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A bunch of cookies against a white surface

The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

This chewy, soft Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe makes 13 bakery-style cookies that are soft, chewy and loaded with delicious caramel flavors. These cookies don't need a mixer (just your gorgeous arms and a whisk) and are ready in under 45 minutes. They also freeze perfect for cookie emergencies -- details below!
5 from 14 reviews
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Cookies
Keyword: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brown Butter, Small Batch, One Bowl
Servings: 13 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 (you can also use dark 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 (how to measure flour)
  • 3/4 cups (128 g) dark chocolate, (coarsely chopped)
  • flaky sea salt (optional)

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 heat-safe, large 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 piece of plastic wrap over the top of the dough and let the dough chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Cover a cookie sheet with 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 brown 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.
    A bunch of cookies against a white surface

Video

Notes

If You Want to Make Smaller Cookies

You can also make the cookies 2 tbsp each; this will yield about 17 cookies.

A Note About Chocolate

A quick reminder that 'dark chocolate' covers everything from semi-sweet to bittersweet. Unless I specifically list bittersweet or semi-sweet, it's up to you! I link to my favorite chocolates in Tools for Making These Cookies Fabulous section.
Also, candy/candy bar friends...my favorite way to elevate cookies is by adding chopped up cookie bars instead of chips or chocolate chunks. Seattle Chocolate Company has some great flavors!

Storing Cookie Dough

Wrapped tightly and stored in an airtight container,  cookie dough can hang in the fridge for up to three  days.

Freezing Cookie Dough

For long-term storage wrap the entire lump of cookie dough tightly (in plastic wrap, ideally) and then stash in an air-tight container.
For short-term storage (I'm talking about wanting to have a fresh cookie (or two) every night after dinner), freeze the cookie dough  balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, after several hours, stash in an air-tight container. When baking, they  can go straight from the freezer to the oven, just tack on a few extra minutes to the bake time. This will result in a puffier cookie.
If you want the cookies to look similar the photos here, then let the dough come close to room temperature (just sitting out while you pre-heat the oven is fine). Add 1 to 2 minutes bake time if the dough still has a slight chill.

Want More Than Chocolate in Your Cookie?

This recipe calls for 3/4 cup (128 g) of chocolate chunks/chips. If you want to add in nuts or dried fruit that's fine, just make sure the combined amount of the chocolate + nuts/dried fruit doesn't exceed 3/4 cup (128 g).
Enjoy your perfect chocolate chip cookies!

Want More Cookie Tips?

Head over to My 10 Favorite Tips for Better Cookies!

Need a Browned Butter refresher? 

Check out my How to Make Perfect Brown Butter tutorial!
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo