Double Chocolate Cookies · Fudgy
Fudgy Double Chocolate Cookies
Screen stays on while you cook
Before you start
Gather your ingredients
Weights from USDA FoodData Central cup weights; counted things stay as counts.
Swaps for all-purpose flour
Instead of all-purpose flour
- Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: The same amount, a blend that includes xanthan gum. A little grittier and more crumbly, browns faster and dries out sooner.
- Bread flour: The same amount. More gluten: chewier cookies and bread, tougher cakes.
- Whole wheat flour: Up to half of the flour. Nuttier, darker and denser.
All 4 swaps for all-purpose flour
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
Swaps for unsweetened cocoa powder
Instead of cocoa powder
- Natural and Dutch-process cocoa: The same amount. Swap freely when the recipe uses baking powder.
- Unsweetened chocolate: 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate for each 3 tbsp cocoa; cut the butter or oil by 1 tbsp. Fudgier and richer.
- Carob powder: The same amount. Caffeine-free and naturally sweet, but it tastes like carob, not chocolate.
Swaps for baking soda
Instead of baking soda
- Baking powder: 3 tsp baking powder for each 1 tsp baking soda. It rises, but bakes come out paler and puffier, cookies spread less, and the extra powder can taste a little bitter.
Swaps for kosher salt
Instead of salt
- Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
- Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.
Swaps for unsalted butter
Instead of butter
- Salted butter: The same amount, with about ¼ tsp less salt per stick (½ cup) elsewhere in the recipe. Nothing noticeable once you cut the salt.
- Plant-based butter sticks: The same amount. The closest swap.
- Refined coconut oil: The same amount: solid when the butter is soft or cold, melted when it is melted. It is all fat, so bakes are a bit more tender and rich, with no butter flavor.
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
Swaps for brown sugar
Instead of brown sugar
- White sugar + molasses: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (light) or 2 tbsp (dark). The same as store-bought.
- White sugar: The same amount. Crisper, paler cookies with less caramel flavor.
- Light and dark brown sugar: The same amount, either way. Dark brown sugar tastes stronger and makes bakes a bit darker and moister.
Swaps for granulated sugar
Instead of sugar
- Less sugar: Up to ¼ less in cookies, muffins and quick breads. Less browning and spread, a drier, more cake-like texture, and bakes go stale sooner.
- Brown sugar: The same amount, packed. Moister and chewier, with a caramel flavor and darker color.
- Coconut sugar: The same amount. Darker and caramel-like, a little less sweet; cookies spread slightly less.
Swaps for eggs
Instead of eggs
- Flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water for each egg. Binds well but gives less lift, so bakes are a little denser and flatter, with a mild nutty taste and brown flecks.
- Chia egg: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water for each egg. Works like a flax egg: good binding, little lift, slightly denser crumb.
- Unsweetened applesauce: ¼ cup for each egg. Moister and denser, with a soft, slightly gummy crumb if you swap more than one egg.
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
Swaps for vanilla extract
Instead of vanilla extract
- Vanilla bean paste: The same amount. Stronger, with visible vanilla seeds.
- Vanilla bean: The seeds of 1 bean for each 1 tbsp extract. A deeper, floral flavor and visible seeds.
- Alcohol-free vanilla: The same amount. Made with glycerin; a slightly milder taste.
Swaps for semisweet chocolate chips
Instead of chocolate and chocolate chips
- Semisweet and bittersweet: The same amount, either way. Bittersweet is less sweet and more intense; semisweet is milder and sweeter.
- Chopped bar chocolate for chips: The same weight (a 12 oz bag of chips is about 2 cups). Melty puddles and streaks instead of neat chips.
- Chips for bar chocolate when melting: The same weight. Chips melt thicker and less smoothly, so ganache and glazes are a bit stiffer.
Step 1 of 11
Set a strainer over a medium bowl and the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into it to break up cocoa lumps. to combine.
sift (how to sift)
Sift Pass dry ingredients through a fine sieve to break up lumps and mix them evenly. 1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or a sheet of parchment.2. Spoon in the dry ingredients.3. Tap the side of the strainer or stir gently so they fall through.4. Press any lumps through with the back of a spoon. Done when: There are no lumps of powdered sugar, cocoa or baking soda left. How to sift flour and powdered sugar: mistakes to avoidWhisk (how to whisk)
Whisk Beat ingredients with a whisk to mix them smoothly or to add air. 1. Use a bowl big enough to whisk without splashing; set it on a damp towel to stop it spinning.2. Hold the whisk loosely and move it in quick circles or side to side, touching the bottom.3. For lumpy mixtures, add liquid a little at a time and whisk after each.4. For sauces on the stove, keep the whisk moving across the whole bottom of the pan. Done when: The mixture is even with no lumps or streaks of egg. How to whisk: mistakes to avoidStep 2 of 11
In a large bowl, on medium speed until fluffy.
beat the butter and both sugars (how to cream butter and sugar)
Cream butter and sugar Beat soft butter with sugar until pale and fluffy, trapping air that helps cakes and cookies rise. 1. Let the butter soften to about 65°F: it dents when pressed but isn't greasy.2. Beat the butter alone for 30 seconds.3. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed.4. Scrape the bowl once or twice.5. Keep going for 2 to 4 minutes. Done when: The mixture is lighter in color, fluffy and has grown a little in the bowl. Safety: Don't taste raw cookie dough or batter; raw eggs and raw flour can carry germs.How to cream butter and sugar: mistakes to avoidStep 3 of 11
Beat (how to beat)
Beat Mix hard and fast, by hand or with a mixer, to blend ingredients fully and add air. 1. Use a mixer on the speed the recipe gives, or a fork or whisk for a few eggs.2. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each disappears before the next.3. Stop and scrape the bowl and beaters now and then.4. Mix on low once flour goes in, just until combined. Done when: The mixture is smooth and even, with no streaks of yolk or white. Safety: Turn the mixer off before you scrape the bowl or reach in.How to beat eggs and batters: mistakes to avoidStep 4 of 11
Add the cocoa mixture and mix on low speed until no dry pockets remain.
Step 5 of 11
Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
Step 6 of 11
Cover and refrigerate the dough so the cookies spread less and bake up thick.
Step 7 of 11
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). two sheet pans with parchment.
Line (how to line a pan)
Line a pan Cover the bottom (and sometimes sides) of a pan with parchment or foil so food doesn't stick and lifts out easily. 1. For a sheet pan, tear parchment the size of the pan and lay it flat.2. For a round cake pan, trace the bottom on parchment, cut the circle out and press it in.3. For brownies and bars, leave two long sides hanging over to make handles (a "sling").4. A little grease under the paper holds it in place. Done when: The paper lies flat with no folds where the batter could run under it. How to line a baking pan with parchment: mistakes to avoid350°F
Step 8 of 11
Scoop 2-tablespoon balls onto the pans, 2 inches apart.
Step 9 of 11
Bake until the tops crack and the edges look set but the centers still look soft. Dark dough hides browning, so trust the timer.
350°F
Step 10 of 11
Sprinkle each hot cookie with a few flakes of salt, if using.
Step 11 of 11
Leave the cookies on the pans until they are firm enough to move, then transfer them to a rack.
All done
Enjoy!
Made it? Sign in to rate it and leave a review.