Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars are what happens when a cozy afternoon bake meets bakery‑level indulgence. The dough comes together fast, bakes in a single 8×8 pan, and delivers thick, chewy bars with deep caramel notes from browned butter.

Author: Browndis

Meal Type: Peanuts Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Calories: 215 kcal per serving

Ingredients

¾ cup - unsalted butter
1 tbsp - milk powder
¾ cup - light brown sugar
⅓ - granulated or cane sugar
1 - whole egg
1 - egg yolk
1 tbsp - pure vanilla extract
½ tsp - espresso powder
1 ⅔ cups - all-purpose flour
1 tbsp - cornstarch
¾ tsp - salt
¼ tsp - baking powder
½ tsp - baking soda‍
1 cup - semi-sweet chocolate chips
flaky sea salt

Instructions

Brown butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden and nutty.
Remove from heat, pour in a large mixing bowl and stir in milk powder. Let the butter cool for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang.
When the butter has cooled, whisk in sugars till fully combined and glossy. It will look a little grainy.
Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Whisk till combined and smooth.
Add flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold gently just until combined.
Stir in chocolate.
Press dough evenly into prepared pan using lightly damp fingers or an offset spatula.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking early. Edges should be set and golden; center should look slightly underbaked.
Cool in the pan for 10 mins and transfer to a cooling rack to completely.

Nutrition