Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon and Walnuts

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts and Bourbon are the perfect baked treat for the Kentucky Derby… or any occasion! This delicious twist on a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for brown butter AND a shot of bourbon. The resulting cookies are perfect, straddling the line between gooey and crunchy. Makes 34 cookies.

It’s Freaky Friday! I’m thrilled to be sharing a recipe from Susannah of Feast and West!

Susannah is one of my long-time friends, and I’m so honored to be cooking from her site today. Because, well, I love her and think you’re going to love her, too.

I had a hard time deciding what to make from Susannah’s site because she has SO many tasty recipes. In the end, I landed on these Walnut Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Why? Because the Kentucky Derby is coming up.

Also, these bourbon cookies are a nod to the classic pie! (Fun fact: I have a few twists on that recipe, including Mini Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pies and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Hand Pies.)

Why I love this recipe:

I baked these cookies a few weeks back and shared them with friends. Their reaction could be summed up as, “Oh my.” It was mine, too.

This Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is something special.

The cookies themselves have a crispy exterior and edge, thanks to demerara sugar. Their inside is still wonderfully gooey. Every bite contains something a little different—from the chocolate chunks to the walnuts to the crunchy demerara sugar.

And the combination of bourbon and browned butter adds some major depth to the cookie dough.

Other cookies to try: Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies | M&M Sugar Cookies | Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | Lemon Drop Cookies | Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Need Derby Day inspiration? Check out Kentucky Derby Recipe Index for some ideas!

Let me tell you about Susannah and Feast + West:

Susannah and I go way back—and we’ve spent a lot of time together, too. We’ve hosted various blogger collaborations throughout the years, including The Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange.

When we first met, Susannah welcomed me to her house with a Cheerwine Bourbon Slushie. And I had the pleasure of attending Susannah’s wedding in 2019.

She’s a dear friend, and I am so excited to introduce you to her!

Feast + West is all about easy entertaining. Susannah focuses on bringing classic cocktails and unique twists on them for any kind of host to serve at home. She loves to share seasonal recipes for various holidays and celebrations, too.

She also offers boozy desserts, as well as easy appetizers and finger foods.

When I was assigned Susannah’s site, I knew I wanted to highlight one of her seasonal recipes.

Did I want to serve a champagne cocktail for Mother’s Day?

Did I want to serve something for Cinco de Mayo, like Margarita Jello Shots or a Mezcal Mule?

I ended up choosing the Kentucky Derby as my “seasonal event” because, well, it’s coming up. However, instead of sharing Susannah’s Mint Julep, I decided to go with a dessert to pair with one!

And y’all—these cookies are just a dream.

So… what is Freaky Friday?

It’s a collaboration between bloggers where everyone involved posts on the same day and links to one another. It’s a fun way to connect with others who do the same work as me. It’s also fun to introduce our readers to new bloggers. 

Michaela from An Affair from the Heart founded this quarterly collaboration. She secretly assigns everyone another blogger, who we will choose and make a recipe from.

We make their recipe and photograph it as if it were our own. Then we write a post about it and publish our posts on the same Friday.

We hope that this collaboration helps you discover some amazing new recipes, as well as find new bloggers to follow!

Some recipes I’ve made for previous collaborations include:

• Shortbread Brown Butter Cookies
• Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
• Easy Lemon Bars

Check out all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Spring Exchange Recipes:

1. An Affair from the Heart – Blueberry Lemon Pull-Apart Bread
2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Baked Asparagus with Parmesan
3. The Carefree Kitchen – Carrot Cake
4. The Culinary Compass – Dunkaroo Dip Recipe
5. Devour Dinner –Fruit Charcuterie Board
6. Family Around the Table – Fresh Strawberry Milkshake 
7. Feast + West – Frozen Grasshopper Martini
8. Home Cooked Harvest – Rocky Road Brownies
9. Hostess at Heart – Honey Bun Cake
10. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog –Homemade Sour Cream Funfetti Cupcakes
11. Off the Eaten Path –  Beer Margarita Recipe
12. Sue Bee Homemaker – No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
13. Take Two Tapas – Crab Dip
14. The Wimpy Vegetarian – Texas Trash Dip Warm Bean Dip

What you’ll need to make this recipe:

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• Sheet pan
• Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper
• Glass bowls
• An electric mixer (either a hand mixer or stand mixer)
• 2 tablespoon cookie scoop

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Butter— we’re using two (8-tablespoon) sticks. One will be transformed into browned butter. The other one needs to be softened and close to room temperature. Set out the butter 30-45 minutes before you plan to make the batter so it blends easily.
• All–purpose flour— we keep unbleached AP flour at our house, but you can use the regular kind, too.
• Baking soda—this is the leavener, so be sure that yours is fresh.
• Kosher salt—I like to use a fine grain kosher salt. You could also use a fine grain sea salt, too.
• Brown sugar—you can use dark brown or light brown sugar. I used dark brown sugar to give the cookies a softer, chewier texture. (Dark brown sugar has more molasses, so it will affect the texture.)
• Granulated sugar—also known as white sugar, this adds a nice sweetness to our cookie dough.
• Eggs—not only do they give our cookies some structure, but they also help give the cookies a little lift.
• Vanilla extract—if you can afford it, the real deal kind is where it’s at!
• Bourbon—whatever type of bourbon you’ve got on hand will work here. I suggest using a brand that you enjoy drinking because you’ll get hints of the bourbon flavor. However, don’t use your fancy sipping bourbon because it will bake out.
• Chocolate chunks—this is the one substitution I made. I used a combination of milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate chunks. Susannah’s original recipe calls for semisweet chocolate chips, which are obviously classic here.
• Walnuts—you can purchase pre-chopped walnuts or roughly chop them yourself! Pecans also work here.
• Demerara sugar—this is a thicker grain of sugar and is perfect for rolling the cookie dough in before baking. It gives the exterior of the cookies a lovely crunch without being overwhelming.

How to Brown Butter for Cookies

Melt the butter in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

Stir or swirl frequently. The butter will crackle and bubble as it cooks, as well as begin to smell nutty.

Brown bits will form in the bottom of the skillet, so continue to stir (or swirl) until they turn medium brown in color.

Remove the skillet from the burner and pour the brown butter into a heat-proof bowl, crumbs and all. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.

You can learn more about this in my tutorial, How to Brown Butter.

Did you know? You can brown butter in advance. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days in an airtight food container. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature with the other stick of butter, too.

How to Make the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sift the dry ingredients together. Use a fine mesh strainer or a sifter to combine the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the “regular” ½ cup of the butter into a large bowl with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix with an electric mixer, until the mixture is smooth, creamy and light in color.

Add the browned butter. Pour the cooled brown butter into the bowl with the other butter and sugars. Beat for 2 minutes, until smooth. It will smell incredible!

Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Measure in the eggs, vanilla and bourbon. Mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, blending until thoroughly combined.

Measure in the chocolate and nuts. Stir them into the batter with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until incorporated.

Chill the dough. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This will ensure the cookies hold their shape when they bake.

Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Form the cookies. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure to give them some space so they have room to spread as they bake. Sprinkle each one with demerara sugar.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven.

Let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack. You can also serve them warm.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

If you’re hosting a Derby Party at your house, these Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies are a perfect party accompaniment!

Here’s how you make these beauties for a gathering—any type of gathering.

• Make the batter in advance. The beauty of cookie dough is that it can chill in the fridge for an extended period of time. Feel free to make this a day or two in advance and keep it cool. While your cookies will probably be more compact than the ones you see here, they’ll still be delicious.
• Double the recipe… or freeze the cookie dough for later. (Unsure how to do this? Check out my How to Freeze Cookie Dough guide.)
• Bake right before guests arrive. These cookies are the perfect combination of gooey and crispy, so bake them off as guests are arriving. They’ll be warm and delicious for the gathering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks for making Brown Butter Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

• Double the recipe! If your party is going to have lots of people who love cookies, consider doubling the recipe. This will make for even more cookies!
• Freeze cookie dough for later. Learn how to do this in my tutorial here.
• Make ahead tip: Brown the butter days in advance, and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remove with the other stick of butter to let come to room temperature before mixing the batter. OR make the cookie dough in advance, and let it chill in the fridge for a few days before baking.
• How to store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.