Irresistible Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ever wonder how to make mouth-watering chocolate chunk cookies like your favorite bakery? Soft, chewy, and full of chocolate, this cookie is sure to satisfy those chocolate cravings. Chocolate chunks are baked right inside the cookie dough for that ultimate treat.
There’s nothing quite like the smell of cookies baking in the oven. From texture to chewiness, these chocolate chunk cookies are just right. And, they are perfect tea time treats to satisfy your afternoon cravings. The secret to making these is to chill the cookies before baking.
Why make these cookies
- These cookies are similar to chocolate chip cookies, but use a chocolate bar to make chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips. Yes, the taste of real chocolate!
- Almost all the ingredients are simple pantry staples plus chocolate.
- The real test is the chilling time before baking. But, trust me it really makes a big difference to plan ahead and give the dough that 30 minutes of chilling time.
- And these are so popular they get over quickly so double the recipe and save the remaining cookie dough in the freezer so next time you don’t have to wait. Just bake from frozen.
- In addition, the baked cookies as well as the unbaked dough can be frozen for up to a month, which means you can always have your cookies on demand.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour – It’s best to use plain all-purpose flour for these cookies. They will spread, but that is what they are supposed to do.
- Sugars – We have both brown and white sugar, and they are necessary. The dark brown sugar adds softness to the cookie, while the white adds that crispness. You can also use light brown sugar instead of dark.
- Vanilla – Use good quality vanilla as it does make a huge difference. I use my vanilla bean paste but vanilla extract works just as well.
- Chocolate – Use chocolate bars cut into pieces. I like to use my favorite dark chocolate to offset the sweetness of the two sugars. Again, of course, you can use semi-sweet chocolate as well as chocolate chips.
Step-by-step: Chocolate chunk cookies
- Dry ingredients : In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside. Chop the chocolate bar into small chunks and set it aside.
- Wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the soft butter with brown and white sugar at medium speed. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Dry to wet: Next, add the flour mixture and combine well. Add the chopped chocolate chunks and fold them into the dough with a spatula.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 356°F / 180°C/ Gas Mark 4. You can line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easy clean-up.
- Shape: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon and take about 2 tbsps of dough in your hand. Squish it into balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, leaving enough space for them to spread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. The outside will be lightly golden, but the center will still be slightly soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray. Then, transfer them to a wire rack. When just baked, they will look puffed, and they will wrinkle on top as they cool. You can sprinkle some more chocolate chunks and sea salt.
Tips for success
- Soft Butter – While most cookies use room temperature butter to prevent spreading, the secret to these cookies is that we want them to spread. So make sure the butter is softer than room temperature (see video).
- Cornstarch makes the cookies chewier but you can also use the same amount of flour.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar gives a soft chewy center while white sugar gives that nice crisp edges.
- You can use any chocolate you like – semi-sweet or dark. My favorite is to chop up a dark chocolate bar and add different size chocolate pieces.
- Underbaking – These must be underbaked so we can enjoy a soft chewy center. If you over-bake they become crisp, not soft and chewy.
- Freeze dough – I love fresh baked cookies, so I freeze the dough, instead of the baked cookies. But you can certainly bake these and freeze the baked cookies as well. I make a double batch and freeze the extras.
- The best way to freeze the cookie dough is to scoop the cookies on a baking tray. Freeze them for an hour or so, then drop the frozen dough balls into a freezer-safe storage bag. I use these silicone freezer bags I love very much.
- Freeze cookies – The best way to freeze the baked cookies is to place them between parchment papers in a freezer-safe box. I use my favorite stainless steel storage boxes.
- These cookies are delicious and the cookie dough freezes well so make extra and enjoy.
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Frequently asked questions
How long will these cookies keep?
The baked cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up 5 days. These can also be frozen for up to a month.
How do you freeze chocolate chip cookie dough?
These make the best freezer-ready cookie dough that can be baked from frozen.
– Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto a baking tray with parchment paper.
– Chill the dough for 30 minutes or until just firm enough to roll.
– Then, roll into balls and place into freezer-safe bags.
– Freeze for up to a month.
– Bake in a preheated oven (no need to thaw) for 12 to 14 minutes.
– Frozen cookies take a bit longer to bake. Make sure the oven is well preheated before you place the cookies in.
Why do my cookies come out flat?
The right oven temperature is vital for these cookies. You want the cookie to melt, while at the same time cook quickly on the outside edges. Every cookie recipe comes with its own specified time and temperature. So, it is essential to follow the recipe and guidelines.
Why are my cookies so fluffy?
Baking soda in the cookie dough can cause the flour to fluff up. These will puff slightly when just baked but that will soon settle as it cools. Too much baking soda can cause the cookies to spread too much and become flat and greasy.
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These chocolate chunk cookies are soft, and chewy. And, they are perfect tea time treats to satisfy your afternoon cravings. The secret to making these is to chill the cookies before baking.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ cup (113 g) Soft unsalted butter (soft but not melted)
- ½ cup (110 g) Dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) White sugar
- 1 Large egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 4 oz (110 g) Chocolate chunks 1 cup chopped
Method
- Dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. And set aside. Chop the chocolate bar into small chunks and set it aside.
- Wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the soft butter with brown and white sugar at medium speed. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Dry to wet: Next, add the flour mixture and combine well. Add the chopped chocolate chunks and fold them into the dough with a spatula.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 356°F / 180°C/ Gas Mark 4. You can line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easy clean-up.
- Shape: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon and take about 2 tbsps of dough in your hand. Squish it into balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, leaving enough space for them to spread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. The outside will be lightly golden, but the center will still be slightly soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray. Then, transfer them to a wire rack. When just baked, they will look puffed, and they will wrinkle on top as they cool. You can sprinkle some more chocolate chunks and sea salt.
Notes
- Soft Butter – while most cookies use room temperature butter to prevent spreading the secret to these cookies is that we want them to spread. So make sure the butter is softer than room temperature (see video)
- Cornstarch makes the cookies chewier but you can also use the same amount of flour.
- Brown sugar – brown sugar gives a soft chewy center while white sugar gives that nice crisp edges.
- You can use any chocolate you like – semi-sweet or dark. My favorite is to chop up a dark chocolate bar and add different size chocolate pieces.
- Underbaking – these must be underbaked so we can enjoy a soft chewy center. If you overbake they become crisp, not soft and chewy
- Freeze dough – I love fresh baked cookies, so I freeze the dough, instead of the baked cookies. But you can certainly bake these and freeze the baked cookies as well. I make a double batch and freeze the extras.
The best way to freeze the cookie dough is to scoop the cookies on a baking tray. Freeze them for an hour or so then drop the frozen dough balls into a freezer-safe storage bag. I use these silicone freezer bags I love very much. - Freeze cookies – The best way to freeze the baked cookies is to place them between parchment papers in a freezer-safe box. I use my favorite stainless steel storage boxes.
- These cookies are delicious and the cookie dough freezes well so make extra and enjoy.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi Veena,
For chocolate chunk cookies please advise
1) Can we use Vanilla essence if i dont have the vanilla paste
2) Can i use chocolate chips or do i have to use dairy milk chocolate.
3) can the dough be chilled in the normal fridge or deep freezer
Thanks.
Saj, Yes, you can use vanilla essence and chocolate chips.
And you can use chill the dough in a normal fridge or freeze it for longer.
These cookies are such a delight! Look at those chocolate chunks, oh so yummy!