Dark Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies with Toasted Hazelnuts
If you’re looking for the ultimate cozy cookie - chewy, deeply flavorful and decadent - these Dark Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies with Toasted Hazelnuts are it. Made with rich and nutty brown butter, toasty hazelnuts and pools of dark chocolate, they’re bakery-style cookies made easily at home. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top takes them completely over the edge. Perfect for gifting, freezing or devouring straight off the tray. Serve alone or alongside other cookies like my lemon ricotta cookies or my mini tiramisu cookies.
Servings: 17 cookies
Calories: 290kcal
Equipment
- Silicone mat or parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw, shelled hazelnuts
- ¾ cup unsalted butter or 1 ½ sticks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped see tip below
- flaky sea salt optional, for finishing
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When it smells nutty and the milk solids are dark brown (about 5 minutes), pour it into a bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Toast the hazelnuts. Toast whole hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring often. Let cool for 5 minutes, then chop roughly.
- Add in vanilla + eggs. Stir vanilla bean paste into the browned butter. Add the egg and yolks one at a time, stirring with a rubber spatula for about 2 minutes until glossy and smooth.
- Mix the dough. Add all dry ingredients at once. Fold gently with your spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl so everything is incorporated.
- Add in the mix-ins. Fold in chopped dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. The dough will be rich and thick. Chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.
- Scoop + roll. Preheat oven to 350°F and arrange oven racks in the middle of the oven. Use a #20 cookie scoop to portion dough. Roll each cookie dough scoop in your hand to tighten dough ball. Place 5 cookies per half-sheet pan.
- Bake. Bake two pans at a time for 13-15 minutes, rotating halfway. For soft, chewy cookies, bake 13 minutes. For crispier edges, bake closer to 15 minutes. Remember all ovens are different so monitor closely to make sure the cookies don’t burn.
- Finish + cool. Optional: Sprinkle flaky sea salt right after the cookies come out of the oven. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack for another 5 minutes to finish cooling.
Notes
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
- Storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing. Scoop and freeze individual cookie dough balls for up to three months. Once ready, bake cookie dough from frozen at 350°F for 16–17 minutes. Remember all ovens are different so keep a close eye while baking.
- Reheating. Warm cookies in a 300°F oven for 3–4 minutes or in the microwave in 15 second intervals until warmed through.
- Cool the butter. Don’t skip cooling the brown butter as it affects the dough texture. Bonus points if you use a metal mixing bowl for faster butter cooling!
- Bars > chips. Opt for whole, dark chocolate bars over dark chocolate chips or chunks. You'll chop the chocolate bar but these will then create those dreamy chocolate puddles throughout the cookie. The dark chocolate bar should be 70% or higher, depending on preference.
- Twist and turn. Rotate your pans halfway through baking for even color.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @AFabulousBite or tag #AFabulousBite!
