Can I say these are The Best Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies? Yes, yes I can.
To say I love chocolate chip cookies is the great understatement of the century. I LOVE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. I devoted an entire chapter of The Cookie Book to chocolate chip cookies and there are over a dozen recipes here on the site.
I was recently updating these Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookies (the second most popular recipe on DisplacedHousewife!) and I realized that we need a pared down, simpler version of this mega fab recipe. Stat. And that’s this cookie!
There is also a How to Make Perfect Brown Butter tutorial in case you’re new to brown butter or would like a refresher!
What Makes this Small Batch
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Fabulous?
- These cookies are super chewy and super soft
- This small-batch recipe makes only 13, large, bakery-style cookies
- The recipe is super easy and doesn’t need a mixer
- Only basic baking ingredients: butter, sunflower/grapeseed/neutral oil, vanilla, egg, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, all-purpose flour and chocolate 🥳
- It can easily be doubled (to make 26 soft and chewy cookies)
- The cookies are mixed + baked in under 45 minutes
- The dough freezes like a dream!
The Magic of Browning Butter
My number one (only?) reason for browning butter is that the flavor it imparts on baked goods is next level. Think of flavors like toffee and caramel being added to your cookie without actually adding toffee and caramel.
Browning butter only takes about 5 minutes, with an additional 5-ish minutes more for it to cool before using. It’s literally the only element keeping this from being a true, one-bowl recipe (because we need the saucepan for browning).
When browning butter, moisture in the butter evaporates. This is why I like to get in and brown my butter quick as the longer your saucepan is on the hot burner the more moisture will evaporate.
In this recipe, we start with 5 tablespoons (70 g) of butter. You’ll end up with around 55 g of butter once browned. I have you add 1 tablespoon (13 g) of water to the cookie dough to compensate for this moisture loss.
If you start with 5 tablespoons (70 g) of butter and follow my browning butter instructions below, I don’t think you need to then, again, weigh your brown butter (unless out of curiosity). But this is a good baking fact to stash away for all of your brown butter baking.
I have a full brown butter tutorial here!
Chilling Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
I used to be very into chilling my cookie dough. It really draws out some delicious caramel flavor and it makes for a cookie with more girth (as I like to say) ;). The flour has had time to absorb any excess moisture and it gives us a cookie with more structure.
I moved away from this because typically, when I want a cookie, I want a cookie right now. As soon as possible.
This cookie, however, needs a very short rest in the fridge. This is because we’re using brown butter which is liquid (along with some water + vanilla extract) in the cookie dough that results in a softer cookie dough base.
A short 20 minutes in the fridge really firms up this dough making it easier to scoop, as well as hold its shape while baking. Don’t skip this step!
How To Make These Chocolate Chip Cookies
Below are step-by-step photos (with captions) to make your Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies perfect every time! My biggest tips are:
- Browning Your Butter: When browning the butter, give it your undivided attention so you don’t burn it. Also make sure you give it a wee bit of time to cool down (about 5 minutes).
- Chilling Your Dough: Don’t skip the 20 minute chill period in the fridge. The dough needs this to become easier to work with and so the cookies don’t spread too much.
That’s it! These cookies are so simple I can’t wait for you to try them!
Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Q&A
Why do you see butter and oil in the cookie dough?
I love to use butter for flavor. Using brown butter makes the butter component even more delicious. And then I add oil in to keep the cookies soft and moist. Melted (or brown) butter will firm up as it cools. Oil, however, is liquid and even when cool it stays in a liquid state.
These cookies, even after baking and cooling, will stay soft and oil is one of the components that makes that possible. Love.
Do I have to use chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips?
Absolutely not! I tested and loved them with both. It’s your choice. I do think the cookies look prettier when chopped chocolate is used, which is why it’s that way in the photos.
Tools for Making These Brown Butter
Chocolate Chip Cookies Fabulous
These are pretty fuss-free cookies to bake, these are my favorite tools:
I love this small, light-colored Williams-Sonoma sauce pan for browning butter.
These spoonulas from GIR are my absolute favorites right now (I love the soft blue).
My favorite nested, heat-safe bowls for any baking occasion! I love them so.
That beautiful Williams-Sonoma whisk with the wooden handle that’s in my videos. It’s so pretty. But when I’m being practical (and not making videos), this Material whisk is THE BOMB. I love their stuff!
Don’t forget my favorite scale. I wrote both of my books with this one, it will serve you well on your baking journey!
This 3-TBSP Cookie Scoop for easy portioning!
Choosing Chocolate For Your Cookies
For really delicious chocolate chips that you can get at the grocery store, you can’t go wrong with Ghirardelli. This particular Ghirardelli chocolate melts surprisingly well and tastes just delicious.
If I want to spend a little more on my chocolate I’ll opt for these Callebaut callets or this huge Callebaut block for chunks. These both melt beautifully and are so delicious in cookies!
I tested this recipe with all three chocolates listed. I used the Callebaut chocolate bar for the photos…I think that chocolate chunks look best in this cookie!
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Vibes
As I mentioned, I love chocolate chip cookies! And if you love brown butter *and* chocolate chip cookies like I do, check out these Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and these Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie.
You can find all of my cookie recipes right here!
If you’re digging small batch baking (love), then look at my favorite small-batch, one-bowl mega vanilla chocolate chip cookies. These cookies are minimal fuss and mega fabulous.
And if you’re looking for more cookie tips, check out my favorite cookie tips for perfect cookies every time!
What This Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Tastes Like
The Taste of This Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
The combination of brown butter, brown sugar and vanilla are really what make this cookie shine. This trio effortlessly gives this cookie all of those flavors I was talking about earlier: toffee and caramel, without actually adding toffee and caramel.
Additionally, this recipe uses a full 1 tbsp (13 g) of real vanilla extract, which is a lot for a small-batch cookie recipe of this size. I started going bold with vanilla in this one-bowl, small-batch mega vanilla chocolate chip cookie recipe (ONE OF MY FAVS) and I’ve never looked back. It seems like a lot, but just trust me on this one!
Because the dough has such intoxicating flavor, I didn’t want to overpower it with too much chocolate. Chocolate is a really strong flavor and can sometimes overpower more subtle flavors. So I was a wee conservative in the amount of chocolate added.
The Texture of This Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
The texture of this cookie is soft and chewy, full stop. It’s magical, really.
Let’s make some small batch brown butter chocolate chip cookies!
Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 55 grams unsalted brown butter (about 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter before browning)
- 1/4 cup (56 g) sunflower or grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) water
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) real vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (doesn't need to be room temperature)
- 2/3 cup (147 g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) sea salt
- 1 1/2 cup (203 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups (128 g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Instructions
For the Brown Butter
- Place 5 tablespoons (70 g) butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Stand by, continuously stirring and watching. Small golden bits will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool until closer to room temperature, but still liquid. (For more details on browning butter, check out my How to Perfectly Brown Butter tutorial)
For the Cookie Dough
- Once the butter has cooled, add the sunflower oil, water, vanilla and egg and whisk until completely combined and the color has lightened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisking to combine, about 1 minute. Grab a spatula and fold in the flour until just combined and you still see small streaks of flour. Lastly, add in the chocolate chips and fold into the dough until evenly distributed. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the dough and stash in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 355°F (177°C). Cover your baking sheets with either parchment paper. Place 3 tablespoons of dough on the prepared baking sheet leaving about 2 1/2-inches (6.4-cm) between dough balls.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 12 minutes or until golden around the edges and slightly underbaked in the center. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes (optional) and let cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.
These cookies were great and delicious as you said! I shared them at work and everyone loved them!
I’m so glad everyone loved them, they’re my new favs!! xox
These are absolutely delicious! They came together quickly, even with the resting time in the fridge. I typically shy away from recipes that call for resting the dough because I want cookies *now* buuuut I trust Becky’s recipes and just went with it. While the dough rested, I preheated the oven and viola. Felt like no time was wasted. Give these a try. They’re a perfect chocolate chip cookie!!
Aw thanks Gloria! I’m so happy you liked them!! I’m the same…if possible I don’t want any rest time!! I feel like it goes quick as well and it’s just enough time to let the dough firm up a bit. I love this cookie SO MUCH! So happy you do too!! xoxo
These sound AHmazing and I would love to give them a try for an event coming up soon but I’m a bit concerned about doubling the recipe…ie it’ll be 3cups of flour is that okay? I want to get your opinion before I just go doubling your tested recipe.
Thank you very much♥️
One more note: These are large cookies (3 tablespoons of dough in each one); which is why the flour for a double batch might seem like a lot for 26 cookies. If you use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop you would have more cookies and the measurements would line up with a typical chocolate chip cookie recipe. Enjoy!! xx
I made after work and they are too good. Might double next time so I have more!!
Hi Sam! I’m so happy to hear it! xoxo
Love small batch recipes! Do you have an estimated baking time for the smaller, 2 TBSP sized cookies?
Hi Michelle! Ditto! When I was testing the 2 tbsp cookie I was baking it for 11 minutes. Let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Can’t wait to try these. They look and sound delicious!
They’re so good! You will love them! xo