Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Brown Butter)

Made with brown butter and three kinds of chocolate, these Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies are a chocolate lover's dream with soft and chewy centers, crisp golden edges, and pockets of melty chocolate chunks in every bite. They're rich, gooey, and have the perfect balance of salty-sweet flavor that keeps you coming back for more, and more, and more...

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I have a story for you today. A story about a cookie. No, not a cookie. THE cookie 🍪 MY Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies. Cue the lights. [The lights dim.] Thank you.

Before I even started this recipe, I thought to myself: does the Interweb really need another chocolate chip cookie recipe? Was I bringing anything new to the table? Was there a unique spin or a new flavor combination that I felt the world needed to hear about? Can a chocolate chip cookie even be perfect?

Here's the thing: The only chocolate chip cookie experiences I'd had as a child were store-bought, and, no offense to cookie manufacturers, I was not a fan. They were too hard, too crunchy, and too sweet. Thus, I found a goal for my triple chocolate cookies: I needed to figure out how to make a cookie that I loved, one that was the polar opposite of those store-bought cookies.

I wanted a crispy edge, but a chewy middle. One that held together when it went for a swim in milk, but fell apart when I took a bite. Not too sweet and just a little bit salty. So, I got to work. And I did it.

Okay, you can turn the lights up again.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Brown butter brings the WOW factor.
• A trio of chocolates is just more to love.
• Crispy edges with soft, chewy centers for a best-of-all-worlds cookie experience.
• Optional turbinado sugar adds a surprising and welcome crunch.
• Cookie dough freezes beautifully for cookie emergencies.

This recipe has been tested, tweaked, and perfected over years of baking (and eating) cookies. The brown butter gives these cookies an irresistibly nutty depth of flavor, while the trio of chocolates adds layers of sweetness and texture. These are your go-to cookies when only the best will do.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Everything you need to make these cookies can be easily found in any grocery store (or you can grab a few packets of raw sugar at your favorite coffee shop 😉). Let me walk you through the major ingredients and how to make substitutions if needed.

• Brown Butter I like to use brown butter in these cookies for a rich, nutty, almost caramel-like flavor. Once you've tasted a cookie made with brown butter, you'll never want to eat a cookie that isn't made with brown butter. That being said, if you don't want to brown butter, substitute with two sticks of room temperature unsalted butter.
• Flour This recipe uses a combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour, which makes for a light and fluffy cookie that won't fall apart easily (good news for you dunkers). If you don't have cake flour, you can simply use another 180 grams (1½ cups) of all-purpose flour.
• Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. I use three different types of chocolate, which results in a multi-layered, dang-this-is-amazing, chocolate chip cookie experience that will make your mouth sooo happy. I only had one cup of semisweet chocolate chips and some milk chocolate chips when I started the recipe, but I had a bar of dark chocolate and a bar of milk chocolate. I just chopped them up and added them in because more chocolate... That's all. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. Any chocolate will do the trick! 👍
• Sugar I use brown sugar for a chewier cookie and white granulated sugar for those amazing crispy edges. I also like to toss in ¼ cup of turbinado sugar, also called raw sugar, for a delightful texture. I learned this from my friend Erin, and her cookies are also amazing!
• Vanilla You can use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. I like the bold vanilla flavor and the flecks of vanilla that you get with the paste, but if you don't have it, don't let it stop you from making cookies. Use what you have.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

I already started out with the crazy claim that these are THE best chocolate chip cookies that nobody knows about, but there are still ways to play with your cookies and make them, if not better... at least different.

• Use all dark chocolate for a richer, less sweet cookie.
• Add chopped toasted walnuts or pecans for crunch.
• Swap chocolate for butterscotch or peanut butter chips (The Boy would heartily approve).
• Add 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients to "wake up" the chocolate flavor.
• Sprinkle the tops with crushed pretzels before baking for a salty-sweet twist.

Variation: Cookie Bars

As much as I love a cookie, sometimes I can't be bothered to scoop and go back and forth to the oven every 10 minutes. On those days, I make cookie bars.

To turn these into Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, leave the brown butter in it's melted state. Beat along with the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and all the chocolate. Spread finished dough into a 13X9 inch pan that you have lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350°F for 23 to 25 minutes, or until top is light golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. If you want the chewiest cookie bars, don't overbake. Cool to room temperature, remove from the pan, and cut into pieces.

Quick Recipe Video

Step-by-Step Instructions

Ready to make the best cookies of your life? Let's break it down step by step so you can bake these cookies with confidence. From browning the butter to shaping and baking, I'll walk you through the entire process.

Step 1: Make the brown butter. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Swirl occasionally. Once it foams and begins to smell nutty with golden brown bits at the bottom, remove from heat.

Step 2: Transfer to a large bowl and let it cool on the counter or in the fridge until solid but soft. Stir every so often to speed up cooling and evenly distribute the browned bits.

Step 3:Chop any chocolate that is not in chip form and set aside. Save some pieces for topping the cookies before baking.

Step 4: Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, turbinado sugar (if using), kosher salt, and vanilla to your brown butter. 

Step 5: Beat until fluffy and fully combined, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides.

Step 6: Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each. Scrape the bowl again.

Step 7: Fold in the dry ingredients by hand until mostly incorporated, with a few streaks of flour remaining.

Step 8: Fold in your chocolate pieces. If saving some for topping, set them aside before mixing.

Step 9: Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, portion the dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Press each one slightly, top with reserved chocolate, and reshape into a ball if needed. Chill the dough balls for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.

Step 10: Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place cookie balls at least 2 inches apart (I get between 8 and 10 cookies per pan). Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and bang the pan three times on the counter to flatten. Return to oven for 2 more minutes.

Step 11: If needed, use a round cookie cutter or ring mold to gently swirl and shape the warm cookies. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Step 12: Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Or eat one immediately. I certainly did.

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