If you’ve spent any time scrolling through cookie recipes, you already know what the internet’s default double chocolate chunk cookie looks like: thick, domed, puffy, and fudgy in a soft-baked-brownie-bar kind of way. And listen — those are great. But they are not these.
These are the best thin and chewy double chocolate chunk cookies. They spread beautifully, they stay chewy for days, and they are genuinely dangerous to have in the house.
What Makes These the Best Thin and Chewy Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
A lot of double chocolate chunk cookie recipes are engineered for height, I call it the Levain phenomenon: extra flour, less butter, chilled dough. We’re doing the opposite, and it makes all the difference.
A high proportion of butter is the backbone of a thin, chewy cookie. More butter means more spread as the cookies bake, which gives you those crispy edges and a center that stays rich and chewy.
Less flour than you’d expect is the other half of the equation. Flour provides structure and absorbs moisture; less of it means the cookies have less to hold them back. The result is a thinner, chewier bake with a more concentrated chocolate flavor in every bite.
Natural cocoa powder reacts with the baking soda in the recipe and gives the dough just enough of a chocolate flavor
Key Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Natural cocoa powder
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar
- One egg + one egg yolk
- Baking soda
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- chocolate chunks
Tips for the Best Results
Don’t overbake. These cookies will look underdone when you pull them from the oven, we don’t want them crispy all the way through!
Measure your flour by weight. Too much flour is the most common reason double chocolate chunk cookies come out cakey instead of chewy. If you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Never scoop directly from the bag.
Space them out. These spread. Seriously, they are HUGE COOKIES. Give each cookie at least 4 inches of room on the pan.
How to Store Thin and Chewy Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Place the dough balls on a clean sheet of parchment paper and place the parchment paper along with the balls inside a plastic bag. Remove the air from the bag then place the bag in the freezer. Bake from frozen and just add two to three minutes to the bake time.
FAQs
Why did my double chocolate chunk cookies come out thick? The most likely culprit is too much flour. Measure by weight when possible!
Can I use Dutch-process cocoa powder instead of natural cocoa powder? No, these cookies were tested with natural cocoa powder. Using dutch will alter the results.
Can I make these gluten-free? A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works well here. The texture will be slightly more delicate, but still chewy and delicious.
This recipe only makes a few cookies. Can I double it? ABSOLUTELY!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 126 grams
- 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder 42 grams
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch 3 grams
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter 126 grams, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 100 grams
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk 15 grams
- 8 ounces chopped chocolate bars plus more for topping, I used a combination of dark and milk,
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt). Set aside
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, add the room temperature butter, the brown sugar, and the granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle, then add in the egg and vanilla. Mix again on medium speed to combine.
- Turn the mixer off and add in half of the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer to low speed to combine, then add in the other half of the dry ingredients. This is just to avoid the dry ingredients spilling everywhere. Add in the milk and mix again until a smooth but sticky dough forms. Add in the chopped chocolate and mix until combined. Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The longer the better.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Scoop giant 5-ounce balls of dough and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15–17 minutes, until edges are set and cookies are thin but have shiny centers that look only slightly underdone. Halfway through the cookies baking, open the oven, remove the pan, and tap it against the counter to deflate the cookies, then place them back in the oven. When cookies are done baking, top with flaky salt and extra chocolate chunks!Note: If you scoop cookies in a different size, the bake time will change.
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