THE BEST Triple Chocolate Cookies
What's better than a chocolate cookie? Triple Chocolate Cookies! I can never resist more chocolate and these are for purists for sure. The rich chocolate cookie dough is made with Dutch process cocoa powder and dark brown sugar for a deep dark colour and rich sweetness. I use bittersweet chocolate chunks and pure white chocolate chunks - they are soft and chewy and totally dreamy!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make - this cookie recipe is easy to make because you don't need an electric mixer. You can simply make them with a spatula in a large mixing bowl.
- Chewy chocolate cookies - these chocolate cookies have a wonderful chewy texture.
- Triple chocolate - chocolate comes in three ways: cocoa powder in the cookie dough, bittersweet chocolate chunks and white chocolate chunks.
- Chocolate chunk cookies - I like the look, taste and texture of chunks instead of chips. Bittersweet chocolate chunks from a bar will melt nicely into the cookie dough so you get layers of chocolate.
INGREDIENTS FOR TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
- Unsalted butter - soft butter adds incredible flavor and helps build some structure during the creaming step for crisp edges. Pull it out at least 2 hours before baking so it is softened to room temperature.
- Brown sugar - the molasses in brown sugar gives these cookies a toffee-like flavor.
- Granulated sugar - this recipe uses both brown sugar and white granulated sugar. The white sugar will help them crisp up for crunchy edges.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will elevate the deep chocolate flavour and it is really important in this recipe. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour makes the best cookies with a chewy texture.
- Cocoa powder - It's worth it to have good cocoa powder for these cookies! It's the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe.
- Espresso powder - it adds really nice depth and heightened roasted notes to these cookies which enhances the chocolate taste. It is optional and you can leave it out. See the FAQ section below to find out how this will affect the cookies.
- Salt - don't leave out the salt! It really elevates the chocolate taste and balances the sweetness.
- Dark chocolate chunks - I use 70% chocolate for a rich chocolate taste to balance the sweetness of the white chocolate. You can chop it up from a bar of chocolate or use these 63% dark chocolate chips
- Pure white chocolate - use high quality white chocolate from discs or bars and chop it up into chunks. Chocolate chips will be fine too, but they tend to have a higher sugar content and can burn easily.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda into a medium bowl to remove any lumps. Add espresso powder and salt and whisk to blend evenly.
- STEP 2). Cream butter and sugar. Beat together the soft butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and a bit fluffy. It will look more like wet sand than a pale and aerated mixture. You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until slightly fluffy and lightened in color by a shade, or you can also use an electric hand mixer. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during mixing.
- STEP 3). Mix in egg. Add the egg mix until well combined. Mix in vanilla.
- STEP 4). Add dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until it just begins to incorporate.
- STEP 5). Add chocolate. Fold in the chocolate chunks until they are evenly distributed.
- STEP 6). Chill the dough. Cover the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- STEP 7). Bake. Scoop up about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into smooth balls. Place onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 2 inches apart. Place a few extra chocolate chunks on top of each dough ball if desired. Flatten just slightly and bake for 9-11 minutes until puffed and the tops are cracked but they are still soft in the middle. Transfer to a rack and let cookies cool on trays for 3 minutes before transferring individually to the rack to finish cooling.
TIPS FOR MAKING TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
- Use salted butter! It really makes a different when working with a chocolate dough. It adds a richness that makes these taste ultra chocolaty
- Get chocolate chunks instead of chips - if you like the melty "puddle" effect of the dark chocolate, then get you favorite dark chocolate bar or block and chop it up into rough chunks
- Chill the dough - giving this dough time to sit in the fridge will help the cocoa settle into the butter and will give time to let the flour hydrate. This produces chewier cookies with a richer flavor.
- Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will makes them dry and crumbly, and too little will cause them to spread excessively.
- Use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to portion these cookies for even baking and roll the dough portions into smooth balls for a uniform shape.
- Let the baked cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them. They are delicate while still warm from the molten toffee so they need a few minutes to set up.
RECIPE FAQ
Dutch process cocoa powder is alkalized cocoa which means that it has been treated with a basic (alkaline agent) such as sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate. This neutralizes the acidity of the cocoa and brings the pH up from around 5 or 6 to above 7.
Alkalizing reduces the acidic or sour taste of cocoa and makes it more smooth or mellow. I find that as the pH gets higher (more heavily Dutched cocoa, like black cocoa) the taste can get slightly smoky. It also tends to have less complexity. Natural cocoa has a more pronounced fruity character.
You can use either Dutch process or natural cocoa powder in this Triple Chocolate Cookies recipe. I prefer Dutch cocoa in this application for it's deep colour and more smoky taste to complement the sweet white chocolate. This is my favourite Dutch cocoa. I would just not recommend Black cocoa which almost has a smokey salty taste due to its high alkalinity.
Espresso powder adds really nice depth and heightened roasted notes to these cookies which offsets the sweet creamy white chocolate and complements the bittersweet chocolate. If you don't have espresso powder, you can grind up instant coffee grounds. Or, just omit it from the recipe all together - it will still work fine. The cookies may be slightly thicker since the acidity from the coffee reacts more quickly with baking soda to promote spreading.
Chilling this cookie dough is so important for the best results. Of course you can bake them right away, but they will not be as golden, as thick or as chewy and flavorful as they could be if you chill the dough and they will spread more. Ideally you would chill the dough for a minimum of 1 hour for this dough if baking at the higher temperature. If you bake at the lower temperature, I recommend refrigerating for at least 2 hours. It will lend the richest flavor and chewiest texture. Chilled cookie dough also makes cookies with a longer shelf life so they will stay chewy for longer and be slower to stale.
If you only have time to chill the dough for less than an hour, then I would suggest reducing the baking soda to ½ teaspoon. This will control the spreading because a dough that hasn't had time to absorb the moisture will spread more than one that is chilled. You can also place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed it up, but it is important to note that this serves the purpose of chilling the fat and doesn't allow the time for flour hydration.
These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
If you love cookies, check out these recipes!
Dark Chocolate Brown Butter Pecan Cookies with Cinnamon Sugar Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Soft & Chewy Caramel Apple Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style! CHEWY Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks The BEST Fudgy Flourless Brownie Cookies Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Triple Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (160g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (28g) cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) salted butter, softened
- ½ cup (110g) packed dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¾ cup 113g dark chocolate chunks plus extra for topping
- ½ cup 70g white chocolate chunks plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda into a medium bowl to remove any lumps. Add espresso powder and salt and whisk to blend evenly.
- Combine butter with both sugars and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until slightly fluffy and lightened in colour by a shade. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during mixing. You can also use an electric hand mixer.
- Beat in egg until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until it just begins to incorporate then fold in the chocolate chunks until they are evenly distributed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop up about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into smooth balls. Place onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 2 inches apart. Place a few extra chocolate chunks on top of each dough ball if desired. Flatten just slightly and bake for 9-11 minutes until puffed and the tops are cracked but they are still soft in the middle. Transfer to a rack and let cookies cool on trays for 3 minutes before transferring individually to the rack to finish cooling.
Wow! These were delicious. I only had blonde espresso powder on hand but it worked out great. I ended up leaving the dough in the fridge for a few days and baking them off as needed. They didn’t last long.
Thank you KC!
This is the 3rd recipe I've tried from your blog and these cookies turned out really amazing! I used brown butter for this recipe..because I got addicted to it now after learning how to make it from your chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Thank you Kathleen! I'm so glad you have been enjoying my recipes 🙂
Amazing recipe! They turn our so great with minimal effort too.
These truly are the BEST! I finally found a chocolate cookie recipe that has the fudgy texture I’ve been looking for.
These are perfect! The texture is amazing, crisp on the outside and chewy and fudgy on the inside. Maybe my new favorite ? and so quick and easy to make!
Thanks so much Taylor!
Absolutely delicious! Love this recipe!
Thanks so much!
Another winning cookie recipe from you Christina! These are so so good.
Incredible! Perfectly chocolatey and chewy.
So fudgy & chocolaty!! We inhaled them. Another amazing cookie recipe from Christina for the win!
Thanks so so much Laurel!
The texture on these is unreal!
I couldn’t wait to make these and I’m glad I did because they are incredible!
These are my new favorite cookies! They are very easy to make, and the result is amazing! Thank you so much, Christina, for sharing with us your delicious recipes!