Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies come together in the time it takes to preheat the oven. Chewy on the inside and crispy on the edges, brown butter chocolate chip cookies have massive chocolate puddles, and these no mixer, no chill time cookies will become your new favorite - these are the most popular recipe on my site for a good reason!
Hi hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for these brown butter chocolate chip cookies! These are a thin and chewy version of my favourite small batch chocolate chip cookies. These brown butter cookies are crisp around the edges and still chewy in the middle - I love them so, so much.
I developed this chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe before we left NYC last year and have made them a few times over the last few weeks just for scientific purposes and to really nail down the recipe testing process, and they are a current favourite in the house. If you wanted to turn these into a cookie bar, my chocolate chip cookie bars are exactly that!
The most Underrated ingredient: Brown Butter.
Brown butter is butter that has been heated to a point where the moisture evaporates and the milk solids brown. It has a delicious toasty flavour, which adds an amazing depth to brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Browning butter for recipes is a super simple trick to adding flavour to recipes - I love it in cookies, a streusel topping, cinnamon rolls, or a brown butter salted caramel.
The most important thing to remember when browning butter is to go slowly - it can catch quickly and you don't want to burn the milk solids, just toast them until nicely brown.
Community Review
“I made these today and am already looking for an occasion to make them again. They're simple to pull together with an added bonus of not having to remember to soften butter first. The browned butter makes these stand out in a sea of chocolate chip cookies. If you're on the fence, bake these! You won't regret it.”
—Libby
Tips for making brown butter
Browning butter can look intimidating but provided you take your time and watch it carefully, you will be fine. If you are concerned, keep your heat super low, and stir well to help release the milk solids from the butter as they start to separate.
- Place the butter into a saucepan and place over medium to low heat. It will begin to melt.
- Cook until the butter melts - this is the first phase, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally. The butter will continue to boil and then you will see the milk solids start to separate out from the butter and collect at the bottom of the pan.
- Continue cooking the butter. I like to whisk frequently to make sure it doesn't catch. Cook until the milk solids are lightly brown - turn down the heat if you are worried it is going too fast. The butter will foam up and you will hear the cooking noises quiet down - this is a good sign that you are getting close to being done.
- Remove the brown butter from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Do not leave the brown bits behind - that is the brown butter and that is where all the flavour is!
- Leave to sit for a little bit to cool down so you do not scramble your eggs. Whisk occasionally to help the brown butter to cool evenly.
The recipe testing process for changing a cookie's texture
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are more on the 'thin and crispy' side than other chocolate chip cookie recipes on my site. They aren't super thin, but they have that perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie soft centre, and get that crispy edge. If you would like them more on the crispy side, you can increase the bake time to give you crispy chocolate chip cookies.
Here's what I usually change when I am looking to make a cookie recipe thinner:
- Increase the quantity of butter in the recipe. This means the cookies will spread more in the oven.
- Reduce or remove the chill time. While some cookies call for a long chill time, I wanted a recipe that was super easy to make and did not need a chill time. This meant finding a delicate balance between dough that spread in the oven but not too much.
- Bump up the chocolate quantity. This doesn't have a huge impact on how much a cookie spreads, but more chocolate chunks in the cookie certainly help it to spread a little more.
- Play around with the ratio of brown to white sugar. Cookies which have a higher ratio of brown sugar to white tend to be a little thicker, while those with more white sugar spread and are a little more chewy. Sugar and butter ratios are what I will usually play around with first when trying to change the texture or spread of a chocolate chip cookie.
The best chocolate to use for chocolate chip cookies
I almost always use chopped chocolate in my chocolate chip cookies. There are a few reasons for this:
- Sizing - Cutting up chocolate into chunks gives you a great range of size in your chocolate. This means you get a good distribution throughout
- Melty Pockets of chocolate - Chocolate chips often have a stabiliser in them which means they don't melt. This makes them great for things like muffins, but I much prefer using chopped chocolate for cookies because the chocolate melts, and you get pockets of chocolate throughout.
- Quality - if you use chopped chocolate, you can use whatever quality you like. It's also a great way to mix up the types of chocolate you use too - I like doing a mix of dark and then sometimes a fun flavour
- Chocolate Dust - This is a name I made up, but the dust is what's left from chopping chocolate. It all goes into the bowl and you get tiny chocolate specks all throughout the cookies.
- Melty Chocolate Puddles - Chopped chocolate means you can press extra chocolate onto the top of the cookies to get big chocolate puddles!
How to make a freezer stash: Freezing cookie dough
Yes- because it is a no chill chocolate chip cookie recipe, if you freeze the dough it will bake up a little thicker, but this is fine as long as you are aware of this. You can also freeze the baked cookies if you like - however this recipe only yields 12 cookies, so even in our household of two they don't last that long!
For all my tips and tricks on freezing chocolate chip cookie dough and baking from frozen, check out my post: How to freeze cookie dough
How to get chocolate puddles on cookies - my special trick!
Adding chocolate puddles to the top of these brown butter chocolate chip cookies works particularly well - because they spread out so nicely, if you add additional chocolate before putting them in the oven, you get a nice even coating of chocolate puddles on the cookie.
If you don't want to add additional chocolate then there is no need - but if you're going to give it a try, this is the recipe to do it on! Here is how to add chocolate puddles to cookies:
- Scoop your cookie dough into balls.
- Chop additional chocolate and have nearby on a chopping board.
- Working with one ball of dough at a time, flatten it slightly then either press chocolate onto the top, or press the ball of dough onto the cutting board so that it picks up the chocolate.
- Shape the ball of dough back into a ball so that it encases the extra chocolate you just added. Place chocolate side up on the prepared sheet pan.
Usually I just press the chocolate on top of the dough, but because this recipe is a little softer, by pressing the dough onto the cutting board you get all the little pieces of chopped chocolate stuck to the cookie, giving you amazing chocolate coverage.
For all my best tips and tricks on perfect chocolate chip cookies, check out my post: How to make perfect chocolate chip cookies
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies come together in the time it takes to preheat the oven. Chewy on the inside and crispy on the edges, brown butter chocolate chip cookies have massive chocolate puddles, and these no mixer, no chill time cookies will become your new favorite!
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge is fine
- 100g light or dark brown sugar
- 60g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 150g all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 3g (1 tsp) salt
- 220g dark chocolate, chopped, plus about 150g additional for the tops of the cookies (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often and stirring with a whisk, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes.
- Weigh out 110g (see Notes section below) of the brown butter into a medium bowl and leave to cool for 15-20 minutes so that it does not scramble your eggs.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the brown butter, and mix to combine.
- Add the egg and whisk well for 1-2 minutes, or mix using an electric mixer, until the mixture has lightened in colour and has thickened.
- Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine with a rubber spatula until there are some flour streaks remaining - this is to ensure you do not over work the dough.
- Add the chocolate and mix to incorporate with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop 6 cookies (about 55g per cookie dough ball) using a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop onto the prepared baking sheet. If desired, flatten each ball of dough, press more chocolate pieces on the top, and roll into a ball (this works particularly well in this recipe). Arrange evenly apart on the pan. Keep the remainder of the batter in the bowl lightly covered with plastic wrap.
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, until the edges are set. Bake for longer if you would like your cookies to be crispier. Remove from the oven and bang the pan briefly on the counter to help deflate the cookies. If you would like to help your cookies to be perfectly round, use a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to ‘scoot’ them into a perfectly round shape.
- Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with flaky sea salt. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat the baking process with the remainder of the cookies. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
You will notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that in my FAQ.
If you are using the recipe scaling feature (2x or 3x) be aware that any quantities, measurements, pan sizes, and cooking times given in the method do not scale automatically - it's only the quantities in the Ingredient List that scale automatically.
Different butters will have different moisture levels, which affects the yield of brown butter. American style butter have a higher water content, so will produce less brown butter when the water is cooked off. European or New Zealand style butter, which is higher in fat than American butter, will have less water that needs cooking off, so you will end up with a higher yield of brown butter. The quantity of the butter in these browned butter cookies is important here, so the best way to measure it is by using a scale. You start with an initial quantity of butter - in this case 150g, and then cook it down. You then re-measure the weight of the brown butter, and use 110g of that in your cookie recipe. I have accounted for the moisture loss from the initial quantity of brown butter in the recipe.
Comments
matilda says
omg love these thay are amazing but when u do the 110g brown butter does it stay 110g when u double the recipe because it stays 110g when u double the recipe
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! There's a note underneath - if you use the scale button you have to scale everything in the actual recipe part manually so it would be 220g! Otherwise the software would double all the oven temperatures and pan sizes etc too and it would be a mess!
Gabrielle says
Good but too much chocolate for my liking and the dough does need to be frozen. I’ll adjust these issues next time I make them
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, it shouldn't need to be frozen! Make sure your brown butter isn't too warm when you mix up the cookies
bella says
the cookie dough was literally identical to the ben and jerrys ice cream one! i think this is the best recipe ive tried yet
Erin Clarkson says
So happy you loved!
Rose says
I made this recipe a couple days ago but never saved it and was stressed out because I couldn’t find the recipe literally spent an hour going through Pinterest to find it again literally the best recipe I have ever used so good thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Yay you are so welcome!
sofia says
Made the dough but it was incredibly runny! Cookies did not come out the way they are in the picture.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, oh no! Did you make the recipe by weight?
Moriah says
I did not weigh the ingredients and it turned out perfectly. My go to cookie recipe from now on.
Jess says
Agreed! And I did it by weight!
Chelsea says
I've made this recipe several times (sooo good!), but this time I'm doubling it. How much of the brown butter should I use? 220g?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yes there's a note below the recipe - you need to manually double the ingredients within the method if you use the scaling button!
Aveline says
Really great recipe, I use it as a base for miso chocolate chip cookies. I highly suggest freezing the dough in balls for a couple of hours before baking, the brown butter flavor just burst out.
Elif says
I have made these cookie before and they are delicious and I am making them for a party but cannot make them the day of
Would the results still be the same if I freeze or refrigerate the cookie dough the day before?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, this recipe doesn't spread as much if you chill or freeze it but it can be done - alternatively they are still great the day after you make them so you could make them before!
Audrey says
I love this recipe!! I keep coming back to it because I don’t think it’s worth trying another… definite 5/5!
Ashley says
Absolutely delicious!! Worth the extra effort to weight everything out and even weigh the dough out for even cookies! Can’t wait to make again.
jennifer lehman says
Last night I made these cookies and my family absolutley devoured them. I woke up this morning and decided I must make another batch and I then had a devastating realization I forgot to save this recipe and cried for an hour searching the internet until I finally found it and had the biggest sigh of relief.
Safe to say, these cookies are PHENOMENAL.
Julie says
Absolutely delicious and such an easy recipe to follow, as always with cloudy kitchen!
maya says
hello I tried this recipe, the flavor was great but some reason they were really greasy. any suggestions? I did chill the butter before proceeding with the recipe.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, hmm did you bake them on a silpat by chance?
Juliana says
I can't remember how may times I have made this cookies...
Every single time when I make this, friends, family and coworkers all went crazy for it.
I ended up making extras in the freezer just so I can bake a few of them from time to time.
It is easy enough to handle which my son made it and classmates are asking for it over and over!
Kristin André says
These were absolutely wonderful. Could have easily eaten the whole dough before baking but couldn't because my two year old was helping out so needed to act like a grown up.. Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Cassie says
Absolutely delicious-- my family raved about these this holiday. Definitely a repeat. Thank you so much!
Emily says
These cookies came out so well. Soft and chewy and the brown butter really makes a difference. They came out flatter than I’d expected (particularly with the deflating) but that meant every bite was consistent - so good!
Georgina Osborne says
The ABSOLUTE best chocolate chip biscuits I’ve ever made!! I’ve been making them for a year or so now, I’ll never even look for another recipe or try any, these are it! I sent the recipe to my parents and both my Mum & Dad love making them too! Erin, you’re a genius!
Kasmira says
This recipe came out perfect! I only change I made is using milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate!
Dorothy Pope says
Loved the recipe! I made some of my own modifications and subbed 10 grams of the melted brown butter and added 10 grams of rum (best baking decision ever made) I love salted cookies but I thought there was too much salt so I halved the salt and it was *perfect*. The dough was too runny and I had to add extra flour. I froze the dough for an hour though and that also helped. I had to fix a lot in this recipe and would have been disappointing if I wasn't experienced enough to know what to change. I have a kitchen scale and I know I did everything right. I will be doing these again but applying my modifications every time.
Erin Clarkson says
So happy you loved! Adding rum (a liquid) would have likely made them runny - they are meant to spread though so it's quite a loose batter!
Abbie p says
Absolutely delicious! Love the tip I learned from you to 'scoot' the cookies after so they always look perfect. I always have a make a double batch of these bad boys because they are so good
Daisy says
I was going back and forth different recipes but ended up using this one and I am so glad I did! The cookies are delicious and look so perfect!!
I used both milk and dark chocolate and added a handful of chopped walnuts as well.
I ended up using less chocolate since I added the walnuts. I also had some leftover butter.
I kept it in a jar and will use it for tomorrow’s dinner.
Thank you!!!
CookieLover says
These were amazing! I put them in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavours deepen, and they baked perfectly. Went for 15 mins so the edges were crunchy but the middle was still nice and soft!
I was worried after the butter and sugar creaming stage because the mixture looked super thick, even with the egg. But it turned out amazing in the end!
Vanessa says
Such a great recipe!! Love love the cookies and being able to measure everything by weight made it so consistent and easy. Cannot recommend these enough 🙌🏼🙌🏼
K says
This recipe was a hit. Compliments are still coming in, that this was the best chocolate chip cookie that my family, customers and friends have ever tasted. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Jessica says
Unreal cookies! Tried this recipe twice and both times the cookies came out extremely flat. First time I let the butter cool a bit, then added it. made the dough slightly more tacky.. the second time I let the butter cool almost completely because I read this may help keep the cookies from going so flat. But that didn't work, any tips on keeping them a bit thicker?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Make sure your oven temperature is calibrated (if it is too hot then they will spread) and also that your baking powder / soda isn't expired. It is a thin and crispy style cookie so they are meant to be a little flat but if you're having issues you can also try briefly chilling the dough (although letting the butter cool should have helped with this)
Jing says
Delish biscuits! Will you be adding some nutritional info to your recipes, more specifically calories per serve would be awesome.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, I won't sorry but you're welcome to calculate yourself
Duesiak says
I've tried so many cookie recipes, and this one is the best. THE best! phenomenal!
evelyn says
hi! i wanted to ask how long is the dough good in the fridge ?
Erin Clarkson says
A few days at least 🙂 otherwise it freezes well!
Ruby says
Followed the recipe to a T, measured everything out by the gram, mixed by hand and was SUPER careful not to over mix. But they still all completely flattened/melted and spread together on the baking sheet into one giant mess. Disappointed. I didn’t do anything wrong or substitute any ingredients.. followed exactly and didn’t over mix 🙁
Erin Clarkson says
Hmmm something has to have gone wrong - either your oven is running off temperature or maybe your baking powder / soda is expired?
Christine says
Great recipe but I'd use half or a quarter tsp of salt. I used less than 1 tbs and it's saltiness was still very noticeable in the cookies. Not sure if the 1 tbs includes the sprinking on top but if you're putting into the dough cut in half at least. Other than that it's a reliable recipe and freezes well.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, it is a teaspoon of salt, not a tbs, salt is different levels of saltiness so your salt may be more salty than mine so you will need less. Salt can also be a to taste ingredient 🙂
Mrs Amber Frost says
I make these at least once or twice a month!! I tried substituting plain flour with gluten free flour and they didn't come out as good, but still delicious!! These are a favourite in our house, and at my work! Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
Hannah says
Am so confused. I thought I followed this recipe exactly however my dough was so runny like cake batter? Added more flour to make it the usual cookie texture but then the cookies came out not very flavourful, dense and didn’t flatten out. Not sure what happened as this has great ratings??
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, something must have gone wrong on your end - did you make the recipe by weight?
talia mcsweeney says
Texture is amazing, especially when using a stoneware which I highly recommend. Only thing is they are a bit too salty. Idk if anyone else found this but I’m a big fan of salt and it was too much for me. For others trying this I would add way less salt and then you can always sprinkle a bit on top while the cookies are cooling if you find they need more 🙂
Daniela Dlouhá says
This is THE best chocolate chip cookie! I have learned about brown butter from this recipe and it's a cookie gamechanger. On top of that, they are quick, easy-to-make cookies with a perfectly balanced taste.
Bianca 🇦🇺 says
Amazing!!! Just wait till you get to the middle of the cookie with the chocolate gooey centre- Delicious! It’s worth noting- I picked this for a challenge with my husband where I wasn’t allowed to peak or intervene as I read him the recipe. If he can bake it- so can you!
Wonder how I can incorporate peanut butter next time for something different… thank you Erin!
Erin Clarkson says
Hahaha i love this, this is the ultimate test! He nailed them!
Lucy McLaren says
These cookies are AMAZING ( to say the least! ) they are my favourite go to cookies! They’re easy, simple ingredients and absolutely delicious! If your looking at reviews on google looking for a good recipe trust me on this, this is the one your looking for!
Bronte says
This is the best cookie recipe I have ever tried! The brown butter makes a world of difference. I tend to mix dark and milk chocolate (about 70/30) and also scoop the dough into individual cookies and refrigerate overnight before baking, as I feel this elevates the flavours even more! I always freeze a few from each batch so I can have fresh cookies on hand.
I have also tried this recipe with gluten free flour - same amount as recipe (adding 1/4 tsp xanthan gum) and they turn out great.
Everyone who has ever tried these has asked for the recipe. Love love love!
Miriam Swain says
These cookies are the GOAT!!!
I did add about 210g of toasted nuts (macadamias, almonds and pecans) when mixing in chocolate and it took these cookies to the next level. The best I’ve had.
Lost count how many times I’ve made them. Everyone who tries is obsessed. Will be a recipe I use forever cos it’s honestly so easy for such a great result.
theo says
this is possibly the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world. i always gravitate towards it when i feel like baking, it's so simple and effective (especially because of the brown butter - having room temperature butter puts me off so many baking recipes, so browning the butter makes it a lot more accessible and adds a wonderful flavour!) and i have shared it with literally all of my friends and family whenever they ask for a baking recipe. it's also an easy recipe to vary - my favourite variation so far is doing half chocolate half chopped walnuts and adding chai spices to the dough, it makes a perfect autumnal cookie that goes perfectly with a herbal tea. thank you so much for making this amazing, easy to follow recipe!!! you have made a lot of people incredibly happy!!!!
Erin Clarkson says
I am so so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for such a lovely review!
Anuja Khemka says
This is my go to CCC recipe. I use a combination of different kinds of chocolates and get the best comments from people. A lot of people say its the best cookie ever!
I make 110 grams balls and then put chopped chocolate on top and bake from frozen. Though base dough is just stunning!
Nicola Scarborough says
Amazing recipe and cookies as per usual. Lots of people asked for the recipe once trying.
Katherine says
Every time I make these people snatch them up as fast as they can. My in-laws think I work some sort of magic, brown butter is magic!
Ella says
Would you be able to share a recipe for double chocolate chip cookies? Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Yes I can work on one!
Nicola S says
Delicious. Never go wrong with these. Thanks!
Kim says
Another amazing recipe from you, Erin! They're perfectly crisp on the edge with just the right amount of chew and the brown butter adds such a great depth to the flavour. I made your rocky road earlier in the week and saved all the bits that came off while cutting it up and used them plus a Whittakers 50% dark choc bar as the mix ins for this recipe, and oh my goodness... may be the best cookie I've ever eaten? Thank you!
Tory says
I made this recipe for the first time this weekend for a family party and my cousin’s husband said these were better than his sisters chocolate chip cookies and she’s been working on perfecting her recipe for close to a decade! Everyone raved about them 🥰 they are perfect!!
hazirah says
hi erin!! just wanted to say thank you for this recipe - i tried making a half batch earlier today and it came out super yummy! mine didn't look as pretty as yours (i think because i used the airfryer hehe) but nonetheless it was a very simple recipe to follow, will be trying more recipes from your site! <3
Natalie F says
Over the last 10 years, I’ve tried countless choc chip/chunk cookie recipes. This has finally released me from my search of the perfect one. It’s always, without a doubt, worth the extra time to brown butter. I’m in awe of your talent and dedication, thank you for yet another incredible recipe. You are my go-to for all things baking and will continue to be. Bonus points for being a kiwi 🥰