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These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are rich and chewy, with crisp edges and soft centers. A mix of chocolate chips and chopped chocolate melts into pockets throughout each cookie, while a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top makes every bite taste like the ultimate cookie.
This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, loaded with caramelized flavor and chocolate.
If you’re looking for more chocolate cookie recipes, be sure to try my Chocolate Star Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Brownie Cookes, and No-Bake Cookies.
Why You’ll Love These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Flavor: If you love chocolate chip cookie recipes, this one won’t disappoint! It has all that classic chocolate chip cookie flavor everyone loves, with the elevated addition of chopped chocolate along with the chocolate chips.
- Brown Butter: The addition of browned butter is another addition that makes these the best chocolate chip cookies! The brown butter flavor takes these to the next level (which is why it’s also a feature of these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies).
- Texture: These brown butter cookies have chewy centers and crisp edges, giving them such a great texture. Chewy chocolate chip cookies are my favorite.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter: This recipe uses unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Sugar: Both brown sugar and white sugar are used, for best flavor.
- Eggs: You’ll need 1 whole egg plus an extra egg yolk.
- Vanilla: Either store-bought pure vanilla extract or homemade vanilla can be used.
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder and Soda: Both of these are used as leavening agents.
- Chocolate: Both semisweet chocolate chips and a chopped milk chocolate bar are used (you could also substitute a dark chocolate bar if you prefer). If you don’t want to use the chopped chocolate, you could also just use the same amount of chocolate chips.
How to Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make these brown butter chocolate chip cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 1: Brown the Butter
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter begins to foam and turns golden brown, about 3–4 minutes.
Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape in the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the butter cool for about 10 minutes until warm but not hot. (Photos 1-4)
Step 2: For the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy (Photos 5 and 6).
Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined and slightly thickened (Photos 7 and 8).
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt (Photos 9 and 10). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the milk chocolate chips and chopped chocolate (Photos 11 and 12).
Step 3: Bake
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (use a cookie scoop to make this easier) and roll into balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet about 2½ inches apart (Photos 13 and 14).
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly soft (Photos 15 and 16).
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over the tops.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
How to Store
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Microwave for about 10 seconds before serving. For longer storage, the cookie dough can also be frozen in scooped portions for up to 2 months (see below).
How to Freeze
You can freeze the cookie dough or already baked cookies. If you freeze the dough, scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking tray and freeze for 2-3 hours (or overnight) until solid.
Transfer the cookie dough balls into a labeled and dated freezer bag, and they’ll stay fresh for 2-3 months. If you’ve already made the cookies and want to freeze them, you can pop them into a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 4 months.
Bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
Tips
- Brown the butter properly. The browned milk solids are what give these cookies their rich caramel flavor, so be sure to scrape them into the dough.
- Use both chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. The chips hold their shape while the chopped chocolate melts into gooey pockets.
- Don’t overbake. The centers should still look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. They will continue setting as they cool.
- For perfectly round cookies, use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently swirl around the edges while the cookies are still warm.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to make cookies a more uniform size.
Recipe FAQs
The extra egg yolk makes these cookies softer and chewier, and adds richness and flavor. It also helps maintain moisture.
Adding the chopped chocolate will melt into gooey pools, while the chocolate chips will hold their shape. The chopped chocolate is worth it! But you could substitute 1/2 cup of chocolate chips if you prefer.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Star Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Cookies
If you make these brown butter chocolate chip cookies and enjoy them, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (240 g)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped milk chocolate bar, or more chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Brown the Butter: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter begins to foam and turns golden brown, about 3–4 minutes.
- Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape in the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the butter cool for about 10 minutes until warm but not hot.
- Make the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined and slightly thickened.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the milk chocolate chips and chopped chocolate.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Place them on the baking sheet about 2½ inches apart.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over the tops.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Brown the butter properly. The browned milk solids are what give these cookies their rich caramel flavor, so be sure to scrape them into the dough.
- Spoon and level the flour, or use a kitchen scale to weigh out 240 g flour. To spoon and level properly: fluff the flour in the container, spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off with a straight edge.
- Use both chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. The chips hold their shape while the chopped chocolate melts into gooey pockets.
- Don’t overbake. The centers should still look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. They will continue setting as they cool.
- For perfectly round cookies, use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently swirl around the edges while the cookies are still warm.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to make cookies a more uniform size.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
