This post contains affiliate links. This means we will receive a commission if you make a purchase. For more information on this type of content, please see our privacy policy .
Sweet chocolatey chunks, a chewy center, the perfect crackly top, and a sprinkle of sea salt make these Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies the best ever.
The search is over. This is the best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, hands down, thanks to Tara O'Brady. Chunks of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt are the secret. What more could you want in a cookie? This recipe is really easy to make and yields perfectly chewy cookies every time.
For a more flaky, crisp cookie, try our Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- BUTTER: we prefer unsalted butter to salted butter
- ALL PURPOSE FLOUR: good quality AP flour
- BAKING POWDER: baking powder is the leavening agent
- BAKING SODA: baking soda encourages the cookies to spread as they rise
- SALT: kosher salt or sea salt
- BROWN SUGAR: packed. Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar works.
- SUGAR: granulated sugar
- EGGS: large eggs or extra large eggs
- VANILLA EXTRACT: we prefer pure vanilla extract
- SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE or BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE: use the best quality chocolate you can afford for optimum flavor (we used Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Baking Bar)
- FLAKY SEA SALT: for sprinkling. We recommend Falk Salt Organic Sea Salt Flakes. Make sure to get large pieces for best results
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat an oven to 360°F. Line two baking sheets or sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Melt the Butter: In a medium saucepan over the lowest heat possible, melt the butter. There should be no sizzle, crackling or pops. Let the butter ooze into liquid, without boiling, so minimal moisture is lost. Stir regularly, until the butter is almost completely melted. (This is a good time to chop the chocolate.)
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Pour melted butter into a large bowl, and then whisk in the sugars. The mixture may look to seize, but will relax with a few seconds of stirring. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking briskly after each addition, but only to combine. Stir in the vanilla.
- Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients: Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir in the dry ingredients. Once mostly blended, fold the chocolate into the dough until the remaining flour is incorporated and the dough no longer looks dusty. Bring any stray ingredients up from the bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Using two spoons, a cookie scoop, or an ice cream scoop, drop 3 tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls onto prepared pans, leaving 3 inches in between. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake: Bake in the hot oven until the tops are cracked and lightly golden, yet still soft at the center, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Leave the cookies on the sheet pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Continue shaping and baking cookies with the remaining dough, making sure to use a cold sheet pan for each batch.
Featured review
❝ these are one of the best I've tried. even days later nice and chewy ❞
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Top tip
Be sure not to over bake! Tops of cookies should cracked and lightly golden, but cookies should still be soft at the center.
Storage
- Store: Baked cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Make Ahead: After the dough is mixed, it can be stored in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until you are ready to bake.
- Freeze: Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
FAQ
Chocolate chunk cookies use larger pieces of chocolate compared to the smaller, uniform chips found in chocolate chip cookies. The chunks create pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cookie, offering a rich chocolate flavor.
To keep your chocolate chunk cookies soft and chewy, avoid overbaking them. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are set, but the centers are still slightly undercooked. They will continue to cook on the baking sheet as they cool.
For salted chocolate chunk cookies, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the dough balls just before baking. This enhances the flavor by balancing the sweetness of the cookie and the richness of the chocolate.
Yes, you can use any type of chocolate for chocolate chunk cookies, including dark, milk, or white chocolate. We recommend good quality chocolate bars chopped into chunks for the best flavor and texture.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate chunk cookie dough. Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
Related recipes
🍅 Making this recipe?
- Please feel free to reach out with questions. We're happy to help.
- If you enjoyed it, please leave us a comment with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe
Sweet chocolatey chunks, a chewy center, the perfect crackly top, and a sprinkle of sea salt make these Chocolate Chunk Cookies the best ever.
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 28 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, chopped
- 3 ¼ cups (415 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons medium-grained kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups (320 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 ounces (340 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 360°F. Line two baking sheets or sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over the lowest heat possible, melt the butter. There should be no sizzle, crackling or pops; let the butter ooze into liquid, without boiling, so minimal moisture is lost. Stir regularly, until the butter is almost completely melted. (This is a good time to chop the chocolate.)
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Pour melted butter into a large bowl, and then whisk in the sugars. The mixture may look to seize, but will relax with a few seconds of stirring. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking briskly after each addition, but only to combine. Stir in the vanilla. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir in the dry ingredients. Once mostly blended, fold the chocolate into the dough until the remaining flour is incorporated and the dough no longer looks dusty. Bring any stray ingredients up from the bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix.
- Using two spoons or a #20 disher, drop 3 tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto prepared pans, leaving 3 inches in between. Sprinkle with sea salt, if using. Bake in the hot oven until the tops are cracked and lightly golden, yet still soft at the center, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Leave the cookies on the sheet pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Continue shaping and baking cookies with the remaining dough, making sure to use a cold sheet pan for each batch.
- Cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: baked goods
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 162
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 4.9 mg
- Fat: 12.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.7 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 10.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Ken says
These are amazing!!! The salt is perfect on the cookies!!
Ken says
Delish!!!
Jackie says
This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's got great chocolate flavor. That sea salt finish is everything!