These bakery-style double chocolate chip cookies are fudgy and gooey with a deep chocolate flavor and plenty of chocolate chips. They’re extra thick with slightly crisp edges and impressively large — inspired by Levain-style cookies from New York City, they’re pure decadence.
This post was updated April 26, 2026 with new photos, recipe tips and a slightly adjusted method for extra-thick cookies.
If you want big, fudgy chocolate cookies with gooey centers, crisp edges and an intense chocolate profile, these bakery-style double chocolate chip cookies are for you. They’re modeled on the thick, indulgent New York–style cookies popular on social media, and the instructions below include tips to help you achieve bakery-quality results at home.
This recipe combines unsweetened cocoa powder with melted dark chocolate for a richer, more complex flavor than cocoa alone. The dough must be chilled before baking, so plan ahead to get the signature thick, slightly gooey center and crisp edge.
Making Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Cookies
Below are step-by-step notes to explain how the cookies come together. The complete recipe with exact amounts and instructions is in the recipe card further down.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Combine all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. I prefer Dutch-process cocoa for its dark color and rounded flavor; coarse sea salt gives a nice contrast to the sweetness.
- Cream the cold butter and sugars: In a separate large bowl, beat the cold, cubed butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Cold butter helps create cookies with slightly crisp edges and gooey centers.
- Add melted dark chocolate: Beat in 2 ounces of melted, cooled dark chocolate (70% works well). Using both melted chocolate and cocoa powder builds depth and complexity.
- Pro tip: Chop chocolate finely before melting. Melt gently in a double boiler or in the microwave in 45-second intervals on medium power, stirring between intervals. Avoid high power to prevent grainy chocolate.
- Mix in egg and vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is slightly aerated and smooth.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed to avoid a flour cloud. Mix until just combined; the dough will be thick.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Stir in a generous amount of chocolate chips — 1¼ cups is suggested. Dark chips complement the intense chocolate base.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 48 hours. Chilling firms the dough, concentrates the flavors and yields taller cookies with gooey centers.
- Preheat and prepare: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. The slightly higher temperature helps the cookies remain thick while baking.
- Form the dough balls: Shape large dough balls of about 1/4 cup each (roughly 3.5 ounces or 100 grams if you weigh them). If the dough is very cold, let it rest 10 minutes on the counter to soften slightly before shaping.
- Place dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets and bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 12–14 minutes, or until the tops look just set. The centers will remain slightly soft.
Recipe Tip
For perfectly round cookies: when they come straight from the oven, place a large biscuit cutter around each warm cookie and gently press the edges inward to shape them into neat circles. Allow cookies to cool on the baking tray.
Make Ahead Tips
The cookie dough can chill in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking.
Dough balls can be frozen in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. Bake them from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time as needed.
Fully cooled baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months when wrapped tightly. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
A Note from Fiona
Why You’ll Love These Double Chocolate Cookies
These cookies are thick, fudgy and intensely chocolatey. Combining cocoa powder with melted dark chocolate gives a richer, fuller chocolate character than cocoa alone. The result is an indulgent cookie with a slightly crisp edge, a soft, gooey center and lots of melty chips.
They’re perfect when you want a showstopping treat that feels bakery-made but is simple to prepare at home.
Need more bakery-style cookie ideas? Try other recipes for bakery chocolate chip, pecan-chocolate, white chocolate raspberry, or white chocolate macadamia cookies.
Bakery Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (45 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, coarsely ground
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), cold, cubed
- 2 oz dark chocolate (57 g), melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (133 g)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (225 g), dark recommended
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift the cocoa if it’s lumpy.
- In a separate bowl beat the cold butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Stir in the melted, cooled dark chocolate. If melting in the microwave, use 45-second intervals on medium power and stir between intervals. If using a double boiler, ensure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture on low speed and mix until incorporated. The dough will be thick.
- Turn off the mixer and fold in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Form dough into balls of about 1/4 cup each (about 100 g if using a scale). If dough is very cold, let sit 10 minutes to soften slightly.
- Place dough balls 3 inches apart and bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 12–14 minutes, until tops look just set.
- For perfectly round cookies, use a biscuit cutter around each warm cookie and gently press the edges to shape. Cool completely on the sheet.
Notes
- Melting chocolate: Chop finely and melt slowly. Microwave at medium power in 45-second intervals, stirring between each, or use a double boiler. Avoid high power to prevent graininess.
- Smaller cookies: Use 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and bake 8–10 minutes.
- Flatter cookies: Press dough balls slightly before baking if you prefer a flatter result.
- Freezing: Freeze formed dough balls up to 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to bake time.
- Storage: Store baked, cooled cookies in an airtight container up to 5 days. They’re best fresh.
- Nutrition: Values are estimates per cookie, assuming 8 equal-sized cookies.