Gluten Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

There’s something magical about Gluten Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, especially when they come fresh from the oven. The browned butter gives them a rich, nutty, caramel-like flavor that makes every bite feel extra special, with just the right amount of dark chocolate in every bite. Chewy, full of flavor, and impossible to resist, these cookies are my go-to whenever I need a little homemade comfort.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with both Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag) and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Both work well, but my favorite batch was made with Bob’s Red Mill - the cookies spread more evenly and had a chewier texture. If you’re using King Arthur, I recommend cutting back the flour by about 10 grams to help them spread a little better. Clearly, you can use one of your favorite gluten-free flour blends, just make sure it does contain xanthan gum.

Brown Butter: Brown butter is what takes these gluten free chocolate chip cookies to the next level. It adds a deep, nutty flavor with notes of caramel and toasted hazelnut that pair perfectly with the chocolate. It gives the cookies that rich, bakery-style taste and just the right amount of complexity without feeling heavy. If you’re going the dairy free route,  melt 115 grams of dairy-free butter instead of browning it. The cookies will still be soft, chewy, and full of flavor - just slightly less complex. They won’t technically be brown butter chocolate chip cookies anymore, but they’ll still be really, really good chocolate chip cookies.

Milk Powder: Adding a little milk powder - whole or non-fat - brings out the nutty, caramel flavor from the brown butter and makes the cookies taste even better. It’s optional, but a nice touch if you love brown butter. Just stick with regular dairy milk powder since non-dairy ones like coconut milk powder won’t have the same effect.

Milk: When browning butter, it loses some of its water content. To make up for that, I like to add some milk (or heavy cream) back to the recipe. I also tried it with water but to be honest, milk or heavy cream gives the cookies a little extra flavor boost water can't provide.

Chocolate: I like using a chopped dark chocolate bar in these cookies for those rich, melty pockets of chocolate in every bite. It melts more evenly than chocolate chips, so you get a little bit of chocolate goodness all throughout the cookie.

How to Make Brown Butter (Beurre Noisette)

Brown butter - also known as beurre noisette - is simply butter that’s cooked until the milk solids turn golden brown. The result is a rich, nutty flavor and a warm amber color that adds incredible depth to cookies, cakes, and even savory dishes.

If you’re making it for the first time, take it slow and keep the heat low. Use a heavy-bottomed pan, ideally a light-colored one, so you can see the color change as it happens. Stir often with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to keep it from burning. You can make brown butter ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks - just melt it gently before using it in your gluten free brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

1. Step 1: Add the unsalted butter (straight from the fridge or freezer), cut into smaller pieces, to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. If you have a white or light-colored pan, use it. It makes it much easier to see when the milk solids start to brown.

2. Step 2: Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once it’s fully melted, let it simmer for 30–45 seconds before stirring in the milk powder (this really enhances the nutty aroma). The butter will start to foam and bubble. Keep stirring, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you go.

3. Step 3: Keep cooking and stirring. The butter will begin to smell wonderfully nutty and turn a deep golden brown color. You’ll notice little brown specks forming on the bottom. Those are the caramelized milk solids. Watch closely here, since brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in no time.

4. Step 4: Remove the pan from the heat and pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl right away, scraping in all those flavorful brown bits. Let it cool for about 20 minutes before using. For this gluten-free brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, the brown butter should still be liquid and just warm to the touch.

Gluten Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Let the brown butter cool just a little. It should still be liquid but not hot. I usually mix everything with a spatula (no fancy mixer needed!) instead of a whisk because whisks can whip in too much air, making the cookies cakier than I want. These cookies are meant to be chewy, so we’re keeping it simple.

1. Step 1: Start with brown butter that’s cooled for about 20 minutes. It should still be liquid and a little warm to the touch.

2. Step 2: Stir the light brown sugar and granulated sugar into the brown butter using a flexible spatula. Mix until the sugars are fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand.

3. Step 3: Add the room-temperature egg, milk (or heavy cream or water), and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is smooth and glossy.

4. Step 4: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula. The dough might look dry and crumbly at first, but keep folding. It will come together as the flour absorbs the moisture.

5. Step 5: Finally, fold in the chopped dark chocolate, mixing just until it’s evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.

6. Step 6: Chill the brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough for at least an hour so the butter firms up and the dough is easier to scoop. If you skip this, it’ll be too soft to handle. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Baking Instructions

The dough for briwn butter chocolate chip cookies should be refrigerated for at least an hour before baking it. This gives the dough time to fully hydrate.

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Step 2: Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion out the brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough. You should get around 16 - 18 cookies, depending on how much you “sampled.” If the dough has chilled for a long time, it may be a bit firm, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes if needed.
3. Step 3: Top each cookie dough ball with additional dark chocolate if you like.
4. Step 4: Arrange 6 - 8 cookie dough balls on each baking sheet, leaving enough space for them to spread as they bake.

5. Step 5: Bake the cookies, one sheet tray at a time, about 10 minutes. The cookies should be golden around the edges and slightly puffy in the center - don’t overbake, as they’ll continue to set as they cool. And overbaking will ruin those gooey centers we all love. Keep in mind the baking time can vary from oven to oven.
6. Step 6: After removing them from the oven, use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently scoot the cookies into a perfect circle.
7. Step 7: Top each cookie with a generous sprinkle of flaky salt if you like.
8. Step 8: Let the brown butter cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. I recommend using an offset to carefully remove them from the parchment paper.
9. Step 9: Repeat with the remaining gluten free brown butter cookie dough.

Storage & Freezing

These gluten-free brown butter chocolate chip cookies stay soft and chewy for days - if they last that long! The brown butter and brown sugar keep them moist, so they’re still delicious a day or two after baking. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

If you want to freeze the dough, scoop it into portions and press them down a bit so they’ll spread properly when baked. Freeze on a tray until firm, then toss them in a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen. Just add a minute or two to the bake time.

Baked cookies freeze really well too. Once they’ve cooled completely, tuck them into an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready for a treat, just let them thaw at room temperature - no reheating required.

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.