Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, flaky sea salt, and oats. They’re soft, chewy, and perfectly crisp on the edges.
Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
A while back, I asked for your top cookie recipes, and you delivered! After testing so many (and eating way too many), these Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies were the winner! Huge thanks to Leisa from Texas for sharing this recipe—everyone loved them.
Leisa said, “Brown butter baby! I love everything that starts with browning butter. I love the salty gorgeous flakes on top, too! OK – I guess I truly love it because it has chocolate in it–but isn’t that almost a given?”
The testers agreed: it’s the brown butter, chocolate, and flaky salt that make these cookies unforgettable. And the texture? Just perfect!
Ingredients
- Butter: Brown it for a rich, nutty flavor. Cool it before mixing so it doesn’t melt the sugar.
- Brown Sugar: Dark brown keeps cookies soft and chewy, but light brown will also work.
- Eggs: Use at room temp for smoother mixing.
- Vanilla: Boosts the caramel notes from brown butter.
- Baking Soda & Powder: Together, they make cookies soft with a bit of lift.
- Salt: Balances sweetness; add a sprinkle on top after baking for even more flavor.
- Flour: Use all-purpose for tender centers and crisp edges.
- Oats: Old-fashioned oats add texture. Don’t use quick or steel-cut oats.
- Chocolate Chips: Use whatever you like best, I’m a milk chocolate girl through and through!
How to Brown Butter
If you haven’t browned butter before, you’re going to love the flavor it adds to these Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! For a visual guide, check out this video.
- Melt Butter: Place 1 cup unsalted butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat. The lighter pan helps you watch the color change.
- Stir Constantly: Swirl the pan and stir with a rubber spatula so the butter cooks evenly.
- Watch for Color Changes: The butter will foam, turning from yellow to light tan, then to deep brown with a nutty smell.
- Remove from Heat: Once it’s a deep brown and smells nutty, take it off the heat immediately.
- Cool Butter: Pour into a heatproof bowl to cool. Brown butter can burn quickly, so watch closely near the end!
How to make Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter: Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown and nutty; let cool.
- Mix Butter & Sugar: Whisk cooled butter with brown sugar in a mixer.
- Add Eggs & Vanilla: Mix in eggs and vanilla just until combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix in baking soda, salt, baking powder, and oats.
- Fold in Flour & Chocolate: Stir in flour and chocolate chips then chill dough.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
- Scoop & Bake: Scoop dough balls onto the sheet and bake.
- Cool & Add Toppings: Right out of the oven, add extra chocolate chips and salt on top!
Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Tips
- Use Good Butter: Butter is key for flavor here, so choose a quality brand. Avoid margarine or spreads—they don’t brown well.
- Chill the Dough: Chilling is essential for perfect texture and flavor. Skip this, and the cookies may spread and burn at the edges.
- Make Even Dough Balls: Weigh each dough ball with a kitchen scale for uniform cookies that bake evenly.
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container for 2–3 days to maintain texture.
Freezing: Freeze dough instead of baked cookies.
- Freeze Dough Balls: Place dough balls on a pan, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag. Store up to 3 months.
- Bake from Frozen: Bake dough balls directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes. No thawing needed.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Caramel Chocolate Cookies with a sea salt topping
- Peanut Butter Cookies with a chocolate topping
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies soft and chewy
- Shortbread Cookies with a chocolate drizzle
- Mexican Wedding Cookies rolled in powdered sugar
Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
These are the ultimate Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies, packed with chocolate chips, flaky sea salt, and oats! They’re soft, chewy, and tender, with perfectly crisp edges.
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 cups brown sugar packed, see note 1
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- 1-3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1-3/4 cups chocolate chips
- Flaky salt optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in a light-colored, wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, reduce to medium and stir constantly with a silicone spatula. Butter will bubble and foam. When it smells nutty and you see light-brown specks beneath the foam, remove from heat and pour into the stand mixer bowl, scraping in all the bits. Let it fully cool to room temperature (I like to pop the bowl in the freezer).
- Place the stand mixer bowl onto the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the dark brown sugar and whisk on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Add baking soda, salt, baking powder, and oats. Mix. Stir in flour and chocolate chips until no dry streaks remain; don't over-mix. Tightly cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Scoop then roll balls of dough about 2-1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) each and place them on the pan. Leave space for spreading—only bake 6 cookies at a time. Bake for 8–11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Keep a close eye to ensure they remain soft and chewy in the center. I prefer to slightly under-bake for a tender texture. See note 2.
- Once removed from the oven, you can press in a few extra chocolate chips on top and sprinkle with flaky salt if desired. Let the cookies sit on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I recommend dark brown sugar, which has more moisture in it. This compensates for the loss of moisture in browning the butter. That said, light brown sugar will work in a pinch.
Note 2: If the cookies haven’t spread, it’s likely due to over-measuring the flour. To help them spread, bang the tray a few times on the counter or gently press the tops with the back of a metal spatula.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, freeze the dough instead of baked cookies. Place dough balls on a pan, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag and store for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen dough balls directly, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time—no need to thaw.
Nutrition
Serving: 24cookies | Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.6g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 1.1g | Cholesterol: 37.6mg | Sodium: 158.8mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 20.9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these cookies yesterday. I’ve never browned butter before and it was an experience. I love them. There’s not many left and it’s just me and my husband 😁.
Question! Do you think they can be made gluten free? Just subbing out the oats and flour for GF versions. Have you ever tried them GF?
Thank you!
Vicki
Sorry Vicki I haven’t tried them gluten-free and am not super experienced with gluten-free baking (with cookies). Wish I could be of more help!
Can I use ghee in this recipe?
I’m sorry Rhonda, I haven’t tested these with ghee!
I started making homemade cookies to put in my sons(11&8) school lunches. I would always send extra so they could share. Well, after making these….the request for dad’s cookies have me making a couple of batches a week. I tell them what my dad always told me, ‘nothing says lovin, like something from the oven;and dad says it best!’ Thanks Chelsea!
I absolutely love this! I think you should be in the running for Dad of the year! Thanks so much Aaron! 🙂
This was my first time using browned butter in a cookie recipe! I enjoyed the nutty flavor it added to the cookies! Also loved the fluffiness. I left my first batch in a little too long. Oops! Second batch was perfect. Do take these cookies out when they look a little underdone, otherwise they will end up overdone. Thanks Chelsea!
So happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks for the comment Lindsay!
These look so good! I’m breaking out my cookie sheet now. Thanks Chelsea!
I hope you love these Sharon! 🙂
Outstanding cookie. Chilling overnight really made a difference in the flavor.
Thanks so much Diane! 🙂
omigosh YES. This is exactly my kind of CCC and I love that they also have oats so I bet they’re extra chewy!
These look killer amazing! The first time I tried brown butter I flipped out so I know these cookies must be amazing!