There are a thousand chocolate chip cookie recipes out there. Most of them are fine. Some are good. But if you’re going to take the time to bake cookies from scratch, they should be better than fine.
Brown butter changes everything. It takes about five extra minutes and transforms ordinary cookies into something with depth—nutty, caramel-like, complex. The edges crisp up while the centers stay soft. The chocolate melts into pockets of richness. These are the cookies people ask you to make again.
What You’ll Need
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Tools:
- Medium saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop or spoon
- Wire cooling rack
Browning the Butter
Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and drop them into your saucepan. Set it over medium heat.
The butter will melt, then start to foam. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan. The milk solids will sink and begin to toast.
After about 5-7 minutes, the foam will subside and you’ll see golden-brown specks at the bottom. The butter will smell nutty and toasted, like hazelnuts. That’s your cue.
Pour the brown butter into your large mixing bowl immediately. If you leave it in the hot pan, it’ll keep cooking and can burn. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
Making the Dough
While the butter cools, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
In your medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Once the brown butter has cooled slightly, add both sugars to the bowl. Whisk vigorously for about a minute. The mixture should look smooth and glossy.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir with your wooden spoon just until no dry flour remains. Don’t overmix or your cookies will be tough.
Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts if using.
Shaping and Baking
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each. Place them on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
If you want picture-perfect cookies, press a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops of each dough ball.
Bake for 11-13 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and set. The centers will look slightly underdone and puffy. They’ll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle each with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. The salt cuts through the sweetness and makes the chocolate taste more intense.
Cooling
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They need this time to firm up. If you try to move them too soon, they’ll fall apart.
After 5 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serving
These cookies are best eaten slightly warm, when the chocolate is still melty. But they’re also excellent at room temperature over the next few days.
This recipe makes about 36 cookies, depending on size. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months and bake fresh cookies whenever you want them.
If freezing the dough, bake from frozen and add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
