Brown butter is the small extra step that turns an everyday chocolate chunk cookie into something people ask about. You melt butter on the stove and keep toasting it until the milk solids turn a deep chestnut brown, and that one move brings out a warm, nutty flavor with caramel notes that plain melted butter simply does not have.
These cookies are thin but not too thin. The edges come out slightly crisp, the centers stay soft, tender, and chewy, and there is a satisfying, substantial texture from all that chopped chocolate. Semi sweet chocolate chunks are the way to go, since chunks melt into generous pools while chips tend to hold their shape.
Brown butter is regular butter that has been melted and toasted on the stove until the milk solids turn brown.
As the butter heats, its water content evaporates and the milk solids caramelize, and that is exactly where the deep, nutty, almost heavenly flavor comes from. Nothing is added and nothing gets strained out.
You are simply cooking butter a little longer than usual, and the result gives baked goods far more depth and complexity.
How to make brown butter
Browning butter takes less than 10 minutes once you know what to look for. Use a cold stainless steel skillet and unsalted butter, since salted butter foams more and makes the process harder to read.
Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally so the milk solids sink to the bottom and begin to brown.
Watch for foam. The butter will bubble up first, then that foam will subside.
Once the foam settles, stir gently and continually with a heat resistant spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan so the browned milk solids do not stick and burn.
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the butter turns chestnut brown and smells nutty.
Immediately scrape the butter and every browned bit into a heatproof bowl. The hot pan keeps cooking the butter after the heat is off, so this transfer is what stops it from burning.
The butter moves through three clear stages: melting, foaming, and then browning. If you keep the pan moving and pay attention to the color at the bottom, you will catch it at the right moment. Take it off the heat promptly, transfer it right away, and you will have a bowl of fragrant, amber colored butter ready for the dough.
Why this recipe works
A touch of milk in the dough keeps the cookies moist and hydrates the starches in the flour, which helps the texture stay tender instead of dry. There is also no chill time required, so you can go from browned butter to a loaded tray in the oven without waiting around.
Brown butter is the real reason these cookies taste special. It adds depth and complexity to the flavor profile, and it also makes the cookies a little more dense and extra chewy, which is exactly what a chocolate chunk cookie should be.
Ingredient Notes
Every ingredient here has a job. Here is what each one is doing, with the amounts used in the original recipe.
Ingredient
Amount
What it does
Unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 Tbsp.
Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt evenly and brown better. Unsalted butter lets you control the flavor and highlights the nutty brown butter.
Dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup
Adds moisture and a deeper caramel flavor. Light brown sugar works as a substitute.
Granulated sugar
1/2 cup
Adds crispiness at the edges and a lighter color.
Large egg, room temperature
1
Binds the dough and builds structure.
Large egg yolk, room temperature
1
The extra yolk adds protein for extra chewiness.
Whole milk
2 Tbsp.
Keeps the cookies moist and hydrates the flour starches.
Pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp.
Real vanilla adds complex, subtle spice. It is worth using the good bottle here.
All purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 2/3 cups
Gives the cookies their texture and chew. Weighing the flour, about 300 grams, gives the best results.
Salt
1 tsp.
Balances the sweetness and sharpens the chocolate.
Baking soda
1 tsp.
Helps the cookies spread and brown.
Baking powder
1/2 tsp.
Adds a little lift.
Semi sweet chocolate, chopped, divided
2 bars, 4 oz. each
Chopped chocolate spreads much better than chips. If your cookies are not spreading and you used chips, that is often the culprit.
Flaky sea salt
For finishing
Adds a salty finish that makes the chocolate taste even richer.
A quick note on the flour: spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it if your scale is handy. Packed flour makes a dry dough, and a dry dough is the most common reason cookies bake up thick and cakey instead of chewy.
Step by Step Directions
Once the butter is browned and cooled slightly, the rest comes together quickly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Brown the butter using the method above, then let it cool slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Beat the sugars into the brown butter with a hand mixer.
Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, then beat again.
Sift in the dry ingredients and fold just until combined. Keep stirring, the cookie dough will come together.
Fold in only 3/4 cup of the chopped chocolate and save the rest for the tops. The dough should feel like cookie dough. If it still feels dry, add a splash more milk and stir to combine.
Dunk each dough ball into the remaining chopped chocolate so the pieces cover the top, then press the chocolate in gently. Slightly flattening the ball first gives you a better surface for the chocolate to stick to. Place 6 cookies on a baking sheet at a time. This makes about 22 cookies.
Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. The edges should be light golden brown and the centers should still look a little gooey. They continue to bake on the hot sheet pan after they come out of the oven. If you want a perfectly round shape, swirl a cup around the edges of the cookies while they are still hot.
Rest the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then gently transfer them to a cooling rack and garnish with flaky sea salt.
Tips to make brown butter
Browning butter is simple, but a few habits make it far more reliable.
Start with unsalted butter and add salt to the dough later as needed. That way you control the final salt level.
Use a light colored or stainless steel pan. Dark pans make it very hard to judge the color of the milk solids.
Cut the butter into evenly sized pieces, about tablespoon sized, so everything melts and browns at the same rate.
Melt over low to medium heat and stir constantly with a heat resistant spatula or whisk. Constant movement keeps the milk solids from sticking.
Watch for foam and bubbles first, then for golden specks at the bottom of the pan as the milk solids brown.
Smell as you go. A nutty aroma is your signal that browning is nearly complete.
Pull the pan off the heat the moment the butter hits a rich golden brown color with that nutty scent, then transfer it immediately to a heatproof bowl to stop the carryover cooking.
Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in seconds. Stay at the stove and keep stirring until it is in the bowl.
One more thing worth knowing: the aroma is your best timer. If the kitchen starts to smell like toasted hazelnuts, you are close, and you should already have your heatproof bowl within reach. For another look at the same technique, this brown butter chocolate chunk cookies tutorial from Sally’s Baking Addiction is a helpful comparison.
Variations
The base dough is a great canvas. Try one of these add ins, keeping the total amount of mix ins reasonable so the cookies still spread well.
Toasted nuts: chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds add crunch.
Shredded coconut: sweetened or unsweetened gives a tropical flavor.
Caramel bits: fold in caramel bits or pieces for a gooey caramel surprise in the center.
Dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, or chopped apricots add a chewy, fruity note.
Warm spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom turn these into a spiced cookie.
Different chocolate: dark chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch chips, or chunks of your favorite chocolate bar all work beautifully.
Citrus zest: orange or lemon zest brightens the whole cookie.
Espresso powder: a small amount intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds a hint of coffee.
Pick one variation at a time so you can taste what it brings to the cookie. For a thicker, bakery style chocolate chip cookie, my Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are the ones to try next.
Storage and Freezing
Baked cookies keep beautifully, which is one of the best reasons to make a double batch.
Room temperature: store baked cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing baked cookies: freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Freezing dough: scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon balls, press chocolate pieces on top, and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Baking from frozen: bake the frozen dough straight from the freezer, adding about an extra minute to the bake time since ovens vary.
Make ahead: the dough can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days, then brought to room temperature before baking as directed.
A few extra seconds of planning pay off here. Pressing the chocolate onto the dough balls before freezing means the cookies go into the oven already looking finished, and the flaky sea salt can be added right after baking either way.
FAQs
What is the secret to making brown butter for cookies?
Brown butter is made by melting unsalted butter over medium heat and cooking it until the milk solids turn a chestnut brown color and release a nutty aroma. Use a light-colored pan to monitor the color change and stir constantly once it foams. Remove it from the heat immediately and transfer to a heatproof bowl to prevent burning.
Why did my brown butter chocolate chunk cookies turn out dry?
Brown butter has less water than regular butter because some evaporates during browning, which can make the dough feel dry. This recipe compensates by adding 2 tablespoons of whole milk to keep the cookies moist. Also, be sure to spoon and level your flour; using 300 grams by weight is most accurate.
Can I use chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks?
Yes, you can substitute chocolate chips, but chopped chocolate from bars like Ghirardelli semisweet spreads better in the dough. Chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape, which can sometimes prevent cookies from spreading as much. For the best texture and puddles of melted chocolate, chopped bars are recommended.
How should I store brown butter chocolate chunk cookies and how long do they last?
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months or freeze the raw scooped dough balls. To bake from frozen, just add one extra minute to the 10 to 11 minute baking time at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Brown butter is the small extra step that turns an everyday chocolate chunk cookie into something people ask about. You melt butter on the stove and keep toasting it until the milk solids turn a deep chestnut brown, and that one move brings out a warm, nutty flavor with caramel notes that plain melted butter simply does not have.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg, room temperature 1 large egg yolk, room temperature 2 Tbsp. whole milk 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2, 4 oz. bars semi sweet chocolate, chopped, divided flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
Instructions 1-Note: Note: see recipe notes below about cookies not spreading or cookie dough being dry. 2-Preheat the oven to 350°F: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. 3-Brown the butter: Brown the butter: For a detailed tutorial, see this post on how to brown butter. Allow the butter to cool slightly, ~10-15 minutes. 4-Beat in the sugars into the brown: Beat in the sugars into the brown butter using a hand mixer. 5-Add in eggs, milk and vanilla: Add in eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat again. 6-Sift in the dry ingredients and fold: Sift in the dry ingredients and fold just until combined. (Keep stirring, the cookie dough will come together!) 7-Fold in only 3/4 cup of the: Fold in only 3/4 cup of the chocolate chunks (we will use the rest of the chunks to decorate the tops). Dough should feel like cookie dough, if it feels dry still add a splash more milk and stir to combine. 8-Dunk a cookie dough ball in the: Dunk a cookie dough ball in the remaining chopped chocolate so the pieces cover the tops of the cookie dough balls. Press chocolate into cookie slightly just to be sure it sticks. You can slightly flatten them to get a good surface so the chocolate sticks if thats easier! Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls and place 6 cookies on a baking sheet at a time. (Should yield ~22 cookies) 9-Bake for 10-11 minutes (I like to: Bake for 10-11 minutes (I like to go slightly underbaked for a delicious chewy cookie, the edges should be a light golden brown and centers still a little gooey looking, they will continue to bake on baking sheet when removed from oven). Swirl a cup around the edges of the cookies to give them a perfect circular look if needed. 10-Rest on cookie sheet just 2-3 minutes: Rest on cookie sheet just 2-3 minutes then gently transfer to a cooling rack to cool and garnish with flaky sea salt if desired.
