Bakery-Style Chocolate Chunk Cookies

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Chilled dough and hand-chopped chocolate bars are the whole trick here: the rest gives you deep butterscotch flavor and thick, chewy centers, while the irregular chunks and shards melt into glossy puddles instead of staying in neat little dots. Portion the dough into balls and freeze them, then bake two or ten at a time whenever the craving hits.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280 g), spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (226 g), at cool room temperature
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (200 g)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate bars (60–72% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 2 oz milk chocolate bar, coarsely chopped (optional)
• to taste flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Chop the chocolate bars on a cutting board with a large serrated or chef's knife into a mix of 1/2-inch chunks, thin shards, and fine dust. Do not sift out the dust — it streaks the dough with cocoa flavor and helps form the puddles. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt together in a medium bowl.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightened but not fluffy and airy. Scrape the bowl once.
4. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat on medium for 45 seconds, until fully combined and smooth. Scrape down the bowl and paddle.
5. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low just until a few streaks of flour remain, about 20 seconds. Add all the chopped chocolate and mix on low for 10 more seconds, then finish folding by hand with a sturdy spatula so you don't overwork the dough.
6. Portion the dough into 18 balls of about 3 tablespoons each (roughly 65 g), pressing any stray chocolate shards into the tops. Arrange on a plate or sheet pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours. This hydrates the flour and deepens the flavor — a 2-hour chill works in a pinch but the cookies will spread more and taste less caramelized.
7. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the upper third. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
8. Place 6 dough balls per sheet, spaced at least 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pan front to back at 7 minutes, until the edges are set and deep golden and the centers still look soft and slightly underdone.
9. Immediately after pulling the pan, sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky salt. For extra-round cookies, scoot a large round cutter or wide glass around each one while it's still molten. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes — they finish setting there — then transfer to a rack.
10. To freeze: arrange the chilled dough balls on a sheet pan and freeze solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F for 13 to 15 minutes; no thawing needed.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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