Crispy Edge & Chewy Inside!
These melted butter chocolate chip cookies were a huge hit at my house! Quick and easy to make for me and delicious for everyone to eat! They puff-up while baking, developing a cracked almost shiny top, then settle down into a chewy center. While cooling, the cookies develop a delightfully crispy edge.
I must have gone through 25+ batches of cookies over the course of a year to get these chocolate chip cookies just how I like them! I wanted a crispy and chewy chocolate chip cookie with great flavor, but I didn’t want a fussy recipe.
A seemingly simple cookie – the chocolate chip, can be surprisingly tricky to get just how you like them. I wanted to simplify the process and remove some of the variables that can keep your cookies from turning out how you want them to…
- Softened butter – but just how soft?
- Cream the butter and sugar – but for how long?
This cookie starts with butter melted in a skillet – let it sizzle just for a minute to deepen the flavor (you could go full-on browned butter at this point – but I wanted to keep it simple).
Add the sugars to the warm melted butter – gives them a head start on melting and developing flavor.
The cookies develop a crackly shiny top almost like brownies (which use melted butter as well).
If you have time to chill the cookie dough balls it’s worth it.
You can bake the cookies after mixing, but if you have the time, I strongly suggest chilling the dough balls in the refrigerator for as long as you can. (2 hours to 2 days!) It really deepens the flavor and improves the texture. I like to chill the dough balls rather than the whole batch of cookie dough. As the dough is easier to scoop when it’s soft and the dough balls don’t take as long to chill as does a whole bowl of dough.
How to Make the Cookies:
Melt Butter & Stir in Sugars!
Mix Everything In!
Stir, Scoop, Bake!
Recipe Update: 3/22/23
I have updated the recipe. The last couple times I made the cookies without chilling they fell flatter then I would have liked. I try to keep the flour portion of the the butter to flour ratio in my chocolate chip cookies as low as possible. The flour tends to dull the buttery/brown sugar flavor. But you need enough flour for structure. The original recipe called for 158g or 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour. I have increased the flour to 172 grams (1 1/3 cup) to help ensure the cookies don’t fall flat. I am also suggesting chilling the dough balls if at all possible. It enhances the flavor and texture greatly. If you scoop the balls while the dough is nice and soft, then chill them. It’s easier and you don’t have to chill them for as long as a whole bowl of dough. The last batch that I let chill overnight was just divine.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
For soft chocolate chip cookies – made in the traditional fashion with creaming butter and sugars – check out my recipe for Perfectly Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies! (They remind me of the texture of those Entenmanns chocolate chip cookies!)
Melted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – Chewy!
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (salted)
- 111 grams dark brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
- 67 grams granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
- 172 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt see note
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. I always double check my oven temperture with a separate inexpensive oven thermometer.
- I use a hand mixer to mix this cookie dough.
- Melt butter in skillet – stirring until the whole stick is melted – let gently simmer for 1 min. Take off heat and stir in sugars.
- Pour melted butter and sugar mixture into mixing bowl and let cool about 5 minutes. (you don't want to scramble the egg you'll be adding next)
- While it's cooling, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a small bowl and stir together. (I have started weighing my flour with a digital kitchen scale – it's a much more accurate way to measure.)
- Use a hand mixer to mix the egg and vanilla into the cooled melted butter and sugars.
- Mix in the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Will thicken up a bit (as the flour hydrates), but still be a little softer than traditional cookie dough.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon portions onto baking sheet. I use a light colored 13 x 18" baking sheet lined with parchment. I fit 12 portions on the baking sheet and bake 1 batch at a time. Use a cool baking sheet for 2nd batch.
- Note: I do like the cookies a little better when I have time to chill the dough balls. The flavor and texture improves quite a bit. So if you have the time – scoop the dough balls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes or until golden brown on edges, puffed, cracked and slightly shiny on the top.
- Let cool on baking sheet 1-minute before removing to cooling rack.
Notes
Salt:
I use coarse Kosher salt – you may want to use less traditional iodized salt (which is a smaller grain and tends to taste saltier.)Oven Temperature: (flat cookies?)
I highly recommend double checking your oven temperature with an inexpensive oven thermometer. I find that my oven tends to run cooler than it says and takes longer to preheat too. When I bake these cookies and the oven is not hot enough – they tend to flatten out too much.Cookies Not Shiny?
I had this happen when I waited too long to bake them.Updated Recipe: 3/22/23
I have updated the recipe. The last couple times I made the cookies without chilling they fell flatter then I would have liked. I try to keep the flour portion of the the butter to flour ratio in my chocolate chip cookies as low as possible. The flour tends to dull the buttery flavor. But you need enough flour for structure. The original recipe called for 158g or 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour. I have increased the flour to 172 grams (1 1/3 cup) to help ensure the cookies don’t fall flat. I am also suggesting chilling the dough balls if at all possible. It enhances the flavor and texture greatly. If you scoop the balls while the dough is nice and soft, then chill them. It’s easier and you don’t have to chill them for as long as a whole bowl of dough. The last batch that I let chill overnight was just divine.Nutrition (approx. data estimated via online nutritional calculator.)
These are delicious. I just made these for the second time. Now I want to try the soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies.
So glad you’re enjoying Gretchen!!
Your the best! I’m interested in your recipes and be cream receipes.
Thanks for stopping by!
These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies? I bake them often.Tina, is it a good idea to double the recipe? Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Hi Merle – So glad you enjoy them!! You can for sure double the recipe! Enjoy!
I ended up in a bad situation, had one cup melted butter and one cup brown sugar in a mixer… Had to find a recipe. I found this one! I doubled this recipe and made bars. Used a 13×9, baked at 350 for 30 minutes and had best flavored chocolate chip bars I have ever had!
Sounds like a perfect situation to me! ( : Glad it worked out!
I made these the other day. The first batch looked exactly like your picture. The second batch was flat. I am not sure why though. Both batches went right from the refrigerator to the oven. I did nothing different to the second batch.
I do like the recipe and will make them again though!
Hi Christine! Glad the first batch looked perfect – and hopefully they both tasted great! Cookies are affected by so many factors. Was the baking sheet for the 2nd batch completely cool? Sometimes if you put the second batch on an already warm baking sheet – that could affect the texture.
I made these the other day!! I ran out of AP flour and ended up subbing in 1/3C cake flour, which I had on-hand. When they were done baking, I sprinkled half of them lightly with coarse kosher salt and those ended up being eaten first!! I’m glad I read your add-on notes because I chilled them about 3 hours before baking. These are happening again…SOON!
So glad you enjoyed Beth!
I made these and they were the most successful chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! Beautiful AND delicious! Not flat at all. Plus I gambled and substituted King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour for the AP flour and they came out perfect – and gluten free!
Love to hear it Janine! And thanks for the gluten free info!