Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies are the ultimate blend of sweet, savory, and indulgent flavors. The secret ingredient, brown butter, infuses the dough with a rich, nutty aroma, while the addition of flaky sea salt enhances the sweetness of the chocolate and adds a subtle crunch. Each cookie boasts a perfectly chewy texture, with slightly crisp edges and pools of melted chocolate throughout. The sprinkle of sea salt on top balances the richness, creating a gourmet treat that's irresistible to cookie lovers. These cookies are a delightful upgrade to the classic chocolate chip recipe, offering a sophisticated flavor profile in every bite.

I have 7 words for you. Brown. Butter. Sea. Salt. Chocolate. Chip. Cookies. These are my go-to cookies anytime I need a quick baked good for a party, potluck, or simply to curb my sweet tooth. Toasty, browned butter, caramel notes from the brown sugar, rich chocolate, and just a touch of salt make for the perfect dessert.
These cookies are so easy to make with little effort and no special equipment needed. Better than store-bought and instant crowd-pleaser, what are you waiting for?
Cookie Ingredients
- – Bread Flour: With its higher protein content than traditional all-purpose flour, bread flour helps provide the perfect chewiness that a high-quality chocolate chip cookie should have. If you prefer a more cakey or crispy cookie, you can use all-purpose flour in place of the bread flour.
- – Butter: one of the main flavor notes comes from the browned butter. Browning butter allows for the milk solids to toast and produces a much deeper, nutty complex flavor than its pale yellow counterpart.
- – Espresso Powder: Espresso powder helps bring out the flavor of the chocolate but doesn’t add any coffee taste. You can also substitute finely ground instant coffee or omit it altogether if you want to avoid the minor caffeine addition.
- – Salt: Even though it is such a trivial amount, salt and chocolate are just a natural pairing.
- – Sugar: This recipe utilizes a higher ratio of dark brown to white/granulated sugar. That is because brown sugar helps keep the cookie moist and chewy for longer and provides a richer flavor.
- – Eggs: Both a whole egg and a single egg yolk are called for. Don’t try to get away with 2 whole eggs, as this can affect the final texture. Egg yolks are higher in fat and help keep a cookie moist without overdrying. The egg white in the whole egg is the little bit of protein that’s necessary to keep the cookie from crumbling away.
- – Vanilla: The vanilla is that unifying ingredient that just ties all the flavors in this cookie together.
- – Chocolate Chips: I like a combination of milk and dark chocolate. You can use chips, chopped chocolate, chunks, or whatever you please. Just try to use high-quality chocolate if possible, as it really is the start of the show here.
- – Flaky Sea Salt (optional): Personally, I love the combination of sweet and salty, and that little salty crunch on top brings these cookies over the top.
Cookie Recipe Tips
- – Weigh Your Ingredients: For the best results, weigh your dry ingredients. Measuring by cups can be inconsistent due to factors like flour grain size and how tightly packed the flour is.
- – Chill your dough overnight: Chilling the dough overnight allows for the flavors in the dough to meld together and mellow out. The dough will be pretty hard when it first comes out, so look into either pre-portioning your cookies or letting the dough warm on the counter for 30 minutes first.
- -Freeze and Bake anytime: These cookies are great to freeze and bake whenever you have a cookie craving. portion the dough on a baking sheet and freeze solid for about an hour before transferring them to a ziplock bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 6 months without affecting the flavor.
Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies
Prep Time: 75 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 85 Minutes
Servings: 2 dozen cookies
Equipment
Medium Sauce Pan
Silicone Spatula
Whisk, Mixing Bowl
Disher
Measuring Cups/Spoons or Scale
Plastic Wrap
Cookie Sheets
Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats
Cooling Rack
Ingredients
2 ½ cups (300g) Bread Flour
1 teaspoon (5g) Baking Soda
½ (3g) teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons (10g) Espresso Powder
1 cup (230g) Unsalted Butter
1 cup (200g) Dark Brown Sugar
½ cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
1 Whole Egg, 1 Egg Yolk
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
12 ounces (200g) chopped Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate
Flaky Sea Salt (to sprinkle on top)
Directions
1. Place a medium saucepan with the butter over medium heat.
2. Allow the butter to melt and foam, mixing every few minutes until it turns a golden brown color and smells nutty, approximately 5-10 minutes. Once it starts to brown, it will burn quickly, so do not walk away!
3. Transfer the browned butter to a glass or metal mixing bowl and place in the fridge to cool and thicken. If the butter doesn’t look very brown, place it back in the pan on the heat for another 2-3 minutes.
4. While the butter is cooling, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.
5. Once the butter has cooled and slightly thickened, remove it from the fridge and whisk in the brown and white sugar until it has fully combined and lightened slightly in color
6. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until fully combined
7. Fold in the flour mixture using a silicone spatula
8. When flour is about half incorporated, fold in the chopped chocolate until everything is just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX
9. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, overnight is even better. WARNING: The dough will be hard if chilled overnight. Look at the tips above.
10. While dough chills, preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet
11. Scoop dough balls, roughly 2 tablespoons in size, onto the pan, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies
12. Bake in a preheated oven for 10–12 minutes until lightly golden brown on the edges.
13. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle light with the flaky sea salt while they are still hot to ensure the salt sticks
14. Move to a cooling rack to cool completely
15. Enjoy!