Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been working on creating the yummiest brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe for a longgg time. And after many (many) tests, I finally realized that I didn’t need to create a brand new cookie – the best base for these cookies was my already perfect chocolate chip cookies! Duh! 

This recipe takes all the goodness of my old faithful CCC recipe but adds brown butter (+ a few other tweaks). And holy WOW. They’re incredible. Here’s why these browned butter chocolate chip cookies are sure to be a cult favorite + a little trick that really pulls everything together: 

• Here’s the trick to getting my regular choco chip recipe to work with the brown butter: a tiny skosh of milk!  Without the added milk (quantity noted in the recipe), the melted browned butter would dry the dough out and prevent the cookies from spreading. 
• The flavor is BOMB – The brown butter in these cookies provides a warm, nutty depth that is *chef’s kiss* when it’s paired with an almost exuberant amount of vanilla, chopped melty chocolate, and equal parts brown + granulated sugar. All in all, it’s an A+. 
• It’s just the right amount – This recipe yields a lot of cookies, but not like too many cookies, ya know? You won’t end up throwing any away, but you’ll have enough to satisfy. Want to freeze the dough and bake them later? Flash freeze the dough balls for 30 minutes on a cookie sheet. Then place all dough balls into a freezer bag and use within 3 months. 

If you’ve made my Chocolate Chip Cookies, you won’t be surprised by this ingredient list! The biggest difference here is that we brown our butter before adding it to the dough along with a splash of milk.  

• Salted butter, browned – I’ll explain how to brown the butter in the recipe card, but if you need more help you can check out my post on how to brown butter. 
• Granulated sugar 
• Brown sugar
• Egg
• Milk – This will keep the dough from drying out and allow the cookies to spread just a bit. 
• Vanilla – You may look at the quantity of vanilla and think it is a typo – rest assured, it is not! We just want a lot of vanilla here. 
• All-purpose flour 
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Chocolate chips, chopped – Chopping your chocolate chips is totally optional, I just love how it disperses the gooey chocolate flavor throughout the cookie. Use your favorite type of chocolate chips here or even chop up a chocolate bar of your choosing.

I recommend a quick read-through of the instructions before you begin baking! 

1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter completely.
2. Continue to heat the butter while stirring until it bubbles, turns a golden brown color and gives off a nutty aroma. Then remove from the stove. 
3. Pour the brown butter into the bowl of your stand mixer or into a large bowl.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
5. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl and mix thoroughly for 1 minute.
6. Add the egg, milk and vanilla, mixing until completely combined and the mixture is smooth and no longer grainy.
7. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. The dough should be very soft.
8. Fold in the chopped chocolate chips, until evenly distributed.
9. Allow the cookie dough to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Once the dough has rested, scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tbsp portions (#40 scoop) for small cookies or 3 tbsp portions (#24 scoop) for large cookies.
11. Arrange on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F until the cookies have spread and the edges are turning golden brown. For small cookies, 7-9 minutes. For large cookies, 9-11 minutes.
12. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes before serving.
13. Enjoy!