Brown Butter Salted Honey Cookies (Print Version)
Chewy brown-butter cookies with gooey chocolate chips, crunchy pretzels, honey, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
# List of Ingredients:
→ Butter and Wet Ingredients
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter
02 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 cup honey
05 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Mix-Ins
11 - 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
12 - 1 cup mini salted pretzels, roughly crushed
13 - Flaky sea salt, for topping
# Step-by-step Instructions:
01 - Melt unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Swirl occasionally while cooking until the butter foams and develops a golden brown color with a nutty aroma, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - To the cooled brown butter, add light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and honey. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in pure vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly combined.
04 - Gradually stir dry mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined. Avoid over-mixing.
05 - Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips and crushed mini salted pretzels, reserving a small amount of each for topping the cookies.
06 - Cover dough and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours for enhanced flavor.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
08 - Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing each portion 2 inches apart. Press reserved chocolate chips and pretzel pieces gently into the tops of each mound.
09 - Bake cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, or until edges appear golden and centers are just set.
10 - Remove baking sheets from oven and immediately sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt. Allow cookies to cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- With every bite, you hit gooey chocolate, salty crunch, and buttery warmth—an experience you will want to claim as your signature bake.
- This recipe rescued me when I wanted to impress friends but didn’t want to fuss with frosting or fancy equipment.
02 -
- If you skip chilling the dough, the cookies spread thin and lose their chewiness—worth the wait, every time.
- Sprinkling sea salt straight from the oven is essential; if you wait, it won’t stick and you’ll miss out on the perfect salty crunch.
03 -
- Brown the butter in a light-colored pan so you can monitor the color change and avoid burning.
- Use chopped chocolate for gooey pools, not just chips—this tiny tweak is a game changer.