Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Name: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ cup browned butter; ¼ cup granulated sugar; ½ cup light brown sugar; 1 egg; 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup chocolate chips; 1 Tablespoon Flaky sea salt ((optional))

By Laura Sandford

Posted Oct 12, 2026

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These brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars are gooey and delicious with an irresistibly nutty, caramel-like flavor. They’re easy to make in 30 minutes – no mixer or scooping and rolling required.

a stack of 3 brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars with melty chocolate chips and a gooey texture, topped with flaky sea salt. The top one has a bite taken out of it. The stack is on parchment paper and surrounded by more cookie bars and chocolate chips

Level up your dessert game by using brown butter and making these delicious brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars.

If you’re craving brown butter chocolate chip cookies but don’t want to roll and bake multiple batches, then this recipe is for you. You don’t even need a mixer because everything is combined by hand, then the dough is spread into a baking dish and baked to gooey, melty chocolate perfection!

They have crisp edges, gooey centers, tons of chocolate chips, and the rich, caramel flavor of browned butter infused in every bite. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top adds the perfect finishing touch.

a stack of 3 brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars with melty chocolate chips and a gooey texture, topped with flaky sea salt. The stack is on parchment paper and surrounded by more cookie bars and chocolate chips

overhead photo of the ingredients in this brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars recipe - all in bowls and labeled like butter, flour, sugar, salt, and chocolate chips

Brown Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter to make the brown butter for this recipe. For more tips and tricks, check out this post on How to Brown Butter.
Eggs. See my eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe for the best egg substitutions.
All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version, substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Fine sea salt. Use fine (not coarse) sea salt. If using iodized table salt, decrease the amount by half.
Granulated sugar. I recommend using organic cane sugar or regular white sugar.
Light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is a great substitution.
Chocolate chips. Use your favorite variety – semisweet, dark, milk, etc. You can also use chopped chocolate bars. Or, add nuts like in these chocolate chip pecan cookies.

overhead photo of 8 brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars cut into squares with melty chocolate chips and topped with flaky sea salt

We’ll walk through this recipe together, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and lining an 8″ (20 cm) square baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease.

making brown butter cookie bars - white square ceramic baking dish lined with parchment paper

Brown the Butter

Then, brown the butter. For an in-depth post on how to brown butter, click on the link. My greatest tip is to brown butter over medium-low heat in a thick-bottomed pan. Low and slow is key!

making brown butter cookie bars - cubed butter in a white saucepan

making brown butter cookie bars - melted and slightly foamy butter in a white saucepan

When you’re browning butter, first it will melt. Then, it will begin to foam on top and start bubbling.

Next, it will start turning light brown with light brown flecks. Then, it will start turning a darker brown, amber color. At this point, the butter is browned, and cooking is complete.

making brown butter cookie bars - lightly browned butter in a white saucepan

making brown butter cookie bars - browned butter in a white saucepan

Make the Batter

Immediately transfer the browned butter to a large mixing bowl and let it cool for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you don’t transfer it from the warm pan, it could continue cooking and burn or become overly brown – so make sure to transfer it!

Next, whisk the white and brown sugars into the cooled brown butter.

making brown butter cookie bars - browned butter, white sugar and brown sugar in a glass mixing bowl before mixing

making brown butter cookie bars - browned butter and sugar mixed together in a glass mixing bowl.

Then, whisk in egg and vanilla vigorously until the sugars are dissolved.

making brown butter cookie bars - egg and vanilla added to the butter/sugar mixture before mixing

making brown butter cookie bars - wet ingredients in a glass mixing bowl

Next, add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until fully incorporated.

making brown butter cookie bars - dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients in a glass mixing bowl before mixing together

making brown butter cookie bars - dough in a glass mixing bowl

Fold in the chocolate chips or your preferred mix-ins. Some suggestions include:

Chopped Chocolate
Nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc).
Caramel bits
Toffee Bits
White chocolate chips

making brown butter cookie bars - chocolate chips added to the dough in a glass mixing bowl before mixing

making brown butter cookie bars - dough with chocolate chips mixed in in a glass mixing bowl

Then, spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish. If desired, sprinkle the top with additional chocolate chips.

making brown butter cookie bars - dough pressed into a parchment-lined white square baking dish and topped with chocolate chips

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, or until the top is set and the sides are just barely starting to brown – be very careful NOT to overbake. They bake quicker than my regular chocolate chip cookie bars because of the browned butter.

brown butter cookie bars in a white square ceramic baking dish after baking with lots of melty chocolate chips on top

Remove, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and let them cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack.

Once cooled, use the parchment paper to lift the browned butter chocolate chip cookie bars out of the pan, then cut into squares and serve.

How to get Clean cuts

To get clean cuts, make sure the bars are completely cooled and firm. Then dip a sharp knife in very hot water, dry it quickly with a towel, and then make a cut. Then, wipe the knife off and repeat with each cut.

overhead view of brown butter cookie bars on a marble cutting board cut into 16 squares with melty chocolate chips and topped with flaky sea salt.

Serve

I love serving these brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars slightly warm because I love a gooey dessert. However, they’re easier to cut and serve and have a chewier texture when they are completely cool.

More Brown Butter Recipes

If you love brown butter, you need to make these recipes!

front view of brown butter cookie bars on a marble cutting board cut into 16 squares with melty chocolate chips and topped with flaky sea salt.

Store

Store leftover brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed in the microwave to restore the fresh-from-the-oven texture.

Freeze

Freeze individual bars by wrapping them in plastic wrap and then storing them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature slowly or in the microwave.

How do you brown butter?

Check out my in-depth, step-by-step guide and learn how to brown butter perfectly every time.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13″ baking dish.

What does browned butter do to cookie bars?

Brown butter adds a rich, nutty, caramel-like flavor to these bars.

Why are my bars dry?

The two main causes of dry bars are using too much flour and over-baking the bars.

a stack of 2 brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars with melty chocolate chips and a gooey texture, topped with flaky sea salt. The top one has a bite taken out of it. The stack is surrounded by more cookie bars and flaky sea salt

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!