TikTok's Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Chewy, Gooey, and Delicious

Dating all the way back to my elementary school days, I have been called "the cookie monster" because nearly every playdate I'd have would end in me begging to make homemade chocolate chip cookies. All these years later, there is still something about a golden, brown-bottomed chocolate chip cookie with crisp edges and a chewy and gooey center that can always change my mood for the better. But you see, no two chocolate chip cookie recipes are the same; the ingredients you add or omit, though few in numbers, ultimately determine the final texture of your cookie, which makes it that much more important to get it right. I have tried many variations of the classic chocolate chip cookie, and none compare to this amazing, chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe shared by TikTok user @audreysaurus.

@audreysaurus

crispy on the outside, moist & chewy on the inside.. the one true cookie 🍪 #LearnOnTikTok #TikTokPartner

♬ Graceful Bridge - DJ BAI

Though it may seem like a superfluous step, browning the butter before adding it to the dough not only gives the standard chocolate chip cookie a richer, more caramelized flavor, but it also adds a certain extra gooeyness when the cookies are warm that I have not been able to replicate in any other chocolate chip dough. When cooled, the cookies somewhat resemble the texture of a less-crumbly Tate's Bake Shop chocolate chip cookie. So while it may seem like an additional, unnecessary step, I cannot stress enough that browning the butter before building your dough will give your cookies that special oomph that will have everyone reaching for more.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring to a light boil, swirling the pot consistently to make sure none of the bits at the bottom burn. Heating the butter like this causes the milk fats to solidify and caramelize, which is what makes up the delicious, amber-colored sediment that sinks to the bottom of the butter (pictured below).

Add sugars and cream together using an electric mixer.

When the butter and sugar mixture resembles wet sand, beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

Sift in the flour and baking soda, making sure to fold these ingredients into the wet mixture gently as to not overmix the dough (aka: swap your electric mixer with a rubber spatula and start incorporating the ingredients manually into a smooth, cohesive dough).

Add most of the chocolate chunks to the dough, reserving a few tablespoons on the side to roll the prepared cookie dough balls in before they go into the oven.

Cover the dough, and allow it to chill in the fridge for half an hour.

My go-to cookie measurement, especially for cookies with a lot of butter, is one rounded tablespoon of cookie dough per serving, and the dough balls must be two inches apart on the cookie tray in order to avoid them fusing together in the oven.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

TikTok user @audreysaurus

Notes

The best way to ensure that your brown butter doesn't burn is to pull it off the heat as soon as you see light-amber-colored particles resting at the bottom. The butter will continue to cook in the residual heat of the pan, carrying it all the way through to a rich, browned state without burning it.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned
   1/2 cup granulated sugar
   3/4 cup brown sugar
   1 egg
   Splash of vanilla
   1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
   1 teaspoon baking soda
   3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

Directions

1. Line a cookie sheet with nonwax parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan, cook butter over medium-high heat until it has melted down and taken on a dark amber hue. Once it has reached this stage, remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, combine browned butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand.
4. Add in egg and vanilla, stirring until they are just fully incorporated.
5. Sift flour and baking soda into the mixture, and gently fold the ingredients together until they are just combined. Make sure not to overmix the dough.
6. Add in most of the dark chocolate chunks, saving a few tablespoons to roll the dough balls in before baking.
7. Chill dough for 30 minutes, covered.
8. When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F.
9. Remove the dough from the fridge, and scoop 1 tablespoon portions about 2 inches apart on your prepared cookie tray. Gently roll each ball of dough in the reserved chocolate chunks before placing the tray in the oven.
10. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom.
11. Once the cookies are golden and fully cooked through, remove the tray from the oven and place the cookies on a cooling rack to chill for a few minutes until you're ready to dig in.

Information

Category

Desserts, Cookies

Yield

26 cookies

Total Time

19 minutes, 59 seconds