Miso Brown Butter Cookies (Printable)

Nutty brown butter and white miso combine with chocolate chips for a sweet-savory treat.

# Components:

→ Dairy

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter (227 g)

→ Wet Ingredients

02 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed (200 g)
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
04 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
05 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
06 - 3 tablespoons white miso paste

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280 g)
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Mix-ins & Toppings

11 - 1 1/4 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (210 g)
12 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

# Method:

01 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it foams and develops a deep golden color with browned bits, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer immediately to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and white miso paste into the cooled browned butter until smooth and fully incorporated.
03 - Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture; whisk until the batter becomes glossy and slightly thickened.
04 - In a separate bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Gradually fold these dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined.
05 - Fold the chocolate chips or chunks gently into the batter ensuring even distribution.
06 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably up to overnight to enhance flavor and texture.
07 - Set oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
08 - Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until the edges turn golden and centers are set but still soft.
10 - Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a secret—familiar enough to be a cookie, strange enough to keep you guessing what makes them so craveable.
  • The brown butter does the heavy lifting; it's toasty, nutty, and makes your kitchen smell like you've been baking for hours even if you haven't.
  • Miso adds depth without tasting "salty" or weird—it just makes the chocolate richer and the whole thing feel less one-dimensional.
02 -
  • Brown butter solids matter more than you'd think—if you pour off the clear golden liquid and leave the browned bits in the pan, you're missing flavor and texture, so scrape those solids in too or your cookies will taste flat.
  • Don't skip the chill time even if you're hungry; cold dough spreads less and gives you thicker, chewier cookies instead of thin crisps.
  • The miso paste can seize up if your butter is too hot, so let it cool those 10 minutes or you'll end up with weird lumps that won't incorporate smoothly.
03 -
  • Browned butter solids sink to the bottom of the pan; pour it off or scrape that whole thing in—those bits are packed with flavor and you don't want to waste them.
  • If you overbake even by a minute, the miso can start to taste bitter instead of complex, so pulling them out when the centers still jiggle slightly is genuinely the right call.
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