These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are the greatest cookies of all time. They're loaded with dark chocolate chips and toffee pieces and have the most wonderful brown butter flavor. I've been making these for years and if you follow the simple tips below, I promise you they'll turn out perfectly every time!
Step One: Browning the butter
This is optional but the extra time is so so worth it! Browning butter gives it a toasty, nutty flavor that perfectly compliments the dark chocolate and toffee flavors. The biggest problem I see people run into when using brown butter in cookies, is not letting the butter cool long enough before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. If you've ever creamed butter and sugar together, you know that lovely airy texture that it should be. If you add butter that too hot to that mixture, it will melt the rest of the butter and start to melt the sugar which will weigh down the dough and take away that light, fluffy texture that we want. So make sure you brown your butter first, then go watch an episode of something on Netflix so that it has time to cool before you start making the dough.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, stir frequently and watch closely for the formation of brown specs on the bottom of the pan and a nutty aroma.
- Once you see brown specs, stir for just a few more seconds (it browns super quickly).
- Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a different bowl to prevent it from burning.
- Set aside and let cool for at least 20-30 minutes. If it still feels warm enough to melt sugar, let it cool longer.
Step Two: Making the dough
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the softened butter, cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Note: the almond extract is optional but adds a great depth of flavor that compliments the toffee and brown butter.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. The dough should be wet and sticky and you might think you need more flour (you don't).
- Using a spoon or spatula, mix in the dark chocolate chips and toffee pieces.
- If you like dark chocolate, I highly recommend the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking chips. The flavor is amazing and the baking chips are slightly larger and flatter than normal chocolate chips and melt beautifully inside your cookies. Also, heath bar or skor toffee is the best in my opinion.
- Cover the dough and chill in the fridge overnight for best results. If you absolutely can't wait, just chill it for at least an hour.
Why do I have to chill the dough?
This is for a couple of reasons. First, letting the dough rest gives the flour time to hydrate. Eggs are the only liquid in these cookies and it takes flour a longer time to absorb that moisture. When the flour is hydrated it helps contain the spread of the cookie so that you get a nice set edge and soft, chewy center. Similarly, since we had to melt half the butter, this gives the butter time to firm back up. We want cold, solid butter going into the oven because that also helps control the spreading.
But don't we want the cookies to spread? Yes, we do and they will. We just don't want them to spread too much because then you get a flat, crispy cookie instead of one with a soft, chewy center.
After scooping the dough balls onto your baking sheet, pop them back in the fridge for another 5-10 minutes to let them firm back up. Similarly, if you freeze the cookie dough balls, they go straight from the freezer to the oven (more on that below).
Long story short: hot oven + cold cookie dough = magic
Step Three: Bake and enjoy!
- Scoop a generous 3 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. I use a size 20 cookie scoop*.
- Place 2-3 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Note: I usually only bake 6 cookies at a time on a half sheet pan because they're big and will spread out.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are set and the centers are still soft.
- Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt* and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
Only bake one sheet at a time; on the center rack. This will ensure all your cookies cook evenly and the bottoms don't burn. Also, let the cookie sheet cool completely between batches. This will also help ensure all cookies cook evenly and don't spread too much by being put on a hot pan.
This dough will keep really well in the fridge for up to a week, so I recommend only baking a few cookies at a time. That way they're always fresh, warm, and delicious!
The dough also freezes great! You can freeze pre-rolled cookie dough balls and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
The frozen cookie dough can go straight from the freezer to the oven! Just add about 2 minutes to your cooking time!
Store the baked brown butter chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (if you somehow still have cookies left after a week, please go to the doctor because you must be ill).
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup toffee pieces
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- To make brown butter, melt unsalted butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. Watch closely for the butter to develop brown specs and a nutty aroma. Once you start seeing brown specs, let cook for just a few seconds longer (watch very carefully or it will burn). Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl so that it doesn't continue to cook. Set aside and let cool in the fridge for at least 20 minutes until it's soft and pliable.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until the texture is light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes, it should look much paler than before).
- Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. The dough should be wet and sticky.
- Using a spoon or spatula, mix in the dark chocolate chips and toffee pieces.
- Cover the dough and chill in the fridge overnight (minimum of 1 hour if you just can't wait).
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a light colored baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spoon a generous 3 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Place dough balls at least 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet (they will spread, I usually only do 6 cookies on a half sheet pan).
- Bake cookies for 9-11 minute or until the edges are set and the centers are still soft. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Lisa says
I have made these five times in the last two weeks. They are incredible! I need to add an extra 1/2 to 3/4 cup of flour to mine so they are not completely flat though. Not a problem. Figured it out after the first time I made them. I really appreciate your work and sharing this recipe with us 🙂
Thank you for an awesome, so delicious, recipe I will use again and again!
Onna Boden says
Loved these cookies! Thorough and easy to follow recipe! They turned out delicious and I received lots of compliments on them.
Dwayne says
No question about it! This is a 5 star recipe!
Allison says
Absolutely 5 stars! What makes these great? Their crisp edge and chewy center! I like the addition of almond extract. We use the recommended Ghirardelli 60% Cacao bittersweet chips, a bit larger and flatter. The dough is gooey but firms up in the fridge overnight. We skip the toffee chips. We make then medium-sized, so shape balls with about half the dough (~1 1/2 TB). They do spread so give them space. When the cookie is crispy at the edge and just a little puffy in the middle, take them out. Delicious!
Kyleigh Sage says
I’m so glad you love them!!
Allison says
Absolutely 5 Stars for their crisp edge and chewy center! What makes these great? I like the addition of almond extract. We use the recommended Ghirardelli 60% Cacao bittersweet chips, a bit larger and flatter. The dough is gooey but firms up in the fridge overnight. We skip the toffee chips. We make then medium-sized, so shape balls with about half the dough (~1 1/2 TB). They do spread so give them space. When the cookie is crispy at the edge and just a little puffy in the middle, take them out. Delicious!
Megan says
By far my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Katie says
These are SO GOOD!