Thick, buttery-soft, and generously portioned, these bakery style cookies are infused with a faint hint of warm bourbon. These browned butter and bourbon cookies are a deliciously unique twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie.
Finally, after many days and nights of threatening to do so, the summer storms have begun to break and they’re doing so with a vengeance. The grounds are soggy, the winds borderline blustery and the skies perpetually muddied with dismally-shaded clouds.
I don’t believe I’m alone in thinking that there’s something wickedly beautiful about these storms and their abrupt, dark arrivals, their capacity for uprooting trees and snuffing out electricity. Thunderstorms are intoxicating in a most villainous way — is there anything more entrancing than lightning lash down from the sky with sinister elegance, or the rumbling percussion of thunder roiling in the distance?
To me, these sights and sounds are the perfect soundtrack and inspiration for a baking spree, and as the most recent storms rolled in I sought refuge in the kitchen, tucked away comfortably and cozily between my KitchenAid and the stove. These cookies then came to life out of a desire for a paradoxical treat: a complexity of flavors veiled by a shell of simplicity (and what could appear more simple and domestic than a chocolate chip cookie?).
Despite their appearance, these gigantic cookies are much, much, more than your standard chocolate chip cookie. They are made with perfectly browned butter, an un-apologetically high proportion of brown to white sugars, and a hearty swig of bourbon.
Browning butter is one of the best baking tricks to have up your sleeve (learn exactly how to brown butter, step-by-step), and using it in your cooking can bring your desserts to an entirely new level of decadence. The very act simply must be good for the soul: there is possibly nothing more cozy and wholesome than warming butter over a gas flame and listening to it sizzle and pop, permeating the kitchen with a toasty, nutty aroma while a cacophony of raindrops pelts the windowpanes.
The bourbon, though integral to this recipe, is definitely not an overwhelming feature. While the addition is important and worthwhile, it serves more to accent the flavors of the butter and the cookie as a whole, a subtle contributor to the final product. They do not taste alcoholic (and they’re really not as the alcohol cooks out while baking) but the bourbon is important for a truly exquisite cookie.
Though not very difficult to make, these cookies require patience. The browned butter must cool for at least an hour and a half before you can mix it in with the sugars, and once the dough is made it should chill overnight for the absolutely best flavor. As if the wait isn’t enough, the dough is also challenging: large spoonfuls need to be wrested out of the solidified dough, and I usually resort to carving thick chunks out with a knife and pressing them into an ice cream scoop to form the desired, round shape.
Also, while I usually strongly argue that cookies are best enjoyed immediately out of the oven, gooey and as fresh as possible, that is not the case here. The longer these cookies sit and cool, the better their flavor (I actually prefer eating them the next day rather than the same day that they are made, but then again that requires more patience, which I am in short-supply of).
Browned Butter & Bourbon Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 sticks (345 g) unsalted sweet cream butter
- 1 ¾ cup (350 g) light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) bourbon
- 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (8.5 g) cornstarch
- 1 ½ tsp (6 g) baking soda
- ¾ tsp (3 g) salt
- 2 ½ cups (425 g) chocolate chips/chunks I used a combination of half mini chips and half chopped premium dark chocolate
Instructions
- Place the butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Increase heat to medium (do not leave your butter or it will burn) and swirl occasionally as the butter snaps and crackles.3 sticks (345 g) unsalted sweet cream butter
- Let the butter snap and pop (while stirring occasionally) and once this begins to slow, begin to stir and don't stop. The butte will be foamy so it will be difficult to tell once it has begun to brown, but once you begin to smell the unmistakably nutty aroma of browned butter, remove from heat (still stirring continuously) and pour into a heat-proof container. (If you accidentally burn the butter, which you will know if you did, it will smell burnt, then do not use it or you will have burnt-tasting cookies).
- Allow butter to cool for at least an hour and a half before proceeding.
- Once butter has cooled, combine in KitchenAid (or with hand-mixer) with sugars, beating on medium-speed until well combined.1 ¾ cup (350 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, pausing to scrape down the sides and then beating well after each addition.2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- Add bourbon and vanilla. Stir.3 Tbsp (45 ml) bourbon, 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- In separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp (8.5 g) cornstarch, 1 ½ tsp (6 g) baking soda, ¾ tsp (3 g) salt
- Gradually (with mixer on low-medium speed) add flour mixture to butter mixture, pausing periodically to scrape down sides of bowl.
- Stir in chocolate chips/chunks, transfer to container with a lid and refrigerate overnight.2 ½ cups (425 g) chocolate chips/chunks
- Once dough has refrigerated, preheat oven to 350F (177C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough either into ice cream scoop or into ¼ sized measuring cup and drop onto prepared cookie sheets (the dough is difficult to work with, I have to scoop out smaller pieces of dough at a time and press them into my ice cream scoop into a cohesive ball and then drop them onto the cookie sheet. Press down gently on the balls to flatten slightly.
- Bake 10-12 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool completely at least 10 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Wanda Routzahn
So happy to find this recipe. I hope to mix up at least one batch in the next few days. I am going to add some toasted pecans that have been soaking in bourbon. I was going to substitute these for some of the chocolate. Do you think this will work? SO excited to try them.
Sam
Hi Wanda! The addition of bourbon soaked nuts sounds delicious! I would probably cut down the chocolate chips to 2 cups before adding nuts. 🙂
Suz
This recipe is incredible. On a practical note, I really appreciate that you put the ingredient measurements within each step of the directions–saves scrolling back and forth. I agree with other comments that it’s way easier to form dough balls before refrigeration. If you want a stronger bourbon flavor, I’ve increased it even to double the recipe amount without any noticeable problem with the dough.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Suz! 🙂
Joel
Won a cookie contest with these tonight. I used four tablespoons of Wild Turkey 101 and one stick of salted butter with the two unsalted. I did half milk chocolate chips and half semi sweet. Don’t overdo it on the amount of chips. I made a few cookies with extra chips and the chocolate overpowered the batter, which is the star of the show here. In my oven they baked for 13 minutes and thirty seconds to be perfect. I made the dough balls before putting them in the fridge making the process much easier on day two. I used a wood spoon to press them down to make the tops flat.
Sam
That’s so awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Joel! 🙂
Michelle
Can you scoop them on parchment paper and then refrigerate them overnight before baking???
Sam
Hi Michelle! That will work. I would just make sure to cover them so the dough doesn’t dry out. 🙂
Stan
These are my most requested cookie recipe. There nothing like an upgraded version of a classic!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Stan! 🙂
Rachel Smalley
I just made these for my annual family beach trip . They were a huge hit, especially among a group of bourbon lovers. Browning the butter really made a difference to add unique and premium flavor.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Rachel! 🙂
AShleigh
These were very easy to make and taste good. Do you have a bourbon recommendation? I used Maker’s Mark and while I smelled it during making the dough after being in the fridge over night and baking I didn’t really smell or taste any. Or would adding a bit more make a difference? I don’t want an overpowering taste but I do want to be able to taste it.
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Ashleigh! I used Jim Beam when I made these. The flavor isn’t going to be strong and overpowering. It is simply going to add an extra depth of flavor here. 🙂
Jennifer
Hi, I’m wondering if I can freeze this dough for a few days before cooking?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jennifer! If you wish to freeze the dough, I would reccomend rolling the dough into balls prior to freezing. To avoid sticking, I usually will layer the cookie dough balls in between layers of wax paper before storing it in the freezer. I hope that helps! 🙂
David
Thanks for the recipe! I did the 3x tablespoons of bourbon per the recipe and added 2 more shots of 86 proof Old Barton. I didn’t read part two of the instructions and needed the dough for a solid 20 minutes and then used my gelato scoon. Baked for 11 and 11.45 minutes @ 350 and perfect. Made 14 big cookies. Party of 1 that loves bourbon and experimented perfectly for a new adventure! Pure heaven….
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, David! 🙂
Allison
I keep forgetting to rate these, but I have made this recipe dozens of times. They are incredible each time I have made them – I don’t know if I can return to chocolate chip cookies without browned butter and bourbon again. Letting the dough chill overnight has yielded the tastiest results for me, and like you said they are even better the next day. Thanks for sharing my ultimate favorite cookie recipe!
Sam
I appreciate any comments, Allison! I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies. 🙂
Kimberly Newman
Love your recipes! I have a quick question does using cornstarch stoped the cookies from spreading?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kimberly! Thank you for being a fan of my recipes. I am so glad that you enjoy them! Cornstarch, when combined with flour, softens the flour leading to a more tender cookie. 🙂
Jackie
How many cookie does this make?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jackie! I used an ice cream scoop and ended up with about 46 cookies, give or take a few. I did eat some dough (I couldn’t resist). 🙂
AKJ
I have eaten these cookies and they are AWESOME!!!! I am going to make some for a Christmas party. Can’t go wrong with this one.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies. I hope everyone enjoys them at your Christmas party as well. Happy Holidays. 🙂
Nikita
Made these quite a few times, and they get better every time. I used Knobb Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon Whiskeyand that gave it an amazing flavor: 3 times I chilled the dough over night, but last night I sent the cookies from the mixer straight to the oven and I highly recommend. They are far easier to scoop, and you get to enjoy a lot sooner. Other than that, expect to get a ton of compliments when giving to others to enjoy. My friends and family request I make these cookies all the time.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoy the cookies, Nikita! I am glad they are a crowd-pleaser. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Nikita
Thanks for sharing the recipe, absolutely brilliant!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Nikita! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂