Looking for a way to up your chocolate chip cookie game? These Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies are sophisticated and delicious take on the classic recipe. Made with dark rye flour, brown butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, these crave worthy cookies are sure to become a new family favorite!
Why This Recipe Works
These Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies are a step up from your basic chocolate chip cookies because:
- They contain dark rye flour which brings a pleasantly nutty, earthy flavor to the cookies.
- The butter in the recipe is heated on the stove until it becomes toasty and caramel-y which perfectly compliments the rye flour.
- A little sprinkle of flaky sea salt prior to baking accentuates the subtle sweetness of the cookie and enhances the chocolate flavor.
The Ingredients
There are just a few things to note about the ingredients for these Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- The inclusion of both rye and all-purpose flour creates a good combination of support and flavor. 100% rye flour baked goods have a tendency to be crumbly, but when a little all-purpose flour is added, you get the best of both worlds: the flavor of rye and the gluten structure and strength of all-purpose.
- Dark brown sugar makes a nice choice here as its rich caramel undertones are a perfect match for both the rye flour and the brown butter. If you only have light brown sugar, however, it makes an acceptable substitute and will work just fine here.
- The flaky sea salt I use is the Maldon brand. Not only is it delicious on these cookies, it is an excellent finishing salt for just about anything with its pure flavor and welcome crunch.
How to Make This Recipe
The only extra step here that differs from your standard chocolate chip cookie recipe is browning the butter which adds HUGE flavor and is well worth an additional 5 minutes of your time:
- Begin by adding the butter to a skillet (preferably not nonstick so that you can easily see the color change). Heat over medium, swirling occasionally until the butter begins to smell nutty and turns golden brown in color. Immediately transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly before proceeding with the recipe (if you leave it in the skillet to cool, your butter runs the risk of going from delightfully brown to burnt, even if you turn off the heat).
- Meanwhile, whisk your dry ingredients together. Once the butter has cooled, add the sugar and brown sugar and whisk together. Add the vanilla extract, egg and egg yolk and whisk vigorously until the mixture is homogenous and lighter brown in color (about 1 minute or so).
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir again until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a two tablespoon portion scoop (or just a tablespoon measure), create balls of dough (2 tablespoons for each ball) and space them on a baking sheet with at least 2 inches between each cookie. Sprinkle each dough ball with flaky sea salt.
- Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and enjoy!
Expert Tips for Great Cookies
- Keep a close eye on that butter while it is browning! Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. Keep swirling the pan as it cooks and once it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, take it off the heat and immediately transfer it to a separate bowl to cool.
- Don't over mix the dough after adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. This can lead to tough cookies! A gentle folding motion is best, and just until everything is incorporated.
- Don't over bake the cookies. If anything, err on the side of underdone. The cookies should be puffed and golden, and if there are cracks where you can see that the dough still looks a little wet and shiny in between, that's okay. Your cookies are done and ready to come out of the oven.
FAQS
Probably the most well-known Nordic whole grain, rye has been the cornerstone of Scandinavian baking culture since the Iron Age. Rye has historically been important for the Nordic region as it is a hearty plant that can tolerate poor soil and weathers cold and wet conditions better than most grains. Rye is high in fiber (7 grams of fiber in just a ¼ cup of rye flour) and is considered to be one of the most nutritious grain choices available. When baked, rye flour has excellent flavor that is sometimes described as nutty, earthy a little pleasantly sour.
Yes. All-purpose, whole wheat, white whole wheat or spelt can all stand in for the rye flour.
It does add INCREDIBLE flavor, but you could use cooled melted butter instead.
They keep well in an air tight container at room temperature for a couple of days.
Yes! You can either bake and freeze them in an air tight container once they have cooled completely, OR freeze the dough balls and bake them from frozen. The easiest way to to this is to portion out the dough into balls and place them on a freezer safe plate. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm. Once they are frozen, transfer to a gallon-sized freezer bag and seal tightly . When you are ready to bake, simply take out as many cookies as you would like and bake according to the recipe directions, adding a minute or two of baking time if necessary (NO need to thaw first).
I do hope you will give these fabulous Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies a try! They are possibly the best fika treat ever so be sure to brew a good cup of coffee to go with them. Looking for more cookies with Nordic vibes? I've got several here on the blog!
Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter and Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark rye flour
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- Flaky sea salt such as Maldon for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the butter in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick or cast iron so that you can more easily see the color change) and heat over medium heat, swirling the pan frequently. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook over medium low, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color. Transfer brown butter to a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk rye flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and fine salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Add the vanilla, egg and egg yolk and whisk vigorously until the mixture is golden brown and smooth and homogeneous in texture .
- Add the dry incredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Drop two tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto each prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie (about 8 cookies per sheet). Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown and puffed in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
Notes
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
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