Miso Toffee Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Miso Toffee Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with chunks of homemade miso toffee for the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and nutty flavor. Crisp on the edges, soft and gooey in the center, they’re the ultimate bakery-style chocolate chip cookies you can make at home.

All About These Brown Butter Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee Bits

When I’m baking, I almost instinctively reach for miso or soy sauce in place of salt. They both add saltiness, but with an extra layer of flavor you can’t quite put your finger on — a subtle umami depth that makes everything taste more interesting.

You’ve probably seen me use this trick before — in recipes like Miso Caramel Cookies, Miso Toffee Oat Pecan Cookies, Soy Toffee Shortbread Cookies, Soy Sauce Caramel and even No Bake Soy Caramel Cheesecake. It’s one of my favorite ways to make desserts a little more complex without being overpowering.

I first made these cookies for my annual holiday cookie box last year, and they ended up being a top-three favorite among everyone who tried them. They’re basically my ideal chocolate chip cookie — not too sweet, not overly chocolatey so you can actually taste the dough, with crisp, chewy edges and soft, gooey centers. The homemade miso toffee balances the chocolate perfectly.

I’ve made a few versions of miso chocolate chip cookies before, where the miso is mixed directly into the dough, but I often got feedback that they leaned a little too salty. Making miso toffee instead completely fixes that. The miso flavor becomes more rounded and caramel-like — even people who usually don’t like “salty desserts” loved these cookies.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Before you start, here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make these brown butter toffee chocolate chunk cookies:

• Butter: Unsalted or salted both work. I usually use salted butter — if using unsalted, add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• Sugar: A mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar for depth and crisp edges.
• White miso paste: Sweet miso paste or white miso paste. Miso paste vary in saltiness depending on the brand so adjust based the type you’re using.
• Vanilla or vanilla bean paste
• Eggs: Preferably room temperature, it’ll make it easier to mix with the butter and sugars.
• Salt
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Chopped chocolate: I love doing a ratio of 75% dark chocolate and 25% semi sweet chocolate. You can also throw in some milk chocolate, blonde chocolate or white chocolate!
• Homemade miso toffee: Made from butter, sugar and miso paste.
• Heavy cream or Crème fraîche: Replaces the water lost from browning butter. Crème fraîche makes the cookies slightly softer and richer.

How to Make Brown Butter Miso Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s walk through how to make these cookies:

1. Make the miso toffee. Cook butter and sugar until it reaches the right temperature, then whisk in miso until smooth. Pour onto a parchment-lined tray to cool and harden.
   • I have a detailed post on how to make homemade toffee, but it’s quite simple if you use a candy thermometer. While you can eyeball it, it’s tricky to tell when it’s reached the hard crack stage without one.
2. Brown the butter for the cookie dough, then whisk in the crème fraîche or heavy cream.
   • I also have a full post on how to brown butter, but here’s the short version: melt butter over medium heat until it turns a deep amber. I like to take mine almost to the edge of burnt — it adds so much flavor. Timing is everything, so watch closely and pull it off the heat the second it hits that deep nutty color.
3. Once cooled, whisk in the sugars, followed by eggs, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients — flour, baking soda, and baking powder — just until a few streaks of flour remain.
5. Add the chopped chocolate and miso toffee. Folding them in at this stage finishes mixing the dough without overworking it.
6. Scoop and chill. Portion the dough (I line a tray or container with parchment to prevent sticking), then chill overnight or up to 72 hours. You can also freeze the dough for later.
7. Bake. When ready, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 8–10 minutes, then increase to 375°F (190°C) for another 2–3 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers are just set.

VIDEO: Watch How to Make It

How to Store Miso Toffee Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• At room temperature: Let cookies cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze the dough: Portion into balls and freeze in a resealable freezer-safe bag, pressing out extra air.
• Freeze baked cookies: Cool completely before freezing in a freezer bag. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for a few minutes to bring them back to that fresh-baked texture.

Recipe FAQ

More Miso Desserrt Recipes

• Burnt Miso Brown Butter Banana Bread
• Miso Caramel Sauce
• Miso Shortbread Cookies
• Miso Honey Butter Toast

Enjoy! If you make this Miso Toffee Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and rating below, and if you share it on social media, tag me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen. I can’t wait to see your creations!

Miso Toffee Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Lisa Kitahara
• Total Time: 13 hours
• Yield: 16 cookies
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

These Miso Toffee Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with chunks of homemade miso toffee for the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and nutty flavor. Crisp on the edges, soft and gooey in the center, they’re the ultimate bakery-style chocolate chip cookies you can make at home.

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Ingredients

Units USM

Miso Toffee

• 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (105 g) light brown sugar
• 1.5–2 tbsp (30–40 g) saikyo (sweet) or white miso paste
• 1 tsp vanilla, optional

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

• 1 cup (226 g) butter, browned (~190 g after browning)*
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) creme fresh, heavy cream or whole milk
• 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large (50 g each w/o shell) eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 1/4 tsp (2g) salt
• 2 2/3 cups (330 g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup (200 g) chopped chocolate (a mix of dark, semi sweet and milk)**
• 1 cup (160 g) toffee (all the toffee from above)

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Instructions

For the Toffee

1. Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in sugar until fully dissolved.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it turns deep amber (around 250°F / 120°C).
3. Whisk in the miso paste vigorously until smooth.
4. Continue cooking until it reaches 300°F / 150°C, then immediately pour onto a parchment-lined tray.
5. Tilt the pan to spread evenly and let it cool completely. For faster setting, refrigerate until hardened.

For the Cookies

1. Slice butter and melt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as it foams and bubbles. Once it quiets down and turns deep amber, remove from heat. I really like to take it to almost burnt here. Scrape all brown bits into a bowl and weigh — you should have around 190 g.
   • See my how to brown butter step by step for more in-depth details!
2. Add crème fraîche or cream until total weight equals 235 g (¾ cup + 3 tbsp). Let cool for 10-15 minutes (should be room temp, not hot).
3. Whisk in brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix until well combined.
4. Sift in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold gently with a spatula until 75% combined, where they are a few steaks of flour still remaining.  
5. Fold in chopped chocolate and miso toffee until evenly distributed. This will finish mixing the cookie dough. 
   • Optional: reserve some chocolate and toffee for topping.
6. Use a cookie scoop to portion of 16 servings, about 80–85 g each.  Press in reserved toppings if desired.
7. Chill dough overnight (up to 72 hours), or freeze for later.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Let cookie dough sit out while preheating (10–15 minutes).
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and space cookies at least 2 inches apart.
10. Bake 10–12 minutes at 350°F, then increase to 375°F and bake 2–3 minutes more.* Keep an eye on them during the last 5 minutes — they’re done when edges are beautifully crisp and the center looks golden and just set (not raw).
11. Cool on the baking sheet for 3–5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
12. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!!

Notes

• Brown butter adjustment: Weigh the total amount after browning and add enough cream to reach 235 g total fat mixture.
• Chocolate tip: If chopping from a bar, sift through a colander to remove tiny shards for cleaner pools of chocolate.
• Oven temperature:
  • For my oven, I bake 12 minutes at 350°F, then 2 minutes at 375°F.
  • For more spread and thinner cookies: bake entirely at 350°F for about 14 minutes.
  • For thicker, softer centers: bake at 375°F for about 12 minutes. If cookies are too thick, tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times right after baking to flatten slightly.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Resting Time: 12 hours
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American, Japanese-inspired

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 320
• Sugar: 25 g
• Sodium: 180 mg
• Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 0.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 38 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 50 mg