Description
These Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies combine the nutty, rich flavor of brown butter with hearty rolled oats and decadent dark chocolate chunks for a perfectly chewy and flavorful treat. Crisp around the edges and soft in the center, these cookies are an irresistible twist on a classic favorite, perfect for sharing or indulging any time of day.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter and Sugar
- 150g (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into 1cm (1/2″) cubes
- 1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick or steel cut)
- 1 tsp baking soda (bi-carb), sifted if lumpy
- 1/8 tsp kosher or cooking salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 large egg, at room temperature (~55g/2oz)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate
- 200g (7 oz) 70% dark chocolate block (e.g., Lindt), chopped into 1cm (1/4″) pieces
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C (fan). Lightly grease and line three baking trays with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Brown Butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until you see little golden-brown bits forming when you push the foam aside. This indicates the butter has browned. Immediately pour the butter along with these brown bits into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Chop Chocolate: Cut your dark chocolate block into 1cm (1/4″) chunks, transferring these pieces into a bowl. Leave behind any fine chocolate dust as it is not used to maintain a speckled appearance in the cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt ensuring everything is well combined and aerated.
- Combine Browned Butter and Sugar: Add the brown sugar to the cooled browned butter and whisk together. It might not combine entirely smooth, but that is fine. Then add the egg and vanilla extract, whisking until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Finish Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet butter-egg mixture, folding with a wooden spoon until the flour is almost fully incorporated. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until thoroughly mixed and no visible flour remains. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to firm up slightly.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop heaped tablespoons of dough onto the prepared trays, spacing them about 5 cm (2″) apart. Using a size 40 cookie scoop will yield around 22 cookies. Flatten each dough mound to roughly 8 mm (1/3″) thick, reshaping edges if they crack or become misshapen.
- Bake: Place two trays in the oven and bake for 11 minutes, switching the trays’ shelves and rotating halfway through at 7 minutes. For one tray, bake for 10 minutes, rotating at 6 minutes. Bake until the cookie surfaces are light golden.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for 10 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt for enhanced flavor before serving.
Notes
- Using a block of good quality dark chocolate and chopping it yourself gives better texture and flavor than pre-made chips.
- Watch the butter carefully as it browns to avoid burning and achieve the perfect nutty flavor.
- The resting time after mixing allows the dough to firm up so cookies don’t spread too much during baking.
- Flattening the cookies ensures consistent thickness and even baking for a chewy center and crispy edges.
- A sprinkle of flaky salt atop warm cookies adds a delightful contrast to the sweetness.
