Brown Butter Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies - crispy and crackly on the outside with a chewy middle filled with warm chai spice and pools of melted white chocolate.

I love a classic chocolate chip cookie. It will forever be the og, the GOAT, the one we all return to in times of crisis. But somewhere between batch four hundred and batch four hundred and one, I got bored. I wasn't tired of chocolate chip cookies exactly, I was tired of making the same one. So I browned the butter, swapped in white chocolate, and threw a fistful of chai spices into the dough because apparently my solution to boredom is always "add more spice." These Brown Butter Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies are what happened, and I have zero regrets.

If you're in a cookie mood, you're in good company around here. Try my NYC style thin and gooey chocolate chip cookies if you want the classic done bakery style, my chai caramel cake if you want to turn this flavor combo into a full dessert event, or my chai donuts if mornings are more your speed.

Why You'll Love These Brown Butter Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies

The brown butter gives them a nutty, almost toffee like flavor you can't get from a regular melted butter cookie
That chai spice blend makes these taste like fall in a way that doesn't feel like a pumpkin spice cliché
White chocolate and chai spices were basically made for each other, the sweetness balances the warmth of the spice perfectly
They're a true bakery style cookie, crispy and crackly outside with a soft, chewy middle
The dough comes together in one bowl, no fancy equipment required

Ingredient Overview

Nothing wild here, just a few things working extra hard. Here's what you'll need:

Unsalted butter, browned until nutty and golden
Granulated sugar and dark brown sugar
A whole egg plus an extra egg yolk, both at room temperature
Vanilla extract
All purpose flour
Cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda
Kosher salt
Milk
Homemade chai spices (recipe below)
White chocolate, chopped, the good stuff like Lindt

How to Make Brown Butter Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns deep golden brown and smells nutty. Let it cool for about 20 minutes. Do not skip the cooling, warm butter will wreck your dough.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and chai spices in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Beat the cooled brown butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the whole egg, then the egg yolk, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla and milk and mix until smooth and glossy.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, do not overmix.
Fold in the white chocolate.
Scoop the cookie dough, then press two scoops together to form one large bakery style cookie, about a heaping ⅓ cup or 100 grams each.
Chill the dough balls in the freezer for 15 minutes or the fridge for 25 before baking.
Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes, then bang the sheet pan on the counter a few times to create those nice crackly ripples. Bake for another 3 to 4 minutes depending on how soft you want the center.
Let the cookies cool completely on the pan before moving them.

How to Make Homemade Chai Spice

Combine ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves, and a generous crack of black pepper. That black pepper is not a typo, it's what makes this taste like an actual chai latte instead of just a cinnamon cookie wearing a costume.

Common Mistakes

Adding the brown butter while it's still warm, which causes excess spreading
Skipping the chill time because you're hungry and impatient, we've all been there
Overmixing the dough once the flour goes in, which makes for a dense, sad cookie
Using cold eggs straight from the fridge instead of room temperature
Baking on a sheet pan that's still hot from the last batch

Tips and Tricks for Brown Butter Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies

Use a kitchen scale if you have one, 100 grams per dough ball keeps every cookie consistent
Press a few extra chunks of white chocolate on top right before baking for that bakery display case look
If you're baking multiple sheets at once, rotate them halfway through for even browning
Let your butter actually cool, 20 minutes minimum, before mixing it with the sugars

Frequently Asked Questions

Here's what people usually ask me about this recipe:

Can I use a different chocolate? White chocolate is the move here since it lets the chai spice shine, but dark chocolate chunks would also work if that's more your flavor.
Why brown the butter? Browned butter gives the cookies a nutty, almost caramelized flavor that regular melted butter just can't compete with.
Can I make the dough ahead? Yes, the dough can be scooped and chilled in the fridge up to 48 hours before baking.
Do I need a stand mixer? Nope, a hand mixer or even a whisk and some elbow grease will get you there.

Storing and Freezing

These cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The chai spice actually deepens a bit after the first day, so don't be surprised if they taste even better on day two.

As for the freezer, you can freeze scooped cookie dough or the whole cookies, if you do cookie dough, the will need a few extra minutes to bake, and if you do the whole cookies, they will need to sit out at room temp for 30ish minutes!

FOR MORE OF MY LATEST RECIPES, HERE ARE SOME I LOVE!

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Recipe

Brown Butter Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies

Molly Murphy

crispy and crackly on the outside with a chewy middle filled with warm chai spice and pools of melted white chocolate.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings cookies

Ingredients

For the homemade chai spice

1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For the cookies

1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar lightly packed
1 large egg at room temperature
1 large egg yolk at room temperature
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons milk
Homemade chai spice recipe above
8 ounces white chocolate chopped, such as Lindt

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the butter turns a deep golden brown and releases a nutty aroma, about 5-7 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning. Once browned, transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and let it cool for about 20 minutes.
1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves, and freshly cracked black pepper. Make sure the dry ingredients are evenly combined, then set the bowl aside.
1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cardamom, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer or a hand whisk, combine the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
¼ cup dark brown sugar, 1½ cups granulated sugar
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again with a rubber spatula. Add the whole egg and mix on medium speed for 15-20 seconds. Then, add the egg yolk and repeat. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more, then add the vanilla extract and milk. Mix on low speed until fully incorporated. The batter should look smooth and glossy.
1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons milk
Gradually add all of the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the cookies dense.
Fold the chopped white chocolate into the dough using a rubber spatula, ensuring the chocolate is evenly distributed.
8 ounces white chocolate
Using a 4-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, portion all the dough into balls. Once all the dough is scooped, take two balls and press them together to create a large bakery-style cookie, approximately a heaping ⅓ cup each, or 100g each ball (*note: if you make these small they will be dry and cakey.) Roll the combined dough into smooth, even balls. Place four dough balls on each prepared baking sheet, spaced well apart. Transfer one baking sheet to the freezer for 15 minutes (or the fridge for 25 minutes) before baking. Keep the other sheets in the fridge while you bake the first batch.
Place the chilled baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and slightly set in the center. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and bang it on the counter three times. (You don't need to bang it too hard, but make sure it's firm enough to create ripples in the cookies.) Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes, depending on your preference. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the centers are pale and slightly underbaked. For a softer center, bake for 3 minutes; for a crisper texture, bake for 4 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the pan. The residual heat will help set the centers slightly. Once cooled, transfer the cookies to a wire rack or serve immediately for the best texture.

Notes

Let the brown butter cool completely before adding it to the sugars; warm butter can alter the dough's texture and cause excessive spreading. 
For extra chocolate puddles, press a few additional chocolate chunks onto the tops of the cookie dough balls after baking. 
If you prefer a chewier texture, you can slightly underbake the cookies and allow them to set on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. 
Use a cookie scoop for consistent sizing, ensuring even baking across your batches of cookies. 
If you're baking multiple trays at once, rotate them halfway through the bake time for even browning.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Crispy and Gooey Brown Butter Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies