SALTY-AND-SWEET, soft, and chewy chocolate chip cookies that are PERFECT!! An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe that's just the BEST!!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Chill Time4 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brown butter chocolate chip cookies, brown butter cookies, salted chocolate chip cookies, sea salt chocolate chip cookies
Servings: 15large cookies
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
½cupunsalted butterbrowned
1large egg
¾cuplight brown sugarpacked
¼cupgranulated sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1 ⅔cupsall-purpose flour
2teaspoonscornstarch
1teaspoonbaking soda
¼teaspoonkosher saltor to taste
1cupsemi-sweet chocolate chipsplus more for topping each cookie
flaky sea saltto taste
Instructions
Brown the butter (<—click for a detailed tutorial) by cooking butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until it’s amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
Pour butter into a large mixing bowl, making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan with a spatula and transfer any browned bits (they have wonderful flavor) from the bottom of pan into the mixing bowl. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it.
Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
Add flour, cornstarch (keeps cookies soft) baking soda, kosher salt, and stir to combine. Dough may seem crumbly yet oily, this is okay.
Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, or your hands, form approximately 16 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten about halfway. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips and pecans on top for a visual pop.
Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I use a half-sheet pan and bake 8 cookies per sheet), and evenly sprinkle each with a generous pinch of sea salt, or to taste.
Bake for about 10 to 11 minutes (if your cookies are smaller than mine, reduce baking time) or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired. If baking straight from freezer with frozen dough, you don’t have to thaw it. Bake straight from freezer, possibly adding 1 to 2 minutes to baking time if necessary.