Browned butter chocolate chip cookies
The perfect cookie
Browned butter triple chocolate chip cookies…one word to describe these cookies is “drool-worthy”!
There’s something magical about a warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie—but add browned butter, and you take that classic cookie to a whole new level.
These Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the center, and packed with pools of melty chocolate. Browning the butter gives the cookies a rich, nutty, almost caramel-like flavor that makes them extra special.
If you’re looking for the best browned butter chocolate chip cookies, this is a recipe you’ll want to save.There’s something magical about a warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie—but add browned butter, and you take that classic cookie to a whole new level.
These Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the center, and packed with pools of melty chocolate. Browning the butter gives the cookies a rich, nutty, almost caramel-like flavor that makes them extra special.
If you’re looking for the best browned butter chocolate chip cookies, this is a recipe you’ll want to save.
Amazing flavor, amazing texture, easy to make, decadent, a crowd pleaser…what more could you want ;)
Sprinkled with a little bit of Maldon sea salt right after baking
Why you’ll love these browed butter chocolate chip cookies:
Rich, nutty flavor: Browned butter adds incredible depth to a classic chocolate chip cookie.
Crispy edges and chewy centers: The perfect combination of textures.
Loaded with chocolate: Use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for plenty of gooey chocolate in every bite.
Easy to make: you can make these without a mixer if you like
Perfect for any occasion: Make them for a weekend baking project, a holiday cookie platter, or simply when you’re craving something sweet.
Made with 3 types of Swiss Cailler chocolate
Ingredients you’ll need to make browned butter chocolate chip cookies:
Butter: use a good quality butter. I use salted butter from “Die Butter”
Chocolate: use high quality chocolate. In this recipe I’m using “Cailler”
Sugar: use a mix of white sugar and soft brown sugar for the perfect soft, chewy texture
Flour: use all purpose flour (in Switzerland & Germany Typ 550 or 450)
Cornstarch: this may seem unusual in a cookie recipe but cornstarch give the cookies a wonderful crumbly texture so they aren’t too chewy
Milk: I use full fat (3.5% fat) or half fat milk (1.5% ) this adds moisture into the cookies and it’s great for the texture
Eggs & egg yolk: I use whole eggs as well as adding some extra egg yolk to add extra moisture and tenderness and to the cookies.
Baking powder: adding in a bit of baking powder to help leaven the cookies a bit so they aren’t too dense.
Baking soda: this also helps with the leavening and gives a dryer, more crumbly texture
Vanilla: make sure to use a good quality vanilla. I used vanilla powder (from Vanilla Dream) in this recipe
Salt: use regular table salt in the batter for better distribution and sea salt for the top
Browned butter chocolate chip cookies
These cookies have crunchy outer edges and a soft chewy center with puddles of dark and milk chocolate.
Sprinkled some Maldon sea salt on top for the perfect balance.
How to make browned butter chocolate chip cookies (step-by-step)
1. Make the browned butter:
Tip: Make sure to keep a close eye on it, the difference between beautifully browned butter and burnt butter can be just a few seconds.
The process of making browned butter:
Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
Let it foam as the butter melts. The water in the butter will begin to evaporate.
Stir or swirl frequently so the milk solids don’t stick and burn.
Watch for the color change. The foam will start to subside, and the milk solids at the bottom will turn golden brown.
Smell for a nutty aroma—this is the key sign that it’s nearly ready.
Remove from the heat immediately when the butter is amber-brown. It can burn very quickly at this stage.
Transfer to a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. Scrape in the browned milk solids—that’s where the flavor is.
Let it cool slightly before using. It should be nice and warm but not hot, so you don’t curdle the eggs.
3. Make cookie dough:
1. Chop the chocolate (except for the chips) into chunks and set aside.
2. In another bowl mix together all the dry ingredients and whisk together until evenly combined. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment ) add in the white and brown sugar, vanilla and the browned butter (cooled down until it’s warm but not hot!) Mix for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Then add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Mixing after each addition. Mix until just incorporated.
5. Add in the milk and mix one again.
6. Add in ½ of the dry ingredients and mix until it starts to incorporate. Scrape down the sides again and mix again shortly. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth and even dough. Lastly add in the chopped chocolate and mix until evenly distributed.
7. Place the cookie dough in the middle of a sheet of baking paper and with the help of a scraper make the cookie dough into a tight log. Wrap the ends of the log tightly and place the cookie dough into the fridge or freezer until completely cooled.
8. Cut the cookies into even sized discs, about 1.5 cm in thickness and place onto a baking silicone mat or a piece ob baking paper.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 175-180°C until lightly golden brown. Sprinkled with Maldon sea salt right after baking so the sea salt sticks to the cookies.
10. To get nice and even round cookies use a large round cookie cutter to circle around the cookies edges. Do this immediately as the cookies come out of the oven and are still soft.
11. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days or freeze them up to 2-3 months
Tips for making browned butter chocolate chip cookies:
Good quality chocolate: use a really good quality chocolate. It gives you the best flavor and texture when melted. I like to use a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate for a sweet and bitter balance.
Cool the butter before mixing: Let it cool until warm rather than piping hot, so it doesn’t melt the sugar or partially cook the eggs
Scrape in the browned bits: Those toasted milk solids contain tons of flavor
Don’t over mix the batter: once the flour is added don’t mix the dough for long. Mix it until it is just evenly incorporated.
Chill the dough: for these cookies since the dough is quite soft this helps prevent excessive spreading when baking
Add a little extra salt: Browned butter cookies benefit from flaky salt on top, especially if the chocolate is sweet. It really gives the perfect balance.
FAQ’S:
What chocolate should I use?
I used the milk chocolate “Lait”, which has a great creamy texture and sweetness. A dark chocolate 80% “Noir” and then also some mini chocolate chip drops also from Cailler. Mixing these 3 types of chocolate gives these cookies a perfectly balanced chocolate flavor from the sweeter milk chocolate and the slightly bitter 80% dark chocolate. Adding some small mini drops of dark chocolate also give a nice distribution of chocolate throughout the cookie.
Can I scoop the dough instead of turning it into a log?
Yes, you can also scoop the cookie dough if you prefer this method. Just make sure to chill the dough before baking it. I prefer the log method just because it gives me more even and already circular cookies.
How do I know when the butter is browned?
The butter will foam, then develop golden-brown specks at the bottom of the pan and smell nutty and toasted. I suggest reading the “How to make browned butter” section above for a more detailed step-by-step process
Can I make these cookie ahead of time?
Yes, definitely! I like to make the dough 1-2 days in advance or even better make the dough and then store the cookie logs in the freezer wrapped in cling film. They can last for 2-3 months. Before freezing the cookie dough, I suggest cutting the cookies into discs and then freezer Inge them so you don’t need to defrost the whole log if you only want to bake for example 4 cookies.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
The browned butter may have been too warm or the dough may not have been chilled enough. Chilling the dough before baking is really important in this recipe.
The Recipe
Browned butter triple chocolate chip cookies:
Makes about 18-20 cookies
Ingredients:
280g all purpose flour
170g browned butter
30g milk
50g white sugar
200g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla powder/paste
50g eggs (1 whole egg)
20g egg yolk (1 egg yolk)
75g dark chocolate chips “Noir” Cailler
75g milk chocolate chunks “Lait” Cailler
50g dark chocolate chunks (to add on top before baking) “Noir” Cailler
5g baking soda
5g baking powder
5g cornstarch/maizena
2g salt
Maldon salt for sprinkling
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 170°C
1. Start by browning your butter. In a medium pot place the butter and melt it on medium heat stirring constantly until the butter turns a golden brown caramelized color.
Remove from the heat and pour into a heat proof bowl and let it cool down.
2. In the bowl of your standing mixer add the sugars, salt, vanilla and the cooled browned butter.
Mix it on slow speed with the paddle attachment and little by little add the egg and the egg yolk
(Make sure the browned butter isn’t too hot otherwise it will curdle the eggs!) mix until well incorporated and scrape down the sides. Add the milk and mix well.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together and give it a whisk to evenly incorporate the baking soda, powder and cornstarch.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 2-3 batches mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides.
4. Lastly add the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks and mix until just incorporated. You don’t want to overmix at this stage so only mix until the chocolate is incorporated.
5. With an ice-cream scooper scoop about 45g pieces onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Keep a few cm distance between each cookie as they will spread out during baking.
Place 2-3 pieces of dark “Noir” chocolate chunks onto each cookie before baking.
6. Bake at 175°-180°C for about 10-12 minutes until slightly gold brown on the edges. After baking use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies and circle around the freshly baked cookies to create a perfectly round cookie.
Immediately sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and let them cool down.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days or freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.
Happy baking!