Chocolate chip sour cream cookies are a soft, cake-like chocolate chip cookie frosted with a rich brown butter frosting.
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cookies
How do you like your chocolate chip cookies? Crispy? Chewy? Cake-like? Nuts or without nuts? What kind of chocolate chips do you like?
Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, or if you are like me, you have several different recipes in your recipe box to fit which mood you are in. This chocolate chip sour cream cookie is cake-like thanks to the addition of sour cream and is topped with a rich brown butter frosting. This vintage recipe was adapted from a 1950’s cookbook in my recipe collection. You might be surprised that despite the recent popularity of brown butter, brown butter has actually been around a lot longer in recipes. Scroll below to read how to make this vintage recipe!
How to Make This Recipe
These vintage chocolate chip sour cream cookies have a soft cake-like texture and are frosted with a rich brown butter frosting that pairs perfectly with chocolate chips. You can use any type of chocolate chips such as semi-sweet, milk, dark or a mixture in this recipe.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Sour cream
- Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
- Half and half or heavy cream
To make the chocolate chip sour cream cookies, first the butter and brown sugar are creamed together until light. Then, eggs and vanilla extract are added. The dry ingredients of all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda are sifted and then added to the wet ingredients. Sour cream is then added, followed by semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. Then, the cookie dough is scooped onto lined baking sheets and then baked at 350° F until lightly golden, around 12-14 minutes.
The first step in making the brown butter frosting is to brown the butter. This is done using a small saucepan over medium heat, where the butter is swirled (not stirred) in the pan until it turns a golden amber color. Then, the browned butter (including all of the delicious brown butter bits) are combined with powdered sugar, vanilla extract and half and half until the frosting is a spreading consistency before it is spread on the cookies.
Tips for Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting
- Watch the butter carefully when browning to prevent burning
- The browned butter frosting sets quickly; frost cookies immediately after making the frosting
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 72 hours
- Freeze cookies in an airtight container up to 45 days
Made this recipe? Comment or rate below or on Instagram or Pinterest!
Want more cookie recipes?
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting
Equipment
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- stand mixer or electric mixer
- small saucepan with a handle
- baking sheets
- parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- medium-sized cookie scoop
- wire racks
Ingredients
For the chocolate chip sour cream cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups semi sweet or milk chocolate chips
For the browned butter frosting
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or half and half
Instructions
For the chocolate chip sour cream cookies
- Using a mixer (or using a stand mixer), cream together the 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, until light.
- Add in the 2 large eggs, one at a time, followed by the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Sift or whisk the 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- Add alternately to the butter and egg mixture along with the 1 cup sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the 2 cups semi sweet or milk chocolate chips. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop dough onto lined baking sheets.
- Bake at 350°F 12-14 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
- After baking, allow cookies to cool on baking sheets 2-3 minutes, and then move to a wire rack. Frost when completely cooled.
For the browned butter frosting
- In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter over medium heat; do not stir (swirl pan using handle of the pan only). Continue to cook butter over medium heat until it begins to turn golden brown, swirling gently every so often. Remove from heat once it turns a light amber color (careful to NOT burn). Cool until room temperature.
- Add the2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the cooled browned butter; whisk in the 1 – 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or half and half until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Frost cooled cookies immediately.
Notes
- Browned butter frosting sets quickly; frost cookies immediately after making the frosting
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 72 hours
- Freeze cookies in an airtight container up to 45 days