These chocolate chunk cookies have everything you want a cookie to be – just the right amount of chewiness, fudgy-ness, crispness and sweetness. If you’re not a cookie lover, I think you’re about to be.
This is my favourite chocolate cookie recipe of all time.
My hunt for the best chocolate chunk cookie lasted several years, but it stopped when I found this recipe. Well actually I didn’t find it, it found me. A friend gave it to me when she came to visit me overseas and said they were the best she’d ever tasted.
I was a little skeptical, but when we made a batch I was immediately hooked.
So watch out, this may become your new favourite cookie recipe too.
What makes these chocolate chunk cookies so good?
Let me reveal some of the baking secrets behind these mouthwatering cookies...
Baking Secrets:
1. No creaming method. Most cookie dough recipes cream the butter and sugar together to create air, resulting in a lighter, cake-like cookie texture. These cookies however require melted butter which contributes to the fudgy, chewy texture. No creaming method needed here.
2. One egg plus one egg yolk is used (instead of two whole eggs in other recipes). Egg whites help add lift but can also dry baked goods out. Removing one egg white prevents this extra lift and drying out which thus results in a more dense, more tender and more fudgy cookie.
3. Both brown sugar and white sugar are used. Brown sugar and white sugar serve different purposes in baking. Brown sugar is usually used to provide moisture, richness and fudginess, whereas white sugar creates crispy and crunchy texture. This cookie has a good combination of both.
4. Once the cookie dough is prepared, it is chilled in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or even better, over night. This helps to intensify the flavours as well as preventing the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven, contributing again to the fudgey texture. It also means that the cookies bake in prefect circle shapes which will have your friends and family asking:
“How do get your cookies so round?” They’ll think you’re amazing.
5. Baking soda is the only leavener used. Baking soda here serves two purposes in this recipe: first it helps the cookies to spread instead of ‘puff’ (that’s how we get that Subway cookie look), secondly it neutralises the brown sugar which is an acidic ingredient. See here for more info on baking soda and baking powder.
How to make chocolate chunk cookies
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Soft brown sugar (must be soft, not granulated)
- White sugar
- Plain flour (can be gluten free if needed)
- Baking soda & baking powder
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- 1 egg +1 egg yolk (slightly beaten)
- Your favourite chocolate
Method:
- Melt butter and sugars
- Mix in egg and vanilla
- Fold in dry ingredients
- Add chocolate chunks.
- Chill
- Scoop the dough onto trays and bake until golden with soft, chewy centres.
See recipe card below for full details.
Will these cookies be the the best you’ve ever had?
FAQ:
Can I use chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks?
Yes! Chocolate chips work well in this recipe. However, chocolate chunks melt into larger pockets of chocolate which give the cookies a more decadent texture.
How do I keep chocolate chunk cookies soft?
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Adding a slice of bread to the container can help keep the cookies soft for longer
Can I freeze chocolate chunk cookie dough?
Yes, cookie dough freezes very well. Roll the dough into balls and freeze them on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the baking time.
How To Store Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies will stay fresh for about 4–5 days.
Alternatively freeze them in a feezer safe bag or container - they will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 170 g (¾ cup) butter
- 220 g (1 cup) soft brown sugar (must be soft, not granulated)
- 100 g (½) white sugar
- 250 g (2 cups) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg +1 egg yolk slightly beaten
- 180 g (1 cup) chocolate, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Start by chopping up the butter in cubes and place in a medium sized pot (cutting the butter helps the butter to melt evenly and quickly). Melt butter over a low-to medium heat and mix in brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Set aside to cool slightly (we need to add the eggs soon and we don’t want them to cook).
- In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and then whisk them together to ensure that they are evenly distributed. Set this aside.
- To the butter mixture, add vanilla, egg and egg yolk and beat until light and creamy.
- Now add the sifted ingredients until just blended. Check the temperature of the dough with your hand. If it’s still really warm, it may melt the chocolate. In which case, leave in the fridge for a a few minutes to cool slightly. Once it’s cool enough, stir in the chocolate.
- Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls (it’s easier to do this if mixture has been chilled in the fridge for several minutes first), place back into the bowl and refrigerate (bowl and all) for a minimum of 15 minutes or ideally over night (as noted in the notes below) this helps the flavours to intensify and prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly when cooking.
- Once your cookies have chilled, preheat your oven to 165 Degrees Celsius fan bake (329 Degrees Fahrenheit) and grease a baking tray or line with baking paper.
- Place cookie dough balls onto the baking tray, but do not press down (i.e. leave them as balls). Cookies should be about 8 cm apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes. *
- The cookies will look really soft and as though they are not quite done – this is when you need to take them out. They will continue to cook slightly on the tray and will set in a couple of minutes.
- Place onto a wire rack to cool and then devour.
