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Stack of brown butter chocolate chip cookies on a metal plate showing crispy rippled edges and gooey dark chocolate chunks
Luna Hossain

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick, fudgy brown butter chocolate chip cookies with crispy rippled edges, gooey dark chocolate chunk pools, and flaky sea salt — one bowl, no mixer, ready in 30 minutes.
Calories: ~387 | Carbohydrates: ~41g | Fat: ~24g | Protein: ~4g | Sugar: ~28g
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Calories: 387
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the Dough:
  • - 1 cup 226g unsalted butter
  • - ¾ cup 150g packed brown sugar
  • - ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
  • - 2 large eggs room temperature
  • - 2 tsp 10ml pure vanilla extract
  • - 2 cups 240g all-purpose flour
  • - ¾ tsp 4g baking soda
  • - ½ tsp 3g fine sea salt
  • For the Chocolate:
  • - 1 ½ cups 255g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks, divided
  • For the Finish:
  • - Flaky sea salt for topping

Equipment

  • Light-colored medium saucepan (light interior lets you see the butter color change)
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Kitchen scale (strongly recommended for accurate flour measurement)
  • Cookie scoop or large spoon
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
  • Cooling rack
  • Measuring cups and spoons (scale preferred — cups introduce measuring error) Optional
  • Stand mixer or hand mixer (whisking by hand works fine here) Optional
  • Instant-read thermometer (browned butter is ready around 300°F/150°C) Optional

Method
 

  1. Place a light-colored medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, and cook stirring constantly until the milk solids turn deep amber and the butter smells nutty, about 3–5 minutes, then pour immediately into a large mixing bowl scraping all the browned bits, and cool for 8–10 minutes.
  2. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the warm browned butter and whisk vigorously for 1 minute until smooth, glossy, and no dry sugar remains.
  3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk for 60–90 seconds until the mixture is thick, shiny, and falls off the whisk in a slow ribbon.
  4. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt over the mixture and fold gently with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour streaks remain, stopping immediately once combined.
  5. Reserve ⅓ cup (55g) of the chocolate chunks in a small bowl, then fold the remaining chunks into the dough until evenly distributed.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Scoop dough into balls of about 3 tablespoons (75g) each and space at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet.
  8. Press 3–4 reserved chocolate chunks firmly onto the top of each dough ball.
  9. Bake for 11–13 minutes until the edges are deep golden with rippled rings and the centers still look soft, puffy, and underdone.
  10. Immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over each cookie, let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

- Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days with a slice of bread to maintain softness.
- Freeze unbaked: Scoop and freeze dough balls on a sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months — bake straight from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for 13–15 minutes.
- Make ahead: Refrigerate dough for 30–60 minutes or overnight for deeper caramel flavor and a thicker baked cookie.
- Substitution: Salted butter works — reduce or omit the fine sea salt in the dough and taste before adjusting.
- Tip: Bang the pan once on the counter right out of the oven to deflate excess puff and encourage fudgier centers and more dramatic rippled edges.