Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Flavor-packed browned butter lends it’s intoxicating aroma to the classic chocolate chip cookie. Browned butter chocolate chip cookies will be your new go-to this holiday season!

Browned butter gets a lot of attention on a regular basis, and for good reason. It’s scent is absolutely mouthwatering as it browns in the pan, and it gives everything from cake to pies to scones to cookies a wonderfully unique flavor. These browned butter chocolate chip cookies are delightedly simple with only a handful of ingredients required (the best kinds of cookies, in my opinion), and although chilling the dough is recommended for a thicker cookie, it is not required. These will go quickly so be sure to bake enough- I always recommend doubling the dough so you can freeze some for when a craving strikes (I don’t know about you, but for me, that’s pretty much daily).

What you’ll need to make these browned butter chocolate chip cookies:

Salted butter, browned and cooled (I always use salted butter in my baked goods- if you only have unsalted on hand, simply add an additional ¼ teaspoon salt to your dough)

Dark brown sugar (my favorite for all of my cookies; light or golden work perfectly fine if you have those on hand though)

Granulated sugar (just a little bit, we let the brown sugar shine in this recipe)

Large eggs (if you only have medium, reduce your flour by about 2 tablespoons. Your dough should be soft but not sticky)

Salt (all of the best cookies have salt in them… true story)

Baking soda (the best emulsifier for cookies)

Pure vanilla extract (don’t settle for the imitation stuff, pure vanilla extract is unmatched in potency and flavor)

All purpose flour (you can sub in your favorite gluten free 1:1 ratio flour here, or even half all purpose and half white whole wheat for an undetectable pop of whole grains)

Semi-sweet chocolate chips (quintessential for the best CCC’s, but you can absolutely sub in milk, dark, or chocolate chunks)

Making these Cookies

You will begin by browning the butter. Place the two sticks of salted butter in a medium sauce pan on medium to high heat. Be cautious as the butter will become bubbly as it melts, potentially spitting up. You do not want to get burned! When the butter is a nice golden brown color (keep an eye on it under the foam as it can burn easily), remove it from the stove. It will continue to brown while in the hot pan so pour it immediately into a small to medium sized bowl. Chill the browned butter for 10-20 minutes or until it is a solid paste.

Cream the cooled browned butter paste and both sugars on medium in a standing mixer or by hand. This mixture should be light and fluffy, so mix for about 60 seconds. Add both eggs and mix until combined. Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Give it a stir and then add the flour. Mix until completely incorporated and no flour remains. Gently fold In your chocolate chips.

Using a ¼ cup cookie scoop (I have this one and I love it), scoop the cookie dough out and place the dough balls onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, as this will help the cookies bake up nice and thick. If you do not have the time to chill the dough, the flavor will remain just as wonderful but your cookies will come out slightly thinner. Bake the cookies at 375° for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the outsides are a nice golden brown. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, them remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. You will store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to four days, but I pretty much guarantee that they won’t last that long. 😉

Dietary Substitutes

I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either use and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest. 

As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy: 

Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.

Miyokos Butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.

Enjoy Life makes a dairy free + allergen friendly semi sweet chocolate chip that would work great in this recipe.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out these cookies! I have a plethora of cookie recipes here on the site, but specifically if you love browned butter + peanut butter, check out these Browned Butter Peanut Butter Chip Cookies.

Happy Baking!

XO,

Heather