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These homemade chocolate chip cookies are made with lightly browned butter, brown sugar, and what I think makes them better than the rest: plenty of vanilla, plus a mix of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Finish each cookie with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (optional, but so good) for the perfect salty-sweet, chewy bite. They’re classic, with rippled edges and soft, chewy centers full of melty chocolate – just like Mom’s fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. Simple and nearly perfect.
My mom baked cookies nearly every night when I was a kid. Yes, most nights of the week we had fresh-baked cookies. Either her cookies, her Special K bars (original / updated recipe), or, on special nights, a cookie pie. And on much rarer occasions, chocolate cake, or buckeyes.
We used to call her a chocoholic. She loved to bake, but only if it was something chocolate-heavy. She was most famous for her cookies — classic chocolate chip and oatmeal chocolate chip.
No one made them better.
I’ve tried to replicate her chocolate chip cookies so many times, but I could never quite land on that cookie… until now. Lightly golden browned butter plus extra vanilla did the trick.
These are even more perfect than you imagine, rippled edges, soft chewy centers, and more chocolate than you have to have (but exactly what you want). Mom, Dad, Asher, and my brothers all agree.
These are the details
Ingredients
-
salted butter
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brown sugar – I used dark
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granulated sugar
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one egg + one egg yolk
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vanilla extract
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all-purpose flour
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baking soda
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salt
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chopped chocolate chunks and/or semisweet chocolate chips
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flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Kitchen Supplies
All you’ll need is a simple bowl, a whisk, and a spatula—nothing fancy here. This is the kind of easy, classic cookie recipe that comes together with the basics, so you can get straight to the best part: warm, chewy cookies fresh from the oven.
The Steps
Step 1: Brown the Butter
This step is simple, but it’s the little trick that turns an average cookie into a really great one. Add the salted butter to a medium skillet set over medium heat and cook until melted, bubbling, and foamy on top. As soon as the butter turns a light golden color, remove it from the heat — don’t let it get too dark. Lightly browned butter adds a warm, toasty flavor and really brings out the vanilla and chocolate in these cookies.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough
Pour the warm browned butter into a mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and plenty of vanilla (I use a full tablespoon — sometimes even two). Whisk until smooth. Since the butter is melted, there’s no need for an electric mixer.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, then use a spatula to gently fold everything together until just combined.
Step 3: Add the Chocolate
Fold in the chocolate chips and chunks until evenly distributed. The dough should be soft, glossy, and loaded with chocolate.
Step 4: Roll + Chill
Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls and freeze for 10 minutes. This quick chill helps the cookies bake up with those perfect rippled edges and soft, chewy centers.
Step 5: Bake
Bake the cookies for 6 minutes, then carefully tap the pan on the counter to create those signature ripples. Return to the oven and bake for another 2–3 minutes, just until the edges are set and the centers are still soft. Your kitchen will smell like browned butter, cozy vanilla, and warm melted chocolate.
Looking for cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Brown Butter Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookies n’ Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Really Good Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Really Good Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 251 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate chunks or chips
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook, swirling, until the butter is lightly browned, 2-4 minutes. Pour into a bowl.3. Whisk in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until combined. Fold in the chocolate.4. Roll the dough into rounded 1-tablespoon balls and arrange on the baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes. Bake 6 minutes, rotate the pan, then tap it on the counter 1–2 times to help flatten. Bake another 2–3 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are just barely glossy.5. Cool on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
This post was originally published on January 23, 2026
Love the recipe, but i keep running into a problem. Because the dough is warm from browning the butter, when i add the chocolate chips and then use my hands to roll into balls the chocolate chips are completely melted before the cookies even hit the oven. Is this normal?
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Loriann,
Thanks so much for making these cookies! I would say that’s normal, but you can definitely wait until the butter cools a bit before continuing on with the recipe. Just be sure it is still in liquid form. I hope this helps!
These were WONDERFUL, Tieghan! I followed the recipe exactly. They turned out exactly as you described. I’ve tried MANY chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years. This moves to one of the top favorites – taste, texture and SO easy not using a mixer!
Hey Cheryl,
Happy Friday! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it!
I have made about 500 of your recipes and this one is Dee-lish! I also made your Peruvian chicken with rice tonight! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Jessica! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it!
I’ve made these three separate times now and they are a hit in my house! It’s easy to get my young kids involved without the worry and hassle of an electric mixer. Super easy to make, super easy cleanup! My new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe 🙂 The brown butter is *chef’s kiss*
Hey Jessica,
Fantastic! I appreciate your feedback, thanks for trying the recipe! So glad it was enjoyed!
Super yummy! Don’t over mix/bake and they turn out great! I personally didn’t freeze them, chilling the dough in the fridge or outside covered did the trick 🙂 All of my fav. cookie recipes are from here! LOVEE Half-Baked Harvest!!
Thanks so much for your kind message, Jen:) Love to hear these cookies were a hit! Have a great Tuesday!
Absolutely delicious recipe! The brown butter base is EVERYTHING! Everyone in my family loved them. This will be my new go-to chocolate chip recipe for sure!
Hey Alanna,
Awesome! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it and your comment!
I’ve made these three times this week! So yummy while they’re still warm, gooey deliciousness and don’t skip the flaky salt. My coworkers loved them, that’s why I’m making them again today. Thanks for another keeper!
Hey Melissa,
Perfect! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it!
Happy Sunday!
Not as beautiful as the picture but very gooey and tasty still. Will make them again.
Hey Trish,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts—so happy it worked for you!
Have a nice weekend!
Unfortunately these were not really good for me. They were dense and did not spread
Hi Molly,
Thanks for trying these cookies, sorry to hear you did not enjoy them!
What adjustments are required for high altitude (4,500’) so the cookies don’t come out flat?
Hi Lesley,
No adjustments need to be made, you can follow the recipe as written. I hope you love these cookies, please let me know if you give them a try!
I’ve had these on my to-do list to bake for the last few weeks. I’ve been so excited to do it finally got around to it. Had my toddler help me out with it after getting to the part where you put the chocolate chips I came to realize that probably wouldn’t be a good idea since everything‘s gonna melt from the hot butter sure enough everything just became a gooey disaster. Please have better instructions.