Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies have chewy soft centers, thinner edges, toasty brown butter, and two types of melty chocolate. With no mixer required, you can be munching on these addicting cookies in no time!

These chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies are incredibly easy to make – with no mixer required and common pantry ingredients, you can be enjoying soft & warm homemade chocolate chip cookies in no time. Using brown butter for a nutty, caramel-like flavor, two types of melty chocolate, and a healthy sprinkle of flaky salt, one cookie will not be enough!

Why you’ll love these chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies

1. Brown butter. The nutty caramel flavor that brown butter adds to the cookies is *mwah* chef’s kiss.
2. Chocolatey goodness. I normally use two types of chocolate in this recipe – any combination of milk, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate works! To get those melty chocolate puddles, use chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips.
3. Super soft texture. These cookies are so unbelievably soft (and gooey when eaten warm!). The secret ingredient here is sour cream – one heaping tablespoon adds so much moisture to the cookies.

Ingredient notes

• Flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice here for the best texture.
• Leavening agents: 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.
• Fine sea salt: salt is just as important in baking as it is in cooking! Salt enhances flavor, so omitting it would definitely make a difference in the final result.
• 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. European style is preferred for the best flavor!
• 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: any combination of milk, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate work in these cookies! Chopped chocolate bars are preferred over chocolate chips.

See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients & their quantities.

Recipe summary

Below is a condensed version of the recipe steps. See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe instructions.

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 20 minutes.
2. Add the wet ingredients. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add the egg and 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.

FAQ

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. Accurately measure the flour. One of the most common mistakes in baking is over-measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. This will prevent the flour from being over-packed.
3. Chill the dough. Chilling the dough controls spread and it gives the ingredients the chance to emulsify, resulting in a much deeper flavor. 
4. 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.
5. 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.

Baking in grams

I rely on gram measurements when testing recipes because they offer the highest level of accuracy (and less cleanup!). Unlike volume measurements, which can vary, grams provide a reliable and consistent standard. I carefully test all of my recipes using this kitchen scale, therefore I cannot guarantee the outcome when using volume measurements. However, volume measurements are available in the recipe card.

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