Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies 

By Millie Peartree

Updated October 10, 2023

  • Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour 50 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 50 minutes
Rating
5(3,511)
Comments
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There is nothing more magical than a gooey-centered, crispy-edged chocolate chip cookie. What makes this particular recipe especially enchanting is the inclusion of brown butter. It mixes right into the dry ingredients, infusing the batter with its nutty flavor without the need for a mixer or any other special equipment. An optional dash of cinnamon has a warmth that feels like a hug, and the brown sugar gives you that chew with a slight molasses taste. Whether for a holiday or an afternoon snack, these cookies may become your go-to.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 16 cookies 

  • 1 cup/226 grams unsalted butter

  • 2 ½ cups/320 grams all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

  • 1 cup/220 grams light brown sugar

  • ¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, preferably from a bar, roughly chopped (or use 12 ounces chocolate chips) 

  • Flaky sea salt (optional), for topping

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

47 grams carbs; 54 milligrams cholesterol; 354 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 179 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 30 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring and swirling the pan often, until the butter foams, turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, if you like. Line 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.

  3. Step 3

    Add the sugars to the melted brown butter; mix until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the chocolate. Working one at a time, scoop out a ¼ cup of the dough and roll into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared sheet pans, and chill for 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

  5. Step 5

    When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake just until the edges start to turn golden, rotating halfway through, about 15 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Remove from the oven and bang the pan on the counter. (This creates a flatter, chewier cookie.) Sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt, if you like. Let sit on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,511 user ratings
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Comments

Laura

Suggest that the baking time with cookies this large is going to be more like 19-20 minutes for me. Love the tip about banging the tray on the counter. That is a boss move and I did it. The recipe really isn’t that salty, so the flaky salt on top is definitely welcome. And the verdict: these are great cookies! Love the chocolate to cookie ratio, and the cinnamon and brown sugar in the background just elevate the toastiness of the brown butter. Where has this been all my life?

Ann O’Neill

Same fridge issue with an alternative to placing pre-scooped balls into a smaller container. Try rolling the dough into a log and refrigerating the log. Cut into the same number as the recipe’s yield and they’ll be a like size.

Val

As for not enough room to chill on a sheet pan, I roll dough into balls and just use the mixing bowl to chill them in the fridge.

Sarah in Florida

These are tricky to get right. I think my main mistake was not letting them thaw some after chilling and/or not pressing them down somewhat before baking. I also think I baked them a little too long (18-20ish minutes), but I was worried they would be raw -- they did not look cooked at 15 minutes. When I tried the flatten them as directed, they didn't flatten much and some cracked instead, probably bc I cooked them too long. But they still tasted good, and many people said so. Quite dry on day 2 as others have said, but still tasty. I'll try this recipe again to see if it turns out better with some modifications based on my experience.

Paul

The dough was dry and difficult to shape into cookies. After baking, the cookies were on the dry side as well. As a point of comparison, another brown-butter cookie recipe (from J. Lopez-Alt), uses less flour (2 cups vs. 2 1/2 cups), and two whole eggs (vs. 1 plus 1 yolk). The change in proportion of wet vs. dry makes the dough both easier to work with and chewier when baked.

Kristen

Followed the directions as written (no mods besides using chocolate chips over a chocolate bar). These turned out super crumbly and sandy! The cookies didn't flatten out much from balls in the oven. Flavor is very good. 3 stars.

Fran

It sound like maybe your sugars didn't cream into the butter enough? I used my electric beater to cream the sugars with the browned butter, and then added the other ingredients, and the cookies did come out nice and chewy.

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