This Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe features rich, chewy cookies that are full of nutty and caramelized flavor. The brown butter enhances the cookies' depth and perfectly complements the melty chocolate chips, creating an irresistible treat that's both familiar and elevated.

There’s something truly magical about a warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, but when you add brown butter into the mix, it takes the classic cookie to a whole new level. The nutty, caramelized flavor of browned butter gives these cookies a depth you won’t find in your average batch. The best part of this recipe is that it's small batch, so if you're a fan of small batch baking, this small batch brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe is for you.
If you're a fan of chocolate chip cookies, definitely try my Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies, Banana Pecan Cookies with Chocolate Chips, and Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Rich flavor - The brown butter adds a toasty, nutty depth that makes the cookies taste extra indulgent, like my Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Easy to Make – Despite the fancy flavors, this recipe is simple to follow and comes together quickly, just like my Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Crispy edges - These cookies have soft, gooey centers and crispy flavorful edges: the definition of perfect chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
Espresso - A hint of coffee added to these cookies truly enhances the flavors and brings out the chocolate even more! If you LOVE espresso like I do, try my Espresso Chocolate chip Cookies.
Irresistible – With melty chocolate chips and the warm, rich flavor, it’s hard to stop at just one!
Small batch - I love making small quantities of baked goods because they don't go to waste, so this small batch brown butter chocolate chip cookies recipe is perfect if you're like me. You can even make them larger by using a large ice scream scoop!
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Butter: This Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe uses salted butter. I've tested out this recipe using unsalted butter, and salted won by a landslide. If you only have unsalted and want to make this recipe, I suggest adding at least ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
- Sugar: Both brown sugar and granulated sugar are used. I love using dark brown sugar for the deep flavor, but in a pinch, you can use light brown sugar. Granulated sugar is important for the crisp of the cookies.
- Egg: Only one egg is used for this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe. Creates structure, gives color, and adds moisture.
- Vanilla: You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Milk: A little milk added to these cookies to make up for the liquid lost during the browning process.
- Flour: For the best texture and cookie, use regular all purpose flour.
- Baking soda: Using only baking soda will result in a cookie that spreads a little more with crispy edges. Don't worry though, the long chill will prevent it from spreading too much.
- Espresso Powder: I love adding espresso to baked goods that contain chocolate because it enhances the flavors. It's not much epresso, but you could leave it out if you don't like espresso.
- Chocolate: You can use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. For the melty pools, use chopped chocolate bars. If you want the chocolate to hold its shape, use chocolate chips. Some of my favorite brands to use: Ghirardelli, Lindt, Valrhona, or Guittard.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale
Cookie Scoop: I love using a large ice cream scoop to get the large cookies. For this recipe, I used a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to get 12 cookies.
Baking Tray: A large half sheet baking pan to bake the cookies.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
⇄ Substitutions
Butter - In a pinch, you can use unsalted butter, but make sure to add extra salt to the cookie dough to balance out the missing salt from the butter.
Brown sugar - You can use light brown sugar if you don't have any dark brown, but I highly recommend using dark brown sugar.
Chocolate - Use any type of chocolate you like in these cookies.
✨ Variations
Nuts - Add pecans or walnuts for an extra crunch.
Spices - Add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg for warmth.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Brown the butter - Melt butter in a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Stir the butter to make sure it melts evenly. Once the butter is completely melted, it will start to foam up. Continue stirring the butter.
As it cooks, it will start to change into a deeper color. This could take 6-8 minutes. You’ll start to notice a nutty aroma and the butter will begin to have brown specs at the bottom of the pan. The entire process of browning butter from start to finish should not take more than 10 minutes on medium heat.
💡 Hint: Using a spatula to mix the cookie dough reduces the chances of over mixing.
Step 2
Once brown butter is slightly cooled, add the sugars (both brown and granulated) into the bowl of the brown butter, and mix with a spatula.
Step 3
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and milk and mix using the spatula, making sure to scrape down the bowl.
Step 4
Sift in the flour, espresso powder, and baking soda, and mix until most of the flour is incorporated, but you should still see streaks of flour.
Step 5
Add the chocolate and mix until just incorporated.
Step 6
Scoop the cookie dough into 12 balls on the lined tray. Add pieces of chopped chocolate to the top, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours and up to 72 hours.
Step 7
Place cookie dough balls on baking sheet, making sure to leave about 2 inches between cookies. Bake in a 350℉ / 178℃ preheated oven for 10-11 minutes.
🎩Trick: To create perfectly round cookies, use a spoon to scoot the edges of the cookies into a perfect circle. You can even use the cookie cutter method: place the large cutter over the cookies and create small round motions. Make sure the cookie cutter is much larger than the cookie. You can even use a glass or a round bowl.
💬 FAQ
Yes! If you can't wait a full 12 hours. Chill for at least 4 hours. If you bake them without chilling, the cookies will end up spreading too much and have less flavor.
If your cookies spread way too much, it's possible you added more butter than necessary or the cookies were not chilled enough. Be sure to chill your dough for at least 12 hours, and make sure to use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients.
Salted butter is best for this recipe, but if you don't have any, you can use unsalted, but make sure to add ½ teaspoon salt to the recipe.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't burn the brown butter: Once the brown butter starts to pop, foam, and form specs at the bottom of the pan, remove it. Otherwise you could burn it and it will end up tasting bitter.
Don't over mix: Using a spatula instead of a hand mixer reduces the chances of over mixing, but once your ingredients come together, stop mixing.
Don't skip the chill: These cookies are best when chilled for at least 12 hours and no more than 72 hours. My favorite is to keep them refrigerated for 48 hours for the best flavor and texture.
Don't over bake: Start checking the cookies at 10 minutes.
Parchment paper: To avoid sticking, make sure to line the pan with parchment paper.
Round cookies: To achieve a round cookie, immediately after removing from the oven, use a cookie cutter to form round cookies, or my favorite way is to just use a spoon to push the edges into a round circle.
Light-colored pan: Use a light colored metal baking pan. It helps cook evenly and doesn't burn the bottom of the cookies.
High quality chocolate: I like using Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Guittard because I know they all taste wonderful in recipes. Here's more info on baking with the right chocolate.
❄ Storage
Cooked: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Uncooked in fridge: You can store uncooked cookie dough in the fridge for up to 72 hours. Once ready to bake, preheat your oven and pop them in.
Uncooked in freezer: These small batch brown butter chocolate chip cookies freeze well. Just form them into balls, let them chill for at least 12 hours in the fridge, then transfer them to a ziploc bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F., then bake for about 12 minutes. They turn out crispy on the edges and incredibly soft and gooey in the center.
📖 Recipe Card
Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter*
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoon milk
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp espresso powder
- 1 cup chocolate, chopped (semi-sweet, dark, or a combo of milk and dark). reserve some to top the cookies
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Stir the butter to make sure it melts evenly. Once the butter is completely melted, it will start to foam up. Continue stirring the butter. As it cooks, it will start to change into a deeper color. This could take 6-8 minutes.½ cup salted butter*
- You'll start to notice a nutty aroma and the butter will begin to have brown specs at the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring and remove from the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl and let cool slightly before continuing with recipe. The entire process of browning butter from start to finish should not take more than 10 minutes on medium heat.Once browned, it should weigh out to 92-97g (give or take).
Make the cookies
- Line a small baking tray or a large plate with parchment paper and set aside.
- Once brown butter is slightly cooled, add the sugars (both brown and granulated) into the bowl of the brown butter, and mix with a spatula. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and milk and mix using the spatula, making sure to scrape down the bowl.⅔ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoon milk
- Sift in the flour, espresso powder, and baking soda, and mix until most of the flour is incorporated, but you should still see streaks of flour. Add the chocolate and mix until just incorporated.1¼ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon espresso powder, 1 cup chocolate, chopped (semi-sweet, dark, or a combo of milk and dark).
- Scoop the cookie dough into 12 balls on the lined tray. Add pieces of chopped chocolate to the top, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours and up to 72 hours.
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350℉ / 178℃. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place cookie dough balls on baking sheet, making sure to leave about 2 inches between cookies. Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 10-11 minutes. You're looking for crispy edges and gooey centers. The center will look underbaked, but it will continue to bake as it cools on the pan.Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack.
- TIP: To create perfectly round cookies, use a spoon to scoot the edges of the cookies into a perfect circle. You can even use the cookie cutter method: place the large cutter over the cookies and create small round motions. Make sure the cookie cutter is much larger than the cookie. You can even use a glass or a round bowl.
- Cookies will last at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
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