container for up to a week.
  • Freeze: You can freeze precooked cookie dough for cookies later. Just roll out and freeze for 30 min. Then transfer to a freezer safe bag, they’ll keep for up to 3 months.
  • Freeze Cooked Cookies:  Cool completely then place in a freezer safe bag and keep for up to 3 months.
Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies that are thick chewy and amazing.

Storing Leftovers

These browned butter chocolate chip cookies make the BEST leftovers. I especially love stashing a few in the freezer when the cravings hit. Here is how to store your leftovers.

  • On the Counter: Keep cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to a 7 days.
  • In the Freezer: You can freeze precooked cookie dough for cookies later. Just roll out and freeze for 30 min. Then transfer to a freezer safe bag, they’ll keep for up to 3 months. To store cooked cookies, cool them completely then place in a freezer-safe bag and keep for up to 3 months.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.43 from 7 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfectly thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies that are made even better with rich browned butter. They might just be better than the classic and are just as simple to make!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butter in pieces and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisking frequently allow the butter to brown. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside,
  • In your mixer, combine sugars and brown butter. Blend until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and yogurt.
  • Next, mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips until incorporated. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • On a non-stick baking sheet, or lined with parchment paper, scoop the dough out by tablespoons about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake until golden brown in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Video

Notes

Updated February 22, 2023
Originally Posted on July 28, 2013

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 261IUCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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39 Comments

  1. I just took my 1st batch of these out of the oven and they are amazing! I have never used brwon butter before so I did strain out the particles, but now I know for next time that it’s not necessary. And there will be a next time soon! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!

  2. Those cookies look amazing. I am just wondering will it make any difference using plain yogurt instead of greek yogurt? Greek yogurt in my country is alot more expensive and hard to find. Thanks

  3. Wow wow wow!!!!! Let me preface this by saying I am a brand new baker. I started out simple by mastering shortbread cookies. Then I moved onto chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find CCC’s that fulfill my every desire – until these! I had been making a staple CCC recipe for the last few months that I found on the web with the most reviews, nearly 5 stars, I thought I couldn’t go wrong. But they fell SO flat. I still scratch my head at how they had such high reviews. I kept searching, tried a few other recipes and still…not what I was looking for. This recipe has been bookmarked for a while, and I thought with the holidays here I better make a batch of “wow” factor chocolate chip cookies and I better do it soon! So I made this recipe with high hopes and it’s even better than I could have imagined. It’s so rich in all the flavors the other cookies I made were lacking. And I made them! Me! (proud baker here!) And needless to say, I am super excited to impress everyone tomorrow with them. They are soft, gooey, bursting with flavor, absolutely perfect. Thank-you so much for this recipe. THIS should be the staple “go-to” perfect CCC recipe on the web. (oh and PS- my MINOR modification was merely because I didn’t have any greek yogurt – I had only sour cream, and fearing I might ruin them, it still turned out fantastic with my substitution!) Thank-you a million times for this recipe. <3 <3

  4. These cookies are to die for. The only problem I had is that they didn’t flatten out/spread into what your picture shows. They stayed as mounds/hills. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

  5. I love this recipe! I would say step 1 should not include preheating your oven. It’s wasteful to have your oven on starting at this step since browning the butter and allowing it to cool takes a good deal of time 🙂

      1. She said to scrape those bits at the bottom into what you’ll be using. She called them the “flavor makers”

  6. Oh. My. Yum. These look so amazing! Now I have a major craving for Chocolate Chip Cookies! Pinning 🙂

  7. Seriously, nothing beats a classic chocolate chip cookie. These look incredibly soft and chewy!

    1. By far the BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! I host youth group at my home every tuesday night and provide dinner and dessert. I’ve made a number of your recipes for teens and these cookies were by far at the top of the list! My sister compared thought they were the Nieman Marcus cookie recipe but these are better and so much easier to make!!!