I crave a good gooey chocolate chip cookie almost every day. If you look in my freezer, you’ll see a whole tray of frozen cookie dough balls ready to be baked whenever I get the urge. Yes, it’s that serious. One of my favorite cookies on earth is a brown butter chocolate chip cookie with walnuts. The brown butter gets all toasty and toffee’like, boosting the overall flavor and texture of the entire cookie, making it blissful. You have to sprinkle some flaky sea salt (I used fluer de sel) on top, trust me! It brings out all the flavors. Sea salt is a major finishing touch on anything I bake, it’s become essential.
Brown Butter?
You could totally make these cookies without browning the butter. Melting it, or using it softened will give you a good cookie. But if you want a great cookie, I suggest you brown it. Browning butter takes a few minutes to do, but there’s a split second between “This is fine”, and “This aint it”. So make sure you pay attention to the browning process, because you could easily burn the butter if you’re not paying attention. Use a stainless steel pot so you can better gauge the color of the butter.
I promise that you’ll make these cookies a lot. A whole lot. They’re that good. Using chocolate chips is acceptable, but if you want photographic cookie porn, use real chocolate bars that you have to chop by hand. It’ll give you small pieces, shards, and large pieces. Those characteristics make these cookies so visually appealing. Chocolate chips are what I almost always have on hand, and I’ve done it a ton of times with chips — still delicious, just lacking chocolate puddles. 
This recipe is basically my Chocolate Chip Pizookie, just in cookie form. You’ve gotta try that one, too. It’s best served with a ton of decadent ice cream. If you’ve got something against nuts, just leave them out. I’ve been asked so many times to post this recipe in cookie form, so here you go. 
Grab a super cold glass of almond milk and receive your blessings!
Print
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts
Slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated. For the best results, please use the metric gram measurements!
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 large cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (248 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 14 tablespoons (200 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cups (150 grams) packed dark brown sugar (SEE NOTE)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate (SEE NOTE)
- 1/2 to 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)
- Fluer de sel sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
These cookies can be baked right away, but they are best after a nice cold blast in the fridge as it will minimize spread. After letting the dough rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and adjust rack to the middle position. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl, and set aside.
- Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a stainless steel skillet or small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted; set aside.
- Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 60 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
- Using a large or 1/4 cup cookie scoop, divide dough into balls and arrange them side by side on a 9×13 baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. This cold rest time allows the flour to hydrate and the flavors to deepen. It’s the same reason we marinate meat — better flavor. Do you absolutely have to do this? No. But will they taste better? YES! In fact, you could let this dough rest in the fridge for up to 3 full days before baking.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and arrange each dough ball 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 6 dough balls per sheet. At this point, you can sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of fluer de sel sea salt — or you can do it immediately after they’re baked. You may have dough leftover, so bake a third pan after the first two are done.
- Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10-12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 5 days at room temperature. You can freeze them for longer storage, just make sure you wrap them individually with plastic wrap.
Notes
Light brown sugar will work if you don’t have dark. You can use chips if that’s all you have on hand, but chopped chocolate from an actual chocolate bar will give you those glorious chocolate puddles. Yum.
Flavor tip! Adding 1 tablespoon of whole milk powder to the brown butter after it’s browned, will give your cookies an even bigger boost of nutty toffee flavor. Simply whisk in the milk powder as you notice the butter starting to brown, and voila.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
GIIIRRRLL!!!! ?? This is a slap your mama cookie recipe! !!!! Never thought of keeping some in the freezer. I will definitely try doing that!
LOL now you see why i have a whole tray in my freezer. they’re so good.
Listen, these cookies are the truth ! I didnt have any nuts so I added some salted Carmel to it. Great recipe.
These cookies are the devil they are co damn good lol.
About the eggs is it one large egg & then the yolk from a second egg or is it just one large egg & separating the yolk from that egg??
it’s one large whole egg, plus the yolk from an additional egg (keep the whites for another use or discard).
Oh my Goodness these cookies are the truth!!! Definitely my Keto chocolate chip recipe for life!! Thank You ?
I have never been able to bake a perfect cookie until this recipe! Absolutely amazing
Hey Chef Resha! Can you use baking powder instead of baking soda?
These are the BEST cookies that I have ever tried. Restaurant quality. I will never buy store bought cookies again.
Can you recommend a chocolate bar
Should I get a milk chocolate bar or a semi sweet one
that’s up to you! i love both semisweet and milk chocolate, just know that milk chocolate is much sweeter.
After you take them out the freezer, do you let them thaw out or do you pop them right in the oven frozen? I want to make the dough a day ahead.
you can make the dough a day ahead, for sure. when you pop them in the oven from the freezer, just give them a tad bit more baking time.
Best friend! (You don’t me but I love your recipes LOL)…my cookies never come out flat like yours. Any tips to get them to lay flatter? Best cookies ever
When the come out the oven, tap the baking sheet on your counter a little. It helps otherwise the dough is the issue.
Chef Resha, thank you for sharing your recipes! My cookies are delicious, but they came out much puffier and I was attempting to get them flatter like yours. Any suggestions?
These cookies are soooo good! I make them almost every week. Can I remix them with white chocolate and macadamia nuts? Do I need to make any modifications?
just add the nuts in and swap out the chocolate for white chocolate 🙂 it’s super flexible
Love this recipe! How long could I keep dough in the freezer if I were to put it in tupperware?
up to 3 weeks 🙂 if properly stored, like vacuum sealed, even longer.
Hands down best cookies I’ve ever made or tasted. We make them often. We make sooo many if your recipes. I love them. ❤️
Still making this Recipe in 2022!! You are the G.O.A.T.
Can I use salted butter if that’s all I have?
this is my go to recipe for baby showers, house warmings, parties in general!
I used to make this recipe with my eyes closed without issues, and now every time I try to make them they keep spreading! I make sure the baking soda is fresh, I’ve changed the brand of the butter, and messed around with the oven temp. What do you think could be happening?
Could be a number of reasons. But off the bat, it sounds like your dough may be too warm to start. Humidity can definitely affect ingredients, even the dry ingredients. Try scooping the cooking dough balls then popping them in the fridge or freezer for about 20-30 minutes prior to baking. If that doesn’t do the trick, let me know, because I’ll have some followup questions. There are a few other factors that may contribute to spreading.
Love you cookies I make them all the time. I freeze a couple dozen just to have them. Is there a way to make these peanut butter chocolate chip.
Making these cookies are a joy! My husband and I love them. He won’t stop asking me to make them!
Perfect cookie recipe. I don’t know how you came up with the technique for mixing the wet ingredients, but it works. Perfection 🤏🏾
Love the recipe! I’ve made a few tweaks to fit my own personal tastes and it always turns out amazing, total crowd pleaser. I did have a question, why does the dough have to sit for 3 minutes then be mixed for 60 seconds 3 times? I’d love to know what this resolves I’ve never tried not doing that.
Whipping the eggs/sugar situation every few minutes helps with the texture of the cookie. you get that crackly surface and chewy center. you do not HAVE to do it, but it does bump up the cookie’s overall experience a notch.