Made with brown butter and chopped chocolate, this gourmet chocolate chip cookies recipe is an elevated twist on my thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies. My personal favorite dessert, they’re thick and chewy with a rich flavor and melty pools of chocolate in every bite!
There’s nothing more classic than a homemade chocolate chip cookie! Personally, I love them in all forms, like my thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies and even my salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars. However, if I had to pick just one, it would be this gourmet chocolate chip cookies recipe every single time.
With a rich, slightly nutty flavor and hunks of chocolate throughout the dough, this recipe is unlike any other! It truly tastes like it came from a fancy bakery. As a result, it’s my go-to for holidays, special occasions, and chocolate cravings.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ready to eat in about 30 minutes, this is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need!
- Quick and easy to make. The longest part of this recipe is simply browning the butter. Once that’s done, everything combines in one bowl and bakes in no time. You don’t even have to chill the dough!
- Every bite is loaded with different tastes and textures. Baked until golden, these cookies are lightly crisp around the edges and soft and chewy in the center with pools of melty chocolate in every bite. The dough is buttery, nutty, and sweet, and the chocolate adds a bold, rich flavor that satisfies even the biggest sweet tooth.
- One batch makes enough for a crowd – As written, this recipe makes 24 large cookies and is easy to double or even triple for an extra-large batch. It’s great for dessert platters and gifting!
One taste, and you’ll understand why this is my favorite cookie recipe of all time!
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Pin ItKey Ingredient Notes
- Brown butter – Follow my guide for how to brown butter in 10 minutes. I promise it’s super easy to do! You do lose some butter to evaporation. So, I recommend using two sticks and one tablespoon to make sure you have enough. And you can prep this step a few days in advance.
- Sugar – I use two different types of sugar, granulated sugar and brown sugar, for these gourmet chocolate chip cookies. The granulated sugar sweetens the dough and gives it structure, so the cookies hold their shape. Then, the brown sugar adds a subtle molasses taste as well as moisture, keeping the center soft and chewy.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour for the base of the dough. I haven’t tested this recipe with other types of flour, but a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour should work if you need your cookies to be gluten-free.
- Chocolate – Chopped chocolate is key to making these cookies gourmet! I recommend chopping the chocolate into various sizes, some finely grated and some larger pieces. That way, your cookies will have beautiful chocolate specks throughout, and larger chocolate pieces will melt into gooey puddles, so you get lots of chocolate in every bite. I prefer dark chocolate, but milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate also tastes great.
- Fleur de sel – A type of coarse salt, this adds the perfect finishing touch, enhancing the rest of the ingredients.
How to make gourmet chocolate chip cookies
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for about 3 minutes, starting on low speed and gradually increasing it to medium-high. You can also use a hand mixer, if needed!
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat to combine. Stop halfway through mixing and scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until no streaks remain.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate.
- Portion the dough into large balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheets. (I use a large cookie scoop, which holds 3 tablespoons of dough.)
- Sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel on top of each cookie dough ball.
- Bake until the cookies are golden brown.
- Cool on the baking sheets slightly. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, and enjoy!
Adjust the baking time
Every oven is different. So, keep a close eye on your oven, and remove your cookies as soon as the edges are lightly set and the tops are golden brown. It’s okay if they look just a little underdone! They’ll continue to bake a little as they cool.
Expert Tips
- Measure the flour accurately. For best results, I recommend using a food scale, but you can also use the spoon and level method, scooping flour into a measuring cup. If you have too much flour, your cookies will be dry and cakey.
- Use room-temperature eggs. This helps the ingredients blend smoothly and keeps the dough from seizing or becoming too stiff.
- Avoid overmixing. Be careful to combine the ingredients just until the dough is smooth. Continuing to mix can overwork the gluten, causing your cookies to be dense and dry!
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion your dough. This keeps your hands clean and ensures all the cookies are the same size, promoting even baking and preventing fights over who gets the biggest cookie. 😉
- Avoid overcrowding. These cookies are pretty large and spread as they bake. Therefore, to prevent them from sticking together, I recommend only baking 8 cookies on each cookie sheet.
- Don’t rush cooling. I know it feels impossible to wait, but trust me! Let the cookies cool and set on the baking sheets. Then, transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Otherwise, they’re likely to crumble and fall apart.
Make-Ahead
You can freeze unbaked gourmet chocolate chip cookie dough for up to 3 months! To do so, combine the ingredients and portion the dough into balls. Arrange them on baking sheets, and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container or sealable bag, and freeze.
When ready to bake, bake your cookies from frozen, adding a few minutes of baking time as needed until they’re golden brown.
Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months! I like to place a sheet of parchment paper between each cookie to prevent them from clumping together. Then, thaw in the fridge or at room temperature when you’re ready to eat.
FAQs
This recipe uses slightly elevated ingredients to create a different taste and texture than is typically found in chocolate chip cookies. For example, browning the butter adds a nutty richness, chopped dark chocolate melts into pockets of deliciousness, and finishing with fleur de sel balances the sweetness nicely. The result is bakery-style cookies with crisp edges, soft centers, and bold flavor in every bite.
If your cookies spread too much, the butter was likely too warm when the dough was mixed. Make sure the browned butter is fully cooled before adding it to the sugars. In addition, measuring the flour accurately and avoiding overmixing helps keep the cookies thick. If your kitchen is particularly warm, chilling the dough for 30-60 minutes can help prevent excess spreading.
Sure! For a slightly different taste, try adding chopped toasted nuts (like walnuts or pecans), replacing part of the dark chocolate with milk or bittersweet chocolate, or folding in crushed pretzels or toffee bits. Just keep the total add-ins around 8-10 ounces to avoid overcrowding the dough.
More Cookie Recipes
Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) browned butter cooled Note 1
- 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar light or dark
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 8 oz (230 g) dark chocolate bar finely chopped
- Fleur de sel
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugars until well combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat for another minute or so, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate.
- Using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons of dough per cookie), shape the dough into 24 balls, then place 8 on each baking sheet.
- Sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel on each cookie dough ball.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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