You've landed in the right place. These cookies combine the nutty magic of brown butter, the perfect balance of milk and semi-sweet chocolate chunks, and the melt-in-your-mouth texture of halva. A classic cookie enhanced by your (current or soon-to-be) love of halva. If you want to elevate your cookie game, make these brown butter halva chocolate chunk cookies.
NOTE FROM A NOMAD
As a peanut butter cup lover, sometimes it's hard to find the candy abroad since peanut butter and chocolate aren't a well-loved pairing outside of the US. Insert: the mighty halva!
During my time in Jordan, Egypt, and Türkiye, the sweet, nutty richness and melt-in-your-mouth texture of halva became a new yet familiar treat that almost made me forget all about the peanut butter cup.
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What Is Halva?
Halva is a sweet confection found across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and the Balkans, typically made from sesame paste (tahini) and sugar, giving it a dense, crumbly texture and mild, nutty flavor.
If you're looking for a new ice cream topping, crumble some halva on top of your scoop and thank me later.
- How it tastes: Plain / vanilla halva has a semi-sweet and nutty flavor. Think of the filling in a Reese's peanut butter cup, except with the flavor of white sesame. The flavor can also change with the addition of other ingredients like chocolate, pistachios, and hazelnuts.
- Where to buy: You can find halva in some supermarkets in the international aisle or by visiting your local Mediterranean or Middle Eastern shop. Alternatively, you can also order halva online.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
What makes these brown butter halva chocolate chunk cookies so special? There are a few key ingredients that make these a cookie you'll want to bake on repeat:
- Brown butter: This is butter that is cooked to a point where the moisture evaporates, the milk solids brown, and it adds a nutty depth of flavor to the dough. Be sure to scrape every bit of brown butter from your pan!
- Halva: Its earthy sweetness makes it a great ingredient for baked goods, as it melts during baking, creating swirls and pockets of flavor that pair well with the chocolate and brown butter. Try to find a high-quality sesame-based halva to get the best flavor out of your cookies.
- Milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate: The mix of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate (mine was 60%) created the ideal balance of sweetness. I prefer chopping chocolate for cookies because the chocolate melts, and you get pockets of chocolate throughout. Feel free to use all or any mix of white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate bars.
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Brown Butter Halva Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Step 1: Cook until the butter has melted, then continue to cook while stirring with a whisk or silicone spatula, until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and smells nutty. Place the brown butter in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Beat the brown butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 2 - 3 minutes until creamed and lighter in color. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.
Step 3: Mix dry ingredients into the large bowl and mix on low until just combined. Scrape around the bowl with a silicone spatula so everything is incorporated.
Step 4: Stir in the halva chunks, milk chocolate chunks, and semi-sweet chocolate chunks until everything is incorporated evenly.
Step 5: Scoop about 55 - 60 grams (~3 tablespoons) of dough per cookie and place at least 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Optionally, gently press additional chocolate and halva chunks onto the top of each cookie.
Step 6: Bake for 11 - 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden. The centers will still look soft.
🍪 If you're looking for more cookie recipes, try these Fig Jam and Walnut Cookies, Soft & Chewy Ube Iced Oatmeal Cookies, and Matcha Snickerdoodles!
Variations
- Adjust the sweetness: Rather than changing the sugar (which helps with the structure and spread of the cookie), you can swap the chocolate to make the cookies more or less sweet.
- For sweeter cookies, use only milk chocolate or a mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate
- For less sweet cookies, use all semi-sweet chocolate, a mix of semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate, or all dark chocolate
- Halva flavors: Feel free to mix up the flavor of the halva! Pistachio, chocolate, marbled, or hazelnut-flavored halva would all be great in this cookie.
Equipment
- Whisk: If you don't have a whisk, use the silicone spatula to stir the brown butter and mix the dry ingredients with a fork.
- Mixer: A stand mixer or hand mixer works best here. You can also use a whisk to beat and mix by hand.
- Silicone spatula: A silicone spatula is the best tool for getting all the brown butter bits from the pan, scraping the bowl so all the dough is incorporated, and gently mixing in the halva.
- Parchment paper: This helps the cookies to bake evenly and prevent them from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Cooling rack: This helps to cool the cookies quickly and evenly, and prevent overbaking by keeping the cookies on a hot baking sheet.
Storage, Freezing, and Making Ahead
- Storage: The cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Both baked cookies and unbaked cookie dough balls can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Making Ahead: The cookie dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Using a scale is not only best for measuring the flour, but also for weighing the butter after browning. If you have too little butter after browning, simply add a little water until you reach the 110 - 115 grams range noted below.
- Chocolate chips don't melt as well because they often contain a stabilizer. Chopping a chocolate bar lets the chocolate melt into gooey pockets throughout the cookies.
- Chilling the dough develops flavor and creates thicker, chewier cookies. It's worth the wait!
Check Out More Cookie Recipes
📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Halva Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Sheet pan
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 141 grams unsalted butter
- 156 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 50 grams white granulated sugar
- 100 grams brown sugar
- 1 large egg (55 - 60 grams each with shell), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 grams sesame-based vanilla halva, chopped
- 55 grams milk chocolate, chopped
- 55 grams semi-sweet (60%) chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Cut the butter into even cubes. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted, then continue to cook while stirring with a whisk or silicone spatula, until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and smells nutty. The time it take to brown varies but could take 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately transfer it to a small bowl, scraping all the butter and browned bits from the pan. The brown butter should be 110 - 115 grams after done. If you have less, add water until you reach the range. Place the brown butter in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.141 grams unsalted butter
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.156 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)¼ teaspoon baking powder¼ teaspoon baking soda⅔ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Beat the butter and sugars. After the brown butter is slightly chilled, in a large bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 2 - 3 minutes until creamed and lighter in color. Scrape around the bowl with a silicone spatula so everything is incorporated.50 grams white granulated sugar100 grams brown sugar
- Beat in wet ingredients. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.1 large egg (55 - 60 grams each with shell)1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in dry ingredients. Add the previously set aside mixed dry ingredients from the medium bowl into the large bowl and mix on low until just combined. Scrape around the bowl with a silicone spatula so everything is incorporated.
- Add mix-ins. Stir in the halva chunks, milk chocolate chunks, and semi-sweet chocolate chunks until everything is incorporated evenly. Halva is very crumbly so it will partially crumble into the dough, but mix gently and do not overmix.100 grams sesame-based vanilla halva55 grams milk chocolate55 grams semi-sweet (60%) chocolate
- Chill dough (optional but recommended). Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (up to 72 hours) for the best results. You can also bake immediately.
- Preheat the oven. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop and bake cookies. After the dough is chilled, scoop about 55 - 60 grams (~3 tablespoons) of dough per cookie and place at least 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Optionally, chop additional chocolate and halva, and gently press chunks onto the top of each cookie. Bake for 11 - 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden. The centers will still look soft.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or eat while still gooey. Once the baking sheet has cooled, repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Notes
FAQ
What is halva made of?
Halva is made from seed or nuts like sesame and sunflower as well as sugar, with a a dense yet airy, crumbly consistency.
What is the difference between helva, halva, and halvah?
Helva, halva, halvah, etc. are all regional names for the same sweet. They may differ by the type of seed or nut that is used as the base.
Can you eat halva by itself?
Yes, halva can be eaten by itself, paired with other food and drinks, or incorporated into desserts.
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