Alternatively titled – THE BEST FREAKING COOKIES EVER. NO SERIOUSLY, EVER.
Ahem. Have I ever told you we have the best neighbors in the entire world? Mike and Deb are just…beyond. Two of the kindest people we know who I think truly adore our kids, ie listen intently and with genuine interest when Lincoln goes on and on about whatever he’s currently excited about, and Cameron shows them his shoes for the 400th time, anytime we see them. They’re inspiring examples of how neighbors should take care of each other.
With Gwen here now we have very limited free time which means our grass has gotten a little, uh, unruly (trust me, we’re not THOSE neighbors, but Ben’s twice-weekly mowing sked has been cut down to maybe once a week,) and Mike has on more then one occasion zipped right past his property line while cutting his grass and continued on across both our front and back yards. We are simultaneously horrified because we hate feeling like a burden to our neighbors, and immensely grateful because, well of course. Mike and Deb are the best.
To show our appreciation, I’ve been baking them cookies. Because I don’t know, what says thank you better then baked butter and sugar? How about brown butter, dark chocolate, and a pinch of coarse sea salt, too? Gluten-free Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies were this weekend’s “we’re the worst/you’re the best” delivery and, shhh – don’t tell Mike and Deb, but I may have snuck a cookie or two before sending the boys over with a plate of these babies, chocolate still warm from the oven.
In my defense – could YOU resist?!
The recipe for Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies is sponsored by one of my favorite brands, Enjoy Life, whose products are staples in my home. ALL of Enjoy Life’s products, including the Dark Chocolate Morsels studding these cookies, are free from wheat, dairy, soy, sulfites, lupin, fish, crustaceans, peanuts, tree nuts, casein, egg, sesame, mustard, and shellfish, which means both Lincoln (who has a dairy allergy,) and I (celiac disease,) can safely and happily eat them.
Plus what can I say, each time I sink my teeth into these cookies with crispy edges, chewy centers, and the perfect combination of sweet and savory, I enjoy my life just a little bit more. Har! Sorry. Here’s a store locater for ya – locals: I buy them at HyVee, Target, and Whole Foods.
In all seriousness, this cookie recipe might sound fancy, but it’s a standard oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe using gluten-free flour, TONS of dark chocolate chips, a sprinkling of coarse sea salt, and brown butter which lends a warm and toasty flavor to each bite. The only way I can describe the flavor or scent of brown butter is that it reminds me of a campfire. Not smokey, but just…warm. I don’t know – it’s wild, so easy to make, and I’m kind of thinking that no oatmeal cookie base should ever be made with out it. You’ll see!
Whether you make these cookies for your neighbors, a friend, or your cookie loving-self – everyone will ADORE them.
Start by browning 1 stick salted butter. Like I said, this sounds fancy but all you’re basically doing is sauting butter. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat then start swirling the skillet when it begins to foam and sizzle. Keep swirling, scraping down the sides of the skillet every now and again, until the butter is the color of maple syrup. Voila – you now have brown butter!
Scrape the butter into a dish to cool completely – you can do this a day ahead of time if you like.
I’m telling you – the scent of warm brown butter will make you ALL kinds of happy. Warm, toasty – irresistable!
Add the cooled brown butter to the bowl of an electric mixer, or to a large glass bowl if you’re using a hand held mixer, with 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar then cream. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla then mix until the egg is just combined.
Next add 3/4 cup gluten-free “measure for measure” flour (ie gluten-free flour WITH a binder,) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt then mix to combine. Finally, add 1-1/2 cups gluten-free old fashioned oats (I use GF Harvest oats) and 1 heaping cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels then mix to combine.
Scoop 2 Tablespoons worth of dough into your hands then roll into a ball and slightly flatten, and then place on a half sheet pan lined with a silpat or parchment paper and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. I use Morton Coarse Sea Salt which is like $2 at the grocery store!
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the top is still a little gooey. Mine took exactly 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. That’s all she wrote!
I hope you love these crispy, chewy-gooey, sweet, salty, toasty, PERFECT Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! Enjoy!
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Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Description
Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies have a hint of toasted brown butter flavor and are sprinkled with coarse sea salt before baking. These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies will instantly become your new favorite!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup gluten-free “measure for measure” or “all-purpose” flour (could use regular all-purpose flour if you don’t need to eat GF)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups certified gluten-free old fashioned oats
- 1 heaping cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
- coarse sea salt
Directions
- Add butter to a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Melt butter then start gently swirling the skillet when the butter begins to sizzle. Continue swirling the skillet, scraping down the sides every now and again, until butter is deep golden brown in color, like maple syrup, 3-4 minutes. Be careful as it can quickly go from brown to burnt. Scrape brown butter into a dish then set aside to cool completely.
- Once browned butter has cooled, add it to the bowl of an electric mixer or a large glass bowl if using a handheld mixer. Add both sugars then cream until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg and vanilla and mix until egg is just combined. Scrape down the bowl then add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Add oats and chocolate then mix until combined. Cover dough then refrigerate for at least one hour (could refrigerate overnight.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then line a half sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper. Scoop 2 Tablespoons worth of dough into your hands then roll into a ball and slightly flatten. Sprinkle tops with sea salt then bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around the edges. Let cool slightly before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Made the brown butter choc chip cookies. Added walnuts and less salt on top. Awesome. Family didn’t want oatmeal but ended up loving them. Your recipes are always reliable.
I’m so glad these were a hit, Michelle!!
Delicious! My family always loves oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I’ve recently stumbled upon brown butter CC cookies and wanted to try it out with oatmeal CC cookies. Omgsh! I added 1/2 c chopped walnuts bc I made these for my dad and he said “these are my favorite cookies ever”
Will def be making again! I also love that there is an easy way to make these GF. I plan to make them again later this month for a GF friend’s bday!
Soo glad these were a hit and I love the walnut addition – going to try that!
I have recently started gluten free to hopefully help with my MS. My family is a little leery… After trying these cookies, my 15 yr old daughter exclaimed, “These are waaay better than regular chocolate chip cookies”
SO glad to hear that, Julie. I’m sure your family will come to find that eating GF isn’t bad at all!
Hello! I’ve had this page bookmarked for years – it used to be the “Ultimate Cookie Recipe” and had oatmeal, butterscotch chips and chocolate chips in it.
Do you still have that recipe available?
You bet! Here you go:
The Ultimate Cookie
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups oats (old fashioned or instant, I used old fashioned)
1 bag Heath toffee chips
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 bag butterscotch chips
sea salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in four batches.
3. In another bowl combine oats, Heath chips, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Add to dough and combine.
4. Drop dough on greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheets and bake for 11-12 minutes. Sprinkle warm cookies with sea salt.
I found the dough super dry and had to really press to get the oatmeal to stick, what did I do wrong? Would 2 eggs be too much?
Hi Stephanie! Is it possible that any of the dry ingredients were mismeasured? I haven’t received similar feedback from others!
I also got very dry dough. I measured precisely throughout the process.
Yum! I just made this dough yesterday and cooked up a couple for an afternoon treat. They really are decadent and balanced. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Thanks so much for this gluten free recipe. I never ever make cookies but I had to try this one. And I wasn’t disappointed. I used I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free All purpose flour. I didn’t have chocolate chips but chopped up 75% chocolate chunks instead and it turned out perfect. It was really easy to put together. Ohh and they are delicious- it’s a keeper and better and cheaper than any comparable supermarket brand.
This is my go-to choc chip cookie recipe. Even my family members who are not gluten free love it! Thank you for another delicious and simple recipe!
Can you freeze the dough?
Sure!
These cookies are truly THE BEST! I have made them several times- sometimes without browning the butter (still delicious)- and I add extra chocolate chips :-D
Hi there—if my flour doesn’t have xanthum gun should I add (is that what you mean by stabilizers?)? Thanks!!
Yep, exactly! The gluten-free flour blends I use have xanthan gum already added to it.
Can I make these with the non-gluten-free versions of flour and oats because… wow do these look amazing.
Yes you can! :)
I’ve made these twice now but changed up the ingredients so they’d be lactation cookies. Added brewers yeast and flax seed. Both times turned out really good. The browned butter flavor adds enough extra flavor to cover up the flavor of the added ingredients.
I’ve saved your recipe for a while now and just got around to try them out yesterday. And i gotta tell u it was amazing… I racklesssly put the ingredients together instead of mixing them separately like it was told because my sons are around “helping” me out… I doubted it would work out when I saw the dough was too wet, but I baked them anyway and they turned out great!! Gooey on the center and the choc chips melted deliciously…
I figure it will be perfect if I follow your recipe to the dot the next time.
I omit the nuts cause i dont have any…
Thank U so much for the recipe, its the best… ?
Just wanted to check re: salt – use salted butter, add a quarter teaspoon of salt, and sprinkle with coarse salt? Thanks for confirming!
Yep!
I seriously NEVER make cookies without browning the butter anymore. It’s such an easy thing that makes a real, noticeable difference but I find that most people can’t pinpoint what it is and I love that.
Sooooo goood!