These miso chocolate chip cookies will blow your mind! Made with rich brown butter, melty dark chocolate, and umami miso, they have a unique flavor that’s slightly savory and so irresistible. They also have the perfect crisp and chewy edges with a tender and gooey center. If you’ve never baked with miso, this is the recipe to start with!
What is miso?
Miso is a Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans and salt. It’s made into a paste and packs a punch in potency. It’s very salty and adds umami flavor to any dish. It only takes a tablespoon or two to get that rich fermented flavor.
Where to buy miso
If you don’t have it on hand, miso paste can be found in the refrigerated section. This could either be by other fermented foods or near the cheese section. It’s not commonly available at conventional grocery stores, so I recommend checking out a local Asian grocery store or a natural foods market.
What does miso do to chocolate chip cookies?
Miso and sweets don’t often come together, but when they do it’s pretty magical. The ultra salty and umami miso helps balance out the sweetness of these cookies.
Since these cookies are made with brown butter, sugar, and chocolate, the miso cuts through those flavors to help mellow out the cookie. At the same time, it adds an incredibly unique flavor that’s hard to put your finger on. It’s somewhat earthy, somewhat savory, and definitely unexpected in a chocolate chip cookie.
Tips for making miso chocolate chip cookies
What makes this miso chocolate chip cookie recipe SO good, besides the incredible flavors, is just how easy they are to make. The dough is mixed by hand, and the cookies can be baked right away.
But to ensure these miso chocolate chip cookies turn out just right, here are my top tips:
- Flour – I say this in every post, and for good reason. It’s the number one reason why most recipes fail, especially for cookies. If there’s too much flour, the cookies will become thick, dry, and will not spread properly. If possible, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level if off with a flat edge. If you scoop directly into the flour container, the flour will pack into the cup which could leave you with 1/4 cup or more of added flour.
- Dark Brown Sugar – This is specifically used to add extra moisture and chewiness. It also has a deeper flavor than light brown sugar which plays really well with the rich and savory miso. In other words, I don’t recommend swapping with light brown sugar!
- Brown Butter – I have an entire post dedicated to this topic on how to brown butter. These cookies just aren’t the same without it as the miso needs the depth of rich brown butter. If plain butter is used, the miso flavor is almost too strong and it completely throws off the cookie.
- Mixing – After the egg is added, give the cookies a REALLY good mix. Vigorously whisk for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes light and creamy. This emulsifies the egg to create a strong cookie structure. But after the dry ingredients are added, gently mix just until the dough comes together. Otherwise, overworked dough leads to a tough cookie.
Why are sesame seeds used in this recipe?
Since the miso is already incredibly salty, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of these cookies isn’t necessary. But, I still felt like they needed a little something extra.
Sesame seeds are slightly nutty and savory which pairs perfectly with the sweet cookie and the fermented miso. It’s basically a whole other layer of flavor that takes these cookies over the top!
What is the best chocolate to use?
For the thin melty puddles shown in these miso chocolate chip cookies, go with a chocolate bar that is at least 70% cocoa. The higher the cocoa content, the meltier the chocolate.
The use of a chocolate BAR is also key. Chocolate chips have a coating which prevents them from losing their shape once baked. Chocolate bars do not need or have this, so they melt quite a bit when baked.
I prefer Lindt chocolate bars because they’re found at most grocery stores and yield a really rich flavor. They’re found in the candy aisle!
Chilling miso chocolate chip cookie dough
After the dough is scooped, it can either be baked right away or chilled. Although this isn’t mandatory, it is definitely recommend if you have some time on your hands.
There’s nothing wrong with baking them right away as this will yield a cookie that’s somewhat thin but perfectly chewy on the outside with a soft center.
But to take it a step further, scoop the dough and then chill it uncovered in the refrigerator. This can be for a couple hours or a couple days. The longer these chill, the stronger the miso flavor.
If chilling is the route you’d like to go, add a minute or two on to the bake time. When the chilled dough is baked, it will still have those chewy and crispy edges but an even meltier center.
How to store miso chocolate chip cookies
Allow the cookies to cool completely before placing in an air tight container. They can be stored at room temperature for about 5 days.
For more chocolate chip cookie recipes, check out my:
- BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make these miso chocolate chip cookies. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Brown Butter Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 44 minutes
- Yield: 8 large cookies
Description
You HAVE to try baking with miso, starting with these cookies. Umami miso mixed with rich brown butter and melty dark chocolate is just a mind blowing combination. It’s warm, sweet, savory, and has so many layers of flavor. It’s unlike any other chocolate chip cookie!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cup (165g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 oz 70-80% cocoa dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 tbsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Melt down and heat until browned. *See my post all about how to brown butter for more detail.
- Pour the brown butter into a measuring glass and add the miso paste. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (SEE NOTES) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, dark brown sugar, and cooled miso brown butter. Whisk to combine.
- Add in the egg and vanilla and whisk vigorously until the mixture turns pale and creamy.
- Pour in the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold the two together. Right before the dry ingredients are fully mixed in, add in the chopped chocolate and fold to fully combine.
- Use a large 2 oz scoop or 1/4 measuring cup and scoop out the cookies.
- Add the sesame seeds to a small dish. Then press the tops of the cookie dough balls into the sesame seeds so they cover the very tops of each cookie.
- Place 4 cookies on the baking sheet spaced a few inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown and the centers look barely underdone.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and bake the remaining cookies.
- Let the cookies cool for about 20-30 minutes, then dig in! Enjoy!
Equipment
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Notes
BAKING TEMP / CHILLING – For a stronger and more well-rounded miso flavor, chill the cookies for about an hour or up to 2 days before baking. This is optional, but it does help bring out the miso flavor. The longer they chill, the stronger the flavor. To chill, scoop out the cookies and top with sesame seeds. Store uncovered in the refrigerator. Then bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Japanese
Keywords: miso chocolate chip cookies, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie recipe, miso cookies
Oh gosh, these sound amazing. I’m in love with the idea of putting miso in chocolate chip cookies. Do you think I could achieve something similar if I used like, Miyoko’s Vegan Butter (which does brown!) and a flax egg/maybe Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Egg Replacer? I know you haven’t tested either of these substitutions, but I’m a vegan and I would love to try these
I haven’t tried it but it’s definitely worth a shot! I suggest a flax egg 🙂
I have made both the original and a vegan version using Miyoko’s cultured butter and a one to one egg replacer. I think both versions are delicious and this is a great recipe to make vegan since the miso adds back the richness that you don’t get from eggs and also masks the slightly strange flavor from the plant butter. The butter didn’t brown so much as get slightly toasty though. I also chilled the dough for two hours before baking and kept swapping baking trays to ensure each one was cold going into the oven. Final cookies are thinner than the original but didn’t melt into pancakes either. Good luck!
★★★★★
I was fortunate that Miso paste was available at my local grocery store. I whipped up the batter last night and am currently baking the cookies. Since the recipe only makes 8 cookies and I need them for work tomorrow I quadrupled the recipe. I can smell the miso when they bake but could not taste it once they cooled. They are delicious and I used Lindt Chocolate Bars as recommended. I will make these again but I might see if I can locate a stronger flavored Miso Paste to kick it up a notch. I purchased Hawaiian Style Mild Miso (Mello White) and I think the recipe with so much sweetness can accommodate a stronger flavored Miso paste. Thank you for the creativity! I love unique flavors and ingredients (as long as they are not too hard to tack down).
★★★★★
Any tips on freezing?
Once the scooped dough has chilled in the fridge and firmed, pop the cookie dough balls in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, let the cookie dough thaw while the oven preheats. They may need to bake for a couple extra minutes and they might not spread like they did in the photos but they’ll still be delicious!
These cookies are like crack with the salty background flavor. So happy I found more uses for the big tub of miso I had purchased for a dinner recipe a few months back,
★★★★★
This was incredible! I’ll definitely keep coming back to this recipe 😍
★★★★★
These cookies turned out SOOO well. I will definitely be making them again…I don’t know if I can switch back to eating any other cookies, these are that good!
★★★★★
Incredible recipe! Turns out my cookie scoop was a bit smaller so the recipe made 12 cookies for me and the size was perfect for me and my tiny baking sheets. I had to stop myself from eating the brown butter/miso/sugar combo after tasting it, so so good.
★★★★★
Haha it’s very hard to stop eating these! Thanks for sharing!
You had me at brown butter, but oh man they are so much more than that! I’ve never had a cookie that’s a perfect balance of savory and sweet like this. Will absolutely make again and again!
★★★★★
Thank you!!
I usually measure everything with cups, EXCEPT for flour which I’ve found needs to be accurate in cookie recipes, so thank you so so much for putting grams, these turned out PERFECT, the miso and sesame went well together and after other recipes I’ve tried, this is the only one that worked, thank you so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
Yessss always weigh the flour!! Thank you for sharing!
What kind of vegan butter did you use?
Honestly use any, I used one from Shoprite called Wholesome Pantry dairy free plant buttery sticks for this recipe, but I’ve used others in other recipes like Melt, Country Crock, Miyoko’s, they all work!
★★★★★
I forgot to add to my last comment that I used vegan butter and it worked well!!! Love a versatile recipe!
★★★★★
Oh yay!!
Hi! Do you think I could successfully sub almond or coconut flour for these?
Sadly not as those flours act very differently than traditional flour!
Just made these this week and they are so good. They taste great out of the oven but even better once they are completely cooled. You can taste the miso more once the cookies have cooled off.
I did one batch without chilling the dough and one after chilling overnight and preferred the chilled dough but both were great!
★★★★★
I’m glad you got to compare them side by side! Thanks for sharing!
Would red miso paste work with this recipe? I have a ton on hand and am trying to figure out what to use it for!
Yep! As long as you’re OK with a slight color change to the cookies.
Can confirm. Just made them with red miso and they’re amazing. Not too intense of a flavor compared to the white miso.
Oh good!!
Was a tad skeptical but these biscuits are AMAZING!
Everyone who tried them was very happy 😆
★★★★★
So glad to hear!!
Made this and the taste was amazing! But mine turned quite cakey! 🙁 Any tips on this?
★★★★
Oh no! Did you read through my tips within the blog post? I always have a section where I include extra baking tips to ensure the recipe turns out just right. It sounds like it could be a mixing issue or too much flour was used.
These were absolutely delicious! The texture and flavor is wonderful and the recipe yields the perfect amount.
I will make these again and again!
★★★★★
Yay thank you!!
Amazing cookies! 10 outta 10
★★★★★
Hi Jenna!
Just dropping in to say that I love your blog , and I’ve had great success with many of your recipes so far. Looking forward to trying your perfect vanilla cupcakes that you’ve been working so hard on! 🙂 my only request is that in future recipes, you indicate which type of salt you’re using. I’ve used mostly table salt in your recipes and it’s worked out well , but many others use kosher so it would just be helpful so that I can replicate your work! You’re awesome, thanks again!! 👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for sharing! Yes I always use kosher salt and forget to label it sometimes because it’s just all I use 🙂 Thank you for the reminder!
Are you supposed to wait for the brown butter to cool before mixing with the miso paste??
You mix it in when the butter is still warm 🙂
I never would have given these cookies a single consideration. One day, I came home to a burned pile of these cookies on my stove (my daughter’s friend made them). I took off a chunk to taste and despite being significantly overcooked, they were still the best cookies I have ever tasted! The burn was more carmelized than burned (well, just a touch burned too.) Much as one may always love a “good chocolate chip cookie,” I found myself actually just being kind of tired of the same ol chips and dough. After tasting these, I went in a completely different direction and fell in love all over again! Soooooo gooood!
★★★★★
Oh yay! So glad to hear!