Miso Brown Butter Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Rich, nutty cookies blending browned butter with a savory touch from white miso and chocolate.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter

→ Wet Ingredients

02 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
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
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
12 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling 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 to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, and white miso paste into the cooled browned butter until smooth and fully combined.
03 - Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture, whisking until the batter is glossy and slightly thickened.
04 - In a separate bowl, blend all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula until just combined.
05 - Gently fold in dark or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks until evenly distributed.
06 - Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight to enhance flavor and texture.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
08 - Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are golden and centers are set but still soft.
10 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt if desired. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a secret collision between a bakery and a Japanese kitchen, in the best possible way.
  • The brown butter does most of the work, giving you that toasty, almost caramel-like flavor without any extra effort.
  • Your friends will ask for the recipe, and when you casually mention miso, you'll watch their faces transform from confusion to wonder.
02 -
  • Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in about 30 seconds—the moment you smell that rich, nutty fragrance, start watching the bottom of the pan like a hawk.
  • Don't skip the chilling step; it prevents the cookies from spreading too thin and gives the flavors time to settle and deepen, especially the miso.
  • The cookies will seem slightly underbaked when you pull them out, but that's intentional—they set up perfectly as they cool and stay chewy in the center.
03 -
  • Toast some nuts like hazelnuts or pecans and fold them in alongside the chocolate for even more texture and depth—they catch the brown butter flavor and elevate everything.
  • A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper (like 1/8 teaspoon) in the dry ingredients sounds weird but creates this subtle warmth that makes people say, 'Something's different but I can't tell what,' which is the best compliment.
  • Use a cookie scoop if you have one—it ensures every cookie is the same size, so they all bake evenly without some turning out crispy and others still soft.
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