Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt and Brown Butter

My Secret to the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Let me tell you about my favorite cookie. It is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I know. The secret is brown butter. It gives a warm, nutty taste. It makes your whole kitchen smell like heaven.

I learned about brown butter cookies from my friend Marie. She brought some to a picnic. One bite and I had to know her secret. I still smile thinking about it. That flavor changes everything. It turns a simple treat into something special.

How to Brown Butter Without Fear

Do not let browning butter scare you. It is easy. You just melt it in a pan. Watch it closely. It will foam and get golden. Little brown bits will form at the bottom.

That is the good part! Those bits are flavor. You will smell a wonderful, nutty aroma. Doesn’t that smell amazing? Take it off the heat right then. Pour it into a bowl to cool. *Fun fact: This process is called “browning” because the milk solids in the butter toast up!*

Why We Chill the Dough

Here is my biggest cookie dough chilling tip. You must chill the dough balls. I know, waiting is hard. But it matters so much. It keeps your cookies from spreading too thin.

Chilled dough bakes up taller. It gives you soft chocolate chip cookies with chewy centers. I pop the tray in the freezer. I use the time to wash my mixing bowls. Do you have tricks for being patient while baking?

The Sweet and Salty Finish

Now for the magic touch. As soon as the cookies come out, sprinkle them. Use just a pinch of coarse sea salt. This makes sea salt chocolate chip cookies perfect.

The salt makes the chocolate taste richer. It balances the sweet. This matters because food should have layers of flavor. Sweet, salty, and nutty all at once. What is your favorite sweet-and-salty snack?

Baking Your Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake your chilled dough balls two trays at a time. Rotate them halfway. This helps them bake evenly. You want golden edges but soft middles. That is the sign of chewy chocolate chip cookies.

Let them cool a bit on the tray. The smell will drive you wild. Then move them to a rack. This matters for texture. It keeps the bottom crisp. Soon you will have a plate of browned butter cookies. Your own homemade chocolate chip cookies. Which chocolate chip type do you like best in cookies, dark or milk?

Ingredients:

Instructions

Step 1: First, make your brown butter. Melt one stick of butter in a pan. Swirl it until it smells nutty and looks golden. Pour it into a bowl to cool. (How to brown butter? Just watch for those little brown bits!) This trick makes the best chocolate chip cookie recipe so special.

Step 2: Whisk your flour, salt, baking soda, and powder together. Set this bowl aside. Now, cream the other butter stick with both sugars. Mix until it’s fluffy and light. This is the start of your homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Step 3: Slowly mix the cooled brown butter into the sugary mix. Then add eggs and vanilla. It will smell amazing! Now, gently mix in your dry ingredients. Finally, fold in all those chocolate chips. Your browned butter cookie dough is ready.

Step 4: Scoop your dough into balls. Here’s a key for chewy chocolate chip cookies: you must chill the dough! (My cookie dough chilling tip? Freeze them for 30 minutes.) This keeps your soft chocolate chip cookies from spreading too flat. Do you chill your dough? Share below!

Step 5: Bake your cookies until the edges are just golden. Let them sit for a minute. Then, sprinkle each one with a pinch of sea salt. That sea salt chocolate chip cookies magic! Let them cool. I promise these are the best.

Creative Twists

Serving & Pairing Ideas

Serve these brown butter chocolate chip cookies warm. A cold glass of milk is perfect with them. For a fancy treat, crumble one over vanilla ice cream. The sea salt makes the sweet ice cream taste even better. Which would you choose tonight?

Keeping Your Cookie Joy Fresh

Let’s talk about keeping these cookies wonderful. They are best fresh, of course. But you can store them right. Put cooled cookies in a tight container. Add a piece of plain bread inside. The bread keeps them soft for days.

You can freeze the dough balls too. Scoop them onto a tray and freeze solid. Then pop them into a freezer bag. Bake a few anytime you want a warm treat. I remember my first batch of frozen dough. I was so happy to have cookies in ten minutes!

Batch cooking like this matters. It turns baking into a gift for your future self. A little work now means easy joy later. Have you ever tried storing it this way? Share below!

Little Fixes for Big Cookie Wins

We all face small kitchen troubles. Here are three common ones. First, cookies spreading too flat. Your butter was likely too warm. Chilling the dough fixes this every time.

Second, cookies tasting bland. You may have used table salt in the dough. Fine sea salt gives a cleaner, fuller flavor. I once used the wrong salt. The cookies just tasted sweet, not rich.

Third, butter burning when browning. Use medium heat and keep swirling. It goes from perfect to burnt fast. Getting these right builds your cooking confidence. It also makes the flavor deep and just right. Which of these problems have you run into before?

Your Quick Questions, Answered

How do you keep brown butter cookies soft?

Store them in an airtight container. Add a slice of plain bread. The bread gives moisture to the cookies. Do not overbake them. Take them out when the edges are just set. This is key for chewy chocolate chip cookies. The center should look a tiny bit soft.

What is the best salt to use for sea salt chocolate chip cookies?

Use fine sea salt inside the dough. It blends smoothly for flavor. Use a flaky sea salt on top after baking. The flakes give a nice crunch and look pretty. This is my secret for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. The two salts work together perfectly.

Can you make brown butter ahead of time for cookies?

Yes, you can make it ahead. Let it cool completely at room temperature. Then cover it and put it in the fridge. It will become solid again. Let it soften a bit before you use it. Knowing how to brown butter ahead saves time. It makes your homemade chocolate chip cookies easier to start.

Why are my brown butter cookies dry or crumbly?

You may have measured too much flour. Spoon flour into your cup, then level it. Do not pack it down. Also, do not overmix the dough after adding flour. Just mix until you see no more white streaks. These steps keep your browned butter cookies soft and chewy, not dry.

What chocolate is best for brown butter chocolate chip cookies?

I use a mix of dark and milk chocolate chips. The dark chocolate balances the sweet, nutty brown butter. The milk chocolate adds a creamy sweetness. You can use all one kind if you prefer. Good chocolate makes these chocolate chip cookies with sea salt extra special.

Can you substitute regular butter for brown butter in cookies?

You can, but you will lose the special flavor. Brown butter gives a deep, nutty taste. It is what makes this recipe unique. If you must swap, use all regular softened butter. The cookies will still be good, but different. For true browned butter cookies, take the few minutes to brown it. Which tip will you try first?

From My Kitchen to Yours

I hope you love baking these cookies as much as I do. The smell of browning butter is my favorite. It smells like a cozy afternoon. *Fun fact: browning butter is called “beurre noisette” in French. It means “hazelnut butter” because of its color and smell.

Thank you for spending time in my kitchen today. I would love to hear about your baking adventure. Have you tried this recipe? Tell me all about it in the comments below.

Happy cooking!

—Marina Caldwell

Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Marina Caldwell Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 12 minutesChill time: 30 minutesTotal time:1 hour 12 minutesServings:24 cookiesCalories:220 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or sea salt flakes for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Begin by browning the butter. Add ½ cup (1 stick) of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. Keep swirling or stirring the butter in the pan. It will start to turn from yellow to a deeper golden color and toasty bits will start forming around the edges. When the butter begins to foam up and give off a nutty aroma, the brown bits will start to really show up. Take it off the heat immediately to avoid burning. Pour the butter and scrape the browned bits into a heatproof bowl or liquid measuring cup to cool down while you prepare the other ingredients. Stick it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the remaining ½ cup (1 stick) of butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically.
4. Slowly add the cooled brown butter. You don’t want the brown butter too warm or it will melt the sugars prematurely and make for thin cookies. Mix on medium speed for another 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
5. With the mixer on low, carefully add the eggs, one at a time. Followed by the vanilla and mix for another minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl thoroughly.
6. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and blend on low until the flour is just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula or wooden spoon.
7. Line cookie sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper. Scoop cookies with a 2 TB sized cookie scoop. Place closely, in rows, on one of the lined baking sheets. Cover and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 20-30 minutes. This helps keep the cookies from spreading when they bake.
8. Once the cookies have chilled, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place chilled cookie dough balls, 2″ apart on lined baking sheets. And bake 2 sheets at a time.
9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of dough balls and your oven. Rotate the trays halfway through bake time.
10. While the cookies are still hot and the chocolate is still melty, sprinkle with sea salt or sea salt flakes. Allow to cool on the trays for a few minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to finish cooling.

Notes

For best results, ensure your browned butter is cooled to room temperature before adding it to the creamed butter and sugars. The chilling step is crucial for thick, chewy cookies.

Keywords:Cookies, Chocolate Chip, Brown Butter, Sea Salt