These chocolate chunk cookies have everything you want in a cookie and then some. Tested and perfected to get those crisp edges, soft, chewy centres and loads of chocolate. Plus, a super buttery flavour.
I’ve made many a chocolate chip cookie in my life. From soft and chewy to thick and crunchy and even melt-in-the-mouth. With a good dose of all those traits, these ones are extra-delicious. This is a simple everyday chocolate chip cookie recipe with no fancy ingredients.
Using salted butter makes all the flavours pop, adding a whisper of salt to every bite, from the caramelly edges to the chocolate and the butter inside. Two types of chocolate give a sweet yet sophisticated flavour. Finally, everything is mixed in one bowl with no chilling time so you can be eating them much quicker.
This post was first published here May 23rd, 2022 and has been updated with clearer information.
Table of contents
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get the latest recipes straight to your inbox.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Butter: We’re using salted butter for this recipe and it really works. It accentuates the butter flavour so you can’t miss it.
- Sugar: Two types of sugar – white sugar for straight up sweetness and brown sugar for a caramel edge and softness.
- Pure vanilla extract: You don’t necessarily taste vanilla when you eat these but you’ll notice the difference without it. It tends to balance and even intensify other flavours.
- Eggs: Use large eggs. They add structure and richness.
- Flour: Just regular plain flour or all-purpose flour is all you need. If you want an even chewier cookie, use bread flour instead.
- Sea salt flakes: Sea salt flakes contain more minerals than regular table salt and it gives them a different flavour and actually a less salty flavour.
- Chocolate: Lots of chocolate! I use two kinds – milk chocolate and dark chocolate (50% cocoa solids or semi-sweet chocolate). You can use darker or even sub other kinds of chocolate in. The important part is that you use a block of chocolate you enjoy eating and cut it up into big chunks – 2-4 times the size of chocolate chips.
You can of course use chocolate chips in place of the chunks if you have those on hand but chocolate chunks, hand cut from a block, will give you nice big puddles of chocolate that I was aiming for here.
How to make chocolate chunk cookies
It’s so quick and easy to bake up a batch of these amazing cookies. If you want even more flavour, chill them for 72 hours.
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Chop the chocolate: Take a block of eating chocolate that you know you like and chop it into large chunks – the pieces should be 2-4 times the size of chocolate chips and save some of the nice big ones for the top.
- The wet ingredients: In a large bowl, first beat together the melted butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla and you’re ready for the dry ingredients.
- The dry ingredients: Add flour, baking soda and sea salt flakes and give it a good mix through. Now add most of your chocolate chunks, keeping some nice big bits aside to top the cookies.
- Shape the cookie dough: I use a medium ice cream scoop / large cookie scoop with roughly a ¼ cup/60ml capacity for these. Scoop balls of dough and release them onto a baking paper lined cookie sheet. If you’re rolling them into balls by hand, you’re after 3-4 tablespoons worth of dough for each one. Top each one with one of the bigger chunks of chocolate or a few smaller ones.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in a 180C / 350F oven until the edges are golden. I like 13-14 minutes as you get that nice crispy, buttery edge while the centre stays soft.
Tips and tricks
- Use block chocolate and one you enjoy eating. Cut it up by hand into nice big chunks.
- Save some for the top. Save some chocolate to top each ball of dough so you get a nice gooey chocolate puddle on top.
- Golden brown edges: Let the edges get golden brown before taking them out of the oven – it intensifies the buttery flavour.
Want to make your chocolate chunk cookies even more extra? Brown the butter first like I do in my marshmallow chocolate chip cookies. Brown butter gives a richer and nuttier flavour profile. Just add the butter to a pan and cook over medium heat until it turns amber brown in colour – make sure the solids don’t burn as it will separate into milk solids and golden translucent butter. Measure it out again and top it up again to 3/4 cup / 6oz with extra butter. Cool it for 10 minutes before using.
Storage
These chocolate chunk cookies keep well in a sealed container – at least a week if you can stay away from them that long. The baked cookies freeze well too so if you don’t think you can get through them all, put some away in the freezer for a rainy day.
You can let the cookie dough balls sit on a baking tray, covered, in the fridge for 1-2 days, then bake them first thing in the morning too.
How to freeze cookie dough
Most cookie doughs freeze very well, including this one.
Once you’ve shaped the cookie dough into balls, place them in a single layer on a baking tray and place it in the freezer. Once solid, you can transfer the cookie dough balls to an airtight container or zip lock bag then bake them as you need.
You can bake the cookies from frozen. If still solid when they go into the oven, they may need an extra 2-3 minutes in the oven.
This recipe makes 22 big cookies so they’ll definitely fill the cookie barrel and do yourself a favour – make sure to try one while it’s warm (or rewarmed in the microwave for 15 seconds) – so, so good.
If you made this chocolate chunk cookies recipe,
be sure to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you!
Hungry for more?
- Subscribe via Email, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
- Add Sugar Salt Magic as a Google Preferred Source.
Ingredients
- 170 g salted butter (¾ cup / 6oz)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar (200g / 7oz)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (150g / 5.3oz)
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 390 g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (3 cups / 13.8oz)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarb soda)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 2 cups roughly chopped chocolate (mix of milk and dark) (320g / 11.3oz)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- A large mixing bowl
- A balloon whisk or electric mixer
- large baking sheet
- Cookie scoop (nearly 1/4 cup capacity)
Instructions
- Make sure to chop the chocolate into chunks about 2-4 chocolate chip size.
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.
- Melt the butter in a large bowl, in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water until almost completely melted. You don’t want it to get hot.
- Add the sugar and beat in until fully combined with a balloon whisk or handheld mixer.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat those in until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder and sea salt, then stir until 90% combined.
- Hold back a small handful of chocolate chunks, then add the rest to the dough. Fold through carefully.
- Scoop balls of dough (roughly ¼ cup) and set them on the baking trays at least 2 inches apart. Top with the reserved chocolate chunks.
- Bake for around 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let them cool for 5 minutes before using a spatula to help transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- These are lovely eaten warm while still gooey or just at room temperature once they’ve set. If you love a warm, fresh cookie, just heat one on a plate in the microwave for 15 seconds.
- Please take a moment to rate this recipe. I helps me to keep creating free recipes and helps other readers too.
Notes
- You can bring your eggs to room temperature quicker by submerging them in warm water for 10 minutes.
- Use a good quality eating chocolate.
- For a chewier cookie, use bread flour and / or let them chill in the fridge at least 24 hours.
- Cookie dough can be frozen for up to 2 months. Portion into balls first, freeze on a baking tray until solid then transfer to an airtight container. They can be baked from frozen but will need an extra 2-3 minutes.
- The dough can be made and portioned 1-2 days ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to bake. Make sure to portion it first.
- Baked cookies can also be frozen.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Salt Magic.
8 Comments on “Chocolate Chunk Cookies”
This is my “Go To” cookie recipe. I have made many variations with the chips (cherry chocolate chunk, PB and choc chip, PB and toffee). Have made for many, many friends and family. They are always a hit and raved about! Everyone is always asking for more!!! Excellent recipe!
I’m so happy to hear this, Erin. Thank you so, so much for dropping back to leave a review and your tips too.
Sensational!! Sweet with a whisper of salt.
Love this description, Clancy and I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Really nice. I had a lovely chocolate chunk cookie at a bakery recently and am looking for something similar. These are nice and easy to make because you melt the butter first and the dough comes together smoothly. On a cold day the dough thickened up nicely and I just used a 1/4 cup measure to divide the dough. Lightly filling it let it drop out pretty easily. I ran out of vanilla, so will have to try again when I get more. They didn’t have the extra depth vanilla gives but are a very nice cookie. Mine didn’t spread out as much as I thought they would, which is good since I have a small oven. I weighed everything and followed the recipe as closely as I could. But I also added walnuts.
So happy you enjoyed them, Pamela.
Best Cookie’s ever 😍
So happy to hear this, Bouchra. So appreciate you trying my recipe.