These Brown Butter Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies are bursting with all sorts of flavors and textures, with nutty brown butter and crunchy potato chips. 

I never would’ve thought to put a potato chip in a cookie until I tried a “compost cookie” from a local bakery.

Potato Chip Cookies - on Silicone Mat with Chocolate Chips

I remember biting into one of these cookies and thinking to myself, WHAT on earth is that?!

Each bite was speckled with this crunchy/chewy texture that I loved and I realized it was all thanks to the crunchy potato chips.

Much like the oatmeal in The Very Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, they add a heartiness that is really wonderful, and they are just as thick as these glorious Peanut Butter Cookies.

Potato Chip Chocolate Chip cookies - On Silicone Mat with Salt On Top

I have made these Brown Butter Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies 11 times in the past 3 weeks, giving them to pretty much whoever I can.

I gave them to a photographer who took my new head shots, I served them as dessert when friends came over, I gave them as a birthday gift to my friend, I brought some down to the doormen who work at our building, I made them for a few handymen fixing the electrical in my apartment.

All of this because…I think everyone should try these cookies! They have the perfect balance of snack and dessert.

Just make sure to use good quality, thick-cut potato chips here. Kettle cooked is the best.

I’ve tried making these with thinner potato chips, and the texture doesn’t stand out.

Step by Step Overview:

The first thing you want to do is brown two sticks of butter, then pour it into a large bowl. It only takes 5 minutes to do, and you can see my Brown Butter post for the step-by-step on how to do it.

You can see all the caramelized golden brown milk solids that have settled on the bottom:

Brown Butter in Stainless Bowl

Next add brown sugar and white sugar:

Brown Butter, Brown Sugar, and Sugar in Bowl

Whisk those together until combined, then add an egg and vanilla extract:

Brown Butter Sugar Mixture with Egg in Bowl

Stir that until it’s combined (it will look shiny, thick, and glossy):

Brown Sugar Butter Egg Mixture in Bowl

Next add your dry ingredients, which are all purpose flour, baking soda, and sea salt:

Flour Added to Wet Ingredients in Bowl

And when the flour has *almost* disappeared, like below, you want to stop stirring:

Potato Chip Cookie Dough in Mixing Bowl

This is the time you want to add crushed potato chips and chocolate chips.

I like semisweet chocolate chips, though milk chocolate, white chocolate, or peanut butter chips also work well.

Potato Chip Cookie Dough in Mixing Bowl

What Kind of Potato Chips To Use

I have tested these cookies with several different types of potato chips, and you definitely want to go with the thicker, more robust potato chips. I have had great success with using kettle cooked potato chips.

I do not recommend using the thinner chips, such as Lay’s, because they tend to get lost in the dough and sort of soggy. You will not get the snacky crunch you want with those chips.

Siete and Boulder brands both make great kettle chips.

How to Crush the Chips

I put them in a ziploc bag and gently crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet.

You could also process a few times in the food processor, just make sure not to overdo it. You want some larger pieces that show on the top of the cookie.

Portion scoops of the cookie dough, using a size 20 3T cookie scoop, onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, then sprinkle the tops with sea salt:

Sprinkling Sea Salt On Top of Cookie Dough Scoops

Bake for 13 minutes, with the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven, until they flatten out slightly and are golden on the edges:

Potato Chip Cookie Recipe - Served on Silicone mat with Salt On Top

I like that they are a more mounded cookie with a gooey center, as that gooey party contrasts nicely with the crunchy chips. But if you want a flatter cookie, you can flatten them before baking, using a glass or the bottom of a measuring cup.

Enjoy! The recipe and a full video are below.

Monster Cookies are a similar cookie that I also love making, along with Snickerdoodles, Shortbread Cookies, and Molasses Cookies.

Recipe FAQ and Tips

How do you store leftover potato chip cookies?

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. If keeping longer than that, it’s best to freeze them.

Can you freeze this potato chip cookie recipe?

Yes, either completely baked or as cookie dough balls, for up to 2 months. If freezing the cookie dough, make sure to thaw first before baking or they will spread unevenly. 

Can you make this recipe in the bowl of a stand mixer?

Yes, use the paddle attachment, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. You may also use a hand mixer or electric mixer with low to medium speed.

What brand of chocolate do you recommend?

Guittard is my absolute favorite chocolate maker, and it should be relatively easy to find (I get mine at Whole Foods and Target). I especially love their semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Potato Chip Cookies on Silicone Mat with Chocolate Chips

Brown Butter Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: 24
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
These Chocolate Chip Cookies have crunchy potato chips mixed in for texture, and nutty brown butter for flavor!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
11
reviews
Leave a Review »

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 3/4 cup crushed kettle cooked potato chips
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place the butter in a small skillet over medium to medium high heat, and first let it melt. Keep cooking the butter, stirring with a spatula, until little brown specks begin to appear on the bottom of the pan. Once those milk solid specks are a deep golden brown, pour the brown butter into a large mixing bowl, and let cool for 2 minutes.
  • Add the brown sugar and sugar to the brown butter, and whisk until combined. 
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. It should be glossy, thick, and shiny.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt to the bowl, and mix the dry ingredients in until the flour has almost disappeared.
  •  Pour in the potato chips and chocolate chips, and stir those in gently until distributed.
  • Portion the cookie dough onto a sheet pan using a large cookie scoop, with a maximum of 12 per sheet tray. 
  • Bake the cookies for 13 minutes, until they have flattened a bit and are golden on the edges. Enjoy!

Notes

Make sure to use good quality kettle-cooked potato chips for this recipe. I have tried cheaper chips and they didn’t work well. You need a really robustly crunchy chip.
These cookies are thick, mounded and gooey in the center. Pre-flatten the scoops if you want a flatter cookie.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 59mg, Potassium: 25mg, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 25IU, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 0.6mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas

Post updated in November 2018. Originally published October 2014.