Thick, fudgy, and supremely chocolatey, these ULTIMATE chocolate cookies are loaded with melty chocolate! They are easy to make without a mixer and need just 30 minutes to chill. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make; there’s no creaming butter, rolling out dough, or long chilling time. Just a 30-minute stint in the fridge, and you’re ready to scoop!
- Ultimate chocolate flavor. thanks to bloomed cocoa, a hint of instant coffee, and chopped chocolate bars.
- Thick, chewy, and fudgy like brownies. They even have that shiny, crackly top that all the best brownies have!
- Large, bakery-style size. This just enhances the indulgence! You could always make them smaller if you want normal-sized cookies though.
I haven’t been so in love with a cookie since my worst chocolate chip cookies (or maybe just since the last cookie recipe I shared, honestly 🤷🏼♀️). Ridiculously indulgent, thick and chocolatey, these are truly a chocolate lover’s dream; rich, gooey, cocoa-infused chocolate cookies positively loaded with melty chocolate.
Today’s post is actually an updated version of my original chocolate cookie recipe. The original was good (I linked to it in the recipe card for anyone who wants it), but I wanted something richer, fudgier, and more chocolatey (I was calling them the ultimate chocolate cookies, after all). My taste-testers agreed hands-down that the new version was the clear winner.
What You Need
Here’s what you need to get started:
- Cocoa powder. While you can use any cocoa powder in this recipe, I prefer natural cocoa to Dutch process or dark cocoa here. You can read about the differences between them in my post on natural vs. Dutch process cocoa and decide for yourself which you want to use, for some recipes (like my chocolate sugar cookies or chocolate shortbread) Dutch is the better choice, but not here..
- Sugar. We’ll use a blend of granulated and light brown sugar for flavor and a nice chewy texture.
- Instant coffee. This is optional, but highly recommended! Adding it won’t make your cookies taste like coffee, but it will enhance the chocolate flavors that are already present. I recommend keeping this stocked in your pantry; I use it for everything from my coffee frosting to my chocolate zucchini bread.
- Chocolate. I like to use a semisweet or dark chocolate baking bar for the best melting and indulgence (the fine pieces melt into the dough and add so much flavor). You could use 8 oz of chocolate chips instead, but I recommend chopping your own bar for the most gourmet results.
- Vanilla. This complements and rounds out the chocolate flavor without competing with it. I recently received some pushback that vanilla doesn’t belong in chocolate recipes, let alone chocolate cookies, and I couldn’t disagree more. The vanilla is complementary to the chocolate flavor and only enhances it. I add it to my devil’s food cake too, and that’s about as chocolatey as you can get!
SAM’S TIP: I highly recommend sprinkling your cookies with some flaky sea salt within a minute or two of removing them from the oven. Yum.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Cookies
- Melt the butter, then whisk in the cocoa and instant coffee. Adding these ingredients while the butter is still hot will bloom them and enhance their flavor.
- Vigorously whisk in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla until the batter is smooth and well-combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until completely combined.
- Add the chopped chocolate and keep folding until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll large scoops of cookie dough between your palms and place on your prepared baking sheets.
- Bake, then let cool completely on the baking sheets before removing and enjoying.
SAM’S TIP: These cookies should still be soft and the centers may seem even a little under-done when they come out of the oven. Allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet where they’ll finish cooking. This ensures you’ll have nice, soft, chewy chocolate cookies that stay soft, even after they’ve cooled.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t have to add it, but your cookies won’t have as deep of a chocolate flavor if you leave it out. I am not a coffee drinker, but I keep instant coffee on hand and add it to my chocolate desserts all the time (like my chocolate mousse!). I promise it won’t make your cookies taste like coffee!
Yes! After chilling the dough, you can follow the instructions in my post on how to freeze cookie dough. I especially love to do this during the holiday season!
These chocolate cookies are extremely fragile while warm. It’s important to let them cool completely on the baking sheet before trying to handle them. This also ensures a chewy texture; we’ll underbake them in the oven so they can finish baking on the hot cookie sheets outside the oven. If they’re still falling apart once cooled, they may have just needed more time in the oven.
My double chocolate muffins and chocolate lava cookies are more crave-worthy chocolate treats 🤎
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cups (65 g) natural cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds optional
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate bar chopped into small pieces
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Immediately add cocoa powder and instant coffee (if using) and whisk until well-combined.⅔ cups (65 g) natural cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds
- Add sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined and batter is smooth.1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet until completely combined.
- Add chopped chocolate and stir until well distributed.8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate bar
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once dough has chilled, scoop into 3 Tablespoon-sized scoops (60g) (for more uniform cookies, roll between your palms into smooth balls) and place on prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” (5cm) apart.
- Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying.
Notes
Cocoa powder
I prefer this recipe with natural cocoa powder but Dutch cocoa and dark cocoa powder work as well.Size
This recipe makes large cookies, you can certainly scoop them smaller, just bake for less time.Storing
Allow cookies to cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Original recipe
The original recipe was published in 2019 and I improved upon this recipe, making the cookie more fudgy and chocolatey. If you’re looking for the original, you can find it here, but note that I am no longer accepting comments on the original.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Related Recipes
I originally published this recipe in May of 2019 but have updated it. I’ve updated and (in my opinion) improved the recipe and taken new photos and a new video. For the original recipe, please see the bottom of the recipe card.
Alyson
Decadent! Thanks, Sam!
Yana
Hi! Excited to try these! I’ve tried your WORST chocolate chip cookie recipe and everyone LOVED it!!! I’m just wondering if you could share the nutrition fact of this recipe? Just trying to watch my macros — after eating all those choco chip cookies :p
Sam
Hi Yana! Just updated to include complete nutrition info 🙂
Hope you love the cookies!
Mikaela
Hi my batter didn’t came out thick, but it’s sort-of wet but not super. Should I add more flour?
Sam
Hi Mikaela! Unfortunately I am not sure what you mean here, without seeing the batter I wouldn’t be able to tell you what it needed. If it was way too soft it probably needed a little more flour.
Nikita Dsouza
I just baked these cookies today (halved the recipe to make 20 cookies) and they were such a hit! I’m so glad to have found your blog. The recipes are easy to follow and always turn out great. Thank you Sam! 🙂
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Nikita! Thanks for following along! 🙂
Jo
Hi Sam, may I check if i can halve this recipe to bake half the number of cookies?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Jo! Yes, definitely, that won’t be a problem. Enjoy! 🙂
Lily
Hi! I’m planning on trying this recipe but I want to make only half of the recipe. How many eggs should I add?
Sam
Hi Lily! I think your best bet is to just use one egg. They may be a little bit fluffier but it should still work. 🙂
Vera
I’ve tried many of your recipes and this is definitely in the top 3! I don’t think they will make it through the night. I used chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, simply delicious!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Vera! 🙂
Neha Anand
I am new at baking and loved your recipe. A quick question though. When mixing both sugars and butter, do we have to combine until the sugar melts or just mix.
Thank you.
Sam
Hi Neha! You just want everything to be well combined. You should melt your butter and then let it cool significantly before adding the sugars. You don’t want your sugars to melt here or else your cookies will end up spreading like crazy when you bake them. 🙂
Pam
These cookies are delicious! Can’t wait to make them again.
Sandy
Has anyone tried making theses gluten free, if so what flour did you use 😊
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sandy! I personally have not, however, others have had success using King Arthur Flour. I will let them chime in. 🙂
sandra Thornton
I made the cookies and they are tasty. However, when they were completely cooled I put them in a zip lock bag to keep them fresh and they cracked and broke apart.
Sam
Hi Sandra! Were they too hard? The culprit could be that they might’ve been baked for too long or the flour might have been over-measured (was the dough very stiff?), these are the most likely culprits for crumbly cookies. I’m definitely happy to help troubleshoot further, though! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the taste!
sandra Thornton
I measure the way to you taught. The one thing I did not do was let them cool completely on the cookie sheet. I put them on wax paper to cool. Could this be the problem?
Sam
That may have been the issue. If you move them too early they tend to be a little more fragile.
Trisha
I made the cookies but the batter was dry. What could be the problem?
Sam
Hi Trisha! If the batter was dry, most likely the culprit is that the flour was over-measured. When measuring the flour I recommend stirring it first, then spooning the flour into your measuring cup then leveling it off with a straightedge (like the back of a knife), never scoop the flour into the measuring cup (which can pack it in and leave you with a lot more flour than you realize). Another option would be to use an inexpensive kitchen scale to measure the flour. I really hope that helps!
Anna
I made the cookies and we all really liked them a lot!
I looove soft baked cookies and these really are the perfect consistancy.
Next time I’m going to try these using milk chocolate only since the dark sugar already adds some “dark” tasting tones.
I also like the salty touch on these!
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the chocolate cookies, Anna! Thank you so much for commenting, I really appreciate it 🙂
Joanne
I baked your worst chocolate chip cookies and they were fantastic! I can imagine how yummy these chocolate cookies taste especially with the cocoa sugar topping.
Sam
I hope you try them and love them! 🙂
Kim
Sam – what do you think of the pourable brown sugar as opposed to the stuff that gets hard as a rock? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Kim! I’ve honestly never baked with the pourable brown sugar but I don’t think that should be a problem. If you try it out I would love to hear how it turns out for you!