Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Craving a cookie that takes chocolate to the next level? These Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies combine a rich cocoa base with gooey chocolate chunks for the ultimate soft, chewy, extra thick cookie!
Who’s in the mood for chocolate? If you said “always,” you’re on the same page as my kids. These Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies are here for your most intense chocolate cravings! Picture rich, fudgy cookies with soft, gooey centers, studded with melty chunks of chocolate. They’re easy enough to whip up in under 30 minutes and fancy enough to share at a holiday party—or to keep all to yourself. No judgment here!
I have spent years trying to work out the recipe for my favorite chocolate mudslide cookies from a local bakery. I haven’t figured it out yet, but in the meantime, I’ll just keep making these when the extra chocolatey cookie craving hits!
My favorite thing about these cookies is their adaptability. Holiday cookie platter? Perfect! Lunchbox treat? Amazing! Post-dinner sweet? Don’t forget the glass of milk! Want to fancy them up? Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top before baking. Simple, extra chocolatey, and versatile – these cookies check all the boxes!
This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap. Every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes and help raise money for Cookies 4 Kids’ Cancer, a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new treatments for childhood cancer. Help us raise money for this important cause! Donate through our fundraising page and OXO will be matching every dollar raised through the end of 2024, up to $100,000.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter: You want the butter to be cool room temperature – about 65°F – before starting. Too warm and the cookies will have a greasy texture. For dairy-free cookies, use dairy-free plant-based butter.
- Sugar
- Eggs: Make sure the eggs are also at room temperature before starting.
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour, and for the best results, measure your flour by weight, not volume! For gluten-free cookies, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix, although the cookies will spread a little bit more.
- Cocoa Powder: Use Dutch-process cocoa powder for a darker, richer flavor (or even add in a little black cocoa!).
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Chocolate Chunks: Either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks are delicious. For a uniform appearance, use storebought “chunks” or for a more rugged appearance, chop up a good-quality chocolate bar.
How to Make Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This aerates the dough, ensuring soft and chewy cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in Chocolate Chunks: Stir in the chocolate chunks by hand.
- Scoop and Chill: Using a cookie scoop, roll roughly 2 tablespoon cookie balls. If desired, refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes for thicker cookies. You can also bake the dough immediately, but the cookies will be spread a little more.
- Bake: Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set but the center is still soft. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Magic of Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder isn’t just for flavor – it also affects the texture of the cookie. Have you ever tried to take a vanilla version of a cake or cookie recipe and sub some of the flour for cocoa powder and expect the same result? The end result will be passable… but it doesn’t quite work.
Why does cocoa powder act so differently, and how do we use this to our advantage? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!
Kitchen Chemistry
Cocoa powder is extremely dry – much drier than flour. While flour contains some residual moisture (around 10-14%), cocoa powder has almost no moisture content because it’s made from cacao beans that have been roasted, ground, and processed to remove cocoa butter. This makes cocoa powder a highly absorbent ingredient, capable of soaking up liquid from the dough far more effectively than flour.
This dryness also plays a role in how the cookies spread during baking. Since cocoa powder absorbs so much liquid, the dough has less free moisture to cause spreading, which is why chocolate cookies often hold their shape better than plain ones. It’s another reason why the balance of ingredients is so important—too much cocoa powder and the cookies could end up too firm, while too little and you won’t get that deep chocolate flavor or dense texture. Baking is all about precision, and cocoa powder is a perfect example of how even small changes can have a big impact!
The type of cocoa powder you use also makes a difference. Dutch-process cocoa, which is alkalized, has a smoother, less acidic flavor compared to natural cocoa powder. This alkalization process also affects the color, giving the cookies a rich, dark appearance. Natural cocoa powder, on the other hand, can lend a slightly tangy flavor due to its acidity and a lighter brown color. While both types of cocoa will work in this recipe, Dutch-process cocoa creates a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor that pairs beautifully with the chocolate chunks.
Recommended Tools for Cookies
- Stand Mixer: I always use my trusty stand mixer to cream butter and sugar!
- Hand Mixer: If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer works as well.
- Cookie Scoop: I use an overflowing scoop of this 1 1/2 tablespoon cookies coop to make these cookies.
- Cookie Sheet: Use a light-colored half-sheet baking pan. The lighter color helps prevent the bottoms of the cookies from overheating and burning.
- Silicone Baking Mat: Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking to the sheet.
- Wire Rack: This stacking set of wire racks has plenty of space to hold all your cookies, even if you double the batch.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature butter and eggs mix more evenly with the sugar, creating a smoother dough and better texture.
- Measure Correctly: I always recommend measuring by weight, but if you measure by volume, fluff the flour and cocoa powder with a fork, then spoon it into your measuring cups and level them off with a knife.
- Mix Chocolate Types: Combining semisweet, bittersweet, or even milk chocolate chunks creates various textures and flavors in each bite. You can even add white chocolate chunks or caramel pieces!
- Chill the Dough: While not required, chilling the dough for 30 minutes (or up to 3 days) before baking helps keep the cookies even thicker.
- Keep Dough in the Freezer: Freeze scooped cookie dough balls on a tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen whenever you want a fresh, warm cookie – just add 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
- Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed at room temperature.
More Chocolate Chunk Recipes
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Muffins
- Cherry Chocolate Chunk Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Cherry Pound Cake
- Chocolate Chip Tahini Blondies
- Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies combine a rich cocoa base with gooey chocolate chunks for the ultimate soft, chewy, extra thick cookie!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (297 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (42 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (340 grams) chocolate chuns, semi-sweet or bittersweet
- flaky sea salt, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and the vanilla extract until well combined.
- Slowly beat in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in the chocolate chunks, reserving a handful, until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, roll the dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. For extra thick cookies, refrigerate the dough balls for 30 minutes prior to baking. Press the reserved chocolate chunks on top of the balls of dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft. If desired, sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt immediately after removing from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- While these cookies can be baked immediately without chilling, allowing the dough to chill for 30 minutes either in the mixing bowl or as scooped balls of dough results in thicker cookies.
- The dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping into balls.
- Rolled balls of dough can be frozen and baked at a later date. Place the balls on a tray and freeze. once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake the cookies from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
- The cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
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