Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 24 medium cookies
• Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus 30–60 minutes chill time)
• Cook Time: 30 minutes (for multiple batches)
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt (plus flaky salt for topping)
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 oz (115 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Do This

• 1. Brown butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat, stirring, until deep golden with toasty brown bits and nutty aroma; cool to just warm.
• 2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine salt in a bowl.
• 3. In a large bowl, whisk browned butter with both sugars until glossy, then whisk in egg, yolk, and vanilla until thick and smooth.
• 4. Fold dry ingredients into wet just until no dry streaks remain; stir in chocolate chips and chopped bittersweet chocolate.
• 5. Cover and chill dough 30–60 minutes until scoopable and no longer greasy.
• 6. Scoop 2 Tbsp mounds onto lined baking sheets, spacing well; bake at 350°F (175°C) for 11–13 minutes until edges are golden and centers just set.
• 7. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt; cool on pan 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Browned butter adds deep, nutty, almost toffee-like flavor you cannot get from plain softened butter.
• Perfect texture balance: chewy centers, crisp edges, and melty pockets of chocolate in every bite.
• A mix of chocolate chips and chopped bittersweet chocolate gives both classic flavor and dramatic pools of melted chocolate.
• A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top makes the flavors pop and balances the sweetness.

Grocery List

• Produce: None (this is a pantry-friendly cookie recipe).
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk (or 2 eggs if you prefer to separate at home).
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine sea salt, flaky sea salt, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, semi-sweet chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate bar (60–72% cocoa).

Full Ingredients

Brown Butter

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Dry Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Optional: 1–2 tsp milk or cream, only if dough seems too dry/crumbly

Chocolate & Finishing

• 1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 oz (115 g) bittersweet chocolate bar (60–72% cocoa), chopped into chunks
• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling on top

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Brown the butter

Add the butter to a light-colored saucepan or skillet (light color helps you see the browning) and set over medium heat. As it melts, swirl occasionally. The butter will foam, then the foam will subside, and milk solids will begin to turn golden. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom and corners of the pan with a heatproof spatula.

Continue cooking until the butter smells nutty and toasty and the milk solids at the bottom are deep golden brown, 5–8 minutes total. Watch closely once it starts to brown; it can burn quickly. As soon as it reaches a rich amber color with brown specks and a strong nutty aroma, immediately pour all the butter (including the browned bits) into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. Let cool until just warm, not hot, about 15–20 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare pans and preheat the oven

While the browned butter cools, line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats). This prevents sticking and encourages even browning. Adjust your oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). If your kitchen is very warm, you can slide the lined trays into the fridge to chill while you mix the dough; this helps keep the cookie bottoms from spreading too fast.

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until thoroughly combined and lump-free. This evenly distributes the leavening and salt so the cookies rise properly and taste consistent throughout. Set the bowl aside.

Step 4: Combine browned butter, sugars, and eggs

Once the browned butter is warm (not hot to the touch), add the brown sugar and granulated sugar directly to the bowl with the butter. Whisk briskly until the mixture looks glossy and slightly thick, about 1–2 minutes. It should resemble a loose caramel.

Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk, mixing well after each addition until the mixture is thick, smooth, and slightly lightened in color. Whisk in the vanilla extract. This step builds structure and helps the sugars start to dissolve, which contributes to the cookies’ chewy texture.

Step 5: Add dry ingredients and fold in chocolate

Add about half of the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently stir until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and continue mixing just until no visible dry flour remains. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky; avoid over-mixing, which can make cookies tough.

Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and the chopped bittersweet chocolate until evenly distributed. If the dough seems excessively dry and sandy and does not hold together when squeezed, sprinkle in 1–2 teaspoons of milk or cream and gently work it in until the dough just comes together in soft clumps.

Step 6: Chill the dough

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a reusable lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours. Chilling allows the flour to hydrate fully and the browned butter flavor to deepen, and it helps the cookies bake up thick with chewy centers instead of spreading too thin.

If chilling longer than a couple of hours, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10–20 minutes before scooping so it is easier to handle. The dough should be firm but scoopable.

Step 7: Scoop and bake the cookies

Use a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons each (roughly 35–40 g). Roll lightly between your palms for a round shape and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 1/2 inches between cookies to allow for spreading. For extra attractive “chocolate puddles,” press a few extra chocolate chunks or chips lightly into the tops of the dough balls.

Bake one sheet at a time for 11–13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are deep golden and set but the centers still look slightly underbaked and soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool. For crinkly tops, you can gently tap the baking sheet against the oven rack once or twice at the 9–10 minute mark to deflate the cookies slightly, then finish baking.

Step 8: Finish with flaky salt and cool

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle each one with a pinch of flaky sea salt. The salt will adhere better while the cookies are still hot and slightly glossy on top.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes, until they are set enough to move without breaking. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The centers will firm up as they cool, creating that perfect chewy texture with crisp, browned edges and gooey pockets of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate.

Pro Tips

• Watch the butter closely: Browning happens quickly in the last minute. Take it off the heat as soon as the milk solids are a rich golden-brown and smell nutty, not burnt.
• Use a scale if possible: Weights for flour, butter, and sugar help ensure the dough is the right consistency and the cookies bake evenly.
• Do not overbake: Pull the cookies when the centers still look a little soft and underdone. Overbaking is the fastest route to dry, cakey cookies.
• Mix of chips and chopped chocolate: Chips hold their shape, while chopped chocolate melts into puddles. Using both gives the best flavor and texture contrast.
• Pan-banging for crinkles: If you like rippled edges, gently bang the baking sheet on the oven rack once or twice during the last few minutes of baking.

Variations

• Nutty brown-butter pecan: Toast 1 cup (110 g) chopped pecans in a dry skillet until fragrant, cool, and fold into the dough with the chocolate for extra crunch and flavor.
• Espresso brown-butter cookies: Add 1–2 tsp instant espresso powder to the browned butter and sugar mixture to enhance the chocolate and add a subtle coffee note.
• Extra-dark chocolate version: Swap the semi-sweet chips for 1 cup (170 g) of chopped dark chocolate (70–80%) and increase the brown sugar by 2 Tbsp for a deeper, more intense flavor.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For the chewiest texture, place a small slice of bread or a piece of apple in the container (not touching the cookies directly) to help maintain moisture, replacing it as needed.

For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–7 minutes.

You can also freeze unbaked dough balls: scoop, place on a lined tray, freeze until solid, then store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C), adding 1–3 minutes to the baking time. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt right after baking, as usual.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate per cookie (1 of 24): 220 calories, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 26 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 3 g protein, 150 mg sodium. These values are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients and cookie size.