Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with chunks of chocolate! Brown sugar gives them a rich, sweet flavor, while a little maple syrup adds something special to every bite. A sprinkle of flaky salt on top makes them even more delicious!
Looking for more treats to bake? Check out my Maple Brown Sugar Cookies, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Measure carefully to help the cookies bake up with the right texture.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies spread and brown as they bake.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness. If using table salt, use a little less.
- Unsalted butter: Let it come to room temperature so it mixes easily with the sugar. If using salted butter, you can reduce or omit the kosher salt, depending on your taste.
- Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness and helps keep the cookies soft and chewy. I recommend light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Egg: Use a large egg at room temperature to help it mix evenly into the dough.
- Pure maple syrup: Adds sweetness and a subtle maple flavor. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor and complements the brown sugar and chocolate.
- Semisweet chocolate: Chop a chocolate bar into chunks for pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cookies. Semisweet chocolate chips can be used instead, but the chunks give the cookies a different look and texture.
- Flaky salt: Sprinkling a little on top adds a nice salty contrast to the sweet cookies. It is optional, but I recommend it!
FAQs
Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?
Yes! Semisweet chocolate chips work well in these cookies. Chopped chocolate gives you bigger pockets of melted chocolate, but either option is delicious.
Can I use dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
Absolutely! Dark chocolate gives the cookies a richer, less sweet taste, while milk chocolate makes them sweeter. Use whichever you prefer.
Can I leave off the flaky salt?
Yes! The flaky salt is optional. It adds a little crunch and balances the sweetness of the brown sugar and chocolate, but the cookies are delicious without it.
Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes! Cover the dough and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. If the dough is very firm, let it sit at room temperature briefly so it is easier to scoop. Chilled dough may also need an extra minute or two in the oven.
Why do the cookies look underbaked when they come out of the oven?
The centers should still look slightly soft when you take the cookies out of the oven. They will continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet. Baking them until the centers look completely firm can make the cookies dry.
Can I freeze Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Yes! You can freeze the baked, cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the portioned cookie dough and bake the cookies from frozen, adding a little extra baking time as needed. Check out my Guide To Freezing, Baking, and Storing Cookies for more helpful tips.
How To Store Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days.
To Freeze: Let cookies cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
To Freeze the Dough: Scoop the dough into portions and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a little extra baking time as needed.
More Popular Cookies
Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (105 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (126 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped, plus more for topping (optional)
- Flaky salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until creamy.
- Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a few extra chocolate pieces onto the tops, if desired. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
These cookies are easy to make and easy to make l made them smaller but.went.to.freeze.some.they were.gone. l will make them again!
hi! these look amazing, will be making for kiddos! one question, no refrigeration needed? i’ve seen so many recipes that call for it so cookies don’t spread. ty for sharing 😋
They do not spread. I talk about that in the blog post… 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and my dough was not crumbly but very gooey. I added another 1/2 flour and am not going to refrigerate because they are still not crumbly. I will reply to my post and reveal the results once baked. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Oh goodness! Yes, please let me know how they turn out for you!
I live in Paris, France and American recipes are, at times, very difficult to make here as the ingredients are not the same. Brown sugar here is free flowing which has greatly impacted my results despite chilling in the refrigerator. The cookies look good but they did spread quite a bit although that was expected on my part but don’t know yet how they will taste. I wonder if you would not mind in the future to give weights as everything here is done that way. Just a suggestion.
I tried one of the cookies and they had just the right amount of crunch on the outside and softer on the inside.
Perhaps Shelly’s issue was not compacting her brown sugar. Since mine, too, was not crumbly due to Parisian brown sugar being different I am more knowledgeable about adapting American recipes here in Paris.
Not sure how to rate this. The flavor and texture are quite nice. However, I too had a loose batter. I had to add almost another full cup of flour to bring the batter from a cake-like batter to a cookie batter. Also refrigerated overnight, which seemed to help, and baked for 10 mins. I noticed in the recipe, the egg is added to the butter/brown sugar mixture and in the video the egg is added with the dry ingredients. Could this make a significant difference in the final batter?
The Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookie was just okay; too cakey for me. Batter was not crumbly as shown in video.I added pecans to part of the batter. Made for a better tasting cookie. I probably would omit the egg next go round. I like the overall flavor.
This is a crispy cookie that doesn’t have a whole lot of richness or flavor. I thought it would be chillier.
Sounds like it was overbaked. 🙁 Sorry about that.
I love chocolate chip cookies, especially the giant “home style” chocolate chip one they have. Due to the pandemic, I haven’t been able to really go out much. So I decided to make some at home! A lot of recipes call for a mix of brown and white sugar but I only had brown on hand. And in comes your recipe to save the day. I followed it exactly, with no changes (other than having to bake them just a few extra minutes). These were THE BEST cookies I have ever had! Thank you for this spectacular recipe. I have already added it to my recipe stash! Eternally grateful to you for this 🙂
They were okay to me and hubby, 9 year old was not a fan at all. Probably wont make again.