Dark and Milk Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Introduction

You mix melted butter with both granulated and light brown sugar, then chill the dough for at least 2 hours so the cookies bake up with spread control and browned edges. The mix of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks and dark chocolate chunks gives you contrast in sweetness, making these a solid make-ahead cookie dough for weekend baking or staggered batches.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Servings: 810

Ingredients

• ½ cup (100 g / 3.5 oz) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (140 g / 5 oz) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (1 stick / 125 g / 4.5 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 standard egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (use half this amount if you prefer less rich vanilla flavor)
• 1¼ cups (175 g / 6 oz) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 oz (115 g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 4 oz (115 g) dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Cream the butter, sugars and salt in a mixing bowl until combined.
2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Sift the flour and baking soda into the mixture and fold in.
4. Fold in the chocolate.
5. Cover the dough with clingfilm and chill for at least 2 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheets, making sure the cookies are at least 4 inches (10 cm) apart from each other.
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are light brown in color.
9. Take the cookies out of the oven and leave them to cool.

Variations

• Replace the 4 oz (115 g) dark chocolate chunks with the same amount of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks if you want a sweeter cookie with less bitter contrast.
• Replace the 4 oz (115 g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks with the same amount of dark chocolate chunks if you want a less sweet cookie and a deeper chocolate finish.
• Use chopped chocolate bars in place of the chocolate chunks for more variation in melt and streaks through the dough.
• Make smaller scoops in step 7 for more cookies with slightly crisper edges; reduce the bake time and start checking early.

Tips for Success

• Let the melted butter cool slightly before step 1 so it does not warm the egg too much in step 2.
• Pack the light brown sugar firmly when measuring or the dough can turn out drier and less chewy.
• Do not skip the 2-hour chill in step 5; it helps limit spread and gives the dough time to firm up.
• Keep the full 4 inches (10 cm) of space in step 7 because these cookies spread noticeably.
• Pull the cookies when the edges are light brown and the centers still look a little soft; they continue setting as they cool.

Storage and Reheating

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you want to keep them longer, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 2 months.

To reheat, warm cookies in a 160°C oven for 3 to 5 minutes to refresh the edges and soften the chocolate. You can also microwave one cookie for 8 to 10 seconds, though the oven gives a better texture.

FAQ

Can you bake the dough without chilling it?

You can, but the cookies will spread more and the texture will be thinner. The 2-hour chill in step 5 is doing real work here.

Can you use chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks?

Yes. You will get a more even distribution of chocolate, but less of the larger melted pockets that chunks give you.

Why did the cookies spread into each other?

The dough was likely too warm or the cookies were placed too close together. Follow the full chill time and keep the 4 inches (10 cm) of space in step 7.

Can you make these without dark chocolate?

Yes. Replace the dark chocolate chunks with more milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks if you want a sweeter cookie and do not want the darker chocolate edge.