Brown butter is an easy way to upgrade a chocolate chip cookie recipe. They give the cookies a touch of nuttiness and a depth of flavor that takes them to a new level.
Lately, I’ve been interested in testing out various chocolate chip cookies to see which one is my “perfect” cookie. I found a brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe and I thought I’d try it out since I recently discovered brown butter through the brown butter cookies I made.
I couldn’t wait to try brown butter in chocolate chip cookies. I am amazed at how butter changes when it’s browned. It develops a toasty and nutty flavor and the aroma is amazing. I couldn’t wait to see how it would work in chocolate chip cookies.
Browned Butter for Cookies
This brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe is pretty standard except instead of creaming softened butter with sugar, you first brown the butter in a pan.
It doesn’t take long and all you do is melt it and cook it for a few minutes until it starts to brown and is fragrant. The aroma is nutty and the end result is a golden-brown butter that is caramelized and so delicious.
Ingredients
- Brown butter
- Granulated sugar
- Dark brown sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Whole egg plus one egg yolk
- All-purposed flour
- Baking soda
- Chocolate chips
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
Recipe Steps
Whisk the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Add the sugars, salt, and vanilla to the warm browned butter and mix well. Add the whole egg and yolk and whisk until smooth. Let the mixture rest for three minutes. Repeat this process (whisk and rest) three more times until the mixture is thick, glossy, and smooth.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and nuts, if using.
I like to make large cookies by scooping about three tablespoons of dough to make each dough ball. Space them two inches apart on a baking sheet.
Bake the cookie for 10 to 14 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a baking rack and let the cookies cool.
What I Like About This Recipe
These cookies are sweet with a subtle hint of browned butter. It’s not as pronounced as the other cookies I’ve made, but you can definitely tell that it’s in there.
One thing I love about this recipe is that you don’t have chill the dough like the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve made. Sometimes it’s nice to have a quick cookie recipe and even though you have to brown the butter, you don’t have to let the dough chill for several days.
It’s definitely worth trying because the brown butter does give the cookies a deeper flavor you don’t get from other recipes.
Since writing this post, I’ve tried so many chocolate chip cookie recipes. Here are a few of my favorite ones you might like to try, too.
- Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bouchon’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bourbon Cookies
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bouchon’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 3/4 sticks butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp table salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine flour and baking soda in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.
- Melt 1 1/4 sticks butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Keep swirling until butter has a dark golden brown color and a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and mix in the remaining butter until melted. (You can read more details on browning butter from my browned butter cookies recipe directions)
- Add the sugars, salt, and vanilla to the butter and mix well. Add the egg and the extra yolk; whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Let it rest for 3 minutes, then whisk again for about 30 seconds, before letting it rest again. You’ll want to whisk this about 4 times, until you have a thick, glossy, and smooth mixture.
- Gently stir in the flour and baking soda just until combined. Stir in the chocolate and nuts.
- Form dough balls about 3 tablespoons in size, and place them on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375°F for 10-14 minutes (Mine actually took 8-9. The first batch I set for 10 minutes and they were burned on the edges), then put the baking sheet on a cooling rack and let the cookies cool on the sheets.
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
these look quite good!
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I hope you like these. The brown butter taste isn’t as prominent as in the brown butter button cookies I made though. A choc chip recipe I really liked was nutella choc chip cookies, you should check it out!
I was planning on commenting on another post, but I saw this link. I am definately making brown butter cookies in the future!
Thanks for the tip on the brown butter. I can’t wait to see what you try next too.
Hi Kirby! I see both you and I are on a quest here! I’ll be watching to see how you do on your next try. Last night I tried yet another recipe that I will post on this week. As for brown butter… try using it in muffin and coffee cake recipes. It makes a real difference there.
Hmm, thanks for letting me know. I was just debating whether to buy ATK book (I keep getting emails about it). I havent tried many recipes. I liked the Cook’s Illustrated Sour cream choc cake. but these cookies were just okay for me. I think I’ll pass on getting the book for now.
I tried this recipe too last year and I wasn’t wowed with it, neither was the Mister. I got the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated May 2009 issue (which is somewhere in my pile of magazines). Like you, I didn’t get that nutty flavor. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t worth the extra effort for me. Oh well. And in all honesty, I’ve only had so-so success with many of CI’s (and ATK) recipes I’ve tried.
Excellent variation to chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for the idea.