If you’ve never browned butter for cookies, this is your sign. These chewy chocolate chip cookies are based on a Basics with Babish recipe and leveled up with a little cinnamon, a lot of brown sugar, and a full 24-hour chill. Deep flavor, gooey centers, crispy edges, basically, cookie heaven.
There are chocolate chip cookies… and then there are these chocolate chip cookies. Thick, chewy, rich, just a little salty, and packed with deep nutty flavor from browned butter that you can smell before you even take a bite.
I didn’t invent them, but my daughter and I did binge a Basics with Babish video one Easter break and test batches after batches until we found our version. And let me just say… these are the only pure chocolate chip cookies I’ve made since. Of course I have to make Laura Bush chocolate chip cookies when I want all of the mix-ins.
So why mess with a classic?
Fair question. We all have our go-to cookie recipe, but here’s the thing: most of them don’t start with brown butter. Most don’t call for a full tablespoon of salt. And I’m guessing they’re not hanging out in your fridge for a whole day before you bake them either.
But trust me, when you do all three? You get this cookie that’s chewy and thick in the center, just a little crisp on the edges, and layered with flavor that hits you in waves, first sweet, then salty, then this warm caramelized nuttiness that regular butter just can’t touch.
If you love the flavor browned butter brings to these cookies, you might also like my brown butter snickerdoodles, which use the same simple technique.
Also, I sneak in a bit of cinnamon. Not enough to scream “spice cookie!” but enough to make people ask what your secret is. Just try it.
What makes this cookie better than the rest?
- Browned butter. It’s not just melted butter. It’s toasted, golden, nutty butter. Magic butter.
- Chill time. Yeah, it takes patience. But 24 hours in the fridge does wonders for flavor and texture.
- Cinnamon + salt. They sound basic, but together they wake up every other ingredient.
And of course, chocolate chips. Use whatever kind you love. Semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or go halfsies. Don’t be afraid to mix things up, have you tried tossing in pretzels or toffee bits like in these peanut butter pretzel cookies? Game changer.
How to make them
1. Brown the butter.
Use a light-colored pan so you can see when it turns golden. Keep the heat around medium and stir constantly. When it smells nutty and you see brown specks, pull it off the heat immediately. Pour it into a heat-safe bowl, don’t let it hang out in the pan or it’ll burn.
2. Chill the butter.
3. Make the dough.
Beat the chilled browned butter with sugars, then add the rest. Don’t forget the cinnamon. And yes, you really do need that much salt.
4. Chill again.
Let the whole dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours if you can. I’ve done shorter chills in a pinch, but the full day really does make a difference.
5. Scoop and bake.
Let the dough sit out until it’s soft enough to scoop. I use a big ice cream scoop for bakery-sized cookies. Bake and let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before diving in.
A few tips
- If you skip the chill, the cookies will spread more and be flatter. Still tasty, just a different vibe.
- Want smaller cookies? Go for it. Just watch the bake time.
- These freeze beautifully. Bake, cool, then pop them in a zip-top bag. Or freeze the dough balls and bake fresh anytime.
And if you’re into cookies with a little bit of everything, these kitchen sink cookies are another must-try.
Whether you’re baking for a crowd, mailing a care package, or just want to upgrade your chocolate chip cookie game, these brown butter beauties are worth every extra step. Just don’t forget to hide a few for yourself.
Don’t Forget!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 ounces chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a saucepan, cook butter over medium heat until it begins to turn brown. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Refrigerate until solid.
- Add butter and both sugars together in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until combined, not light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture in 2 batches and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips and mix to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour but preferably 24 hours. Remove and let warm up enough so that you can scoop it out with an ice cream scoop.
- Preheat oven to 350º and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out dough with an ice cream scoop and form into balls. Don’t press down.
- Bake for 12 minutes until starting to turn brown.
Notes
- Make sure you pour the browned butter into a glass dish as soon as it turns brown. It will continue to cook in the pan and burn very quickly.
- Leave yourself enough time for the butter to solidify about 30 to 60 minutes
- These cookies are even better if the dough refrigerates overnight.
- Let the dough warm up slightly before trying to form into balls. This can take an hour depending on how cold the dough is.
