My Vietnamese Granny’s Cookie Upgrade Rules All Others

My Vietnamese granny, Ah Ma, used to put fish sauce in everything—not just in her pho broth or dipping sauces. Having grown up in Hanoi, Vietnam, during French colonial rule, she’d mix fish sauce with unsalted butter and slather that over a baguette. To her, fish sauce wasn’t limited to savory dishes; it was a universal flavor enhancer.

A few years ago when I called her (she lived in Montreal then, and I lived in Brooklyn), I told her I was mixing miso and soy sauce into my cookie dough. She replied, “Try adding some fish sauce next time.”

Trusting her—since she was the best chef and baker I knew—I did just that, and my next batch of not-too-sweet chocolate chip cookies was a pleasant surprise. They were so good that I’ve developed a fish sauce chocolate chip cookie recipe for my upcoming cookbook, 108 Asian Cookies! (I also add bourbon, but that’s another story!)

How To Add Fish Sauce to Cookies

If you already use salted butter or add salt, miso, or soy sauce to your cookie dough to temper the sweetness, why not add a splash of fish sauce? It will do the same as those other savory ingredients, balancing the cloying edge of granulated and brown sugar, while adding a pleasant umami that hits your taste buds just right, without being overpowering. The chocolate in the cookies also shines brighter when the cookies are less sweet, especially with semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips. 

For those worrying you’ll end up with fishy-smelling cookies, fret not. Once baked, the fishy notes become more subtle and rounder. I must warn you, however, that when you store the cookies overnight, the fish sauce flavor and aroma will develop and get sharper.

If you’re on the fence, or this is the first time you’re adding a savory note to your chocolate chip cookies other than salt, then start with half (and up to one) tablespoon of fish sauce for every batch of 12 large cookies.

The best time to add it is after creaming the butter and sugar, right when you mix in the eggs, and before adding flour and other dry ingredients. This way, the fish sauce blends seamlessly into the dough.

If you’re already a fish sauce fan, like my friends who tried this cookie, then you might want to add more than less.

Tips for Adding Fish Sauce to Baked Goods

If you need a recommendation on which fish sauce brand to use, you really can’t go wrong with Three Crabs. It’s the brand my Vietnamese aunties use and the one that’s been in my kitchens for the longest. It has a mild sweetness that reminds me of fresh seafood and layered umami notes that blend beautifully in desserts.

After you try adding fish sauce to your cookies, try using it in other dessert applications. Some ideas include making a not-too-sweet caramel for your lattes, using it in frosting, or incorporating it into chocolate cake batter.

So, the next time you’re baking chocolate chip cookies, think of me and my Ah Ma. Fish sauce in cookies might sound chaotic, but trust the process. Bake them, share them, and let everyone in on the secret. It’s one worth sharing—and even passing down.