Soft & Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are everything a perfect cookie should be: golden and crisp at the edges, tender and gooey in the center, and packed with rich, nutty depth from browned butter and two kinds of chocolate. A 24-hour rest in the fridge isn't just a suggestion—it's the step that takes these from great to exceptional. Plan ahead, use a scale, and don't skip the flaky sea salt. These cookies are worth every minute.
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories: 301kcal
Equipment
Standard cookie scoop
Thin metal spatula
Large round biscuit cutter (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp (30ml) whole milk
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 4 oz (115g) dark chocolate, chopped, plus a little more for placing on top
- 4 oz (115g) semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped, plus a little more for placing on top
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Place 1 cup (225g) cubed butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt, then continue cooking, stirring frequently, until golden brown and nutty, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the browned butter with ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar and ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add 3 egg yolks, 2 Tbsp (30ml) milk, and 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract then whisk until fully incorporated.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2¼ cups (270g) flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp baking soda, 3 Tbsp cornstarch, and ¼ tsp kosher salt.
- Make the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until a smooth dough forms. Fold in 4oz (115g) each of chopped dark and semi-sweet (or milk) chocolate.
- Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat and prepare. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Portion the cookies. Divide dough into 2oz (60g) portions (about 3 Tbsp each). Roll into balls and place on the baking sheet, spacing well apart (about 6 cookies per standard sheet). Press a few extra pieces of chocolate on top, if desired.
- Bake. Bake for 10–11 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly underbaked.
- Finish and cool. Immediately sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. If you want a warm, gooey cookie, enjoy shortly after baking. However, they’re still soft and chewy the next day!
If you have space available in your fridge to store a small sheet pan, you can portion and roll out the dough today before chilling. Just neatly stack the portioned dough balls next to each other on a sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and you're all set. However, I'd still let the dough sit out for 20-30 minutes before baking, or the cook time will be off.
Tip: The dough will be quite firm after chilling—this is expected. If needed, let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, or break off pieces and shape with your hands.
Tip (for perfect circles): As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round biscuit cutter or glass over each cookie and gently “scoot” it in a circular motion to shape into a perfect round.
Notes
Cookie dough texture (expanded): The dough is soft at first because the browned butter is still liquid. After chilling, the butter solidifies and the flour absorbs moisture, making the dough firm and sometimes crumbly—this is normal and helps create better flavor, less spread, and a chewier texture once baked.
To make bite-size cookies (ideal for lunch boxes!)
- For smaller cookies: Scoop dough into 1–1½ Tbsp portions instead of 3 Tbsp. Space cookies about 2-inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Adjust bake time: Reduce baking time to 8–9 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers still look slightly soft.
- Texture tip: Smaller cookies will be a bit more evenly crisp around the edges with a slightly less gooey center—but still chewy and delicious.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg
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