• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Spoon Fork BaconSpoon Fork Bacon
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Twitter
    • TikTok
  • What’s for Dinner?
  • Recipes By Category
  • Most Recent
  • Contact
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes By Category
  • Most Recent
  • What’s for Dinner?
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Twitter
    • TikTok
  • ×
    Home > Blog > Cookies & Bars > Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    by Jenny Park · Published: Dec 6, 2021 · Modified: Dec 6, 2021

    Jump to Recipe
    The best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie you'll ever taste! Our cookie incorporates nutty brown butter into the dough, loads of freshly chopped chocolate and is finished with sea salt flakes for the most well balanced and delicious chocolate chip cookie experience. Our cookies also freeze incredibly well, so you can always have a batch on hand!
    Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with one broken in half.

    The holidays are here and these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are always very my first go-to for the season (or almost anytime I think of baking cookies). Everyone loves a good chocolate chip cookie, but add a little brown butter and sea salt to the mix and you get next level deliciousness.

    These cookies are incredibly tasty and hit the spot every time. They’re crisp on the outside, nice and soft on the inside, with the perfect amount of chewiness. The dough also freezes VERY well, so I usually have at least one batch of these cookies sitting in the freezer, ready to hit the oven when needed.

    How to Make Our Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Ingredients to make brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

    Process

    1. Melt 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and continue to cook until butter begins to smell nutty and lightly brown. Remove from heat and cool completely.
    Brown butter in a sauce pan.
    Brown butter in a bowl.
    Brown butter cooled in a bowl.
    1. Place remaining stick of butter and cooled browned butter in a bowl and using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy.
    2. Add both sugars and continue to beat together until light and fluffy.
    Brown butter beaten until light and fluffy.
    Brown butter beaten with sugar.
    1. Scrape down sides of the bowl, add molasses and vanilla and continue to mix together.
    Cookie dough with molasses and vanilla in it.
    The process of mixing cookie dough.
    1. Stir in egg and egg yolk.
    Cookie dough being made in a bowl.
    1. In another bowl whisk dry ingredients together.
    Dry ingredients in a bowl for chocolate chip cookies.
    Dry ingredients mixed together in a bowl to make chocolate chip cookies.
    1. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
    2. Beat together until a dough comes together.
    3. Mix in chopped chocolate chips until fully combined.
    Cookie dough in a bowl.
    Chocolate chip cookie dough in a bowl.
    1. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
    Chocolate chip cookie dough in a bowl.
    Chocolate chip cookie dough in a bowl with plastic wrap.
    1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
    2. Scoop 3 ½ tablespoon sized balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 ½ inches apart and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
    Chocolate chip cookie dough on a baking sheet.
    1. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.
    2. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or serve warm.
    Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet.
    Chocolate chip cookies cooling on a wire rack.

    Tools You Will Need

    • knife
    • cutting board
    • dry measuring cups
    • measuring spoons
    • mixing bowls
    • whisk
    • electric mixer or stand mixer
    • cookie scoop
    • silicone spatula
    • baking sheet
    • cooling rack
    Brown Butter chocolate chip cookies laid out on a kitchen counter.

    What Makes this the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe?

    • brown butter – The concentrated nutty, buttery flavor is incredible in these cookies and once you try it, you will never want to make chocolate chip cookies without it again!
    • sea salt flakes – The sea salt flakes sprinkled on top of each cookie adds such a nice savory balance to the sweet cookies.
    • molasses – It adds color, flavor, moisture, and the chewy texture to the cookies and should really be required in every single chocolate chip cookie recipe!
    • chopped chocolate – chopping your own chocolate for cookies is really the way to go. Instead of uniform chips of chocolate dotted through each cookie (which are a little boring!), you get a mixture of small and big puddles of chocolate weaved through each cookie.

    Nuts or No Nuts in Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies?

    We’re definitely team “no nuts” over here when it comes to any chocolate chip cookies, but especially these born butter chocolate chip cookies. The brown butter gives the cookies its own nutty flavor without the added chunks of nuts.

    We totally get that this is subjective and based on personal preference, so if you’re a “yes nuts” in chocolate chip cookies type of person by all means go for it! We recommend adding 3/4 cup chopped nuts of choice (walnuts and pecans are some of the most popular options) if you are going to add them.

    Tips and Tricks for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Success

    • Keep a close eye on the stove when browning your butter. You really want the butter fill the room with a nutty aroma and for the milk solids to become a deep brown color, but you definitely don’t want to burn the brown butter. overly browned butter works in some cases, but it will leave a slight bitter flavor in these cookies.
    • Do NOT over-bake the cookies! If the cookies are over-baked they will lose there wonderfully chewy texture, which is a huge part of these cookies. They will get very crispy, especially once completely cooled.

    Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

    Make Ahead

    The cookies can be made 5 to 7 days ahead of time, stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry place until ready to enjoy.

    Freezing

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

    The cookie dough can be made and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze cookie dough, scoop chocolate chip cookie dough balls and place onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spaced about 1/4 inch apart. Top each cookie with sea salt and gently press to adhere. Place cookie sheet in freezer until cookie dough balls are frozen. Once frozen, transfer cookie dough balls to a resealable freezer bag and tightly seal until ready to use.

    When ready to bake, transfer cookie dough balls to a parchment lined cookie sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart and bake for 15 to 16 minutes.

    Baked Cookies

    To freeze baked cookies, cool completely then transfer to a resealable freezer bag and tightly seal. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Cookies can be enjoyed straight from the freezer or thawed at room temperature for about 10 minutes. To warm cookies preheat oven to 300˚F, place cookies onto a cookie sheet and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, just until warmed. Alternatively cookies can be warmed in the microwave, for 30 seconds to 1 minutes until just warmed through.

    More Delicious Cookie Recipes You Will Love

    • Chai Chocolate Chip and Coconut Cookies
    • Poppy Seed and Lemon Cookies
    • Kitchen Sink Cookies
    • Pain D’Amande (Almond Thin Cookies)
    • Meyer Lemon Meltaways

    Check out of Best Christmas Cookies recipe roundup!

    Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with milk.

    Hungry for more?

    Subscribe to never miss a recipe.

    EmailPinTweetShareYummly
    Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with one broken in half.

    Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    4.98 from 38 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    The best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie you'll ever taste! Our cookie incorporates nutty brown butter into the dough, loads of freshly chopped chocolate and is finished with sea salt flakes for the most well balanced and delicious chocolate chip cookie experience. Our cookies also freeze incredibly well, so you can always have a batch on hand!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 14 minutes mins
    Chill Time: 1 hour hr
    Total Time: 1 hour hr 24 minutes mins
    Servings: 24

      INGREDIENTS  

    • 1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
    • 1 cup light brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon molasses
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup chopped dark chocolate can use milk chocolate, if you prefer
    • 2 tablespoons sea salt flakes, divided

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Melt 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and continue to cook until butter begins to smell nutty and lightly brown. Remove from heat and cool completely.
    • Place remaining stick of butter and cooled browned butter in a bowl and using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy.
    • Add both sugars and continue to beat together until light and fluffy.
    • Scrape down sides of the bowl, add molasses and vanilla and continue to mix together.
    • Stir in egg and egg yolk.
    • In another bowl whisk dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture.
    • Beat together until a dough comes together.
    • Fold in chopped chocolate chips until fully combined.
    • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
    • Preheat oven to 350˚F.
    • Scoop 3 ½ tablespoon sized balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 ½ inches apart and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
    • Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.
    • Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or serve warm.

      NOTES  

    Tips and Tricks for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Success

    • Keep a close eye on the stove when browning your butter. You really want the butter fill the room with a nutty aroma and for the milk solids to become a deep brown color, but you definitely don’t want to burn the brown butter. overly browned butter works in some cases, but it will leave a slight bitter flavor in these cookies.
    • Do NOT over-bake the cookies! If the cookies are over-baked they will lose there wonderfully chewy texture, which is a huge part of these cookies. They will get very crispy, especially once completely cooled.

    Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

    Make Ahead

    The cookies can be made 5 to 7 days ahead of time, stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry place until ready to enjoy.

    Freezing

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

    The cookie dough can be made and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze cookie dough, scoop chocolate chip cookie dough balls and place onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spaced about 1/4 inch apart. Top each cookie with sea salt and gently press to adhere. Place cookie sheet in freezer until cookie dough balls are frozen. Once frozen, transfer cookie dough balls to a resealable freezer bag and tightly seal until ready to use.
    When ready to bake, transfer cookie dough balls to a parchment lined cookie sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart and bake for 15 to 16 minutes.

    Baked Cookies

    To freeze baked cookies, cool completely then transfer to a resealable freezer bag and tightly seal. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Cookies can be enjoyed straight from the freezer or thawed at room temperature for about 10 minutes. To warm cookies preheat oven to 300˚F, place cookies onto a cookie sheet and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, just until warmed. Alternatively cookies can be warmed in the microwave, for 30 seconds to 1 minutes until just warmed through.
    Calories: 212kcal Carbohydrates: 26g Protein: 2g Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 7g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 36mg Sodium: 731mg Potassium: 82mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 15g Vitamin A: 261IU Calcium: 16mg Iron: 2mg
    CUISINE: Amercian
    KEYWORD: best cookie, chocolate chunk cookie
    COURSE: Dessert

    You Might Also Love...

    • Pain d'amande cookies.Pain d’Amande – Almond Thin Cookies
    • A close up of a marshmallow stuffed S'more cookie broken in half.S’mores Cookies
    • A close up of kitchen sink cookies on a cooling rack.Kitchen Sink Cookies

    December 6, 2021 / 28 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

    Previous Post: < Previous Post M&M Cookies
    Next Post: Roasted Garlic Rack of Lamb Next Post >

    Reader Interactions

    December 6, 2021 / 28 Comments

    Comments

      4.98 from 38 votes (27 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      Did you make this recipe? We want to see!

      tag @SpoonForkBacon and #SpoonForkBacon on Instagram

    1. Amy

      February 08, 2025 at 9:45 am

      5 stars
      These are the bomb! I don’t think I’ll ever make regular chocolate chip cookies again. Thank you for this deliciousness!

      Reply
    2. Cookie

      September 01, 2023 at 1:41 pm

      I followed the recipe; the cookies are great. However, they spread out. How do I get a cookie that looks like yours?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        September 05, 2023 at 11:35 am

        If you cookies spread that usually means the butter got too warm before they hit the oven. You can stick the cookie dough in the fridge for about an hour to help prevent the cookies from spreading

        Reply
    3. Amy

      November 10, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      These are amazing! I will never make regular chocolate chip cookies again. Thank you for creating this magical recipe.

      Reply
    4. Megan

      September 24, 2022 at 5:56 am

      What if you browned both sticks of butter?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        September 24, 2022 at 8:19 pm

        You can definitely do that! The nutty brown butter flavor will be pretty dominant though

        Reply
    5. Christine

      December 15, 2021 at 7:19 pm

      Can you please tell me what kind of molasses I should use? My local supermarket only carries unsulphured blackstrap molasses, is that the right kind? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 16, 2021 at 8:39 am

        The unsulphured blackstrap molasses is perfect!

        Reply
    6. Goldie

      December 12, 2021 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      Oh goodness. I have 3 “go to” CCC recipes for every occasion and this has become my newest favorite. These are AMAZING. My daughters have devoured them so fast I was only able to freeze a few. These are perfection.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 12, 2021 at 8:08 pm

        Yay! This makes me SO happy!!

        Reply
      • Fatma

        December 19, 2021 at 11:14 am

        4 stars
        The texture and taste of the cookies were amazing but my cookies spread flat, even after 24 hours in the fridge. Not sure what went wrong.

        Reply
        • Jenny Park

          December 19, 2021 at 1:53 pm

          Hi Fatma! Did you allow the browned butter to cool completely so it solidified (like our photo shows)? If the brown butter was still in liquid form when making the dough, it will cause the cookies to spread more

          Reply
    7. Robin

      June 08, 2021 at 10:33 am

      5 stars
      I haven’t made these yet, but I will.

      Reply
    8. Diana

      January 12, 2021 at 4:47 pm

      This is an unusual cookie recipe. As far as the sea salt flakes how much do you sprinkle on each cookie? Had to order that on Amazon couldn’t find it at the grocery.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        January 14, 2021 at 8:50 am

        Hi! You really just want to add a small pinch to the top top of each cookie…maybe about 1/16 tsp.

        Reply
    9. Holly

      December 26, 2020 at 6:18 am

      5 stars
      I discovered your site and read through the Christmas cookie recipes and decided to try these for a cookie exchange with my daughters this year. This is a special chocolate chip cookie! The extra time and effort is worth it! It got about 24 cookies which was just right for the three of us to split. Definitely will make a again and keep dough on hand in freezer. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    10. Lisa

      December 25, 2020 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      These are PERFECT. Will definitely be making them again.

      Reply
    11. Jeff in South Carolina

      December 18, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent cookies!
      Made these today for the family and doubled the recipe to give away for Christmas. Thanks for the PERFECT recipe.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 18, 2020 at 10:47 pm

        So happy to hear you love this recipe!!

        Reply
    12. Debra Stevens

      December 13, 2020 at 6:11 am

      Question.. it says to scoop 3 1/2 tablespoons for 1 cookie. That’s very large. Is that right or a typo

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 13, 2020 at 12:40 pm

        Hi Debra! This is not a typo. The cookies spread, but just about double in diameter.The scoop is a #24 scoop, which is about 3 to 3 1/2 tablespoons

        Reply
    13. Victoria

      October 11, 2020 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      These are THE COOKIE. They turn out perfect each time and I get so many compliments! I bring these cookies to welcome all my new neighbors. Do you roll the balls up before you fridge them because I have a hard time scooping out dough but im also using a spoon lol!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        October 11, 2020 at 6:21 pm

        So happy to hear you love these! I usually scoop them after they are out of the fridge, but i use a small ice cream scooper. You can totally roll them into balls before you put them in the fridge too!

        Reply
    14. Chelsea

      September 07, 2020 at 2:25 pm

      5 stars
      These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made, and probably top 3 I’ve ever eaten – the extra steps to brown the butter and chill the dough are so worth it. Thanks for the phenomenal recipe!!

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        September 08, 2020 at 7:26 am

        Thanks Chelsea!!!!! So glad you love them!

        Reply
    15. Tanya

      April 05, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this last night. The cookies were a big hit with the family. Thank you for sharing!
      Tanya from Los Altos Hills, CA

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        April 06, 2020 at 12:15 pm

        oh so great to hear that!

        Reply
    16. Donna

      December 18, 2018 at 9:40 am

      Chocolate and brown butter? Two of my favourite things. Need to try these!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    HI! WE ARE GLAD YOU'RE HERE!

    Teri and Jenny of Spoon Fork Bacon

    We hope you find something you love in
    our little corner of the internet.
    XOXOXO, Teri + Jenny

    ABOUT US

    As Featured On

    A complication of logos showcasing where Spoon Fork Bacon has been featured. Including delish, today show, cosmopolitan, good morning america, domino, good housekeeping, william sonoma, and country living.

    Asian Inspired

    BBQ

    PORK

    DESSERT

    For Dinner Tonight

    • Air fryer chicken thighs on a platter with slice taken out of one. Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
    • Chili being served in a bowl with toppings on the side. Easy Chili Recipe
    • Shrimp scampi recipe on a plate with bread and lemon wedges. Shrimp Scampi Recipe
    • Cajun shrimp pasta recipe in a bowl with a fork on the side. Cajun Shrimp Pasta
    • Bang bang shrimp close up on a plate. Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
    • Baked ziti in a baking dish with some scooped out next to it. Baked Ziti

    Popular Now

    • Baked egg boats with a knife. Baked Egg Boats
    • A sliced bacon, cheddar, and chive quiche with hash brown crust. Hash Brown Crust Bacon and Cheddar Quiche
    • Mongolian Beef recipe in a platter ready to be served. Mongolian Beef Recipe
    • Tomato soup recipe in two bowls with garlic bread on the side. Tomato Soup Recipe
    • Panfried potstickers with ramekin of sauce. Potstickers
    • Baked hot honey chicken sandwiches on a cutting board. Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with Honey

    Footer

    As Featured On
    As featured on graphic.

    GET NEW RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX!

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Twitter
    • TikTok

    All content including images © 2011-2022 Teri Lyn Fisher & Jenny Park. Stealing is bad karma.

    Spoon Fork Bacon contains paid advertising banners and occasionally affiliate links, and sponsored posts.
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Sponsored posts are indicated at the start of such posts. All of our opinions are always our own.
    Thank you for supporting our sponsors. It helps us pay to run this site and bring you unique and original recipes.

    Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement

    Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with one broken in half.
    Brown Butter chocolate chip cookies laid out on a kitchen counter.
    Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with one broken in half.
    Brown Butter chocolate chip cookies laid out on a kitchen counter.
    Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with milk.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.