These inside out chocolate chip cookies combine a rich and fudgy chocolate cookie base, the same we use for double chocolate chip cookies. Enjoy super soft and brownie-like centers, chewy edges, and sweet white chocolate chips in each bite. They’re as loved as my chewy chocolate chip cookies and as undeniably rich as my homemade brownies.
Hello and welcome back to 2013 when I initially published this recipe. Now with updated pictures, clearer instructions, and helpful success tips, there’s no excuse not to try the ONLY CHOCOLATE COOKIE RECIPE YOU NEED. Wow, that’s quite the statement.
In the past several years, these inside out chocolate chip cookies have climbed to the top of my most-loved cookie recipe list. Along with chewy chocolate chip cookies, drop sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies, this is the gold standard of cookie dough recipes to try.
What Are Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies?
I know you’re looking at me cross-eyed wondering what, why, and how these are inside out cookies. Think of a regular chocolate chip cookie—buttery brown sugar base with chocolate chips, right? Well, the term “inside out” means that the cookie base is now chocolate and the add-in is white chocolate. Obviously white chocolate chips don’t taste like the buttery brown sugar base of a regular cookie, but I don’t think anyone’s complaining here.
Simply put, these are Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies. (Think of them like the cookie version of chocolate white chocolate cupcakes!)
Video Tutorial
These Chocolate Cookies Are:
- Easy to make with a basic recipe
- A personal and reader favorite
- Soft-baked with brownie-like centers
- Chewy on the edges
- Massively chocolatey
The recipe is also easy to double in 1 mixing bowl without overwhelming/overcrowding your mixer and the baked cookies freeze wonderfully.
How to Make Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies
Even though it’s one of my favorite base cookie recipes, I’ve never walked you through the recipe process. We’ll do that real quick:
- Mix dry ingredients together. You need all-purpose flour, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Do you remember the difference between dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder? Use natural here.
- Beat wet ingredients together. You need butter, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Room temperature butter and egg will mix more evenly into each other, creating a uniform texture among all the cookies. Additionally, both whip into a greater volume when at room temperature, producing a softer-crumbed cookie.
- Combine all ingredients, then add milk. 1 Tablespoon of milk smooths out the dough. And don’t forget to add the white chocolate chips.
- Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator. The cookie dough is sticky and unmanageable, so chilling is necessary. I usually chill it overnight, but 3 hours is just enough. Chilled cookie dough is not only easier to handle and roll into balls, it also guarantees thicker cookies. See my tips on How to Prevent Cookies from Spreading.
- Roll cookie dough into balls. After chilling, scoop and roll the cookie dough into tall balls—a heaping 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. If the cookies 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.
Let them cool for a few minutes and experience a fudgy brownie in cookie form. I usually don’t like milk with cookies, but this recipe basically demands it.
Sticky Dough
This cookie dough is sticky, even if you’ve chilled it, so a cookie scoop is helpful. The medium size is perfect because each dough ball should be around 1.5 Tablespoons of dough. If you use your hands, expect to make a little mess as you shape the cookie dough balls. Have a kitchen towel or paper towel nearby. I usually wipe my hands clean after every few cookie dough balls. Clean hands make rolling easier.
Same Dough, Different Cookie
Though ultra soft-baked with chewy edges and fudge-like centers, these chocolate cookies aren’t anything new or groundbreaking. In fact, you might actually recognize the base dough because it’s been my go-to chocolate cookie for years. This is the same exact cookie dough as:
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies
- Peppermint Mocha Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Swirl Cookies
- Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Frosted Cookies
Note: The chocolate crinkle cookies and peppermint mocha cookies can over-spread as a result of the sugar coating and peppermint extract (respectively), so I leave out the milk in those versions.
Need cookies right NOW? If you don’t have time to chill the dough, try giant chocolate chip cookies, Nutella chocolate chip cookies, or even one giant double chocolate cookie.
And if you’re looking for cookie cutter chocolate cookies, here are my chocolate sugar cookies.
Interested in freezing the baked cookies or cookie dough?
- Here’s How to Freeze Cookie Dough
More of My Classic Cookie Recipes
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies & White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies (extra chewy!)
- Snickerdoodles
- Shortbread Cookies
Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 20-22 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These inside out chocolate chip cookies combine a rich and fudgy chocolate cookie base, super soft and brownie-like centers, chewy edges, and sweet white chocolate chips. Easy to throw together, this is my base chocolate cookie recipe. This cookie dough requires at least 3 hours of refrigeration.
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) white 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 white 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. Set aside.
- Scoop and roll dough, a heaping 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, into balls. (I like using this medium cookie scoop.) 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 white 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. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | 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.
- Other Add-Ins: Instead of white chocolate chips in the dough, you can use the same amount of peanut butter chips, regular chocolate chips, M&Ms, chopped nuts, or butterscotch chips.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi! I’ve baked these for my family once and they loved them! I had to make them lactose intolerant so I subbed the white choc chips for some sprinkles! They were the second thing I baked from scratch (the first was your Quick and Easy Banana Muffins) and I’ve baked them again today… I accidentally added too much vanilla extract (eek! 1 Tablespoon instead of 1 Teaspoon…) I’ve researched what will happen and the first thing I found was that it will taste very sweet and floral and it may mess up the way it bakes but this was for cakes, does the same thing happen with cookies?
I love your cookies and this website, and I’ll definitely be trying some more recipes!
Hi Faith! They will have extra vanilla flavor but should otherwise be OK – we hope you love them!
Hi! Thank you so much! They tasted fine (yay!) so everything was okay (except I baked them for a bit too long: one of them looked like a rock lol)! Thanks so much for replying. So many other websites don’t actually reply to to questions and the fact that you guys reply is really great. So, yeah, thanks again!
I only have Dutch process cocoa. If I sub in baking powder for the baking soda, can I use the Dutch process cocoa?
Hi Robert, I really wish we could help give a definite answer, but using dutched cocoa and baking powder in this cookie recipe would require recipe testing. You can try using 2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp baking soda (since brown sugar is an acid) and the dutch cocoa but we have not tested this. Let us know what you try!
Would m&m’s work in this recipe instead of the chips?
Hi Rachel, We don’t see why that wouldn’t work. You might also like our rainbow M&M cookies!
This is definitely the best, fudgiest cookie I’ve ever made! For a twist, I used the Andies Mints chopped pieces. My family is obsessed with them!
Not a fan
HOLYYYY THESE ARE THE BEST COCOA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. They literally taste like fudge brownies im not even kidding. I subbed the brown sugar for what I had (brown coconut sugar) thinking it wouldn’t work and I feel as though they’re just as amazing. Even used regular semi sweet vegan chocolate chips. I baked them for their 8 minutes, they looked puffy and disappointing when I took them out BUT they flattened out and ate just so gooey and fudge-y. Honestly my favorite chocolate chip cookies. I swear this is the second recipe that I’ve made from this Sally’s Baking Addiction website and the previous one turned out incredible. Oh my gosh!
I used premium cocoa powder, vanilla and Callebaut white chocolate for this recipe and they were still just okay. It wasn’t a bad recipe, it just isn’t one I would ever make again.
YUMM!! I love all your recipes!! Can you double this recipe or is it better batch by batch? I also have a question regarding that… why can you double or triple batch some cookie recipes but not others? Thanks!! Happy thanksgiving week!!
Hi Madi, We double this recipe all the time and it works well! Some doughs are easy to overmix. Some are too heavy and can overwhelm your mixer. Happy baking!
Made these with my kids today and we are in love! Followed the recipe except we used half white chocolate chips and half bittersweet. Really triple chocolate flavor and nice textures. Had to hide them away so we didn’t eat them ALL on the first day. Putting this recipe into my go-to collection. Thanks, Sally! We can always count on your recipes 🙂 P.S. We live in Europe and appreciate the metric measurements 😉
We’re so glad you love these cookies, Jeanne!
I took this recipe and instead of white chocolate I added marshmallows and walnuts. OMG, they are so good! I would agree with letting the dough chill for 24 hours before making them. I used some dough after only a 3 hour chill and some of the cookies did spread more than the others, but they were still really good. I’ve already sent this recipe to several friends because it’s that good.
First mine and now my husbands FAVORITE cookie! These are cookie PERFECTION. I follow the recipe to a T and they always turn out thick, fudgey and to die for!! The way my husband keeps talking about them, I think these will now be a staple in my kitchen along with Sally’s banana bread
Hi there! Made these today and they came out absolutely perfect. Best looking cookie recipe I’ve ever tried! However, even though the dough came out perfect and the cookie came out perfect, the bottoms managed to burn and now they have that slight burnt aftertaste 🙁 Any idea on what I did wrong and how I can prevent this next time??
Hi Gabriella! A couple less minutes in the oven next time should help. You can also try moving the baking sheet away from the heating element in your oven (move the position up if the heating element is on the bottom). So glad you enjoyed them!
These cookies were outstanding! Exactly as described..super chocolatey, fudge & brownie like texture and so easy to make. I added dark chocolate chips & chopped walnuts with the white chocolate chips. They didn’t flatten at all and were done in 11 min. I chilled dough overnight. I’ll definitely be making them again! Thanks Sally for another great chocolate chip cookie recipe!!
These cookies are amazing!! I wish the yield was more. Can I just double this recipe?
Hi Susan, You can double this recipe. Enjoy!
They came out delicious! but the cookie dough was very runny. Any idea why?
Hi Leah, For help troubleshooting cookies that spread, visit the post 10 Guaranteed Tips to Prevent Cookies from Spreading.
Easy and yummy! These cookies taste like brownies. And I’m not complaining! Super sweet and delicious. As stated above, make sure you have some milk! Highly recommend the additional chips on top after baking. Kinda pulls them together. Saving recipe to add to my SBA list lol. 4 stars because if you don’t have a super sweet tooth like me they might be too sweet. My hubby definitely found them too sweet. More for me and the kids! Haha.
Could I try switching out the butter for coconut oil or any other oil? And if I cant switch it out completely could I switch out half of it so have half butter and half oil?
Hi Jess, the texture would change and the cookies would taste greasy with a partial or full swap for oil. Solid coconut oil could work in the place of butter, but the flavor would change. Best to stick with all butter!
I have to say, best cookies we’ve ever made.. though we used 3/4 cup milk chocolate and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips.. then we pushed in some chopped chocolate orange squares … ahh mazing! I’ve read lemon juice makes the cookies chewier.. would you advise adding this to them? And if do, how much would i add?
Thank you so much for this recipe – definite keeper for us!
Hi Nisha, these sound amazing with the addition of chocolate orange squares! We haven’t tried adding lemon juice to make the cookies chewier, so we’re unsure of how the addition would taste and how much to add. If you decide to do any experimenting, let us know how it goes.
Thank you, I will do!
Made 12 not 20. Although still a tasty recipe
Hi Sally
I’ve been using this recipe for years now and I want to ask if it’ll still turn out okay if I add food coloring in the dough?
Hi Rabab, we haven’t tested it – this dough is a pretty dark color so I don’t know if adding colors will really make an impact. If you try anything, let us know how it goes!
I made these yesterday and they came out excellent. I did weigh all of my ingredients, which I find makes a big difference. For example it is supposed to be 100g/half cup of sugar, when I weigh 1/2c if sugar it comes to 116g. I find weighing to be the most accurate and give the best results. These have a great soft and chewy texture and great taste!
Love, love, love! Just baked and tasted the best cookies ever. You gave great instructions and I followed them to the T. Except i didn’t roll them by hand after scooping out of bowl because I have a cookie scoop that measured 1.5 tbsp and they were already rounded enough for me. Keeping for my make again book. Wish i could share a pic here.
So glad you enjoyed these cookies, Becca! If you’d like, feel free to email us a photo at sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com — we’d love to see them!
The cookies were AMAZING with a great chocolate flavor!! I think this was wrong on my part but the cookies were crumbly but they were baked nicely, any idea why? Just a small problem, will definitely be using this recipe again regardless!
Hi Christine! So glad you love them. How are you measuring your flour? Make sure to spoon and level to avoid over-measuring (which would result in dry, crumbly cookies).
I doubled this recipe before reading the comments about how they usually turn out better by making a single batch.
Well, I have to say these might be the most delicious cookies I’ve had in quite a while, so if they’re better as a single batch then my mind is blown haha.
I made as written except used regular chocolate chips since I wanted cookies NOW and don’t normally have (or care for) white chocolate.
Will be making this again and again, thank you for this recipe!!
We’re so glad you loved them, Shari!
Hi Sally. I made these cookies today. I cut down both sugar to 85gram each, and put in Ghirardelli semi sweet choc chips and candied orange pieces. Tasted perfect like a dream! Just one small hiccup. The cookies did spread quite a bit. Is that normal? (I chilled the dough overnight, but I live in Thailand which has very hot climate). Thanks for this amazing recipe. Will definitely be my go-to chocolate cookies from now on.
After baking and cooling them, my cookies are breaking while they are being stored. Any tips?
Hi Georgia, how are they being stored? If gently stacked, breakage should be minimal, although a bit is natural over time. We also like to keep a slice of bread in our cookie storage container to help keep the cookies moist and from breaking, too. Hope this helps!
Can this be made into a cookie cake?
These are my favorite cookie recipe. I live at 5560 feet above sea level. I cook them at 340 for 11 minutes. I add about 10 grams more of flour and use about ¾ tsp baking soda. I just minimally press my palm on the top so they aren’t a complete ball. Each ball is 40 grams. I leave them on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. They are superb. I only use dark chocolate chips and a high grade cocoa. Superb!
Hi Sally,
Thank you for the recipe!
I used a small ice cream scoop to transfer the dough to the baking sheet, as I find it more convenient than shaping by hand.
Although the dough spread moderately, the dome shape remained, requiring the cookies to be baked longer in order to ensure the middle was baked adequately.
What do you think was the issue here, and is there a work-around it?
Many thanks,
Ru
Hi Ru! When cookies aren’t spreading, it means that there’s too much dry ingredient (flour) soaking up all the liquid. Make sure you are properly measuring your flour by spoon and leveling instead of scooping. If you’re in the middle of baking a batch and the cookies still aren’t spreading, remove them from the oven, and use a spoon to slightly flatten them out before returning them to the oven. Thank you so much for giving these a try!
Cookies came out SO good! Chilled dough over night & I swear they’re the most fudgiest/softest cookie ever!! Just like heaven!
Hi! I tweaked this recipe a bit into chocolate chocolate mint chip cookies. A reaction I got was they were salty, is there a way to reduce the baking soda? Thank you
Hi Chelsea! Is there any chance you used salted butter? If you do use it, omit the added salt. We also recommend checking to make sure your baking soda is fresh. We’ve never had a salty tasting cookie with this recipe!