Makes 24 | Prep 15 min | Chill 30 min | Bake 12 min
Browning the butter is the one small step that changes everything — it gives these chocolate chip cookies a deep, nutty, toffee-like flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. The dough chills briefly, then bakes into cookies with golden, crisp edges and soft, chewy centers loaded with chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pan until golden brown and nutty, then cool slightly.
- Whisk in the brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Scoop onto a baking tray and bake at 350°F for 12 minutes until golden at the edges.
Tips
- Watch the butter closely as it browns — it goes from golden to burnt quickly. Take it off the heat as soon as it smells nutty and you see amber flecks.
- Don’t skip the chill: cold dough spreads less, so the cookies stay thick and chewy.
- Pull the cookies out when the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly soft; they finish setting as they cool.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The raw dough can be scooped into balls and frozen for up to 3 months — bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
FAQ
Can I use salted butter?
Yes — just reduce the added salt to a pinch so the cookies don’t come out too salty.
Why brown the butter instead of just melting it?
Browning toasts the milk solids in the butter, which adds a rich, nutty, almost caramel flavor that makes these cookies taste like a bakery version.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. The dough keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavor actually deepens overnight.