Crispy edges, gooey center, rich brown butter flavor. This is the cookie I come back to over and over. It’s decadent, balanced, and deeply comforting. Everyone who tries it says it’s the best they’ve ever had—and I think it’s a mix of the brown butter and the technique that makes them unforgettable. Chilling the dough, shaping it into stubby pyramids, and baking from cold all play a part in getting that thick, melty middle and perfectly crisp edge.
Why This Recipe Works
Brown Butter Brings Depth
Toasted, nutty brown butter adds a complex, rich flavor. Just be sure to cool it properly—it should still be pourable, not hardened, when you mix it with the sugar.
Chilling Makes a Difference
Refrigerating your cookie dough allows the butter to firm up again, so the cookies spread less and bake up thicker. It also makes the texture chewier and the flavor more developed.
Cornstarch = Soft + Thick
A bit of cornstarch helps keep the cookies tender by softening the flour’s protein structure. It also reduces spread and gives the cookie that dreamy, plush bite.
Don’t Overmix
Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until the dough comes together. Overmixing can build too much gluten, making the cookies tough instead of soft and melt-in-your-mouth.
Shape Matters
I like to shape my cookies into stubby pyramids instead of balls. It keeps the middle taller, which means it bakes more slowly—so you get that gooey, melty center every time.
Bake on the Lower-Middle Rack
This helps the bottoms crisp up while the tops stay soft and chewy.
The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 electric or stand mixer or whisk/spatula and elbow grease
- 1 baking sheet
- parchment paper
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 220 g butter (2 sticks) salted
- 200 g light brown sugar (1 cup)
- 50 g cane or granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 240 g flour (2 cups) all purpose
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
- 2 cups chocolate chips mix of dark, semi-sweet, and milk chocolate chunks or minis – your call!
Instructions
- Brown the 220 g butter (2 sticks) in a saucepan until golden and nutty. Cool until slightly thickened but still pourable.
- In a stand mixer, whip the cooled brown butter with the 200 g light brown sugar (1 cup) and 50 g cane or granulated sugar (1/4 cup).
- Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk and 2 tsp vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 240 g flour (2 cups), 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1 ½ tsp cornstarch.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet in batches, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in 2 cups chocolate chips.
- Chill the dough for 1 hour, then shape into stubby pyramid mounds. Chill again or freeze.
- Bake at 350°F for 12–13 minutes from chilled, or 14–15 minutes from frozen.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt and let cool on a wire rack (or sneak one warm—it’s worth it).
