These easy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with rich, nutty flavor. Every bite is filled with gooey chocolate chips, a hint of buttery, nutty browned butter flavor, and just enough sea salt to balance out all the sweetness. They’re the kind of cookies that disappear way too fast once they hit the cooling rack.
I’ll be honest, I love all cookies. But these brown butter cookies? Take big chocolate chip cookies to a whole new level. You still get all the rich chocolatey goodness, but with the deep toasty flavor from the butter. It’s the ultimate flavor combination.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a cookie that wasn’t worth the calories, and these browned butter chocolate chip cookies are no exception. They’ve got that homemade magic that makes you want just one more. If you’re as obsessed with cookies as I am, you’ve got to try my mini M&M cookies for a fun, colorful twist, or my cookie bites with pumpkin mousse when you want something bite-sized but totally indulgent.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, nutty flavor: Browning the butter adds a caramel‑like note that enhances the cookies’ flavor.
- Chewy texture: Thanks to the mix of sugars, egg yolk, and resting on the pan, these easy brown butter cookies hold their chewy texture well.
- Chocolate overload: Mini chips and dark chunks fill these cookies with bite after bite of melty goodness.
- Quick: With only about 35 minutes from start to finish, just like our mini chocolate chip cookies, these soft treats are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth any day.
Ingredients
- All‑purpose flour: Use regular all‑purpose flour for structure and the perfect cookie texture.
- Baking soda: Gives this brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe its lift, helps with spread, and keeps them chewy.
- Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, along with a hint of molasses flavor, to the cookies, while granulated sugar helps the cookies spread evenly and gives them a crisp edge.
- Egg: Using an extra egg yolk helps to give these cookies that chewy texture we all love.
- Sour cream: This is not typically found in cookies; however, it adds a soft texture and a slight tang to balance the richness of the browned butter. You can also use full-fat plain Greek yogurt as a substitute.
- Chocolate: Mini chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks work together to make these the best brown butter chocolate chip cookies that you will put in your mouth.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Change the Chocolate: Swap the chocolate chips for milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even peanut butter chips; they all work great in these chewy brown butter cookies.
- Extra Add-ins: Personalize these cookies by folding in shredded coconut or chopped nuts, such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts, into the dough before shaping.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter
To get started, preheat the oven to 350°F and pull out your mixing bowls and cookie sheets. Now it’s time to whip up these buttery chocolate chip cookies in no time.
- Step 1: Brown the Butter. Melt butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. As soon as it turns amber and smells nutty, pull it off the heat. Pour into a bowl and let it cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients. Add both sugars to the cooled brown butter and stir until combined. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth.
- Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Step 4: Make the Dough. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in chocolate chips and chunks.
- Step 5: Scoop and Bake. Scoop dough into 1-inch balls, place on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes. Or just until the edges start to brown.
- Step 6: Finish. Out of the oven, sprinkle with sea salt. Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
Expert Tips
- Butter coloring: Brown butter should be a deep golden color. Remove it from the heat before it turns dark brown and burns.
- Room-temperature ingredients: Use room-temperature eggs so they incorporate smoothly into the dough.
- Don’t skip letting the browned butter cool: If it’s too hot, it can start cooking the egg and change the texture.
- Watch the baking time closely: You want the edges to brown but the centers still soft for that chewy consistency.
- Rest the cookies: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. This helps them set without over‑baking.
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. They are best stored with a slice of fresh bread to help them stay soft. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to three months. Add parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these easy chocolate chip cookies alongside a glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee for an afternoon sweet treat.
- They also make a great addition to a holiday cookie tray or cookie exchange party with your favorite cookies. I always make oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cookies and chocolate white chocolate chip cookies alongside them.
- And, if you are like me, they also work well after a traditional American meal, such as burgers and hot dogs or American goulash. Let’s be real, you can never go wrong with a cookie for dessert.
Recipe FAQs
Brown butter is regular butter that’s been melted and cooked just long enough to toast the milk solids. It turns a golden brown and smells rich and nutty, like toasted hazelnuts.
No, not for this recipe. If you want thicker cookies that don’t spread as much, you can refrigerate the dough for 30-45 minutes before baking. Chilling helps firm up the dough, which means puffier cookies. I usually skip it when I’m impatient, but feel free to chill if you’ve got the time and you prefer that texture.
You know these cookies are done baking when the centers are still a little soft, but the edges are firm. Don’t wait for the whole cookie to turn golden or you’ll end up with crunchy cookies instead of chewy ones.
For that fresh-from-the-oven feel, warm them one at a time for about 5‑10 seconds in the microwave.
Try This Delicious Brown Butter Cookie Recipe Today
These brown butter cookies are as easy as they are delicious. With a super-soft, chewy texture, tons of chocolate mini chips and dark chocolate chunks, and a sprinkling of sea salt on top, these are some of the most decadent cookies you’ll ever eat. The best part is that they’re also incredibly easy to make! With a combination like that, all you have to do is make these cookies once to be completely hooked. Bake a batch of these cookies today and get ready to fall in love.
More Delicious Chewy Cookie Recipes
Here is a Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie that is super easy to make, and loaded with dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks. One huge cookie pie everyone will enjoy.
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- Sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a frying pan, brown butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter turns an amber color. Remove from heat as soon as the butter starts to brown.
- Pour browned butter into a medium bowl and set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and sugar into the brown butter. Stir until combined. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and sour cream into the brown butter mixture until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt together. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Stir mini chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks into cookie dough.
- Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, roll cookie dough and place on ungreased baking sheet(s).
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges start to brown.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle a bit of sea salt on each cookie, let sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Even-sized cookies: Use a 1-inch cookie scoop for uniformly sized cookies.
- Cool the butter: Let browned butter cool for at least 10-15 minutes so it doesn’t cook the eggs when you add them.
- Don’t rush the resting: After baking, let the cookies rest 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack. This helps them set and stay chewy.
