Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are one of my favorite treats to make! If you’re looking to take your chocolate chip cookies to the next level, you have to give these a try. The browned butter adds a rich caramel-y flavor to the base of the cookie, the chopped chocolate adds variety in taste and texture of the chocolate and the flaked sea salt for finishing provides the perfect touch of salt to set off the sweetness of the cookie. This recipe calls for chilling the dough which adds a bit of time to but it’s worth it - giving you the perfect slightly crisp edge and soft chewy center.
Prep Time: 2 hours (includes chill time)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 24 1 tbsp scoop cookies, 18 2 tablespoon scoop cookies
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups bread flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups lightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups of chocolate (I like to use a bar / 8 squares of chopped semisweet Ghirardelli baking chocolate and 1 cup of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips for variety of taste and texture)
¼ cup of old-fashioned oats (optional)
Flaked sea salt for finishing (optional)
Instructions
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (bread and AP flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt). Set aside.
In a heatproof mixing bowl, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
In a medium sized saucepan over medium-low heat, brown the butter. The browning process takes several minutes so keep an eye on it and stir with a whisk frequently to prevent burning. First the butter will melt, then begin to bubble with a frothy layer on top and make a crackling sound. Once this happens, you’ll want to whisk consistently as the butter continues to brown. You know it’s done when the color starts to go from yellow to amber and small brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Once you see the brown bits start to form, pull butter from the heat immediately. Pour butter into the heat proof mixing bowl over the sugar and whisk together thoroughly to allow sugars to start to melt into the butter, let cool for 5 minutes.
Once mixture has cooled a bit, add vanilla and eggs and whisk together well.
Add dry ingredients to mixture and mix with a spatula until combined.
Fold in chocolate and if using, oats.
Cover bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and using a cookie scoop (or spoon), make three rows of four cookies spaced evenly on the baking sheet.
Cover within saran wrap and put cookie sheet in the fridge and let chill for at least an hour. This step is important due to the inclusion of melted butter; you need to let the butter firm back up or your cookies will spread out in the oven and be very thin and crisp.
Once ready to bake, take the baking sheet out of the fridge and then pre-heat oven to 375 °F. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are starting to turn golden brown. Once out of the oven, if using, sprinkle a few pieces of flaked sea salt over the top of the still-warm cookies. Let cool for a few minutes before enjoying. Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Tips & Tricks
It’s important to chill the dough to achieve the right consistency and shape when baking; since the butter was melted it needs to re-solidify otherwise the cookies will spread out in the oven and be very thin and crisp. If you prefer that texture, feel free to chill for less time.
You can refrigerate or freeze the dough if you don’t want to bake it all at once. Just scoop your cookie dough and place the shaped dough balls into a container with a lid and either store in the fridge for a few days until you’re ready to bake or in the freezer for up to a few months. Once you’re ready to bake, just ensure the cookies are fully thawed for even cooking.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 cookie serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~245 kcal
Protein: ~3 g
Total Fat: ~13 g
Carbohydrates: ~29 g