Small Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Somewhere between a cookie and a brownie this small batch recipe for double chocolate cookies produces chewy, deep, rich cookies packed with milk chocolate. These double chocolate cookies take ten minutes to make, need a rest and are made with just one egg white.
Somewhere between a cookie and a brownie this small batch recipe for double chocolate cookies produces chewy, deep, rich cookies packed with milk chocolate. These double chocolate cookies take ten minutes to make, need a rest and are made with just one egg white.
Small batch double chocolate chip cookies
The yin to my one yolk, six chocolate chunk cookies. After I published that recipe I remember thinking, “what will people do with that extra egg white?”
One egg and you get a baker’s dozen of the best cookies ever. These are somewhere between a cookie and a brownie (in fact they remind me a lot of my thick cocoa brownies). My husband, totally obsessed with these, said they were somewhere between a”brownie, a cookie and a molten chocolate cake”… dude, did I just create your dream cookie? “Uhh, yes.”
Small batch chocolate chip cookie leftovers… turn into small batch double chocolate chip cookies!
I got the idea to do a double chocolate version of small batch cookies after the success of the one yolks. My plan was to follow the same recipe, but figure out how to add cocoa without compromising texture. But while they tasted great, the cocoa caused the dough and cookie to be too soft and overly crumbly.
Remember these brownie cookies? Those used egg whites only. I decided to give it a go and reached into the now towering stash of whites in my fridge and tested a batch. It was so perfectly chewy and chocolatey. They were to die for, even a day or two later.
Small batch double chocolate chip cookies… need a rest and a chill
So here’s the deal… there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news obviously, is that it uses that extra egg white and we now have two awesome recipes that come out of just one egg. The other good news is that you don’t need a special butter. The bad news is… they need a rest. The rest is necessary for the batter to fully ‘bind’. The rest is also necessary because, oh my god, what it does to the flavor. It’s deeply chocolatey. In the absolutely friggin’ most delicious way possible.
Ingredients for small batch double chocolate chip cookies
- Butter: You can use salted butter – just omit the 1/4 tsp salt.
- Sugar: fine granulated sugar. I did make this with brown as I mentioned above but found it overly soft. In a real pinch you could use it, but if you have regular white, use that!
- Flour: You’ll have the best result with these if you use a higher protein content flour (King Arthur Flour’s Bread Flour gave me a really chewy cookie). Buckwheat also worked great! When I used gold medal AP (my usual go-to) my cookies spread a lot.
- Cocoa: My go to’s are Guittard and Rodelle. Hershey’s dark is quite popular and supposed to be dutch (although I haven’t tried it) so that could work too.
- Chocolate: Milk chocolate is phenomenal in these. It’s a great contrast to the dark cocoa. My favorite is Lindt. I also think a white chocolate would be good too, or caramelized white.
- Salt flakes: sprinkle it on the cookies to finish them! Maldon makes the best, imho.
Why use dutch process cocoa to make small batch double chocolate chip cookies
I advise you to not use natural cocoa here. Whatever cocoa you use will show in the final bake; a less alkalized cocoa will produce a lighter hue and not as deep of a chocolate taste.
Tips to make the best double chocolate chip cookies
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- Don’t skimp on the overnight rest: This allows for two things: flavor development and for the dough to bind.
- Leave room for the cookies to spread: Leave about 2 inches between cookies because these spread. Even though it’s a small batch, using a half cookie sheet to bake these is best to give them enough space.
- Use your favorite chocolate bar NOT chocolate chips: The cookies will taste miles better than chocolate chips.
- Underbake the cookies: It’s harder to tell with a dark dough when you are looking for signs of browning, instead look for doneness by the shape and texture of the cookie. When they are puffy and seem firm on the edges take them out. Remember cookies continue to cook on the pan after they are out of the oven.
Freezing Small Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Baking Later
Before you freeze this dough, give it a chance to sit in the fridge overnight to develop the flavor). Then, once you’ve portioned the dough, freeze the scoops on an open plate for ten minutes then put the frozen balls in a ziplock freezer bag for longer storage. You can bake them straight out of the freezer, adding an additional 2-3 minutes of bake time.
Help! My Cookies Spread Too Much!
A few people noted that their cookies weren’t holding shape so I remade the cookies a few times and figured out that the problem is likely in the flour. If your cookies are spreading, then there wasn’t enough flour or the protein content of the flour was too low. A higher protein content (like bread flour, or ‘strong’ flour in the UK) will produce a firmer shape, a low protein content (like cake flour) will cause the cookies to spread too much.
Other small batch cookie recipes
- Small batch classic chocolate chip cookies
- Small batch gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
- Small Batch Oatmeal Cookies
- Small batch Monster Cookies
- Small batch Birthday Cookies
Tools to make Small Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Small Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Small Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 57g
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg white 35g
- ¼ cup dutch process cocoa 25g
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoons bread flour or high protein all-purpose flour 65g
- 100 g milk chocolate
- Sea salt for sprinkling
Method
- In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg white and beat for one minute.
- Add the baking soda, flour and dutch process cocoa and beat to combine.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate (including the small bits!).
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in the fridge overnight, or at least four hours.
- Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Drop cookies by a heaped 1 1/2 tablespoon onto cookie sheet.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and stick the tray in the freezer for 5-10 minutes (this to help minimize spreading).
- Bake for 13 minutes, let completely cool before moving.
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Supppper chocolatey!!
These are amazing – I doubled the recipe and got 2 dozen still nicely sized cookies.
I used half AP flour, half farro flour and the depth of flavor is spectacular. Thanks!!
I am so intrigued over farro flour! Must search for some
I made these last night and mixed in dark chocolate couverture coins and salted caramel chips. So good and fudgy! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I was looking for alternative ways to use up leftover egg whites (other than make meringues) and these were perfect!
These are easily the best double chocolate cookie I’ve ever made! And the perfect use of a leftover egg white. I didn’t have enough milk chocolate so I used a mix of milk and bittersweet- still so delicious.
I tripled the recipe since I was making your 3 yolk cookies as well. This is definitely the best double chocolate cookie I’ve ever made or eaten! One of my friends who is a chocolate fiend is now obsessed with them!
I used KA unbleached all-purpose flour, followed your directions exactly (and also put the tray on the slot just above the middle in my oven as a precaution) and they spread perfectly, just like your pictures!
I just baked these the day after Christmas (in a different time zone) for some post-Christmas cheer and to fill a cookie tin I need to return. They are *perfect*. I was skeptical about waiting overnight, but in the morning the dough was stiff and perfect, yielding about 15 beautifully moist cookies. Thanks again, Sam!
I feel like these are in the shadow of the one yolk CCCs but they are honestly perfect and should be equally lauded. I’ve never tasted such a rich chocolate cookie– the dough straight out of the mixing bowl is DIVINE. And I always know I can make them with the most basic baking ingredients in my pantry. I like them with both bittersweet and milk chocolate for a really complex chocolateyness 🙂
Phenomenal cookies, the only double chocolate chip cookie recipe I know that isn’t dry and hard.
These are amazingly chocolatey cookies and another winner in my book! I used King Arthur AP flour and Rodelle Dutch processed cocoa. Instead of milk chocolate I went the semi-sweet to bittersweet chocolate route. They’re so delicious!
Dangerously good. One of the most chocolatey, rich, and delicious cookies! Yet another delightfully perfect recipe by Sam!
Is there any reason I couldn’t portion the cookies before they’re chilled? I love these cookies! Best use of extra egg whites when you’re not in the mood for meringue-anything!
I find the dough too soft to portion before – and they wont be as nicely shaped or spread as well.
Followed the recipe exactly, using weights, and loved the results! Both times I’ve made these have yielded delicious results! I used a chopped hazelnut chocolate bar and it was perfection- So fudgy and rich!
This was my first time making the cookies and I was worried about spreading, so I followed the instructions to rest overnight and freeze before baking. The cookies didn’t spread too much and they came out great! Definitely a great way to use up leftover egg whites.
Wonderful to hear Ida! Thank you for the review 😀
Love the recipe! I doubled your batter and it made 10 sizeable cookies. Kept half in the freezer for future yums!
Do you have any idea how long these can last once baked? Perhaps in an air-tight box at room temperature?
Hi June! Airtight for a few days at room temp, you’ll notice they get a bit dry and stale after that.
These are SO good! I had an extra egg white and could not wait to try them. They came out exactly as described- and each of us got three, which was just want we wanted. Thanks Sam!
The recipe is great! Can I double the recipe to yield more?
Yes!
Hi there
When you say 35gr, you mean the entire egg? I have some egg whites to spare, how much do I have to use?
Thank you!
I wanted to love this recipe because it seems very popular here and on Instagram, and I always seem to have extra egg whites to use up – unfortunately these did not turn out great for me. I’m an experienced baker and followed the recipe exactly, let the dough chill in the fridge for about 6 hours before scooping and freezing before baking. The cookies spread out very very thin, and while the flavour was okay they weren’t rich and chocolatey enough for me and I much prefer a thicker and chewier cookie. I used all-purpose flour, and I see in the notes above the recipe that apparently bread flour/higher protein flour yields better results but the recipe itself calls for AP so that’s what I used. If you like thin cookies with a mild sweet chocolate flavour these are okay, but I won’t be making them again. The search for a good leftover egg white recipe continues!
Sorry these didn’t work out for you. As an experienced baker you’ll know that all purpose flours come in different protein contents and this can make a difference in the final bake, which is why I encourage a higher protein-content AP flour in the notes (I also say there that mine also were flat with a low protein ap flour). As for the cocoa, I’m very surprised that you didn’t find them rich enough! This recipe uses a high percentage of cocoa compared to many. My theory is that the cocoa you used was not dutch which has a stronger chocolate flavor.
These cookies are perfect! Ive made them twice- one time letting the dough chill in the fridge and one time not…its definitely worth the extra time to let the dough chill in the fridge!
These cookies are amazing. I made the 6 egg yolk cookies and used the leftover white to make these. I used peanut butter chips in mine and omg…wow. So good!!
These cookies are magical. That’s all I can say, truly. They are exactly what you hope for after looking the pictures. I actually made them with dairy free butter and they were still perfect! 10/10 making these again!
These cookies are SO. FREAKING. GOOD. fudge, chewy, almost brownie like. Definitely rich and chocolatey all the way through. I’m gluten intolerant so I make them with King Arthur GF flour and they still have a great texture (rate for GF cookies unfortunately!) this is our current favorite cookie recipe!
Discover this recipe after making the one yolk cookies and decided to make these at the same time. I was not disappointed – my boyfriend absolutely LOVED these! I used Cadbury’s Triple Choc Sensation bar to get a mix of white, milk and dark chocolate and it worked so so well.
Super simple recipe and easy to do alongside the ‘one yolk’ cookies too.
oooh! I am going to hunt that cadbury triple choc bar down, sounds wonderful!
These are so great! I’ve made them several times now and they turn out fantastic every time. I always use semisweet/bittersweet chocolate chips but they are still delicious. I doubled this recipe this time because I happened to have two egg whites and made 12 large delicious cookies. (I even mixed up the butter measurements and forgot to add the additional 2 oz of butter until after the egg whites were added and they still turned out perfectly) Love this recipe so much!
Ah so good to hear this Lorean! I bet the darker chocolate tasted so good in there. I tried it once with 70% and loved it but I am a dark chocolate fiend!
Baked these today (after making the one yolk ccc’s yesterday, also amazing) and they are so, so good! I let the dough rest overnight and used AP flour (unsure of the protein %, used a scale not a measuring cup) with the right amount of spread. I only had semi-sweet/dark chocolate, but want to try with white chocolate next time to recreate my fave cookies from high school.
I couldn’t help but follow the suggestion in the recipe for one yolk perfect chocolate chunk cookies to use the egg white and make this recipe! Letting the dough chill was a test of my patience, but it was worth it! I will note that I am not a big fan of milk chocolate and didn’t have any on hand for this recipe. Made with semisweet/bittersweet chocolate, the cookies were intensely chocolate-y. I now keep a few little bars of milk chocolate on hand to add to recipes like this one, where the milk chocolate balances out and enhances the cookie (words I thought I’d NEVER say!).
I made these 3x. The first time, I was in a rush so skipped the resting in refrigerator step and just scooped them onto a pan and put in the freezer for an hour before baking. I had no problems with spreading. The second time, I followed the directions as is and had the problems others had with excessive spreading so the third time I skipped the refrigerator step and no spreading. Note: I used King Arthur Flour each time so the protein content was not a factor. I also added some peanut butter chips instead of milk chocolate in the last batch as a tasty alternative. But this is definitely a good way to use up extra egg whites.
Christina, very interesting findings! I can see why it worked after a short freeze but will say the fridge step is also a flavor development period.
Honest recipe that came out just like your photos but unfortunately… a little too sweet for myself and those I shared it with! I know standard ccc recipes tend to be 3:2:1 flour:fat:sugar, but this recipe has more sugar than flour! And almost equal in volume to the cocoa+flour combined, a bit shocking. Anyhow, was still a fun way to use up the excess egg white I had, but for those who prefer a more subtle, hint of sweetness cookie, I’d look elsewhere. I may try this recipe again but use 1/3 amount of sugar stated, hopefully it works out.
Arie, glad they came out – sorry not to your taste. A double chocolate cookie recipe isn’t comparable to a ccc because of the cocoa, when you mention the sugar is almost equal to the cocoa and flour, that is pretty standard given that the cocoa will take up much of the flour content you would see in a regular ccc. Have a look at this very well known and beloved recipe from NYT cooking: the sugar weight is about double the flour. If you found these too sweet it could be the chocolate chips/chunks added (if you like a less sweet cookie aim for a darker chocolate). I definitely don’t recommend reducing the sugar: sugar contributes to structure and texture in a cookie, not just taste.
Made this recipe eggless by replacing the egg white with a mixture of 2 tsp ground flax seed and 2 tbs water that sit out for 15 minutes to gelatinize. I also used a mix of central miling all purpose and king arthur bread flour to get a similar protein content to king arthur all purpose. They were also sooo pretty – the flaky salt against the dark cookie looked like diamonds XD. Delicious!!
Diamonds! I love that comparison 😀 😀 Thank you!
Absolutely divine..so chocolatey,and gooey ..almost like a brownie..loved it..it finished in a gift😁must try recipe from sam
Yay! Definitely brownie like, thank you!
Beware: these are extremely chocolatey. I love the idea of small batch cookies. Cookies are my favorite dessert but I don’t often bake them because I don’t need 2 dozen cookies, and most recipes only use 1 egg so it’s hard to cut the ingredients in half. These turned out just like the pictures and if I ever wanted some intense chocolate cookies I’ll definitely make these again.
So happy to hear it Paloma, thank you so much for trying the recipe!
These cookies are seriously GENIUS! They are seriously a chocolate lovers dream and soooo soft! These didn’t last 24 hours in our house, I kid you not. Incredible recipe, thank you so much for this Sam!
Gabby! Thank you so much for trying them and for the review! 😀
I have made these multiple times, and they are my all time favorite cookie! They’re lightly crispy on the outside and gooey and rich on the inside. Don’t skip the chopped chocolate either – it’s amazing! My only addition to this recipe is some espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor even though it is delicious as is (:
Thank you Ella!!! You really nailed the texture down – that’s exactly how they turn out for me. And I’m totally with you, cannot skip that chopped chocolate!
I tried this recipe (in tandem with your Egg yolk cookies, which are also fantastic) for the first time two weeks ago and have made this recipe twice since (doubling them both times!). These really might be my new favorite cookies ever – my boyfriend and I cannot stop eating them. I never leave comments, but really felt the pull to do so for these because they are THAT good. My cookies never come out looking like these do in the picture, and they definitely spread more than I like, but I’m pretty confident it has to do with the flour that I’m using. I have two big bags of the Gold brand and Trader Joe’s all purpose and feel I need to get through at least one before purchasing a new brand, but that day may not be far off at the rate I’m going – ha! Thank you so so much for this recipe!
Aw, thank you so much for this comment! The flour can make a big difference. I get different results when I change up the flour. Try KAF AP and lmk how it goes!
I love these cookies! I’ve made them two or three times so far. The most recent time I think I used part bread flour and they didn’t spread as much, but even previously with non-KAF AP flour they were still great. I freeze them pre-scooped and bake a couple at a time at 325 for 14 minutes (don’t preheat first) and they come out perfectly gooey! I also like adding peanut butter chips to the dough when I have them.
Sara, pb chips sound like a wonderful addition! And good to know about the flours. Thank you for the comment!
Love these cookies! Great for using up egg whites without having to make meringues… still need to try the one yolk cookies and have high hopes xx
Thank you Emma! Can’t wait for you to try the one yolkers 😉
Not a double CCC fan but boy these cookies changed me. They have a phenomenal texture. I subbed 30g of chocolate with dried cranberries and it paired amazingly with all the components of this cookie. The spread was appropriate. Overall will be making this again!
Awesome, happy to hear they worked out so well Aashna!
Hi Sam! I’m so excited to try this recipe. Considering the comments on spread, I’m thinking about using half AP flour, half Bread flour. Do you think that would be a good idea? Or should I just try to find AP with the right protein content? Would love your thoughts!
Thanks 🙂
Hi Rose! I think that if your AP flour has a low protein content, combining with bread flour would be a great idea!
These are SO GOOD. my flour had the recommended protein content and i measured the flour/cocoa powder in grams. when i first baked this recipe, my cookies were coming out a little crispy, so i ended up reducing my oven to 340 and baking for 13 minutes. this made them perfect.
Hi Lexy! That’s interesting about the oven temp. I started doing something a little different with these, flash freezing them right before I bake them, to help minimize spreading and improve the look. Added it to the recipe now! Next time you make ’em try it and let me know how it goes!
Thanks, I’ll try that. I didn’t have a problem with spread, but i kept over cooking them which is why i tried lowering the oven temp. mine just might run hot
How many calories would you say per cookie? 🙂
~Thank you
Hi Zoe, I’ve never looked into it. I think there are online calorie calculators you could try.
Hi! I loved this recipe! but can I store the dough in the chiller for more than a day?
Hi Shey! Yes, it should be good for a few days. If you need to store it longer then I’d use the freezer.
The turned out great, I only chilled them for 4 hours because I couldn’t wait but they still baked perfectly. Double chocolate cookies aren’t really my thing though (I’m more of a chocolate chip cookie kind of gal) but that’s just my personal preference and has nothing to do with these cookies! And if anybody ever asks me if I know a good chocolate cookie recipe, I’d definitely recommend this one! And thank you so much for providing metric measurements as well, that’s incredibly helpful! xx
Aw, thanks Debbie! Four hours is often how long I can wait too lol
So delicious! Almost like a brownie, with all the edges! I chilled my dough for 2 days (mostly because I didn’t have time to bake right away), and I had zero issues with spread. I doubled the recipe, and got almost 2 1/2 dozen! I guess mine were a little on the small side… But 13 minutes was perfect for me.
Sarah, so good to hear! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe <3
Hello! I have allergy with dairy so is their any way I could substitute the egg white with anything else ? Since butter and chocolate stuff I can find the vegan category..
If you have a dairy allergy, you could try vegan butter. If you have an egg allergy, I’m afraid I don’t have a suggestion for a substitution for the egg white.
I thought these cookies were amazing. They were chewy, delicious and super easy to make. 😊 I loved being able to make this and a small batch of chocolate chips cookies using only 1 egg.
Ah, so happy to hear it Thi!!
I am absolutely obsessed with both the one egg white and one yolk cookies. They are on a weekly rotation, because obviously a cookie rotation is necessary! Love love love this perfect recipe!!
😀 😀 SO happy to hear it Rylee! Thank you so much for giving them a go!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! Its perfect for the holidays! Just a question with regards to cookie doneness -My cookies turned out to be soft. I like soft cookies but when I tried to pick them up from my pan after cooling, it cracked and got teared into two. I tasted it and the texture reminds me of brownies. I baked it for around 18-20mins. Should I bake them a little longer to hold its shape? Or has it got something to do with my flour not having enough protein?
Hi Nica! They are meant to be soft cookies, definitely brownie like. I think 18-20 minutes for these (or any cookies!) is far too long. They need 12 minutes, max. Check my discussion above about protein content.
I dare you to fold some roasted pecans in there…omg. Next level!
I had a similar experience to Jen-measured in grams after converting, Cacao Berry cocoa powder, long rest in the fridge, flat (but tasty) cookies. I’ll give bread flour a try next time.
Katherine, I think it’s related to the protein content of the flour so I’ve updated the post with notes on that. Someone told me they tried bread flour and they didn’t spread at all. When I tried it with KAF’s bread flour the spread was fine but they were definitely tougher the next day. My sweet spot with these cookies appears to be KAF’s AP flour.
Hello, tried these and they are delicious! Wondered if I could make a batch and freeze them? If so would that be before or after leaving them in the fridge overnight? And then could I just bake them from frozen?
Thanks so much!
Zx
Hi Zakia! I think do the overnight fridge rest then scoop them and flash freeze (so freeze them on a plate or tray for ten minutes) then put them in an airtight container in the freezer until it’s time to bake. When you bake, add a few more minutes.
I’ve made these four or five times now and I always bake a few and freeze the rest. The frozen ones have only managed to last a week or so before I NEED to bake them, but they bake up perfectly from frozen.
love the “need” part 😀 😀
Hi, can i use callebaut milk chocolate callets?
Um those sound amazing, why not!
Thank you!
My cookies also came out very flat. I converted the dry measurements to grams using King Arthur’s numbers. My dough rested for 7 hours. I use Cacao Barry Extra Brute cocoa powder which is a higher fat cocoa powder. I don’t know if that made a difference. I love the one yolk chocolate chip cookies!
Hi Jen! Sorry to hear they didn’t turn out well. It’s possible the cocoa could have affected them. Could also have been a mis-measurement or related to the protein content in the flour or the butterfat percentage. Someone mentioned to me that they used a bread flour and they didn’t spread at all so they had the opposite problem! It can be annoying when small things affect texture. Glad to hear you liked the one yolks!
The flavor and texture of these cookies were out of this world! However my cookies baked up very flat and I’m wondering if I needed more flour. Can you post the flour amount needed in grams (weight vs volume)? I noticed your one yolk CCC recipe had Wrights listed and had almost double the flour as these cookies. Thanks so much!
Hi Joyce! The one yolks have more flour because there’s no cocoa and they are baked right away. These have a decent amount of cocoa (which is drying) and will take time in the fridge to bind (this way, less flour is needed and you get that brownie texture). If your cookies baked up flat it could be to do with the butter used or a mis-measurement. I did have a few people tell me that when they used butter with 83% butterfat the cookies spread a lot, I use 80%. I’ll get the flour weight up there soon!
Hi if I have liquid egg whites do you know how many tablespoons would equal the one large egg white asked for in this recipe?? Thanks 🙂
this is a great question! Next time I make this I’ll weigh my white and add it here.