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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Yasser
These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars take the beloved dessert to new heights with their rich, nutty flavor and chewy texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 220 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup + 1 & 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter 192g
  • 1 tbsp milk powder optional, enhances nuttiness
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 100g
  • 2/3 cup soft light brown sugar 125g
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 250g
  • 1 tsp corn starch for chewiness
  • 1 tsp instant coffee powder optional, deepens flavor
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 7 oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks 200g

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  • Brown the Butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add milk powder if using. Stir occasionally until the milk solids turn deep amber and the butter smells nutty. Pour into a large bowl and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
  • Whisk Sugars: Add both sugars to the cooled brown butter and whisk until smooth and glossy.
  • Add Eggs: Incorporate the egg and egg yolk, whisking vigorously for a full minute until the mixture is thick, pale, and ribbon-like.
  • Fold Dry Ingredients: Add flour, corn starch, instant coffee powder (if using), baking powder, and salt all at once. Fold gently until just a few streaks of flour remain.
  • Mix in Chocolate: Add chocolate chunks and fold until evenly distributed and no flour streaks remain.
  • Bake: Press dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden on top but slightly underdone in the center.
  • Cool & Slice: Let cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares.

Notes

For a lighter version of Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, try these swaps: Reduce Sugar: Cut sugar by 1/4 cup and add 1 mashed banana for natural sweetness. Whole Wheat Flour: Substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Dairy-Free: Use plant-based butter and dairy-free chocolate. Egg Substitute: Replace eggs with flax eggs (1 tbsp flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg).