Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve been playing around with this recipe for double chocolate chip cookies for a while. I like my cookies on the sweeter side, and for a long time, double chocolate chip cookies never quite hit that mark for me. When I finally landed on this version, everything clicked—the cookies are rich and indulgent, so they don’t need to be overly sweet to satisfy a serious cookie craving. And the best part is the texture: soft, fudgy, and brownie-like, but in cookie form. And honestly, what’s not to love about a brownie-like cookie?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They’re soft and fudgy with a brownie-like center
- The chocolate flavor is deep and rich, not bitter
- They bake up thick and sturdy without spreading too much
Ingredients & Why I Use Them
Cold butter is key here. Starting with cold, cubed butter helps control spread and keeps the cookies thick instead of flat.
Granulated and brown sugar work together to balance sweetness and moisture. The brown sugar makes them chewy and gives them depth, while the granulated sugar keeps the flavor clean.
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One whole egg plus an extra yolk gives richness and structure. The extra yolk is what pushes these toward that fudgy, brownie-like texture.
Dutch-process cocoa powder gives a deeper chocolate flavor and helps with structure. I’ve tested this recipe with regular cocoa as well, and while it works, Dutch-process produces a more balanced and cohesive cookie.
Chocolate chips or chunks add sweetness and texture. I sometimes add chopped chocolate too for bigger pockets, especially when I want a more bakery-style look.
How I Make These Cookies
The full recipe card is below at the bottom of the post, but here’s how I make them step by step so you can follow along as you make them.
Chop the butter, making sure it’s cold. The cold butter is essential.
Beat the butter with the white and brown sugar for about 2-3 minutes in a medium bowl—until slightly creamy.
Pro tip
I don’t like to beat the butter too much at this stage, because over-aerating it will cause the cookies to spread too much. I’m looking for nice tall cookies, so the combination of cold butter and beating for up to 3 minutes will help achieve that.
Add the egg, the yolk, and the vanilla to the bowl and mix until it comes together.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low until a thick, cohesive dough forms and there are no dry pockets.
I like to make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.The dough should feel stiff — that’s exactly what you want.
Add the chocolate chips or chunks and fold until evenly distributed.
The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
Scoop the dough into large portions. I like to make them about ¼ cup each, and shape them into tall mounds rather than round balls.
Once portioned, I like to chill the dough for at least an hour in the fridge, or freeze for about 20-25 minutes.
To bake
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the cookies for 11–13 minutes. I pull them out when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked. They finish setting as they cool.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before moving them. This rest time helps them firm up without losing that soft center. Then transfer them to a wire rack to fully cool.
Tips & Tricks
- This is where most people go wrong: baking them too long. These cookies should look a little underdone in the middle when they come out of the oven. If they look fully baked, they’ll be dry once cooled.
- Another important detail is shaping the dough tall instead of wide. It seems minor, but it makes a noticeable difference in thickness.
- For baked goods, I ALWAYS use a kitchen scale to weigh my ingredients out down to the gram. Baking is a science, and science requires exact measurements.
Variations I Actually Use
- Swap half the chocolate chips for chopped dark chocolate for bigger pools of chocolate. You could also use peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips.
- Add flaky salt on top right after baking.
- Use milk chocolate chips if you want a sweeter cookie.
Storage & Make Ahead
I store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. The dough can also be scooped and frozen; I even bake straight from frozen sometimes, adding about a minute to the bake time.
FAQ
- Can I use regular cocoa powder instead of Dutch-process?
Yes. I’ve tested both. Dutch-process gives better structure and a deeper flavor, but regular cocoa powder still produces a good cookie. - Why are my cookies spreading too much?
The dough was likely too warm. Make sure the butter starts cold and the dough is properly chilled before baking. - Can I make smaller cookies?
You can, but you’ll need to reduce the bake time. The texture will be slightly less fudgy with smaller cookies. - Can I freeze the baked cookies?
Yes. Let them cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to two months.
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
If you’re drawn to these double chocolate chip cookies for their thick, fudgy centers and rich chocolate flavor, there are a few other cookies in my kitchen that hit a similar note. My jumbo thick chocolate chip cookies lean more classic but keep that same bakery-style heft, while my brownie cookies take the fudgy texture even further with crisp edges and soft centers. When I’m craving something a little more playful, s’mores cookies bring gooey chocolate and marshmallow into the mix, and toffee brown butter cookies offer a deeper, caramelized flavor with just enough chew. They all scratch the same indulgent cookie itch in slightly different ways.
I hope you enjoy these cookies. I’ve loved making them! If you make them, leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram—I love to see your creations.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed 113g
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ½ cup packed brown sugar 110g
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 145g
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 50g
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
Mix-ins
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks 170g
- Optional: ½ cup chopped chocolate for extra pools of chocolate
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, beat the cold, cubed butter with both sugars for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture is combined and slightly creamy but not light or fluffy. Starting with cold butter helps keep the cookies thick and limits spreading.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing just until incorporated. Stop as soon as the mixture comes together; overmixing at this stage can lead to flatter cookies.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed until a stiff, cohesive dough forms and no dry pockets remain. The dough will be thick.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop (about ¼ cup). Shape each portion into a tall mound rather than a wide ball—stacking the dough higher than usual helps prevent excessive spreading and results in thicker cookies.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or place it in the freezer for 20–25 minutes. Cold dough is key for achieving chunky, bakery-style cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked. Do not overbake; the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring. They will thicken and set further as they rest.
Notes
- Use Dutch-process cocoa. It provides deeper chocolate flavor and a more stable structure in the dough.
- Don’t over beat the butter. Over-aerating the butter can cause the cookies to flatten. Beat just for 2-3 minutes.
- Keep the dough cold. Besides using cold butter, make sure to chill the dough before baking. Chilled dough spreads less, helping the cookies bake thicker and more evenly.
- Shape the dough tall, not round. A taller shape encourages upward rise instead of outward spread.