Chocolate Cookies are rich and fudgy with soft, chewy interiors. They’re packed with two kinds of chocolate and absolutely perfect with a sprinkle of sea salt on top!

Try some other popular cookie recipes next: SnickerdoodlesOatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Stack of chocolate cookies ready to be enjoyed.

The Best Chocolate Cookies Ever!

There’s nothing quite like a rich, brownie-like chocolate cookie, a personal favorite treat of mine.

However, finding the perfect chocolate cookie can be a challenge. Many store-bought or cookie shop varieties often end up being average or even downright disappointing.

But not these cookies – they are, without a doubt, the best chocolate cookies I’ve ever tasted. They require a few special ingredients, but I assure you, the result is absolutely worth it. These aren’t just good chocolate cookies; they’re the best!

Ingredients used in this dessert all spread out ready to be assembled.

Ingredients In Chocolate Cookies

  1. Unsalted Butter: Use straight from the fridge for best cookie texture.
  2. Light Brown Sugar: Make sure to use fresh and soft brown sugar!
  3. Eggs: Binds the ingredients and adds structure.
  4. Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances flavor.
  5. Salt: Balances and enhances flavors.
  6. Baking Soda: For rise and fluffiness.
  7. Corn Starch: For tender, thick cookies.
  8. Dutch-process Cocoa Powder: Deeper chocolate flavor. Here’s a summary of cocoa powder differences:
  9. Cake Flour: Lighter, tender crumb; don’t try DIY substitutes here.
  10. All-Purpose Flour: Forms Chocolate Cookies structure.
  11. Chocolate Chips: Mix of types and sizes for varied texture and flavor.

Butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla being creamed together for these chocolate cookies.

How To Make Chocolate Cookies

  • Cream: Combine butter and sugar until creamy.
  • Mix Wet: Add eggs and vanilla, mix.
  • Combine Dry: Incorporate salt, baking soda, cornstarch, cocoa, and flours.
  • Fold in Chips: Add chocolate chips to the dough.
  • Chill Dough: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Form Balls: Make 2 tablespoon-sized dough balls. A food scale is great for accuracy!
  • Bake: At 325°F for 8-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Baking agents, cocoa powder, and both types of flours being creamed together.

  1. Use Cold Butter: Ensures less spreading and thicker Chocolate Cookies.
  2. Brown Sugar Packing: Firmly pack for consistent sweetness and texture.
  3. Accurate Measuring: Especially for flour, to avoid dense or cake-like cookies.
  4. Don’t Over-mix: Mix until just combined to keep cookies tender.
  5. Even Balls: Consistent size for uniform baking.
  6. Double Chill Dough: Chill after mixing and again after shaping for better flavor and to avoid spreading.
  7. Use A Liner: Ensures even baking.
  8. Don’t Over-bake: Take cookies out when glossy top disappears for a soft, fudgy texture. Over-baking results in hard, less tasty cookies.

Chocolate chips being mixed through and the chocolate cookies being baked up.

Storage

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days before they start losing texture.

How To Freeze Chocolate Cookies

  • Freeze dough instead of baked cookies!
  • Place dough balls on a pan, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag. Freeze up to 3 months.
  • Bake frozen dough balls directly, adding extra bake time. No thawing required.

Baked chocolate cookies with fresh sea salt on top.

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Cookies are rich, fudgy, and loaded with chocolate—they’re absolutely perfect with a sprinkle of sea salt!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: cookies

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Cut cold butter into cubes. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar for 3–4 minutes until the consistency is similar to peanut butter.
  • Beat in eggs and vanilla. Then add cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder, mixing until just combined. Gradually mix in cake and all-purpose flour until no streaks remain. Avoid overmixing. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • If dough was chilled longer than 1 hour, let it soften slightly at room temperature. Roll dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. Chill formed cookie balls in fridge for 10 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Space cookies 2 inches apart on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 8–12 minutes. Lean toward underbaking for fudgy cookies (see note 4). Upon removal, immediately press wayward edges inward with a spatula. Optionally, add extra chocolate chips on top and a light sprinkle of sea salt. Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Use Dutch-process cocoa powder like Hershey’s® Special Dark for optimal flavor and moisture. Regular cocoa powder may result in a less flavorful, drier cookie. Measure by spooning into the cup and leveling off; excess can dry out cookies.
Note 2: Cake flour is essential for a fluffy, tender crumb. Don’t substitute and don’t try to make a DIY cake flour; it doesn’t work in this recipe.
Note 3: Milk chocolate is my preference, but feel free to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate!
Note 4: If cookies aren’t spreading by 7–8 minutes, take them out of the oven and tap the baking sheet 2–3 times on the counter to encourage spreading. Then, return them to the oven to finish baking.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Rewarm leftovers in microwave. You can also freeze dough balls instead of storing baked cookies. Bake from frozen, adding extra time as needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.9g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 9.8g | Cholesterol: 21.5mg | Sodium: 64.8mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 17g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 1 vote

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2 Comments

  1. Callie says:

    5 stars
    As your sister, THESE COOKIES ARE SO GOOD! Haha we make them and always finish the whole batch…they’re irresistible

    1. Chelsea says:

      We’re the exact same! So happy to hear this! Thanks Callie! 🙂