These soft brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars are studded with chocolate chips and perfectly infused with the rich, nutty flavor of browned butter in each bite!
Author:Winnie Reeves
Prep Time:20 Minutes
Cook Time:18 Minutes
Total Time:38 minutes
Yield:16 Bars 1x
Ingredients
Scale
1 1/2 Cups (188 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg, Room Temperature
1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoon (96 g) Dark Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoon ( 26 g) Granulated Sugar
5 Ounces (1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter
In medium deep-bottom saucepan under medium-low heat, add and melt the butter. Once all the butter has melted and starts to bubble, stir consistently until butter takes on a golden-brown color and has a nutty fragrance, about 6-8 minutes.
Transfer browned butter into a medium mixing bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk ingredients to combine.
Add brown sugar and granulated sugar into bowl with cooled brown butter and whisk to combine. Next whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. The resulting batter will have the consistency of a thick syrup.
Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with wet batter. With a wooden/large spoon, mix everything together just until cookie dough forms without any presence of flour remaining.
With a rubber spatula, fold 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into brown butter cookie dough.
Transfer brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough into prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to flatten into an even layer.
Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top of brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough.
Bake brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough for 16-18 minutes. For gooey brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars, bake bars for 16 minutes. For soft baked through brown butter chocolate chips bars, bake bars for the full 18 minutes. To prevent ending up with dry bars take care not to bake brown butter chocolate chip bars beyond the 18 minute mark.
Allow brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars to cool in pan for 10-12 minutes before removing from pan and cutting into bars. Lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt, optional.
Notes
When browning butter, keep a watching eye over it and stir consistently to prevent milk solids in butter from burning before butter is properly browned.
If you end up with overly brown bits in browned butter, simply strain through a fine mesh sieve before using.
For gooey brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars, bake bars for 16 minutes. For soft baked through brown butter chocolate chips bars, bake bars for the full 18 minutes.
Keep in mind that brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars will continue to cook through when removed from oven. To prevent ending up with bars take care not bake brown butter chocolate chip bars beyond the 18 minute mark.
Brown butter chocolate chip cookies stored in an airtight container will last up to 3-4 days at room temperature.