Browned Butter Sourdough Cookies have a great caramel note to them that pairs beautifully with chocolate chips. These are a great addition to your cookie plates.
Browned butter is an ingredient I don't think is utilized enough! It really elevates the flavour and it just plain sounds fancy. It's also super easy to make - just a little time watching the stove. If you are super busy it's a great one to let an older child take the lead on since the pot should always be watched.
I've always been one to change up my cookies and try something new. Opposite of this one is Oatmeal Cookies Without Butter - easy for vegans! Vegan Chocolate Cookies are also a great treat that fits so many diets. If you cook with a lot of bacon, save that fat for some intriguing Bacon Fat Cookies, too.
Key Ingredients
Butter - Salted or unsalted is fine here. We are going to brown it on the stove which is super easy.
Flour - Regular all-purpose flour is best for cookies!
Sugar - A combination of both brown and white sugars gives you a great flavour and texture.
Sourdough Starter - This is what will give our cookies a quick little boost of nutrition.
Chocolate Chips - Can't have a plan cookie now, can we?
How to Make Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Add butter to a small saucepan over low heat. It will begin to foam.
Step 2: Watch for the foaming and sputtering to end and the butter to deepen in colour.
Step 3: Combine sugars with chocolate chips.
Step 4: Whisk remaining dry ingredients in a bowl.
Step 5: Add flour to sugar.
Step 6: Stir to combine.
Step 7: Add wet ingredients to a bowl.
Step 8: Whisk well to combine.
Step 9: Add wet ingredients, plus butter, to bowl of dry ingredients.
Step 10: Mix just until dough comes together.
Step 11: Scoop out onto lined baking sheet.
Step 12: Bake until golden on the edges and just set.
Tips and Tricks
- Because we aren't creaming the sugars with the butter, I like to mix them up together first before adding to the remaining ingredients.
- Don't walk away from the stove! Butter can quickly go from brown to burnt.
- Make cookies ahead of time and pop in the freezer to make holidays go smoother.
FAQs
This is so easy to do and I think we should all do it more often! Simply set butter in a saucepan over low and keep watch. You can stir it some too. Don't use a pot that's too small as it will foam up at the start. It will foam up and sputter some, then that will all disperse. After the foam subsides you will begin to see colour forming. This is where you can't walk away so it doesn't burn! Then let cool slightly before using in recipes.
Anything goes well in sourdough cookies as this is a pretty plain base. It's plain as in you can mix anything in and it goes well, but the browned butter is anything but plain! Feel free to swap in nuts for some of the chocolate chips, or use several types of chocolate. I recommend sticking to 1 ½ cups total of mix-ins.
I highly recommend baking lots of cookies at once, such as doubling this recipe, and storing them in the freezer. This way they don't get eaten all at once! You also have an easy snack or dessert to pass to a friend who needs a smile, or when you get invited for a playdate. Otherwise, store in a container on the counter for a week.
I'm not at all against special treats, especially when we make them ourselves. But the holidays bring up so many food and treats that are outside the norm - and I find we sometimes don't have happy tummies! Adding sourdough and letting the dough have a long ferment is perfect for boosting nutrition. Plus this way you can make the dough and then bake them up when convenient!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Cookie Recipes
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Browned Butter Sourdough Cookies
Ingredients
- 120 grams butter approximately 1 stick
- 220 grams all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sourdough starter you could use discard
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- On low heat, melt butter until milk solids begin to bubble and brown. Be careful not to let it burn! Turn off and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and whisk.
- In another bowl add brown and white sugars and whisk. Add chocolate chips until mixed well.
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Whisk egg, vanilla, and sourdough until well mixed.
- Add egg mixture and cooled butter to dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
- Cover dough with plastic and refrigerate for at least a few hours or up to 3-4 days for long fermentation.
- When dough is ready for use, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Shape cookie dough into rough balls 1 ½ - 2 inches in diameter. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets with room to spread.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are just starting to lightly brown and centers might still look slightly wet.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- A stick of butter is about 115 grams but should work fine. I like to give the grams measurements in case you are like me and have homemade where you need to weight your "sticks."
- Do not walk away from the stove when browning butter because it can quickly burn!
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