Meet my favourite cookie in the whole world – Brown Butter Oatmeal Choc Chip Cookies. Buttery. Nutty and caramel-y undertones. Melty pockets of chocolate, crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. Unbelievably quick and easy – no electric beater, no waiting around for butter to soften.
Rundown: Brown butter oatmeal choc chip cookies
Taste: Nutty buttery-ness from the brown butter with big melty chunks of chocolate
Texture: Crispy on the edges and base, and chewy inside from the oatmeal.
Difficulty: Effortless. No creaming butter. No appliances. Easy to handle dough.
Speed: Faster than usual cookie recipes. No chilling dough. No waiting for butter to soften.
Return for effort: Extremely high. Punches way above its weight!!
I know there are more “perfect” cookies out there in this world. But for effort vs results, these cookies leave them in the dust. It’s one of those rare gems where the end result is not compromised by speed and ease. In the world of baking, this is so rare, I am confident that you, like me, will try these once and know that it’s a Keeper!
They are everything you dream of a chocolate chip cookie to be. Chewy inside (thanks to the oats), crispy edges, very buttery flavour (from the browned butter!) and big melty pockets of chocolate from chunks of chocolates rather than using chocolate chips.
They are perfect. And they are fast and easy!
Ingredients in brown butter choc chip cookies
When I’m making to impress, I prefer to chop up good dark chocolate myself. Lindt is my choice – not cheap, so I stock up when discounted! For everyday purposes, I’ll just use good ole’ choc chips. Bakers’ choice!
Chocolate or chocolate chips – See notes above photo.
Unsalted butter – This recipe calls for the butter to be browned which intensifies the buttery flavour. It’s really easy – just melt the butter then simmer for a few minutes until it turns brown and smells beautifully nutty. That’s it!
Oats – Just ordinary rolled oats. This is what gives these cookies a great chewiness! Recipe should work with quick oats, but not sure about steel cut oats.
Sugar – Brown sugar for caramely flavour and to make the cookies a bit chewy rather than crisp.
Flour – Just plain / all-purpose flour. Please don’t substitute with self raising flour as it doesn’t have enough rising agent in it.
Baking soda (bi-carb) – This is the leavening agent used in these cookies (ie to make them rise a bit). It is stronger than baking powder and has slightly different leavening effect depending on what you are making. Baking powder makes these cookies dome slightly whereas baking soda makes them rise more evenly which is better.
Vanilla – Just a bit, for flavour.
Salt – It’s generally good practice to add a bit of salt into sweet baking recipes as it brings out the flavours in other ingredients. It doesn’t make these cookies salty. But there’s certainly the option to finish them with a sprinkle of salt flakes!
PRO TIP – Don’t use the chocolate “dust”. It melts and smears in the cookie dough and makes it look a bit messy. Save the dust for your cappuccino and just use the chunks for your cookies!
How to make brown butter chocolate chip cookies
Are you ready to see how shockingly and dangerously easy these are to make?
1. Brown the butter
Browning butter is as simple as melting butter then letting it simmer until it changes from yellow to golden brown which only takes a few minutes. This intensifies the buttery flavour and adds nuttiness. Both good things!
Melt butter in a silver or other non-black saucepan or small pan. Why does the colour of the cooking vessel matter? Because it’s impossible to see when the butter changes from yellow to golden in a black pan. You’ll need to rely on your smell or using a spoon to scoop the butter up to check the colour!
Brown butter! Simmer the melted butter on medium to medium high for 3 to 5 minutes or until you see little golden bits (which are the dairy bits that go toasty) and you can smell the nuttiness. The butter will also change from yellow to golden brown in colour.
Remove from the stove immediately to prevent it from going too brown / burnt. Pour the browned butter into a large mixing bowl (including all the little brown bits – extra flavour!). Then let it cool for 5 minutes.
2. Cookie dough – just mix by hand
Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl – the flour, oatmeal, salt and baking soda.
Whisk wet – Add sugar into the still warm brown butter and whisk. It will look a bit split, that’s ok, it will come together when you add the egg. Add egg and vanilla then whisk.
Combine wet and dry – Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is mostly incorporated.
Then add the chocolate chips and mix through until you can no longer see flour.
5 minutes rest – Set the cookie dough aside for 5 minutes to let it firm up slightly so it’s scoop able into mounds.
3. Use a cookie scoop for speed!
Scoop mounds of cookie dough onto lined trays, 5 cm / 2″ apart. I use a size 40 cookie scoop which is 1 1/2 tablespoons (a heaped tablespoon measure). You should get 22 cookies.
I use 3 trays – 8 cookies on 2 trays and 6 cookies on a 3rd tray.
Press the mounds down to 0.8 cm / 1/3″ thick rounds, reshaping as needed if they split or go wonky.
4. Bake 11 minutes
Bake – Bake 2 trays for 11 minutes, switching and rotating the trays at the the 7 minute mark until light golden. Remove, then bake the 3rd tray for 10 minutes, rotating at the 6 minute mark.
Cool cookies on the tray for 10 minutes – they will continue to cook and go a bit more golden. Then transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool. They will crisp up on the edges and base, but be chewy in the middle – best of both worlds! 🙌🏻
You know the hardest part about these cookies? Picking that point in the cooling time when the cookies have firmed up enough so they aren’t too soft, but the chocolate is still (very!) melty. The window of opportunity is actually wider than you think – around 25 minutes to 50 minutes after pulling them out of the oven.
But I always fret, not wanting to miss the chance – because once the chocolate has hardened, you cannot re-melt it without compromising the cookie itself – and I find myself hovering over the cookies, prodding them every 5 minutes or so wondering if I should go in for the kill.
The Kill being THIS moment:
Now you understand, right?
25 to 50 minutes out of the oven. Set your timer, my friends. Don’t miss it.
Or, if you do, just make them again. They’re so easy, why not! 😈 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Brown butter oatmeal choc chip cookies
Ingredients
- 150g/10 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1cm / 1/2″ cubes
- 1 cup flour , plain/all-purpose
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick or steel cut)
- 1 tsp baking soda (bi-carb) , sifted if lumpy
- 1/8 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
- 1 large egg , at room temperature (~55g/2oz)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g/ 7 oz 70% dark chocolate block, I use Lindt (Note 1, sub 1 cup / 200g chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Lightly grease then line three baking trays with paper.
- Brown butter – Melt butter in a small silver pan or saucepan over medium heat (Note 2). Leave to simmer on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until (when you push foam aside) you see little golden-brown bits. Immediately pour the butter and all the brown bits into a large mixing bowl (large enough to mix the cookie dough) and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Chop choc – Cut the chocolate into 1cm /1/4" pieces. Transfer the chunks into a bowl and leave the fine chocolate dust behind for another purpose (makes cookies speckled, Note 1).
- Mix dry ingredients – Whisk flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Back to the butter – Add sugar to the brown butter and whisk (it might not combine fully). Add egg and vanilla, whisk until smooth.
- Finish dough – Add dry ingredients into the egg-butter mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is almost mixed in. Add chocolate, and stir until mixed through and you can no longer see flour. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the mixture firm up a bit.
- Cookies – Scoop a heaped tablespoon of dough onto the tray, 5 cm / 2 " apart. (I use a size 40 cookie scoop, makes 22 cookies) Flatten to 8 mm / 1/3" thick, reshaping sides if needed if they split/go wonky.
- Bake – Bake 2 trays for 11 minutes, switching shelves and rotating the tray at the 7 minute mark, or until the surface is light golden. For 1 tray, bake 10 minutes, rotating the tray at the 6 minute mark.
- Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to fully cool. (A sprinkle of salt flakes wouldn't go astray!)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer, no amount of hovering is going to get you any chocolate! It’s bad for you!
Deborah says
These look amazing and so delicious. I will be making these very soon! Thank you!
Marilyn Miller says
Thank you for recipe.
Joanne says
I love your recipes especially the meatloaf but I really LOVE the music in your videos
Deborah says
I so enjoyed watching the video for these cookies and really loved the music too. Could you please tell us, Nagi, who the artist is on the cookie video? Thank you!
Libby says
If these cookies were any more delicious, they would be against the law! Everyone loves them and they are so easy!! Thank you so much for making your Dinner cookbook❤️ My 3 kids and I each have one and now we share page numbers to recommend recipes we’ve tried and liked. Dinner 2 would be welcome anytime.😉
SiehYean says
Looks so good! Do the cookies freeze well? Perhaps better to freeze the dough instead like prev commenter suggested though
sue says
I am so excited to try this recipe! Would you recommend freezing half the dough if I just want to make a half batch?
Lesley Wee says
Sound just perfect and a must try 🙂
Hugs to Dozer
Donna C says
Aloha, Nagi,
Can I add nuts? If so, how much?
Thanks! Love all your recipes!
Donna C
Kapa’a, HI
J Lobo says
Interested in placing chocolate with nuts as well…
Nicole says
I feel like a Nagi nutcase for making these just shortly after I got the email 🫣 these were super tasty and the brown butter makes all the difference. Patiently waiting for your book to reach South African shores Nagi!!
Nicole says
Silly me how can I not pay my dues – forgot to rate!
Jodi says
Hi Nagi, I’m trying to reduce my sugar intake but these look amazing! Is there anyway to reduce the sugar content or substitute it with something else (but not with an artificial sweetner)?
Thanks!
Jill Friedman says
I’d like to use monkfruit (erythranol) as a sugar substitute. Probably about a teaspoon. How do you think I should adjust the cookie recipie? Can I substitute raisins for chocolate chips do you think?
Eloise Kelly says
I love your new cookbook. Have made pork and beans, fried rice and the delicious cabbage and bacon recipe. Love the”notes” for each recipe and the “how to use this book” section.
Cheryl Wilk says
Thanks Nagi! They look wonderful.
You don’t mention sprinkling sea salt, but it looks like there might be salt in the photos?
Andrea says
Nagi mentions the salt in the ingredient description near the top of the page
Cheryl Wilk says
Thanks! Totally missed that when reading but noticed it in the photo.
Karmen says
Can’t wait to try but you have my full attention with the ‘KILL’ moment as I am a huge fan which has led to me freezing dough and baking of smaller batches multiple times. Does this dough work if frozen as well? The melted butter made me wonder. Thanks for another ‘killer’ recipe!
And thanks for QR reminder. I scanned and love it for the chicken ragu.
Wendy says
Other readers have commented that they have successfully frozen the dough when the PDF version of this recipe was released. I have another chocolate chip recipe with melted butter that I have frozen successfully after I’ve scooped the dough into balls. I bake from frozen and add a couple of minutes. Enjoy!
Karmen Maurer says
Thanks for the feedback!
Kristina says
Hi – when it says cups, are they AU cups? Thanks!
Andrea says
yes it would be
Pam says
Cannot wait to try…cookies are my ‘jam’ as the cool kids say…lol
Kitchen in the middle of a reno…this recipe will be the first for my new oven
Steph says
I made this when you shared the PDF a while back and it is my fav choc chip recipe! My kitchen always smells so good after browning the butter (there’s that toffee / caramel-y smell in the air!)
I make a batch and freeze 1/2 the raw cookie dough so I can always bake them fresh! Great job on another recipe Nagi!
Elizabeth says
I am so happy Dozer is in most of your photos, don’t even think about removing him from photos :0)
Colleen Hutchence says
Hi Nagi. Thanks for your wonderful Dinner recipe book. However you now need to another recipe book for all your other beautiful recipes.
Karen says
Can you tell me what makes a ‘cookie’ and what a ‘biscuit’? Personally, being a pommie/Australian I say biscuit but I notice cookie being used more and more. I really would prefer to keep Australian english alive, no offence to our North American cousins.