The best recipe for double chocolate chip cookies must obviously include extra doses of chocolate. These soft-baked thick and chunky cookies are as indulgent as they look: rich and fudge-like with chewy centers, slightly crisp edges, and oodles of melty chocolate chips in each glorious bite.
It’s the chocolate dough recipe I’ve been making for years and even included it in my cookbook stuffed with peanut butter cups. There’s no reason to stray from this basic chocolate dough!
Included in my cookbooks and used all over my website, this cookie dough is my go-to base for chocolate cookies. There’s a reason I work with this dough often: it’s because it WORKS and it’s pointless to stray from a tested, dependable recipe. (That’s also delicious!)
One reader, Kat, commented: “Wonderful recipe! By far my favorite chocolate chocolate chip cookie and very well received by everyone who tries them. They are like brownie cookies in the best way and stayed the perfect softness for a few days after baking. Adding to my yearly cookie rotation for sure! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Amber, commented: “Arguably the best cookies I’ve ever had. ★★★★★“
And another reader, Cynthia, commented: “Love these. I’ve made them too many times to count, and I always double the recipe. I’ve made them with dark chocolate chips, white chocolate, nuts, coconut, Andes candies in the middle. So many ways. It’s just a perfect chocolate cookie. ★★★★★“
Why You’ll Love These Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy to make with a basic dough
- Soft-baked and chewy with fudge chocolate centers
- Recipe is easily doubled
- Cookie dough balls freeze well
- You can use the cookies to make chocolate cookie ice cream sandwiches
- Versatile dough! Turn them into s’more chocolate crinkle cookies in the summer, peppermint mocha cookies, Andes mint chocolate cookies, or peppermint frosted cookies in the winter, chocolate crinkle cookies, chocolate frosted cookies, or salted caramel dark chocolate cookies any time of year, or switch to white chips for inside out chocolate chip cookies
My team and I receive many questions about turning this base chocolate dough into regular double chocolate chip cookies, so I figured having a separate spot for that particular cookie recipe would be ideal for chocolate cookie lovers everywhere. And I’m guessing that’s you. 😉
Grab These Ingredients
All of the ingredients required for this cookie recipe are kitchen staples. You need:
- Wet ingredients: Butter, white & brown sugars, egg, vanilla extract, and milk
- Dry ingredients: Flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt
You also need chocolate chips and I recommend semi-sweet. Mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or other flavors such as peanut butter chips or butterscotch morsels work too. You could even keep them plain and roll in chopped pecans to make chocolate turtle cookies.
Success Tip: Use Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Because the double chocolate chip cookies use baking soda, it’s important to use natural cocoa powder since it’s acidic. You could get away with dutch-process here (since brown sugar is also acidic), but the cookies may lose shape and taste dense. To avoid issues, I recommend natural. For further information, you can read about the differences between natural and dutch process cocoa powder.
Did you know? Cocoa powder is a very light, yet drying ingredient. To keep the cookies tender and moist, the dough needs liquid like milk. That’s why chocolate cake calls for so much liquid.
Overview: How to Make Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Cream the butter and both sugars together before adding the egg and vanilla extract. If you need extra guidance on this step, I have a separate tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar. Separately, whisk the dry ingredients together and don’t be concerned about how little flour this recipe requires. (Remember that cocoa powder is another dry ingredient to bulk up the dough.) Combine wet and dry ingredients, then beat in the milk and then the chocolate chips.
Ensure you use proper room temperature butter, which should still be cool to the touch at about 65°F (18°C). If it’s too cold, it cannot cream and if it’s melty in the slightest, your cookies will be a mess.
Success Tip: Chill the Dough
The dough definitely comes together easily, but it’s sticky and tacky as a result of the cocoa powder mixing with liquid. It’s even stickier than the chocolate layer of pinwheel cookies. Therefore, the dough requires chilling before you can shape and bake. I recommend at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, but you can also refrigerate it overnight. Need cookies right NOW? Try giant chocolate chip cookies, Nutella chocolate chip cookies, or even one giant double chocolate cookie.
Expect a sticky, tacky dough:
How to Shape The Cookie Dough
This cookie dough is still a bit sticky even if you’ve chilled it, but it’s much more compact since it’s cold. Use a cookie scoop to help you portion the sticky dough. The medium size is perfect because each dough ball should be around 1.5 Tablespoons. After scooping the dough, shape it as best you can into tall column-like balls. I know that sounds odd, but it’s the trick I teach when making regular chocolate chip cookies. Taller balls of chilled dough = thicker baked cookies.
The cookie dough will undoubtedly stick to your hands during the shaping step, so have a kitchen towel or paper towel nearby. I usually wipe my hands clean after every few cookie dough balls because clean hands make rolling easier. (Same tip I recommend for peanut butter filled brownie cookies.)
If you’re looking for cookie cutter style cookies, here are my chocolate sugar cookies.
Get your cookies to spread: The cookies take at least 11 minutes to bake, however if they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven for a couple more minutes.
How Do You Know When Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Done?
It’s hard to see when the cookies are done because they’re so dark. Instead, give a cookie a light tap on the edge and if it feels slightly set, they’re done. Be careful with this because they’re hot! The centers will still look very soft and that’s ok. They usually take about 11-12 minutes.
Can I Freeze the Cookie Dough Balls?
Yes, once portioned and before baking, the chocolate cookie dough balls freeze beautifully. If the dough balls are a bit sticky, chill them in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes first. Place the balls in a single layer in a zipped-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can take a few dough balls out of the freezer at a time, and bake (no need to thaw) whenever that chocolate craving hits. Simply add another minute to the bake time. Read my full tutorial on how to freeze cookie dough here.
After publishing 200+ tested cookie recipes and 3 cookbooks, I know what works and what doesn’t, so check out my top cookie baking success tips if you’re ever having trouble. Additionally, my entire team and I put together our recommended 10 best cookie baking tools if you need top-rated suggestions. Happy baking!
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Favorite Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 20-22 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft-baked thick and chunky double chocolate chip cookies are rich and fudge-like with chewy centers, slightly crisp edges, and oodles of melty chocolate chips in each glorious bite. The dough needs to chill for at least 3 hours, but you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate overnight.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2/3 cup (55g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (any kind, dairy or non)
- 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few more for optional topping*
Instructions
- Preliminary note: This cookie dough requires at least 3 hours of chilling, but I prefer to chill the dough overnight. The colder the dough, the thicker the cookies.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk, then the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be sticky and tacky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Scoop and roll dough, a heaping 1.5 Tablespoons (about 35-40g; I like to use this medium cookie scoop) in size, into balls. To ensure a thicker cookie, make the balls taller than they are wide (almost like a cylinder or column). Arrange 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheets. The cookie dough is certainly sticky, so wipe your hands clean after every few balls of dough you shape.
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. During this time, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. (This is optional and only for looks.) Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (step 3). Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Check out my tips + tricks for how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Stand Mixer or Handheld) | Medium Cookie Scoop | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats | Cooling Rack
- Larger Batch: The recipe is easy to double in 1 mixing bowl without overwhelming your mixer. Simply double all of the cookie dough ingredients. Dough chill time remains the same.
- Natural Cocoa Powder: Do you know the difference between natural cocoa powder and dutch-process cocoa powder? Use natural in this dough.
- Other Add-Ins: Instead of chocolate chips in the dough, you can use the same amount of peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, M&Ms, chopped nuts, or butterscotch chips.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking success tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
AMAZING ..this dough is SO sticky you want to swear but stick with it, they are SO worth it, so ooey gooey .
During COVID, I was baking like a madwoman, and this recipe was in my firing range. My family loved these cookies so much, I have made them many many times since. My family are fiends for dark chocolate though, so I did make changes for a richer chocolate flavor. For the cocoa powder, I used half regular and half special dark cocoa powder, and for the chocolate chips, I used half semi sweet and half dark chocolate chips. So I call these the QUAD chocolate chip cookies. These are THE BEST chocolate chip cookies! My family still asks for them today, which is how I was lead back to this page today. Don’t think twice about making them!!
My toddler’s favourite cookie. After they were all eaten he looked hopefully every day for a week. So I’m making more. Do baked cookies freeze well?
Glad they’re a hit! Yes, baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
For Christmas cookies, I did a mixture of chocolate chips a peppermint chips, and it was delicious!
These Double Chocolate chip cookies were absolutely perfect, I baked for 9 minutes and they came out crisp on the edge and gooey in the middle, absolutely delish when they were still warm. Can’t stop eating them. Thank you for a perfect recipe!
These cookies rock!
I made these cookies yesterday to take to work and they were amazing. I didn’t have time to chill the dough so I just plopped spoonfuls on the tray and baked and they were perfect although they were thinner than your picture so next time I’ll chill and see which method I prefer. Mine were like subway cookies! I also didn’t have baking powder so I used self raising flour and I added white choc chips and milk ones. Saving this recipe.
YUMMY!! I made these with Peanut Butter Chips, tasted like Peanut Butter Cups
I don’t have a paddle attachment. Is there something else I can use?
Hi Danazia, you can use a regular hand mixer with the beater attachments.
Can I use gluten free flour?
Hi Emma, we haven’t tested these cookies with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do give it a try.
Hi Emma, I’ve used GF flour in all the recipes and they work well. I did add an extra 1g of butter in some bakes as I think the GF is a little drier, however both came out well!
I need to make this dairy free, can I use vegan butter and soy milk instead of dairy?
Hi Syan, you can use a non dairy milk here. Enjoy
Can I freeze this like your other recipes?
Hi Alex, absolutely. Baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough balls will freeze well for up to three months.
This recipe is the best! I have tried so many DCC recipes and I always find myself coming back to this one.
Hello, I am looking for a chocolate cookie dough recipe like your sugar cookie recipe (so I can make chocolate fox-shaped cookies for my daughter’s enchanted forest birthday). Would you have a suggestion? This one seems too soft. Thank you!
Hi Rebecca! Here’s our chocolate cookie cut out cookies recipe.
Thank you!!! You guys have everything, and it is so much appreciated!
Honestly I had never made aesthetically pretty cookies until this recipe, and they taste just as good!
Hi, Sally. I’m a big fan! Just wondering if it would make a good difference if I use brown butter for this recipe?
Hi Kathleen, you could definitely use browned butter that has been chilled back to a solid state, then brought to room temperature again. Using warm or melted butter will result in greasy, flat cookies. Hope you enjoy them!
I omitted the part where they’re chilled, and subbed the sugar for splenda, and used sugar free chocolate chips….and they still turned out awesome! Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Sally! These cookies look fantastic but I wanted to know if I could sub the chocolate chips for chopped Andes mints or if you would recommend using mint chips instead.
Thanks!
Hi Allison, you can absolutely use Andes mint chips here, a 1:1 swap for the chocolate chips.
This recipe was PERFECT! You have outdone yourself Sally. I used Trader Joe’s salted caramel chips, bittersweet chocolate chunks and walnuts. I made a double batch. Be careful when using your stand mixer if you use the type of mixing blade that wipes the side of the bowl. Mine cracked. I would stick to the metal blade that comes with it.
Made these last weekend and they turned out perfect. I followed the recipe as written and chilled the dough overnight. They were so chocolatey with a slight crisp on the outside but chewy on the inside. They even tasted better the next day — but they didn’t last long after that. I’ll be making these over and over again.
These might be the best dang cookies I’ve ever made (and I make a LOT of cookies). Soft, chewy, brownie meets cookie. Double the recipe, thank yourself later.
I added 1 tsp instant espresso powder for a richer chocolate flavor. I also used half chopped semi-sweet chocolate bar/half chocolate chips.
Rave reviews from family and coworkers. Will definitely make again.
Hi. I love following your recipes, they always taste amazing! I love baking bigger cookies. If I make about 100 grams each piece, how long should I adjust the baking time? Thank you so much!
Hi Kyra, we’re unsure of the exact bake time for cookies of that size, but you’ll want to bake them until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Thank you for making and trusting our recipes!
Fantastic recipe, absolutely delicious and so rich!!! So easy, makes a ton of cookies. I ended up with ~30.
Love this recipe! My nephews absolutely devour these everytime I make them. The only change I made was to split the chocolate chips half white and the other half regular. Absolutely delicious
I made this recipe with a few changes for my gestational diabetic daughter. I used Stevia in place of the granulated sugar, replaced half of the AP flour with almond flour, and replaced half of the choc chips with sugar free choc chips. Chilled dough in fridge for only about 15 minutes. They baked up beautifully and taste yummy!
I made these cookies the other day and they are awesome! The only thing I didn’t do was chill the dough and they turned out great!
I made these cookies today after my dough rested overnight. I followed the recipe exactly and was rewarded soft-baked, thick fudgey cookies that are a chocolate bomb!! This is definitely a keeper. Thank you for another great recipe!
Ummmmmmmmm?
These spread into flat 3-4 inch cookies without any need to do anything.
I refrigerated for over 3 hours.
I’m sure these are just fine all flat.
However, advertising these as “thick” is not at all accurate.
I’d recommend using baking soda AND cream of tartar to attempt to avoid super flattened cookies.
I used Black Cocoa powder and it worked fine.
Black cocoa would NOT be the ONLY reason the cookies became flat upon baking.
Maybe I’ll try again sometime but I was not expecting a pancake flat cookie.
Good thing I only baked a few dough balls to try it out AFTER refrigerating.
I use food grade gloves to handle any cookie dough.
Instead of chocolate chips I used PB Reese’s Pieces.
This recipe was amazing! I love all f your recipes and have yet to find one I didn’t love!
I am seeing that these cookies are soft & delicious; that said I really am a crunchy cookie person; will you be giving us crunchy cookie recipes for Xmas?
Hi Tula, you might enjoy this recipe for our Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies.