Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you like chocolate chip cookies, you are going to love these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies! Thereโs something about the combination of buttery pecans, with a hint of rich bourbon, and melty chocolate that feels like pure comfort in cookie form.
If you love baking cookies, these Turtle Cookies are going to be a huge hit too! Chocolate, pecans, and caramel in a super-tasty cookie.
These Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan Cookies are soft and chewy in the center, crisp at the edges, and packed with warm, nutty flavor. The browned butter brings a toasty richness, the bourbon adds a subtle warmth (if you wish to add it), and the pecans give the perfect crunch in every bite. Whether youโre baking for the holidays, a cozy weekend treat, or just because, youโll want to keep this recipe on repeat.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Itโs a tasty twist on a chocolate chip cookie
- Makes enough cookies to share, gift some!
- Easy to make
- Soft and chewy center
- They have it all, crunchy, salty, sweet and more!
Helpful Items for This Recipe
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4 Tier Rose Gold Collapsible Cooling Rack – 3 Setting Design, Adjustable ๏ผ Stackable
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Ingredients for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown butter (also called beurre noisette) is butter that has been gently cooked until the milk solids turn golden brown, creating a rich, nutty flavor. Itโs an easy way to elevate both sweet and savory recipes with deep caramelized notes.
Recipe Ingredients
Unsalted butter, browned – You can use salted or unsalted butter, but you must brown the butter; it adds a great nutty flavor.
All-purpose flour – Regular AP flour works best when baking these cookies.
Cornstarch – Helps to ensure that the cookies are soft and chewy.
Baking soda – This is the leavening agent that helps your cookies rise.
Kosher salt – I always use Kosher salt or sea salt in my cooking and baking.
Light Brown Sugar – The brown sugar adds a sweet, rich flavor to the cookies.
Granulated Sugar – You have to have sugar in your cookies!
Bourbon – Adds great flavor. You can omit it if you like, or substitute milk or coffee in its place.
Eggs – A staple when baking cookies.
Vanilla Extract – Make sure to use real vanilla extract and not the artificial stuff; it really does make a big difference in the taste of your cookies.
Roasted Pecans – We love roasted pecans, but you can substitute walnuts or hazelnuts if you prefer.
Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips – Adds a hint of chocolate without being too sweet. You can substitute dark chocolate or even white chocolate chips for a fun twist.
Flake Sea Salt (optional) – Adds a hint of saltiness to balance the sweet.
How to Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and develops a nutty aroma (about 5โ7 minutes).
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Once the butter is browned, immediately transfer it to a heatproof bowl to cool slightly (about 15 minutes).
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until smooth and glossy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and bourbon until incorporated.
Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined (donโt overmix). Fold in roasted pecans and chocolate chips.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) to firm up the dough and enhance flavor.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop 2 tablespoonโsized balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10โ12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly soft.
As an optional choice, sprinkle flake sea salt on the top of the cookies as soon as they are out of the oven.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Little Chef’s Secrets
Helpful Tips and FAQโs
- Donโt rush the brown butter: The nutty, caramel-like flavor comes from properly browning the butter. Stir frequently and pull it off the heat as soon as it turns golden with brown flecksโotherwise it can burn quickly.
- Cool the butter before mixing: If the butter is too hot when added to the sugar and eggs, it can scramble the eggs and make the dough greasy. A 15-minute cool-down is perfect.
- Chill the dough: Chilling solidifies the butter and prevents the cookies from spreading too much. It also deepens the bourbon and pecan flavors.
- Toast the pecans: Even if you buy roasted pecans, giving them a quick toast in the oven (350ยฐF for 5โ7 minutes) enhances their flavor.
- Slightly underbake: Pull the cookies when the edges are golden, but the centers still look a little soft. Theyโll set as they cool, staying chewy in the middle.
- Size matters: Using a large cookie scoop (about 2-3 tablespoons) makes bakery-style cookies with crisp edges and gooey centers.
Do I have to use brown butter? Brown butter adds nutty, toffee-like notes that make the cookies taste extra rich. Using regular melted or softened butter will make them taste more like a classic pecan chocolate chip cookie. The texture will still be chewy and delicious, but without that caramel depth. If using softened (not browned) butter, you donโt need to cool it before mixing, just cream it with the sugars as usual.
Do I have to chill the dough overnight? Not required but recommended. A minimum of 1 hour prevents excess spreading. Overnight chilling intensifies the caramel-bourbon flavor.
Can I freeze the dough? Yes. Scoop dough balls onto a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then store in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozenโjust add 1โ2 minutes to the bake time.
How do I make the cookies chewier? Reduce the bake time by 1 minute and keep them slightly underbaked in the center. Adding an extra egg yolk also boosts chewiness.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and develops a nutty aroma (about 5โ7 minutes).
- Immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool slightly (about 15 minutes).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until smooth and glossy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla and bourbon until incorporated.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined (donโt overmix).
- Fold in roasted pecans and chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) to firm up the dough and enhance flavor.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 2 tablespoonโsized balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10โ12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly soft.
- Sprinkle flake sea salt on top of the cookies, if using.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
