Gooey Brown Butter Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt! These cookies are a powerhouse of FLAVOR. So thick and chewy!
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Happy Saturday!!! It’s the weekend, so I’m going to get straight to the point: you NEED these Gooey Brown Butter Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt in your life!!!
Need more convincing? Here ya go! These cookies are:
- thick and chewy
- perfectly crispy at the edges
- loaded with gooey chocolate chunks
- made with brown butter (!!!)
- full of crunchy walnuts
- sprinkled with flaky sea salt
- perfect with a cup of milk… or coffee
- THE MOST DELICIOUS COOKIES I’VE BAKED ALL MONTH
True story: I brought a dozen of these cookies to some of my friends that work at our local deli and they all said they were the BEST cookies they’ve ever had. And I bake them A LOT of cookies 😉
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- If you’ve never browned butter before, don’t fret! It’s easy. You’ll need a saute pan, butter, and a touch of patience – that’s it! You’ll start off melting the butter; once the butter has completely melted, you’ll continue to cook the butter, on medium heat (or medium-low if your stove top runs hot), until it’s turned a golden brown and smells slightly nutty. Just be sure you stay stove side once the butter has melted; brown butter can turn into burnt butter very fast.
- You will need to bring your browned butter back to room temperature before incorporating it into the recipe. To do this, simply pour the butter into a heatproof bowl and place it in the fridge for about 45 minutes. You want it solid, but soft enough that when you gently press it with your finger it leaves an indentation.
- Don’t over bake! Your cookies should be set at the edges but still soft in the center.
- Be sure to allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a full 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They need the 10 minutes to firm up so they don’t fall apart as your transfer them.
- If you’d like your cookies to look like the ones you see in my photos, press a few chocolate chunks and walnuts on top of each cookie right after they come out of the oven. Then sprinkle them with flaky sea salt!
Sweet, salty, crunchy and gooey… who says you can’t have it all!?
More Cookie Recipes:
If you try this recipe for Gooey Brown Butter Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day ♥
Gooey Brown Butter Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted until browned and brought back to room temperature (see post for more on this)
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more ONLY if the dough seems to need it; adding one tablespoon at a time)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Brown Butter:
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook for about 3 minutes – stirring almost constantly – until the butter has browned. Pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl, being sure to scrape all of the "toasted" bits into the bowl as well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 45 minutes, or until the butter is at room temperature. You’ll know the butter is at room temperature when you press a finger into the top and it makes a slight indentation. It should not be liquid at all.
- Once the butter is at room temperature, you're ready to get baking!
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (F).
For the Gooey Brown Butter Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt:
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine both sugars, vanilla, and browned butter; cream on medium-speed until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 15 seconds after each addition. Turn mixer off. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour, stirring only until the flour begins to disappear. Fold in the chocolate chunks and walnuts.
- Roll 3 tablespoon sized scoops of dough between your palms to form a ball (they should be big; almost a 1/4 cup), then place on prepared sheet (make sure to leave enough room in between each cookie for inevitable spreading). Continue this process until all the dough has been rolled.
- Place baking sheets in preheated oven, one at a time, and bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until golden at the edges but still soft in the middle. Repeat with all cookie dough.
- Sprinkle cookies with sea salt right when they come out of the oven. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Jasmine says
This has been my secret recipe since 2018. The chilling of the brown butter is really the special touch! It really adds creaminess that melted warm browned butter wouldn’t. Friends have requested these cookies for special occasions and just because. I half the amount of cinnamon so that taste isn’t so prominent but it adds the perfect amount of warmth. Love this recipe!
Ashley McVeigh says
Hi – just wondering if I can make the dough the day before and leave in the fridge overnight and bake the following day?
Jacki Miller says
I made a half batch of these earlier this week in case they didn’t turn out. Ha. These are absolutely fantastic. I’m adding them to my frequently visited recipes. They are the perfect mix of melty, gooey and salty. And the dough keeps well in the fridge so you can bake up fresh cookies every time a craving hits.
Jenna says
How do you toast the walnuts?
Kelly Montrose says
Best cookies I have ever tasted! My family is going NUTS!
Ashley Manila says
This made my day! Thanks for letting me know, Kelly 🙂
Sarah says
Made these yesterday for a family party And they were a huge hit!! There were none were left over!
Deana says
Delicious!