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    Home » Cookies » Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    By Mike Johnson ⁠— March 3, 2023 (Updated March 17, 2023) — 23 Comments

    4.89 from 9 votes

    These are hands down the best Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies you will ever eat, thanks to the addition of dry milk powder. Recipe yields 8 cookies.
    Jump to Recipe Leave a Comment

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure page.

    Table of contents

    • Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • How to Make Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • How to Get Perfectly Round Cookies
    • Recipe Troubleshooting & FAQ
    • Watch How to Make These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

    Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Small batch baking recipes have become a specialty of mine over the years; I've even written an entire small batch baking cookbook. So you can trust me when I say I know a thing or two about scaling down recipes yet keeping them big on flavor; like these: the BEST small batch brown butter chocolate chip cookies you will ever eat.

    It's no secret that I think brown butter makes everything taste better. From cinnamon rolls to snack cakes, I try to squeeze this magical ingredient in whenever possible. That's why it was a no-brainer to develop this scaled-down recipe. This small batch recipe makes just 8 cookies, which is perfect if you have a small household and not enough people to share a full batch of cookies with! (Or if you're like me and lack self-control!)

    Now I'm not one to go around and call my recipes the "best" often because, obviously, it's all subjective. But I'm willing to stand my ground regarding this recipe... these are hands down the best brown butter chocolate chip cookies ever (thanks to a secret ingredient!). Try them and see for yourself! 🙂

    Why You'll Love This Recipe:

    • Flavor. These cookies have the most intense brown butter flavor you will ever taste, thanks to the addition of dry nonfat milk powder. (More on this below!)
    • Texture. I use *mostly* brown sugar, which helps to keep the cookies softer and chewier in the middle, yet still allows for crispy, delicious edges.
    • Easy to Make. This is a one-bowl recipe that doesn't require any sort of mixer.
    • Yield. This small batch recipe yields exactly 8 perfect cookies.
    Close up of cookie with a bite missing next to a glass of milk

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    You probably have most of what you need to make these small batch brown butter chocolate chip cookies already sitting in your kitchen. Here's what you'll need:

    • Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter in my baked goods, but salted is just fine too... you'll just want to reduce the salt the recipe calls for to 1/8 teaspoon.
    • Nonfat dry milk powder: This is a trick I picked up from Bon Appétit. Nonfat milk powder is essentially pure milk solids. The very same milk solids responsible for brown butter's toasty, nutty taste. This means all you have to do is add a scoop of milk powder to melting butter, and you’ll go from brown butter to the most brownest butter.
    • Brown sugar: The color, moisture, and flavor you get from the molasses in brown sugar can't be beaten. You can use either light or dark brown sugar!
    • Granulated sugar: It's nice to have a bit of balance as far as sweeteners are concerned.
    • Egg: Only 1 large egg is needed here, which helps deliver a chewy final result!
    • Vanilla: It enhances all the other flavors. I like to use vanilla bean paste; however, vanilla extract will work fine too!
    • Dark chocolate: Opt for your favorite chocolate bar here! I love using dark chocolate Lindt bars, especially in cookies, because they make perfect chocolate puddles.
    • Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content which helps add extra chewiness to these cookies. If you don't have any bread flour on hand, you can replace it with an equal amount of all-purpose flour!
    • Baking soda: This provides a little leavening action and also helps the cookies to brown nicely while baking.
    • Salt: Cookies made without salt taste a little plain, so don’t skip it.
    Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on top of a baking sheet

    How to Make Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Not only are these the best brown butter chocolate chip cookies you will ever have, but they come together SO easily! Here's how you make them.

    Butter being melted in a saucepan
    Add your butter to a saucepan over medium heat.
    Dry milk powder being stirred into melted butter over the stove
    Once the butter is melted, stir in the dry milk powder until evenly dispersed.
    Milk solids browning in saucepan on stovetop
    Keep stirring until the milk solids begin browning and you smell an intensely nutty aroma. Then transfer to a heat-safe bowl immediately.
    Brown butter and sugars being whisked together in a mixing bowl
    Whisk the brown butter and sugars together until combined.
    Egg and vanilla being whisked into brown butter mixture
    Whisk in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
    Dry ingredients being stirred into wet ingredients to form cookie dough
    Fold in the dry ingredients until just barely combined.
    Chocolate chunks being folded into the cookie dough
    Add the chocolate chunks and fold until the dough is completely combined.
    Cookie dough portioned out into balls on baking sheet
    Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Add additional chocolate chunks on top of each dough ball and then chill the dough.
    Fresh baked Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on baking sheet with flaky salt
    Bake until the edges are golden brown. Then sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt and allow to cool completely.

    How to Get Perfectly Round Cookies

    Cookies with mix-ins tend to spread a little more and can look a little wonky when they first come out of the oven, but there's an easy trick to get perfectly round cookies: use a cookie cutter! By swirling a large round cookie cutter (or any circular object really; a small bowl also works) around the freshly baked cookie, you can tuck in the uneven bits and reshape it before it cools and sets, creating a picture-perfect round cookie. To take advantage of this trick with this recipe, I recommend baking only 4 cookies at a time, leaving ample space between the cookies and the edges of the cookie sheet (so you have room to swirl).

    Fresh baked cookie on baking sheet being made round with a cookie cutter scooting around the edge

    Recipe Troubleshooting & FAQ

    Why is my milk powder clumpy once I add it to the melted butter?
    This is totally normal, don't worry! You can use your spatula or whisk to break up the clumps as much as you can while you're browning the butter. Once you whisk in the sugars and egg though, any remaining clumps will break down and disappear on their own!

    Do I have to chill the cookie dough?
    Yes, you MUST chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. If you bake the un-chilled dough, the cookies won't hold their shape at all and may even meld together during the baking process. This cookie dough is a bit on the oily side before chilling due to the brown butter, and it becomes less oily as it chills. Trust the process!

    How can you tell when the cookies are done baking?
    Remove these cookies from the oven while they still look ever so slightly underdone in the center. The residual heat of the pan will continue to finish cooking them to soft perfection and cause them to set. I recommend checking at the 10 minute mark.

    Why is this recipe in grams?
    I post my recipes in grams as it’s the most accurate way to bake and it’s how I develop them; cups are not only inaccurate, but they vary in volume worldwide! In any event, if you look at the recipe card underneath the ingredients list, you can click “US Customary” and it’ll convert to volume measures!

    Close up of fresh baked cookies with flaky salt and chocolate puddles on top
    Close up of brown butter chocolate chip cookie on baking sheet with a bite missing

    Watch How to Make These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

    @mikebakesnyc

    The most brown butteriest chocolate chip cookies you will ever have (thanks to dry milk powder) 🤗 recipe is up on the blog! #chocolatechipcookies #brownbutter #cookierecipe #smallbatchbaking

    ♬ Lottery (feat. LU KALA) - Latto
    Fresh baked Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on baking sheet with flaky sea salt and chocolate chunks
    Print Recipe
    4.89 from 9 votes

    Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    These are hands down the best Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies you will ever eat, thanks to the addition of dry milk powder. Recipe yields 8 cookies.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Chill Time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Brown Butter, Chocolate, Cookies
    Servings: 8 cookies
    Calories: 339kcal
    Author: Mike Johnson

    Ingredients

    • 113 g unsalted butter
    • 30 g nonfat dry milk powder
    • 110 g light brown sugar
    • 50 g granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg (≈ 50g)
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
    • 125 g bread flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 100 g 70% cacao dark chocolate chopped
    • flaky sea salt optional
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Cube the butter and place in a light-colored skillet. (Light-colored helps you determine when the butter begins browning.) Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly.
    • Once melted, add the milk powder and stir until evenly incorporated (don't worry if some of the milk powder clumps together). Keep stirring. After 5-8 minutes, the butter will begin browning; you’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, and you'll begin to smell a nutty aroma. Once browned, immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl.
    • To the brown butter (which should look like dark, wet sand), add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk until evenly combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk again until well combined.
    • Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined; be sure not to overmix! Fold in most of the chocolate chunks (reserve some for the next step) until incorporated.
    • Using a 3-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop the dough into balls and place dough balls on a lined baking sheet. Top with remaining chocolate chunks, then place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • Bake the cookies, 4 at a time, for 10-12 minutes, or until browned on the sides; the centers will look soft. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the tops with flaky salt. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 474IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you try this recipe?Tag @mikebakesnyc and use the hashtag #mikebakesnyc!

    Filed Under

    CookiesOne BowlSmall Batch BakingBrown ButterChocolate
    « Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pamilyn J Hatfield

      March 03, 2023 at 7:10 pm

      The beginning of the recipe is very unclear. When do you add the dry milk? I am a retired chef so I went with my gut and browned the butter first and then added the milk and whisked it in off heat. Getting ready to pop into the oven now. The dough smells divine Mike!

      Reply
      • Mike Johnson

        March 04, 2023 at 1:24 am

        I’m so sorry you found it unclear!! You add the milk powder while the butter is still over the heat and is fully melted (before it begins browning), so that the milk solids in the powder can toast as well. There are step-by-step photos and a video above the recipe card that should help next time around. Hope the results still turn out delicious!

        Reply
    2. X

      July 31, 2022 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      The first time I’ve successfully made really good cookies, so much so that I ate 80% of the entire batch in 3 days.

      Reply
    3. Divinq

      November 09, 2021 at 1:59 am

      Do I bake directly from the fridge or do i let it thaw a bit before baking?

      Reply
      • Michael Johnson

        November 14, 2021 at 12:46 pm

        You can bake them directly from the fridge!

        Reply
    4. Richa

      June 28, 2020 at 11:07 am

      Hi,
      I'm from Bangalore (India) and the breadflourcis not easily available here. So, could you plz tell the substitute for the same.

      Reply
      • Michael Johnson

        June 28, 2020 at 2:02 pm

        You can replace the bread flour with an equal amount of all-purpose flour!

        Reply
    5. Maggie Lacke

      June 05, 2020 at 9:41 pm

      5 stars
      My whole family loved them!! Thanks for the great recipe Mike :))

      Reply
      • Michael Johnson

        June 06, 2020 at 2:14 pm

        Happy to hear!! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Jade Bannon

      February 09, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      5 stars
      I just baked these this morning and they are absolutely delicious! I wouldn’t change a thing about them! Thanks for the great recipe! If I wanted to make them bigger would I just increase the baking time?

      Reply
      • Michael Johnson

        February 09, 2020 at 12:16 pm

        So glad to hear, Jade! And yes, I would just add another two minutes and keep an eye on them if you want bigger cookies! 🙂

        Reply

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    1. Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day With These 10 Recipes – Pop Talk says:
      August 4, 2020 at 12:35 pm

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