Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Printer-Friendly)

Nutty brown butter and semisweet chips create cookies with chewy centers and crisp edges; sprinkle flaky sea salt.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy & Eggs

01 - 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
02 - 2 large eggs

→ Sugars

03 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

→ Dry Ingredients

05 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Flavorings

08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

09 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
10 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
03 - Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter. Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat until smooth.
04 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
05 - Gently fold the semisweet chocolate chips into the dough until evenly distributed.
06 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the centers remain soft.
08 - Remove from oven and optionally sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The brown butter adds a toasty, caramel complexity that regular butter simply cannot replicate.
  • You get that perfect contrast of chewy centers and snap crispy edges without any fancy equipment.
  • They taste like they came from a bakery but require zero special skills beyond a little patience with the butter.
02 -
  • The butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt in seconds, so never walk away from the pan during this step.
  • Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking deepens the flavor and prevents excessive spreading in the oven.
03 -
  • Use a light colored saucepan so you can actually see the butter changing color through the foam.
  • Tap the baking sheet gently on the counter right after removing it from the oven to settle the cookies and create those wrinkled bakery style tops.

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