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Crinkly, Wrinkly, and oh so delicious…these Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies will have you hooked after just one bite. Made with browned butter and malted milk powder, then lightly sweetened for a cookie that’s rich in flavor and heavy on the chocolate. Every bite is slightly crisp on the edges, but soft and chewy in the center…so DELICIOUS! Absolutely nothing not to love about these crinkly, wrinkly, sweet malted cookies. Bonus? These cookies are easy to make and so yummy to eat!

overhead photo of Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Happiest Friday everyone!!

Kicking off Valentine’s Day weekend with the sweetest extra special cookies. Originally I had a whole different recipe planned for today. It’s a good one, but it still needs some work. So I’ll save it for another day, and instead, we have cookies! Maybe not exactly your typical Valentine’s Day dessert, but trust me these need to be made. Every last cookie is pretty much perfect.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, do you celebrate? I’ll be honest, it’s never a holiday I got very much into. But I do love any excuse to get dressed up, make a good dinner, and eat a rich chocolate dessert. In years past I’ve shared a lot of v-day desserts, but I’m switching things up with these cookies. They’re not a molten cake, but they’re just as warm, gooey, and delicious.

I’ve actually been wanting to share these cookies for months. I had the idea back in December to make a malted milk cookie with browned butter and chocolate chunks. It’s not the most genius idea out there, but the combination of malted milk powder, browned butter, and melty chocolate chunks just sound way too good to me. I knew I needed to test them out.

It took a while to finally make these, but man, I am so happy I finally did. Because they’re GOOD…they’re that cookie that everyone wants.

prep photo of cookies before baking

Two secrets to these cookies…

Browned butter and malted milk powder.

I feel like the browned butter is obvious, it’s key within these cookies. I like to brown half of the butter, but leave the other half at room temp. This gives you the flavor of browned butter but leaves you with a cookie that has a great texture too. It also highlights the malted flavors. I know it’s an extra step, but the browned butter really does add so much to these cookies. In my view, it’s the extra step worth taking.

Now, the malted milk powder. It’s not a usual cookie ingredient but it’s what really sets these cookies apart. For those of you unfamiliar with malted milk powder, it’s the best kept secret ingredient in the baking world. Malted milk is what is typically used to make malted milkshakes, among other things. It’s made from barley wheat and gives off a nutty flavor with a natural sweetness. It reminds me of the flavors in a toasted caramel sauce with undertones of browned butter and vanilla.

It’s very subtle but DELICIOUS. It adds a layer of flavor that keeps everyone wanting more. Asher described it so perfectly, the cookies taste like death by chocolate, with notes of vanilla and an almost boozy flavor.

close up photo of Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

The details…

Like most cookies, these are EASY. Brown the butter, let that cool, then simply mix everything together, bake, eat, and enjoy.

As I do with almost all my cookies, these need a tap on the counter to create that crinkly type of cookie.

Just tap the baking sheet on your counter midway through baking, then finish cooking. When the cookies have completely finished baking, remove them from the oven and tap the baking sheet once more. This step is KEY. It will ensure you have the least cakey chocolate chunk cookie. You’ll get a cookie with crisp edges and a gooey center. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out.

I like to do this with almost all of my cookies because it really does create that perfect crinkly, wrinkly cookie. It’s a method I learned from the New York Times and it’s genius.

overhead photo of Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Aside from browning the butter and tapping the baking sheet, the rest is is easy. When the cookies come out of the oven, the puddles of melted chocolate will be bubbling up and the kitchen will smell, nutty, buttery, and oh so delicious.

I of course love to eat these warm, right off the pan. But first, I let them set up for five or so minutes. Then I serve them up while still warm with a sprinkle of sea salt atop.

And oh my gosh, every last bite is delicious. It’s truly hard to beat a good chocolate chip cookie, but these certainly give the others some stiff competition. It’s the crinkly edges, deep vanilla flavor, and pockets of melted chocolate. Pretty hard to beat.

I’m looking forward to making these cookies tonight. They make for the perfect Friday night cookie, but honestly, they’re great anytime.

Oh but a quick question? Are you a milk and cookies person or do you just like the cookies? Me…I am a milk and cookies girl all the way!

Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookie broken in half

Looking for other chocolate desserts? Here are a few to try:

Vanilla Tiramisu Cake

Healthier Baked Hot Chocolate Doughnuts

4 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

Lastly, if you make these Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 214 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Instructions

  • 1. Add 1 stick of butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining stick of butter, the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
    4. Roll the dough into rounded 1 tablespoon size balls and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
    5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-3 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt (if desired). Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Notes

Freezing: the cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then bake as directed. 
Pan Bagging Method: adapted from  New York Times by Sarah Kieffer. 
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Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is our favorite recipe for ccc’s. We like to play with it. It works decently to use a convection oven at 300F for the first part and switch off the convection setting for the last part after the taps. It takes a little bit longer but gives you a thicker more robust result.

    1. Hey Cat,
      Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx

    1. Hi Braden,
      Sorry to hear this, we’re you looking for malted milk powder? Whenever I can’t find something at my local grocery store, I just order online. xx

  2. 4 stars
    The flavor of these cookies is amazing. Immediately, you’re like, these are not ordinary chocolate chip cookies. You taste the brown butter and the malt gives it an extra boost. How would I make these cookies a little less flat? I froze and didn’t bang the pan on the second batch. I like a slightly more chunky cookie.

    1. Hey there,
      Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! If the dough was still chilled then that is likely what made for a chunkier cookie:) xTieghan

  3. 3 stars
    My cookies were a bust. I don’t know where I went wrong. They certainly didn’t need to be tapped down. They went flat and never rose. I have flat discs, lol. I have 2 recipes from the same place. One says 2 cups flour and the other says 2 1/2 cups flour. So which is it? I like the idea of malt and browned sugar. I may try them again some day. I did use the amount of baking soda that was called for, so that wasn’t the problem. I give it a 3 because the cookie dough was good and who knows what happened!

    1. Hi JoAnn,
      So sorry to hear this. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? You will want to use 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of malted milk powder. These are meant to be a flat cookie. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan

    1. Hey Lauren,
      You bet! Just keep covered in the fridge. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

    1. Hi Jaclyn,
      You will want to use 4 tablespoons of flour in place of the malted milk powder. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan

  4. I can’t stop making (& eating) these! Between the malted milk powder, browned butter and tray tapping—hidden gems you cannot skip. Thank you!!

    1. Hey Angela,
      Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    Best chocolate chip cookies ever. I have been searching for a year for the best recipe, tried them all out there and this is by far the best one. Make sure to follow the recipe exactly as stated and they turn out perfect!

    1. Hey Nicole,
      Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays!?? xTieghan

  6. I am looking to bake these for Christmas and send them to family via mail. Do these cookies last longer than 4 days if kept in a sealed container?

    1. Hi Christine,
      I would recommend to do 2 day shipping, these are best eaten within the 4 days. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  7. 4 stars
    I don’t know where I went wrong. My cookie dough stayed in a ball shape and never flattened. 🙁 any tricks I should try. I did bang on the table , hard and twice.

    1. Hi there,
      So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Next time you can try gently flattening the dough with your hand before baking. xTieghan

    2. Hi! These seemed delish but I had the same problem… stayed in balls and look nothing like the picture. I also hit the pan on the counter twice 🙁

      1. Hi Sophie,
        So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    Delicious! I was wondering if you wrote your recipes with leavening adjusted for high altitude since you live in the high country. Or do you write them for sea level?

    1. Hey Mary,
      I love to hear that this recipe worked out for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! You can follow all of my recipes as is, they should work for both altitude and sea level. xTieghan

  9. My husband is not a go-to cookie guy, but he gladly will have these anytime. Definitely the chocolate chip/chunk recipe I will stick with from now on!

  10. Hi!
    Is milk powder and malted milk powder the same thing? I accidentally bought milk powder thinking it was malted milk powder. Can I use them interchangeably?

    1. Hey there,
      That will work, the malted milk powder just gives a nuttier flavor. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan