Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes — ideally overnight — deepens the caramel notes and prevents the cookies from spreading into thin puddles. Brown butter takes it further, adding toffee-like richness. Underbake slightly and let them finish on the hot sheet pan for chewy centers with crisp edges.

Dessert • 25 min
Servings:24 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2¼ cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
Steps
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns golden with brown specks at the bottom and smells nutty, 5–7 minutes. Pour into a large heatproof bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add both sugars to the cooled browned butter. Whisk until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 48 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden and centers look slightly underdone, 9–11 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt if using. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
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Half Sheet Pan (18×13)Nordic WareOur go-to for sheet pan dinners, roasted vegetables, and cookies.Wire Cooling RackWiltonEssential for cookies, baked goods, and roasted items that need air circulation.Stand Mixer (5-qt)KitchenAidFor serious baking: cookie dough, bread, whipped cream, and meringues.Parchment Paper SheetsKatbitePre-cut sheets for mess-free baking. No more fighting with the roll.Pure Vanilla ExtractNielsen-MasseyReal vanilla makes a noticeable difference in baked goods.Semisweet Chocolate ChipsGhirardelliOur go-to for cookies, brownies, and melting.
