These Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies layer deep caramel notes with bright pops of flaky sea salt for a bakery-style bite that’s soft in the center, lightly crisp at the rim, and balanced—not cloying. The dough uses browned butter for toffee depth, a calibrated brown-to-white sugar ratio for chew and spread, and a touch of cornstarch to keep the crumb plush. A short chill firms the fat (so cookies bake tall), and a precise bake at 180°C / 350°F sets the edges while leaving the middle soft. Finish with flaky sea salt right out of the oven so crystals adhere and sparkle.
Ingredients & Measurements
- Yield: 18 large cookies (No. 24 scoop, ~3 Tbsp dough each)
- Butter & Flavor
- 170 g (12 Tbsp / ¾ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp whole milk (replaces moisture lost in browning)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Sugars & Eggs
- 150 g (¾ cup, packed) light brown sugar
- 120 g (½ cup + 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- Dry Mix
- 280 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- Chocolate
- 170 g (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
- 85 g (3 oz) dark chocolate (60–70%), coarsely chopped for puddles
- Finish
- Flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon), for topping
Equipment: 2 light-colored sheet pans, parchment, No. 24 scoop (~3 Tbsp), wire rack, light-colored saucepan for browning butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Brown the butter cleanly (6–8 minutes).
In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom, until the milk solids turn deep golden and the aroma smells nutty, 6–8 minutes. Immediately scrape all butter and browned bits into a large mixing bowl; cool to warm (not hot), about 10 minutes. Whisk in 1 Tbsp milk to replace evaporated water—this ensures proper spread and chewy texture. - Line pans and set up.
Line 2 sheet pans with parchment. Position an oven rack in the center; you’ll bake one tray at a time for even color and rise. - Whisk in sugars for gloss (60–90 seconds).
Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the warm brown butter. Whisk until glossy and cohesive, about 1 minute—dissolving some sugar early helps create shiny, crinkly rims. - Emulsify with egg and yolk (45 seconds).
Whisk in vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until the mixture thickens slightly and lightens in color, 30–45 seconds. This stable emulsion bakes up bendy and soft (not cakey). - Combine the dry mix (30 seconds).
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly blended. Cornstarch tenderizes the crumb without sacrificing height. - Bring the dough together (1–2 minutes).
Switch to a flexible spatula. Fold the dry mix into the wet in two additions, stirring just until no floury streaks remain. Fold in chocolate chips and chopped chocolate, reserving 2–3 Tbsp chopped chocolate to press on top of scooped dough for a bakery look. Dough should be soft but scoopable; if still warm and loose, rest 5 minutes to hydrate. - Portion and chill briefly (30–40 minutes).
Using a No. 24 scoop (~3 Tbsp), portion 18 dough mounds onto a parchment-lined tray. Press a few reserved chocolate pieces onto each mound’s surface. Refrigerate 30–40 minutes (or up to 24 hours covered). This short chill firms butter so cookies bake thick with soft centers and controlled spread. - Bake to set rims & soft centers (12–14 minutes).
Heat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Arrange 6–8 chilled scoops per sheet with 7–8 cm / 3 in spacing. Bake 12–14 minutes, rotating the pan at 8 minutes, until edges are set and golden but centers are puffed and just matte (still a touch underdone). The cookies finish as they cool, staying soft. - Optional ripple (pan-bang) for crinkles.
For dramatic rings, lift the tray 2–3 cm / 1 in and tap it firmly on the rack at 10 minutes and again at 12 minutes to collapse centers slightly and encourage ripples. - Salt, set, and cool (15 minutes).
Immediately sprinkle a small pinch of flaky sea salt on each hot cookie so crystals adhere and contrast the chocolate. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack 10 minutes more before moving or stacking. - Repeat and store.
Bake remaining dough one tray at a time for consistent color. Store cookies airtight at room temperature 3–4 days. To refresh, warm 3–4 minutes at 150°C / 300°F. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months (rewarm as above) or freeze portioned dough balls and bake from frozen 14–15 minutes.
Cooking Notes
- Why browned butter + milk: Browning concentrates flavor but evaporates water. The 1 Tbsp milk restores hydration so the dough spreads correctly and bakes chewy with glossy rims.
- Sugar ratio strategy: The ~60:40 brown-to-white split anchors moisture (chew) and caramel notes while keeping the exterior lightly crisp. Reducing sugar will change spread and texture—avoid cutting more than 10% if you’re adjusting sweetness.
- Chocolate formats: Use a mix: chips provide structure; chopped chocolate forms molten pools. For sweeter cookies, use all semisweet; for deeper contrast, increase the chopped dark chocolate to 115 g (4 oz).
- Salt discipline:
- In dough: Fine sea salt seasons the crumb evenly.
- On top: Flaky sea salt adds bright pops that read “sweet meets salty.” Sprinkle lightly—3–5 small crystals per cookie is enough for balance.
- Flour accuracy: Weigh flour at 280 g. If measuring by cups, lightly spoon and level—packed cups produce thick, dry cookies.
- Chill window: 30–40 minutes gives height and defined edges. An overnight chill deepens flavor and yields slightly thicker cookies; let scoops sit 10 minutes at room temp before baking if very firm.
- Doneness cues over minutes: Pull when rims are golden and centers look just-matte but still puffy. Overbaking = dry centers. Underbaked? Leave cookies on the hot tray 2–3 minutes longer before transferring to a rack.
- Spread troubleshooting:
- Too much spread: Butter or dough was too warm, or flour under-measured. Extend chill, and double-check flour weight.
- Too squat/thick: Reduce flour by 10–15 g next batch or let dough warm 5 minutes before baking.
- Flavor boosters (optional): Add ½ tsp espresso powder with the dry mix to amplify chocolate (cookies won’t taste like coffee), or ½ tsp molasses with sugars for added depth.
- Mix-ins: Stir in 60 g (½ cup) toasted walnuts or pecans for crunch; reduce chips slightly to keep structure.
- High-altitude adjustments: Add 10 g (1 Tbsp) flour and shorten bake by 1 minute on your first tray; evaluate spread and color.
- Allergy-friendly swaps:
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 GF baking blend with xanthan gum; if dough feels stiff, add 1–2 tsp milk.
- Dairy-free: Brown plant butter (some brands brown less); skip added milk if your butter substitute has higher water content—evaluate dough softness.
Nutrition Facts (per cookie)
- Approximate calories: 255 kcal
- Total fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Dietary fiber: 1 g
- Total sugars: 19 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
Conclusion
These Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies are engineered for a bakery finish that’s balanced and repeatable: browned butter for toffee richness, a calibrated sugar ratio for chew, cornstarch for plush centers, and a disciplined 180°C / 350°F bake for set rims with soft middles. The final kiss of flaky sea salt sharpens the chocolate and keeps each bite from reading overly sweet. Follow the weights and visual cues, and every tray will emerge golden, crinkly, and irresistibly soft—with that perfect sweet-meets-salty pop.
