Brown Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read the disclosure policy.
Brown Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the dessert you have been waiting for. They are gooey, chewy, and sinfully delicious. Perfect for taking to a potluck dinner, game night, or just having a warm treat at home.
These chocolate chip cookie bars are impressive and bring a smile to your face as soon as that sweetness hits your tongue.
Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.
Brown Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
If you’re looking for a recipe to satisfy your cookie cravings with minimal time and effort, look no further! These cookie bars are rich and gooey with the perfect hint of salt. And did I mention they are a cinch to make? No waiting for the butter to soften, no chilling of the dough, no rolling the dough into balls…nope! Just mix, bake and cut!
These thick and chewy cookie bars are loaded with gooey chocolate chips and sprinkled with flaky sea salt. I swear that the sweet and salty combo gets me every time! And don’t even get me started on the browned butter….
With nutty, caramel notes from browned butter and a fair bit of salt and vanilla to balance the flavors, these cookie bars will become an instant favorite.
If you make a batch of these cookie bars for your neighbors or friends, they are going to be begging for the recipe. They can win over even the harshest food critic.
How do You Brown Butter without Burning it?
When browning butter, there are a couple of things to make a note of so you don’t burn it. First of all, using a pan that’s not too dark is a great start. If you use cast ironed or something with a really dark finish, it’s going to be very difficult to tell what color the butter actually is. This can lead to burning it or not browning it at all.
The next thing to consider is not heating it to fast. Opt for medium-high heat and stir it continuously. If you use high heat, it will cook too fast and is likely to burn. If you don’t stir it enough, it’s going to burn that way also.
What’s the Best Salt for Sprinkling on This Cookie Bar?
The best salt for making these chocolate cookie bars is sea salt. You want something that is big and flakey. If you use table salt, it’s going to be a disaster and taste over the top too salty. When you use large flaked salted, you will be able to see how much you are adding so you know not to add too much.
Can I Add Nuts to This Recipe?
Certainly! Adding nuts is a great way to add some crunch and flavor to these already delicious cookies. Pecans and walnuts are my ultimate favorite. Add in 1/4 – 1/2 cup when you add in the chocolate chips.
Should I Add Caramel Bits to Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars?
If you want to add some caramel bits to these chocolate chip cookie bars, that is perfect. They give are terrific with the salt and go well with the chocolate too. The browned butter has a flavor that has caramel tones to it, so the combination is extraordinary.
Ingredients
As gourmet as these brown butter chocolate chip cookies are, you would think they took a ton of ingredients. Thankfully, you only need 12 ingredients to whip up a batch!
- All-purpose flour
- Table salt
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter
- Dark brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Large egg
- Large egg yolk
- Pure vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Bittersweet chocolate chips
- Sea salt
How to Make Brown Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
I love desserts, and I know that I always will. They are even better when I don’t have to spend all day making them. Cookie bars are fantastic because you don’t have to make multiple batches, and that is a win in my book.
First Step: Warm up the oven to 325 degrees. Then butter the bottom and the sides of a 9×13 baking pan. Add in a long piece of parchment paper on the bottom and let it hang over the two sides slightly. Then add one more piece of parchment paper the same way, but going the other direction. Doing so will make it easy to take the cookie bars out of the pan. Then add some butter to the parchment paper.
Second Step: Take a 10-inch skillet and melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook the butter and swirl the pan constantly until the butter begins turning a dark golden brown color and develops a nutty aroma. This typically takes around 1 – 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter carefully into a heatproof bowl. Let the butter cool down to room temperature.
Third Step: Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl then set aside.
Fourth Step: Mix the browned butter and sugars together in a large bowl until they are combined. Then add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla with the sugars. Take a rubber spatula and gently fold in the dry ingredients until they are just combined. Don’t overmix. Add in the chocolate chips.
Fifth Step: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and make the top smooth with the back of the spatula. Sprinkle the top of the bars with sea salt.
Sixth Step: Bake the chocolate chip cookie bars for 27-30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Cool them on a wire rack until they get to room temperature. Take the bars out of the pan by lifting the parchment paper and place them on a cutting board. Cut them into 2-inch squares and serve. Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂
Pin this recipe now to remember it later
Browned Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ cups all-purpose flour, 10 1/2 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 1/2 sticks
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, 7 ounces
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 3 1/2 ounces
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- Sea salt, for sprinkling over bars
Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox!
NOTE: By saving this recipe, you agree to join our weekly recipes newsletter.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Place another piece of parchment paper in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
- In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together browned butter and sugars until combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Transfer to prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the bars with sea salt.
- Bake until top is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 27 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting parchment overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
Follow me on Pinterest for daily delicious recipes!
Cookies make some of the best desserts ever, and who can turn down a good cookie recipe? Here are some of our favorites for you to try:
- The Best Easy Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe – These cookie bars are so incredible and moist, delicious sugar cookies. Try them, and you will be in love.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Lasagna – If you are craving chocolate, then this one is sure to be a hit. Cure your sweet tooth with these heavenly cookies.
- Peanut Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies – Traditional snickerdoodles are amazing, but adding peanut butter takes them to the next level.
- Homemade Gingerbread Cookies – Gingerbread cookies are fantastic in the cold winter. They just warm you up and taste so special.
Get new recipes weekly plus our FREE ebook!
