Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Master these homemade sea salt chocolate chip cookies with their perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. This easy baking recipe creates cookies with crisp edges and soft centers. Learn the secret to the best chocolate chip cookies: brown butter for depth and flaky sea salt for that professional bakery finish.

Difficulty:

Beginner

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

12 mins

Serves:

18 cookies

Ingredients

<ul class="ingredients-main-list"><li class="ingredients-single-item">200g unsalted butter</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">200g light brown sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">100g granulated sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 large eggs, room temperature</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tsp vanilla extract</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">280g all-purpose flour</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tsp baking soda</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">½ tsp baking powder</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">¾ tsp fine sea salt</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">250g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tbsp flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for topping</li></ul>

Equipment

<ul class="equipment-main-list"><li class="equipment-single-item">Baking sheets</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Parchment paper</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Stand mixer or electric hand mixer</li></ul>

Directions

<ol class="no-list-style"><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 1</h4>In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. The milk solids will separate and brown at the bottom of the pan – this is where the flavor magic happens! Pour into a large heatproof bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Browning the butter adds a toffee-like depth that elevates these cookies beyond the ordinary.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 2</h4>Add both sugars to the browned butter and beat with an electric mixer until well combined, about 2 minutes. The mixture won't become as fluffy as with room-temperature butter, and that's perfectly fine – it's what gives these cookies their chewy texture.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 3</h4>Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. The mixture should look glossy and smooth.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 4</h4>In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined – overmixing will develop too much gluten, resulting in tough cookies. The dough should be coming together but still look somewhat rough.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 5</h4>Fold in the chopped chocolate using a spatula until evenly distributed. Using chopped chocolate rather than chips creates melty chocolate pockets throughout the cookies and varied texture.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 6</h4>Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. This resting period allows the flour to fully hydrate and the flavors to develop, resulting in more complex-tasting cookies with better texture. Don't skip this step – it's crucial for the perfect cookie!</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 7</h4>When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180°C and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 10 minutes to slightly soften.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 8</h4>Scoop the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each (roughly 50g per cookie). Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 7cm between each cookie as they will spread during baking.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 9</h4>Sprinkle each dough ball with a few flakes of sea salt – be generous but not overwhelming. The salt crystals will maintain their structure during baking, providing delightful flavor bursts against the sweet cookie.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 10</h4>Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look slightly underbaked. This creates that perfect contrast between crisp edges and soft centers. The cookies will continue cooking slightly on the hot baking sheet.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 11</h4>Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If you want to enhance the appearance, you can press a few additional chocolate chunks into the tops while they're still warm.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 12</h4>These cookies are best enjoyed slightly warm when the chocolate is still melty, but they'll keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze the dough balls to bake fresh cookies whenever the craving strikes!</li></ol>

FAQs

Find answers to your most pressing questions about this delicious recipe right here.

What ingredients are used in Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe?

These cookies require unsalted butter, light brown and granulated sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine sea salt, dark chocolate, and flaky sea salt for topping. The brown butter and flaky sea salt are key to their distinctive flavour.

How to cook Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe at home?

Learn how to cook Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies by first browning the butter until golden and nutty, mixing with sugars, eggs and vanilla, then incorporating dry ingredients and chocolate chunks. Chill the dough (preferably overnight), scoop into balls, top with flaky sea salt, and bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden but centres remain soft.

Why is browning the butter important in chocolate chip cookies?

Browning butter creates a nutty, toffee-like flavour that adds incredible depth to chocolate chip cookies. The process evaporates water from the butter and caramelises the milk solids, resulting in more complex flavour, richer aroma, and a slightly chewier texture in the finished cookies.

Is chilling cookie dough really necessary or can I skip this step?

Chilling cookie dough is crucial for superior texture and flavour. It allows flour to fully hydrate, solidifies the butter (preventing over-spreading), and develops more complex flavours. For chocolate chip cookies, a 2-hour minimum chill (ideally overnight) creates that perfect crisp-edge, chewy-centre texture.

What's the difference between using chocolate chunks versus chocolate chips in cookies?

Chocolate chunks create varied texture and melty pockets throughout cookies, while uniform chips maintain their shape during baking. Chunks from chopped chocolate bars also typically contain higher cocoa content and less stabilisers than commercial chips, resulting in superior melt and richer chocolate flavour.

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