Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
I have dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes on my site. After 9 years, it’s bound to happen because I like to keep trying out new recipes. These brown butter chocolate chip cookies are not new entirely, but rather are adapted from these Halloween M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookies that I then adapted to make Sea Salt Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. I am in love with this dough base for so many reasons. The nutty, rich flavor of the browned butter is divine. Brown butter cookies have an incredible taste, but they also have another selling point. You don’t have to drag out a mixer and can stir everything together by hand in one bowl. Major score there. These salted chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate, and have flaky, crunchy sea salt on top. I love salty-and-sweet treats so much. The flavor of both the dough and the chocolate are completely elevated with the simple addition of sea salt.
What’s in Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies?
To make these sea salt brown butter chocolate chip cookies, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter Egg Light brown sugar Granulated sugar Vanilla extract All-purpose flour Cornstarch Baking soda Kosher salt Semi-sweet chocolate chips Flaky sea salt
How to Make Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
To make these salted chocolate chip cookies, you first need to brown the butter. I’ve given detailed instructions on how to do so in the recipe card below. Once the butter has been browned, stir in the egg, sugars, and vanilla. Then, stir in the dry ingredients, followed by the chocolate chips. Scoop the cookie dough into balls and chill for at least 4 hours. Once the dough has chilled, sprinkle with sea salt and bake the brown butter sea salt chocolate chip cookies until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center.
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
It’s mandatory that the dough be chilled for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before baking. No exceptions or the cookies will bake flat, thin, and spread like crazy. Don’t overbake them because they taste better a bit underbaked.
Can I Omit the Cornstarch?
Technically, yes, but your cookies won’t turn out as soft.
Tips for Making Brown Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salt varies wildly from table to kosher to sea salt, and it can take some experimenting to know which salt to use for what purpose. For the dough, I used kosher salt and for topping the cookies I used flaky sea salt. Both are available in mainstream grocery stores, no special trips required. Use your favorite brands and add to taste. A generous pinch on the top of each cookie works for me. For these photos, I went a little heavier than usual with the salt because I wasn’t sure how well it would show up. Turns out it shows up just fine. I like a little cookie with my salt flakes. No biggie. Because you’re starting with melted rather than creamed butter, the cookies are wonderfully chewy while cornstarch keeps them soft for days. Since the butter is melted rather than creamed, the dough may seem oily yet crumbly, which sounds paradoxical but it’s possible. The and chocolate chips tend to slide out of the raw dough mounds, but just keep pushing them in. Here’s a video demonstrating how I make these wonderful cookies.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
Sea Salt Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies – Super soft, perfectly chewy, salty-and-sweet chocolate chip cookies that are amazing! An easy, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – One of my favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies! Just one bite and I think you’ll agree!
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies – Move over butter, cream cheese keeps these cookies soft and extra thick!
The Best Soft and Chewy Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies – You’ll never miss the butter in these cookies that are so soft & loaded to the max with chocolate!
Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies – My gold standard Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for over two years!
Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies {Copycat} – Learn all the secrets to making the famous Mrs. Fields cookies at home! The recipe is easy, spot-on, and they taste just like the real thing!
Hershey’s Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – An oldtime recipe that’s a keeper! Chocolaty, buttery, soft cookie perfection! If you need a recipe so your cookies stay ultra soft for days, this is the one!
Turtles Candies Chocolate Chip Cookies – Chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Turtles candies! Soft, chewy, and buttery with caramel and chocolate!
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies {From Jacques Torres} – I made this infamous recipe to see if it lives up to the hype….or not!
Easy Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Big bakery-style cookies made in one bowl and no mixer required! Soft and buttery, perfectly chewy, and loaded with chocolate! It’s hard to eat just one!
