These Super Soft Cocoa Chocolate Chip Cookies will melt in your mouth! They’re buttery, doughy, and not overly sweet. The chocolate flavor is perfectly balanced and enhanced with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top!
Of course you can leave the salt off if it’s really not your vibe, but I promise you it will elevate the flavor tenfold! (I may be biased as I LOVE sweet and salty treats, but you can add it as minimally as you like.)
These cookies come together with 10 ingredients, and don’t require a hand mixer to make. They are such a crowd-pleaser with their super soft pillowy texture.
They’re truly the SOFTEST COOKIES I’VE EVER HAD!
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that these cookies are my favorite dessert recipe that I’ve shared thus far! I learned so much while making them, which is why I have shared all of my tips and tricks for getting the baking science just right in the notes below.
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RECIPE NOTES:
COOKIE DOUGH
Melting The Butter & Mini Chocolate Chips Together: The microwave makes this process quick and easy! Of course you want to avoid burning the chocolate, so it’s important that you microwave in 20-second increments, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted, smooth, and combined.
Chilling The Dough: Due to the warm melted butter and chocolate, the dough will be quite soft once the ingredients are combined. Chilling the dough in the refrigerator is necessary for 1 hour to firm it up before baking!
BAKING
The Baking Sheets: I used 3 baking sheets so that I could let my cookies fully cool on them without relocation. These cookies are fragile and prone to breakage while still warm, and also need a little time to settle into their final shape and consistency, so this is definitely my preferred method! (If you only have 1 or 2 sheets available, feel free to transfer the cookies to an alternate surface once they have cooled enough to be moved!)
The Parchment Paper: The use of parchment paper will ensure that the cookies lift super easily and cleanly from the baking sheets!
The Cookie Size: Dividing the dough into 18 dough balls creates the ideal cookie size for this recipe! I have not tested how they bake at a smaller or larger size.
The Mini Chocolate Chip Topping: The key with the added mini chocolate chip topping is to lightly press them onto the tops and slightly onto the sides of the dough balls without pushing too hard. Try your best to retain the round shape without flattening them at all.
The Bake Time: These cookies definitely look on the side of underbaked when they come out of the oven after 9 minutes; They will be puffed up slightly and still quite soft looking. This is ok! Within a few minutes of removing them from the oven, they will begin to flatten and take on a more crinkled texture on top. Avoiding overbaking is really important to achieve the super soft texture once they’ve cooled.
STORAGE
Storage: Storage for these cookies is easy! They need to be stored airtight at room temperature. They stay fresh for 4-5 days after baking when sealed properly, but taste the softest within the first couple of days when they’re newly baked. (If something comes up and you need to store them for a long period of time, they do quite well in the freezer too.)
INGREDIENT NOTES:
All-Purpose Flour: All-Purpose flour is the way to go for this recipe! I prefer using an unbleached option.
Unsweetened Dutch-process Cocoa Powder: It’s what’s responsible for the deep dark color! It’s also super smooth and less acidic than natural cocoa. My specific cocoa of choice for these cookies can be found with the ingredient list below!
Salt: Salt is a must for achieving well-rounded flavor (like in most other cookies).
Baking Soda: While these cookies are not super tall, the proper amount of leavening helps them rise sufficiently.
Unsalted Butter: The butter is a really prominent player in these cookies making them so doughy and soft!
Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips: These cookies call for mini chocolate chips because the smaller, scattered chocolate experience works best with the texture of these cookies, and creates the perfect dough-to-chocolate ratio in each bite! (I personally would not recommend a substitution!)
Cane Sugar: This is my preferred/tested type of granulated sugar to use!
Eggs: It’s not a big deal if your eggs are not fully room temperature for this recipe, but I do recommend in the instructions below that you place them out on the counter at the start of your dough prep. This way, they at least have a bit of time to go from cold to slightly cool!
Vanilla Extract: A little goes a long way for the best possible flavor balance.
Flaky Sea Salt: Not only does the salt sprinkle on top greatly enhance the flavor complexity, but it also makes an already beautiful cookie even more picture-perfect! These cookies are sure to impress!
Kitchen Equipment:
- 2 Medium Bowls + 1 Large Bowl
- Plastic Wrap (or equivalent)
- 3 Baking Sheets (see Recipe Notes if you have fewer)
- A Cooling Rack
Servings: 18 Large Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dutch-process Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Salt (I use sea salt, ground fine/medium)
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup + 1/2 Cup + 6 Tbsp Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips, divided
- 3/4 Cup Cane Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
TOPPING
- Flaky Sea Salt, to taste
See how to make these Super Soft Cocoa Chocolate Chip Cookies below!
Directions:
PREP THE DOUGH
Place the eggs on the counter as you begin. (They don’t need to fully come to room temperature, but giving them a little time to not be super cold from the fridge works best.)
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a spoon (flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda) and set aside
Next, in another medium bowl, add the butter and the 1 Cup of mini chocolate chips ~ Melt them together in the microwave (Microwave them in 20-second increments, stirring in between each, until melted, smooth, and combined)
(You can re-melt the butter/mini chip mixture for a few seconds at any time if it begins to solidify. You don’t want it to be boiling hot, just fully liquid and fluid to stir!)
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined
Stir in the melted butter/mini chip mixture until combined
Next, stir in the dry ingredient mixture, adding a bit at a time until combined (Stir gently to avoid overmixing!)
Fold the 1/2 Cup of mini chocolate chips into the dough
Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour
BAKE
Preheat the oven to 350º
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper
Divide and roll the dough into 18 even balls
Place 6 dough balls, evenly separated, on each baking sheet
Top the dough balls with the final 6 Tbsp of mini chocolate chips…Lightly pressing them onto the tops and slightly onto the sides while still keeping the ball shape
Place Batch 1 onto the middle rack of the oven
Bake for 9 minutes (They may look underdone, but their texture will change within minutes of removing them from the oven!)
Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack, and let the cookies fully cool on the baking sheet as they will be super soft and prone to breakage while still warm
Repeat baking/cooling with Batch 2 on the second cookie sheet, then with Batch 3 on the third
Once all the cookies are fully cooled, sprinkle with the flaky sea salt to taste
Enjoy!
[Leftovers can be stored airtight at room temperature.]
