08/05/2026
Happy national day!
Brown Butter Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies 🍪🤎
These are hands down some of the BEST homemade chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! They’re thick, gourmet bakery-style cookies with crispy golden edges, soft and gooey centers, pools of melty chocolate, and just the right touch of flaky sea salt. The browned butter, vanilla bean paste, and hint of coffee make the flavor incredibly rich without tasting like coffee.
Ingredients
Brown Butter
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
Coffee Mixture
• 2 ounces hot water
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
Wet Ingredients
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
Dry Ingredients
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
Chocolate
Use your favorites! I used:
• About ¼ cup white chocolate chips
• 1 Lindt milk chocolate bar, chopped
• 1 Lindt dark chocolate bar, chopped
You can also add chopped nuts, toffee bits, candy pieces, or any chocolate you love!
Directions
1. Brown the butter by melting the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until golden brown and nutty. Cool it before using. You can speed this up by placing the pan in a larger pan filled with ice water or transferring the butter to a bowl and refrigerating for about 10-15 minutes. It should be cool and slightly thickened, similar to room-temperature butter.
2. In a small bowl, combine the hot water, instant coffee, and Dutch-process cocoa powder. Stir until dissolved and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes until light, fluffy, and increased in volume.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Mix in the vanilla bean paste.
6. Add 3 tablespoons of the coffee mixture and mix until combined.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
8. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions, mixing only until just combined. Don’t overmix—a few streaks of flour are perfectly fine.
9. Fold in your chopped chocolate and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
10. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes.
11. Scoop the dough using two cookie scoops per cookie (or about 3-4 tablespoons each) and roll into large balls.
12. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined tray or container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better for deeper flavor!
13. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F.
14. Place 6 cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of room between them.
15. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft.
16. If needed, gently shape the cookies into perfect circles immediately after baking using a spatula or a round cookie cutter.
17. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while still warm.
18. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool for another 10-15 minutes.
Storage Tips
• Refrigerate the cookie dough for up to 2 days before baking.
• For longer storage, freeze the dough balls in a freezer-safe bag or container.
• When you’re ready for fresh cookies, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
These cookies are everything you want in a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie—crispy edges, soft and chewy centers, rich caramel notes from the browned butter, and melty chocolate in every bite. They’re perfect for sharing… if they last that long! 🤎🍪
