Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Puffy and soft centers, thinner edges, brown butter, and two types of chopped chocolate are what make up these unbelievably addicting chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

Soft & chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies

There are so many chocolate chip cookie recipes on the internet, but let's talk about why you will love this one:

1. Brown butter. These cookies (and any great chocolate chip cookie recipe) should have brown butter. The nuttiness, almost butterscotch, caramel-like flavor, that brown butter adds to the cookies is *mwah* chef's kiss.
2. Chill time. I hate dough chilling as much as the next person, but it is necessary. Dough that has chilled gives the ingredients more time to emulsify and a chance for the flavors to really develop.
3. Two types of chocolate. I use two types of chocolate in this recipe - semi-sweet and dark. Chopped chocolate is preferred over chocolate chips, as the chopped chocolate is what gives the cookies those melty puddles of chocolate.
4. They're super soft. These cookies are so unbelievably soft (and gooey when eaten warm!). When you brown butter, the water evaporates, so you need something else to add moisture to the cookies. The secret ingredient here is sour cream - one heaping tablespoon adds so much moisture to the cookies.

Key ingredients

• Flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice here for the best texture.
• Leavener: baking soda and baking powder are used to help the cookies rise. Baking soda lets them spread, while baking powder results in those puffy centers.
• Cornstarch: cornstarch is added to the cookies for a tender and soft texture.
• Butter: we use unsalted butter in this recipe to control exactly how much salt goes in. The butter is browned to perfection to add a depth of flavor to the cookies.
• Sugar: granulated sugar and brown sugar are used in these cookies for sweetness, flavor, and moisture. Brown sugar adds flavor and moisture, while granulated sugar aids in the spread of the cookies and gives those browner edges.
• Egg: one egg is used to bind the ingredients together.
• Vanilla extract: good quality vanilla extract is key for great flavor.
• Sour cream: a little bit of sour cream is added to replace the moisture lost from browning the butter.
• Chocolate: semi-sweet and dark chocolate is my favorite to use in these cookies. Chopped chocolate bars are preferred over chocolate chips.

Steps

1. Brown the butter. Toast the butter in large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Let it completely melt and crack/sizzle in the pan, then it will start to foam up. Once this happens, you should begin to see brown bits swirling around in the butter. Once golden brown, immediately remove from the heat and let cool in the fridge for 10 minutes.
2. Add the wet ingredients. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add the egg and whisk to combine, then add the sour cream and whisk to combine.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt and whisk to combine. Add the flour and fold until almost fully incorporated.
4. Add the chocolate. Fold in the chocolate until evenly incorporated and no more streaks of flour remain.
5. Chill. Cover tightly and chill the dough for three hours.
6. Bake. Preheat oven to 350F and bake the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 10-11 minutes.

Troubleshooting

My butter burned.

Browning butter is super easy, but don't walk away from the pan during the process or you can end up with burnt butter. Make sure to stand by and watch the butter closely. As soon as it starts to foam up and you can see the brown bits floating around in the butter, remove from the heat immediately. It should be a golden brown.

My cookies are dry.

To achieve the perfect cookie texture, ensure you don't over-brown the butter. During the browning process, liquid evaporates, so if you brown it excessively, you'll have less liquid/moisture and end up with a drier cookie. Make sure that you have ¾ cup or 170 grams of butter after the browning process.

My cookies spread too much/didn't spread at all.

Cookies that spread too much are likely from measuring the ingredients inaccurately (aka too much liquid, or not enough flour), or not enough chill time. Cookies that did not spread at all are likely from too much flour. Make sure to use a kitchen scale for accuracy.

For any other troubleshooting questions, feel free to leave me a comment below or message me on Instagram!

Cookie baking tips

1. Use a kitchen scale. I cannot stress this enough - a kitchen scale is the only way to ensure accurate results. They are cheap and will make cleaning up SO much easier.
2. Chill the dough. Chilling the dough controls spread and it gives the ingredients the chance to emulsify, resulting a much deeper, caramel-like flavor.
3. Let the brown butter chill in the fridge before adding the other ingredients. The butter will get very hot during the browning process, so make sure you give it enough time to chill. Otherwise, the hot butter may cook the egg or melt the chocolate.
4. Use an oven thermometer. Making sure your oven is calibrated correctly and is at the right temperature is incredibly important. If your oven runs hot, the cookies may spread too much too quickly.
5. Use a cookie scoop. Cookie scoops are one of my favorite kitchen tools. It makes scooping the chilled cookie dough so much easier, and you don't have to get the dough all over your hands.
6. Cookie scoot. "Cookie scooting" is taking something circular (a cookie cutter, as an example) and gently scooting the cookies after they are removed from the oven. This makes the cookies the perfect circular shape. You can also use a mug, a glass storage container, etc.

Prep and storage

1. Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time? Yes! Chill the dough until firm, then store in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for 24 hours maximum.
2. Can I freeze the raw dough? Yes! Chill the dough until firm, then scoop the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once the cookie dough balls are frozen, place them in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to three months. Bake immediately from the freezer and add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
3. Freezing the baked cookies. To freeze the baked cookies, put them in a ziplock bag once they are completely cool and freeze for up to three months.

Baking in grams

While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.

Other recipes you may like

• Dark Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
• Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Brown Butter Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
• White Chocolate Maple Oat Cookies

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Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!