Experiment No. 24 — Vegan Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Scope
Recreate the rich, nutty, and chewy sensory profile of classic brown-butter chocolate-chunk cookies using a fully plant-based system. This experiment isolates the interaction between vegan butter browning, sugar caramelization, and starch hydration to build a crisp-edge, molten-core cookie with no dairy or eggs.
Objective
Engineer a vegan cookie that mimics traditional brown-butter depth and chewy resilience through emulsion control, sugar ratio precision, and flaxseed binding. Compare gluten and gluten-free flour matrices for spread, chew, and aroma retention.
Yield & Time
Yield: 14–16 cookies (≈ 50–55 g each)
Prep: 20 min | Chill: 45 min | Bake: 12–14 min | Total: ≈ 1 hr 15 min
Formula – Weight, Volume, Ratio %
Weight = reproducibility Volume = accessibility Ratio % = fat-to-sugar-to-flour balance
Base Build
Vegan butter (browned): 170 g | ¾ cup | 34%
Brown sugar: 150 g | ¾ cup | 30%
Cane sugar: 75 g | ⅓ cup | 15%
Flaxseed meal: 7 g | 1 Tbsp | 1%
Warm water: 37 g | 2 ½ Tbsp | 7%
Vanilla extract: 10 g | 2 tsp | 2%
All-purpose flour: 240 g | 2 cups | 48%
Baking soda: 6 g | 1 tsp | 1%
Fine sea salt: 4 g | ¾ tsp | <1%
Dark chocolate (70%): 180 g | 1 cup chopped | 36%
Optional flaky salt: to finish
Procedure
Brown Butter Preparation — Melt vegan butter in a light pan over medium heat. Swirl until foam subsides and brown specks form (≈ 4–5 min). Remove when golden and nutty; cool 10 min to ≈ 50 °C.
Flax Egg Formation — Combine flaxseed meal + warm water. Rest 5 min until gel forms.
Emulsion Formation — Whisk cooled butter with both sugars until glossy. Add flax egg + vanilla; whisk until slightly thickened.
Dry Phase Integration — Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold into wet mixture in two additions until just combined.
Chocolate Incorporation — Fold in chopped chocolate. Scoop 50–55 g portions (≈ 2 Tbsp).
Dough Conditioning — Chill 45 min (minimum) or up to 24 hr for flavor and spread control.
Bake Cycle — Bake at 350 °F (177 °C) for 12–14 min until edges set, centers soft.
Cooling & Finish — Rest 2 min on pan → transfer to rack. Sprinkle flaky salt. Cool 10 min for final chew set.
Observations & Findings
Brown butter’s milk-solid analogues (plant proteins + sugars) create nutty aroma through Maillard browning.
Dual sugar ratio (2:1 brown : white) promotes chew and edge crispness.
Chilling redistributes moisture and solidifies fat, reducing spread by ≈ 25%.
Optimal bake: light golden edge, soft dome center — residual heat completes set.
Gluten-Free Variant
Replace 240 g all-purpose flour with 192 g gluten-free blend + 76 g oat flour.
Result: thicker cookie, delicate crumb, crisp rim. Chill essential for structure.
Scientific Notes
Maillard Law – Caramelization of sugars and browned butter compounds create aromatic depth.
Fat Retention Law – Proper ratio prevents oil seepage during cooling.
Spread Law – Chill time dictates cookie diameter and chew.
