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These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are over the top: big and chewy, with nutty brown butter, chocolate chunks, topped with flaky sea salt (Nutella swirl optional). Our friends and family agree, this is one outrageously delicious cookie!
Why we love this recipe
There are cookies, and then there are these brown butter chocolate chip cookies. They’re big and chewy, with nutty brown butter and a hint of Nutella, topped with caramel dark chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Oh, my. It’s no exaggeration to say this is our favorite cookie recipe we’ve created!
This recipe is inspired by the bakery cookies we ate on a recent trip to Paris. Bakery cookies in Paris are large and perfectly round with raised edges. How did they do it? Alex and I had to find out. We made this recipe many times and had it tested by multiple recipe testers who confirm: it’s one over-the-top delicious bakery chocolate chip cookie!
Featured reader comment
“This brown butter chocolate chip cookie was hands-down the best cookie I ever had. I literally woke up this morning wishing I could have one for breakfast! It was scrumptious, chewy, and just SO good.” -L.
“These were perhaps the best looking and tasting cookies I’ve ever made!” -Kelly
The secret: cookie molds
After we tasted bakery chocolate chip cookies in Paris, Alex and I were on a mission to find out: how did they make them perfectly round with raised edges? We asked a local pastry company if they had any ideas, and they said: cookie molds!
Baking cookies in silicone molds makes perfectly round cookies with raised edges. In addition, the cookies all come out looking very similar with a short chill time—even with an uneven oven! We used these 4-inch cookie molds to make 8 very large cookies. (You can use smaller sized molds if you have them: just shorten the baking time).
Are cookie molds required? No! The recipe below has a variation for baking 12 medium-sized cookies on a regular baking sheet.
Ingredients in brown butter chocolate chip cookies
The key to these cookies is a few next-level ingredients that take them over the top. Of course there are the typical baking character, but there are a few key ingredients to use to make them taste irresistible!
- Butter and oil: Using both brown butter and oil makes these cookies intensely chewy.
- Sugar and brown sugar: Brown sugar adds intense flavor and also lends to making the cookie soft.er
- Flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla: These traditional baking ingredients make the base of the cookie.
- Egg plus 1 egg yolk: The additional egg yolk adds richness in flavor and
- Cinnamon: This spice adds a hint of intrigue to the flavor.
- Dark chocolate: Use top quality dark chocolate. Topping with caramel-filled dark chocolate makes a huge flavor impact!
- Nutella: Nutella is optional, but its adds an irresistibly nutty flavor that we think is crucial to the success of this cookie!
- Flaky sea salt: Topping a cookie with flaky sea salt seals the deal.
For best results
For the best results, use the Nutella and top with extra chopped dark chocolate with caramel inside (in addition to the dark chocolate in the cookies). When we did this and took these cookies to a family party, everyone couldn’t stop talking about them!
A note on cookie size and serving
Since these cookies are very large and taste best the day of making, the recipe makes 8 large cookies in molds. If you don’t use molds, it makes 12 medium cookies on baking sheets.
A fun way to serve them for a crowd is slicing each of the cookies into 4 large wedges. It makes for a big platter and everyone seems to like them even better that way!
In the photo above, the bottom cookies were baked in molds and the cookies on the rack were baked on a cookie sheet, showing the differences in texture and shape. Both taste great, but the cookies in molds were the clear winner in our taste testing!
Tips for brown butter
One important note for this recipe is to take care when browning the butter! You’ll want it to become very brown and remove it from the heat right before it burns. Very brown is best, but it can burn in seconds so use your best judgement! Here are the steps for browning butter:
Step 1: Place the butter in a large skillet, cut into pieces. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. First the butter melts, then it starts to foam (around 1 ½ minutes if browning 1 stick of butter).
Step 2: Continue to stir occasionally until the foaming stops and the butter starts to bubble, typically around 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 3: Continue to stir occasionally until the butter becomes brown in color and starts to smell nutty, around 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately remove the butter from the heat and pour it into a bowl to cool.
Storing leftovers
Storage is important for keeping these brown butter chocolate chip cookies chewy. Place the cookies in a plastic bag with parchment in between layers (if there is extra air, suck out as much air as possible with a straw). Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
You can also individually wrap the large cookies in plastic wrap if desired to keep them very moist.
Dietary notes
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are vegetarian. For vegan, go to Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (the dough is a larger quantity, so with molds should make 10 to 11 cookies).
Frequently asked questions
Brown butter adds a rich, nutty flavor and complexity that elevates the classic chocolate chip cookie.
Yes, then reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.
Chilling the dough is recommended as it helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and intensifies the flavors. If you’re short on time, you can skip this step if you’re using the cookie molds. The chill time is required if you are baking on cookie sheets.
The edges should be golden brown and set. The center can look slightly soft; the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 large or 12 medium 1x
Description
These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are over the top: big and chewy, with nutty brown butter, chocolate chunks, topped with flaky sea salt (Nutella swirl optional). Our friends and family agree, this is one outrageously delicious cookie!
Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups (175g) all-purpose flour (unsifted)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 oz best quality dark chocolate (60%), chopped (plus additional dark chocolate with caramel for topping, recommended — see Notes)
- 3 tablespoons Nutella, optional but recommended
- Flaky sea salt (Maldon), for finishing
- Special equipment (optional): 4-inch cookie molds
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Place the butter (sliced into pieces) in a skillet over medium heat. Heat for a few minutes until it melts, turns foamy, and then starts to become golden brown and then brown in color and smells nutty. For the best flavor, you’ll want the butter to be very brown: but not burnt! Be careful because it can burn very quickly.
- Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the sugars and oil into the butter. Allow to cool until it is room temperature, for about 10 minutes (we like to place the bowl in the refrigerator for this part).
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- After the sugar mixture is room temperature, use a spatula to stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Then stir in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate, saving out about ⅙ of the chunks for the topping (or you can add it all and use additional for topping).
- For molded cookies: Divide the dough evenly into 8 silicone molds (scoop out approximately ½ cup scoops or 80 g each). Lightly roll it into a ball then press it down to make a disc. If using Nutella (recommended), add a ½ tablespoon dollop into the dough, then fold over the dough and press it into a disc again. Place the molds on two cookie sheets, then refrigerate the sheets for 30 minutes.
- For free-form cookies: Scoop out ⅓ cup scoops into 12 medium (50 g) sized cookies. Place them across two baking sheets. If using Nutella, pull each ball in half, add a 1 teaspoon dollop of Nutella, then top with the other half of the dough and re-roll into a ball. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. (It is very important to form the dough into cookies before refrigerating, and to refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 hour), otherwise the cookies will spread in the oven. You want the dough as cold as possible.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies until golden brown and set at the edges, 19 to 22 minutes for the cookies in molds, switching the trays halfway. (Without molds, bake 12 to 14 minutes for the 12 medium cookies on sheets). Keep in mind, the bake time depends on your specific oven, so adjust as necessary. You’ll want them just golden and baked through, but still slightly underbaked so they stay chewy.
- Remove from the oven. Important: Press in chopped chocolate into the tops of the cookies (we like using chocolate with caramel inside for the topping), then sprinkle with a small pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Place the molds onto cooling racks, then allow to cool for about 1 hour until the cookies are able to pop out of the molds. (Allow cookies without molds to stand on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to baking racks to cool.) If serving for a crowd, a fun way to serve the molded cookies is to slice them into 4 wedges, making for more cookies!
- Storage: Storage is important for keeping the cookies chewy. Place the cookies in a plastic bag with parchment in between layers (if there is extra air, suck out as much air as possible with a straw). Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. (You can also individually wrap the large cookies in plastic wrap if desired to keep them very moist.)
Notes
For the best results, use the Nutella and top with extra chopped dark chocolate with caramel inside (in addition to the dark chocolate in the cookies). The caramel dark chocolate adds a nice flavor nuance. If desired, you can also use it inside the cookies as well.
Another method for incorporating the Nutella is stirring it into the dough after the chocolate chips with a spatula but only a few times, so it incorporates in streaks.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
this was a super simple recipe and the dough came together very quickly and easily. I’ll be making these again for sure, for special treats! They are SO big, like mini pies!
I loved the nuttiness that the browned butter added to the flavour, such a nice balance to the rich chocolate. An excellent recipe, and so easy to share a cookie with a loved one (I am sure adding a little dollop of ice cream would be divine with a warmed up cookie!).
I want the recipe gluten-free and what kind of flour is suitable rice or oats and how long is the bread? And should I caramel butter or use it without caramelizing
I’m not sure, sorry!
These were perhaps the best looking and tasting cookies I’ve ever made! My husband’s favorite dessert of all time are the regular chocolate chip cookies I make and even he said these may have beat those!! Very high praise from him! Loved the addition of the cinnamon.
Do you think the dough could be made in advance and frozen? Or stored in refrigerator? Thanks!
I do think that would work! You can definitely freeze the dough. Shape the cookies as indicated, then flash freeze them on a baking sheet until solid (about 1 hr), before placing them into a sealable plastic bag. Then you can bake them from frozen, but add a few minutes to the bake time since they start from frozen. Let us know how it goes!