Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Crispy Edges, Gooey Centers & Deep Caramel Flavor)

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• Flaky sea salt for topping (optional)

Instructions

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until it foams, smells nutty, and turns a deep golden brown. Remove from heat immediately and let it cool slightly (this is where the magic happens).
• Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix until smooth and glossy.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until fully combined and slightly thickened.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (longer if you have the patience… it’s worth it).
• Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop dough into balls and place a few inches apart.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
• Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while warm and let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving.

Tips & Variations

• Letting the butter brown deeply, but not burn, is key. (The color should resemble caramel, not coffee.)
• Chilling the dough helps create thicker cookies with better texture and flavor. (Chilling the dough gives the flour time to hydrate and the butter time to firm up, which means thicker cookies, better texture, and deeper caramelized flavor once they bake.)
• For dramatic chocolate pools, use chopped chocolate instead of chips.
• Slightly underbake for gooier centers. They’ll continue setting as they cool.
• These are even better the next day (…if they last that long;) and here is the reason why!

If you’re craving easy make-ahead pudding desserts, check out this fast and easy Banana Cream Poke Cake, this shockingly decadent Gooey Quadruple Chocolate Oreo Cake, these Chocolate Strawberry Trifle Cups and of course…the famous Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe layers of vanilla wafers, barely ripe bananas, and cloud-like whipped pudding that chills into something creamy, nostalgic, and totally addictive!

If poke cakes are your vibe, don’t miss this full recipe list: Best Poke Cake Recipes (Super Easy Cake Mix Desserts)

If you love easy desserts, don’t miss this collection of epic cake mix desserts: Cake Mix Desserts (Easy Recipes That Taste Homemade).