I have been wanting to bake chocolate chip cookies that taste like pure luxury, and while I’ve tested many, I have never quite perfected my own recipe… until now!
I knew I wanted to create a cookie that would make anyone want to savor that exact moment when they first bit into it. They had to be a little unique too. I don’t know about you but my perfect chocolate chip cookie is a little crisp on the outside, but still chewy and moist in the middle. It’s not overly chocolatey, and certainly not too sweet.
Through trial and error, spoonfuls of cookie dough, and scribbled recipes, I’ve finally created a cookie that I’m proud to share with you. These brown butter & sea salt chocolate chip cookies are now my go-to cookie.
In fact, I’m actually considering them to be one of life’s essentials. You should too.
The sweet and salty combination is something that I’m completely in love with… chocolate covered pretzels, kettle corn, and all of those sweet and salty Chex mixes! These snacks make me want to throw fun get togethers just so I can keep out bowls to munch on. It may be a little selfish but don’t act like you wouldn’t come over, especially if we’re watching marathons of Dexter.
You want to blend some margaritas and bake these cookies too? Now that’s a real party!
These cookies are made using brown butter and are finished with a sprinkle of sea salt. A little sweet and a bit salty. Totally milk dippable.
If you are wondering what brown butter is and have never baked with it, you are in for quite a treat. The nutty aroma of a browned butter is quite magnificent and adds great flavor to any baked good. Basically it just involves melting it in a saucepan until is begins to foam, crackle, and brown. If you’d like pictures of what brown butter looks like and how to make it, you can check out my tutorial on how to make brown butter.
Now let’s get on to the secrets of the crisp outside and chewy inside.
Removing these cookies from the oven when the outsides are set but the centers are still puffy is crucial to a chewy cookie. Yes, you’ll underbake them a bit, but it’s important to remember that the cookies will continue to bake on the cookie sheet once removed from the oven. I think most people forget this, and are often times left with hard cookies the next day.
I can’t tell you how obsessed I am with this recipe or how much I want you to try this and let me know what you think. Is this the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe?
Let’s be a bit social. Visit my facebook page and let me know what your favorite type of chocolate chip cookie is. Do you prefer it chewy and soft? Crispy? Extra-chocolatey? I’d love to know.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt (or sub sour cream)
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover dough and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or place in freezer for 20 minutes if you are super eager.
- Once the dough is chilled, oreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Measure 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. If the dough is too hard, let it sit out at room temp for 20-30 minutes or until you can roll the dough into balls It doesn't have to be perfectly rolled. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and sprinkle each dough ball with a little bit of sea salt.
- Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets and sprinkle with a little extra sea salt if desired. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
These are the absolute best! I’ve been making these for years! Everyone I make them for demand the recipe! A+++++
I’m so glad!!
I absolutely love this recipe. Everyone moans when they eat them. I changed one little thing. When the cookies come out, I bang the cookie sheet on the counter. Then push the cookies with a spatula to make them smaller. Then swirl with a cup. They are dense, crunchy on the outside, and soft in the middle. Let me know what you think. Bravo!
Great tip to bang the pan and use the cup method! So happy to hear these are a favorite 🙂
These are by far the best chocolate chip cookies ever I make them all the time. My only comment/concern is that they tend to flatten for me. Not that it changes the taste, they are amazing. I love the look of a plump fat chocolate chip cookie wish these looked that way to go with the how amazing they taste
So glad you love these! I have a newer version of these cookies here that you might like even better (and might hold up even better).
A friend made these and I thought they are some of the best cookies I ever had…and I have tried a lot of great cookie recipes. My only comment is to remove the preheating the oven as the first step. You do that, and then you get down to after mixing the cookie dough and it says to chill for at least 2 hours. Cue turning the oven off!
So happy to hear that! Noted on the instructions, too — this is a fairly old recipe, so I’ll go in a tweak it 🙂 These cookies are my new-and-improved version!
Love these cookies! Always a hit! Any tips
For baking in altitude? I plan on making them in high altitude in a few weeks.
So happy to hear that! Hmm I don’t have a ton of experience cooking at altitude, but this is a great resource!
Can these be made with gluten free flour?
You do not need any other chocolate chip recipe. These are so delicious. The brown butter makes the cookie. 10/10 would recommend.
Agreed!! Glad you loved them 🙂
The best cookies, the best recipe. Have baked these cookies for years. The best, Hands down. No competition. One minor detail: step 1 should not be preheat the oven. These cookies take hours in the fridge before you can bake! Preheat oven after you take them out of the fridge. Aloha!
So glad you enjoyed! And thanks for the catch!
Absolutely delicious. I was in a rush so I didn’t even chill the dough (def needed for them to not get flat) and I also didn’t have sour cream sooo I just used half and half instead. Still turned out fabulous. Will absolutely be making again. MONIQUE you did it again!!!! Love love the deep molasses like flavor of the brown butter.
These are incredible!!!! I followed the recipe exactly, but portioned out to get 48 cookies. They are quite literally the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. YES!
Amazing! So glad you loved them!
My go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Crispy on the edges, chewy on the inside and just the right blend of sweet and salty. Perfection! Once, after not getting an in-office job with a current client, I brought these cookies into their office as a “revenge” gift, like “see what you could’ve had if you’d had me in the office.” Ha!
😂😂 BEST comment ever!!! So glad you can use these as the most perfect revenge gift!! Works every time!!!
I don’t remember if I ever commented on this recipe or not, I have been using it for 8 years and it’s the best chocolate chip recipe ever! No matter where I bring them everyone raves about them. I get so many requests I must make them 20 times a year. I literally can recite the recipe on demand lol. Of course I don’t ever give it out lol. As far as everyone is concerned it’s my dear late grandmothers secret recipe!
The only chocolate chip cookie recipe I ever want to use from here on out! Perfect flavor and texture every time!
This recipe is perfect as is! Everyone who tries them loves them. Seriously the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever tried. This is my go to for chocolate chip cookies now. Hand down. Everyone is getting some in their stockings this Christmas at my house 🙂
Such a fun stocking stuffer! Happy you guys all love them 🙂 Thank you!
Preheat oven to 350 then chill dough for 2 hours.. haha..
Good catch! Thanks!
I can not count how many times I have made these cookies. I have become known for them. All of the kids in my family (my own, their cousins) tell everyone that I make the best cookies. Every time I make them I am sure to share the recipe. My kids and I are on Spring Break this week and when I asked them what they wanted to do with their time off, we decided to make a list. “Make the cookies.” THE cookies. THE BEST COOKIES> THESE ARE THE BEST COOKIES. ANYONE HAS EVER TASTED. I just logged on to make them and was startled by how many reviews people have left. for the best cookies. EVER. I am grateful for you, for all the testing you’ve done to create this perfect recipe. I am grateful that you shared it with the rest of us. Wishing you an abundance of health, joy, peace, and love.
so now that I have posted a review HERE I see LOTS of reviews! When I googled to find this recipe there were not enough stars! I WANT TO MAKE MORE STARS FOR THE GOOGLE SEARCHERS! You are wonderful and I love reading other reviews that understand the magic you have created. Thank you again.
While I am mixing the dough, I want to add: sometimes I am too lazy do one egg plus one yolk and just put in 2 eggs and they are STILL perfect.
Hi Melissa! Thrilled to hear that you love these cookies 🙂 such a great treat! Thanks so much for your ratings!
These are amazing cookies. I have made them so many times and they are always a hit. One thing that I have added on to the recipe, is that I melt caramel and drizzle the caramel on the cookies and then sprinkle the sea salt on that. Makes them that much more decadent
These are amazing and have become my go-to chocolate chip cookie. These are the perfect blend of sweet and salty, just the right amount of chocolate, they stay soft and chewy, and the smell of browned butter is magical! I would give them 10 stars if I could…I’m so glad I found this recipe.
So glad you love them!!
i have tried several brown butter recipes but this one wins 1st prize everytime. the brown sugar and butter with the salt can’t be beat. Yes you have to let your dough rest in refrigerator. sometimes i use a good dark chocolate.
Amazing! So happy to hear that.