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Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Easy Recipe

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These brown butter chocolate chip cookies with sea salt have a nutty, toffee-like depth, with crispy edges and a soft center. They’re the kind that make you close your eyes after the first bite, with layers of flavor from the caramelized butter and pools of melted chocolate.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (340g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Flaky sea salt for topping

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter. Place the 1 cup of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt completely, then continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally. You’ll see it foam up, then subside, then foam again. Watch for tiny brown specks forming at the bottom—that’s the milk solids toasting. When the butter smells nutty and turns a deep amber color (about 5-7 minutes), remove it from the heat immediately. Pour it into a large mixing bowl to stop the cooking process.
  2. Cool the butter. Let the brown butter sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. It should be warm but not hot—you don’t want to scramble the eggs later. If you’re impatient, place the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes, stirring every minute.
  3. Mix the sugars and butter. Add the 1 ¼ cups brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture looks like wet sand and smells amazing. It should be smooth and slightly thickened.
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla. Crack the 2 eggs into the sugar-butter mixture, then add the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is combined and the mixture looks glossy, about 1 minute. Don’t overmix here—you just want it uniform.
  5. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 2 ¼ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. This ensures the baking soda is evenly distributed so your cookies rise consistently.
  6. Add dry ingredients to wet. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold gently until just combined. You’ll see a few streaks of flour still—that’s perfect. Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough cookies.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips. Add the 2 cups chocolate chips and fold 3-4 times until evenly distributed. The dough will be thick and slightly greasy-looking—that’s the brown butter magic.
  8. Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 72 hours. This step is non-negotiable. Chilling solidifies the butter, which means the cookies spread less and develop deeper flavor.
  9. Preheat the oven. About 15 minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  10. Scoop the dough. Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop or a regular spoon to portion out dough balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets—these cookies spread. If you want bakery-style cookies, place a few extra chocolate chips on top of each dough ball before baking.
  11. Bake. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. At 10 minutes, the edges will be golden and the centers will look slightly underdone and puffy. That’s exactly what you want. For chewier cookies, pull them at 10 minutes. For crisper cookies, go to 12.
  12. Add sea salt immediately. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on each one. The heat helps it stick. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes—they’ll continue cooking from the residual heat.
  13. Transfer to a wire rack. After 5 minutes, use a spatula to move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Or be like me and eat one while it’s still warm, burning your tongue slightly. Worth it.

Notes

Don’t rush the browning process—medium heat is key. The biggest mistake is skipping the chill time; warm dough spreads into flat, greasy puddles. For crinkled tops, bang the baking sheet halfway through baking. Store cookies with a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft. The flavors develop over time; day-old cookies taste even better.

Nutrition

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