These soft and chewy cookies are packed with the deep, rich flavor of Dutch cocoa. Dutch chocolate is like the dark knight of the cocoa world – it’s rich, intense, and has a slightly bitter edge that balances out the sweetness perfectly.
Warning: These Dutch chocolate chunk cookies are highly addictive. Seriously, you’ve been warned. But hey, at least you’ll be happy.
I won’t make you read a long-winded story about my love for chocolate, or blah blah this & blah blah that. But I will share with you the difference between cocoas!
Dutch vs. Regular Cocoa:
- Dutch cocoa is treated with an alkali (like potassium carbonate) to neutralize its natural acidity. Regular cocoa is not.
- Dutch cocoa tends to be darker in color due to the alkalization process.
- Dutch cocoa has a smoother, richer, and often slightly nutty flavor compared to regular cocoa, which can be more acidic and astringent.
- Dutch cocoa is generally more finely ground and has a smoother texture than regular cocoa.
When to Use Which:
- Dutch cocoa: Ideal for recipes that require a deep, rich chocolate flavor, such as brownies, chocolate cakes, and frostings. It’s also commonly used in Oreo cookies and other commercial chocolate products.
- Regular cocoa: Works well in recipes that benefit from a slightly acidic note, like certain types of chocolate cake and hot chocolate. It’s also a good choice for recipes that call for a lighter, more traditional chocolate flavor.
SPOILER ALERT: I use only Dutch cocoa. I use it for my cookies, brownies, & cakes!
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Decadent chocolate chunk cookies, perfect for a sweet treat.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted (226g)
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dutch Cocoa Powder (50g)
- 1 tsp Instant Coffee
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar (100g)
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar (208g)
- 3 Cup All Purpose Flour (360g) GF Flour can be used
- 1 tsp Baking Soda (5g)
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch (8g)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 Cup Chocolate Chunks (or other add-ins)
- 1 Egg, room temp
- 1 Egg Yolk, room temp
- 1 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt OR sour cream, plain yogurt
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Whisk melted butter, cocoa powder, & instant coffee in a small bowl & let cool slightly.1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted (226g), 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dutch Cocoa Powder (50g), 1 tsp Instant Coffee
- Add sugars & butter/cocoa mixture to a medium mixing bowl.1/2 Cup White Sugar (100g), 1 Cup Brown Sugar (208g)
- Mix flour, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, & chocolate chunks in a bowl. Set aside.3 Cup All Purpose Flour (360g), 1 tsp Baking Soda (5g), 1 Tbsp Cornstarch (8g), 1/2 tsp Salt, 2 Cup Chocolate Chunks (or other add-ins)
- Lightly scramble eggs & add to your main mixing bowl, along with Greek yogurt & vanilla. Mix until well combined.1 Egg, room temp, 1 Egg Yolk, room temp, 1 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt, 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- Add dry ingredients & mix until just combined.
- Make cookie balls (I do 70g each, but you can do any size) & refrigerate, well covered, for at least 24hrs. For thicker, taller cookies, make your cookie balls into more of a tall egg shape.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees (190C).
- While waiting for the oven to preheat, pull your cookie balls from the fridge. Place cookie balls on a cookie sheet with 2-3 inches of space. OR use cookie rings! You only need to space these about 1/2" from one another.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. IF USING COOKIE RINGS you will need to bake them 14-16 minutes. You will know they're done when they no longer glisten on top & they look set. If you're unsure, they are done when their internal temp is around 175 degrees (80C).
Video
Notes
Ingredient Alternatives:
- If you do not have Dutch cocoa powder, you can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder. I buy my Dutch cocoa from nuts.com. They have great products & pricing.
- Instant coffee is optional. But I highly suggest it! It will bring out the chocolate flavor more.
- Extracts: Swap out vanilla extract for other flavors like strawberry, cherry, raspberry, coconut, peppermint, etc.
- Add-ins: Swap out (or add to) the chocolate chunks for sprinkles, chopped nuts, or dried fruit for added texture and flavor.
- You can add fun toppings to your cookies either right when you pull them from the oven, or after they cool.
- Right from the oven toppings: chocolate candies (e.g. Reese’s chunks), chocolate chips, M&Ms, mini cookies, marshmallows. Just shove them right in while the cookies are still hot. Be careful not to burn your fingers!
- After they cool toppings: drizzled chocolates or frosting. I have a great simple American Buttercream recipe HERE.
- Chilling the dough allows the butter to solidify, which helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies.
- Refrigerating the dough gives the flavors time to develop and intensify, similar to marinating meat.
- Chilling the dough helps the flour to hydrate more fully, leading to a chewier center.
- I love these sheet pans! There are also some with lids which is awesome for easy cookie chilling.
- I recommend using silicon mats instead of parchment.
- I use Cookie Rings so I can bake 1 dozen at a time & they come out the same size. Get them HERE.
- Other baking goodies can be found in my Amazon Store HERE.
