Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are a lot of opinions on what makes the best chocolate chip cookie… but here’s mine: crispy edges, soft and chewy center, chunks of dark chocolate, rich brown butter flavour, and a little zing of salt.

Perfection.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Resting Time1 d
Total Time1 d 35 mins
Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 icecubes
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 + ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup dark chocolate, cut into chunks
  • coarse sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Make the brown butter

  • Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-heat. While stirring frequently, allow the butter to cook. The butter will begin to bubble and foam a bit, continue stirring. Remove from heat when you notice the formation of small brown specks, and the liquid changing to a deep golden colour. You will also notice a nutty aroma.
  • Once removed from heat, at ice-cubes one at a time to the butter. This is replacing the moisture that you just boiled off. Set aside to cool.

Make the dough

  • Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
  • Add the melted butter and whisk to combine. Add egg and vanilla, and whisk for a few minutes until the mixture to glossy and smooth.
  • Gently fold in the flour until no large streaks remain – do not over mix! Add in chocolate chunks and fold in until evenly distributed.
  • Form dough into 12 balls (a bit larger than golf ball size).
  • Cover/wrap the dough balls and refrigerate. Let chill for at least 1 hour (but the longer the better).

Bake the cookies

  • Preheat oven to 350F. If you prefer thinner cookies, remove your dough balls from the fridge while the oven is preheating.
  • Arrange the dough balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on your baking tray. Top the cookie dough with coarse sea salt flakes (optional).
  • Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
  • Enjoy 🙂

Notes

  • Brown butter – If you do not want to make the brown butter, no worries, simply melt the butter in the microwave. I have to say though, the brown butter adds a depth of delicious nutty and rich flavour. 
  • Chocolate chunks – I find using chopped chocolate from a bar creates better melting and pooling of the chocolate in your cookies. Chocolate chips totally work as a replacement. 
  • Refrigeration time – If you can wait, I recommend letting the dough rest in the fridge for 24-72 hours. This allows the flour to absorb more moisture, improving the cookies texture, and develop deeper flavour as the ingredients sit together.