Warning: this recipe is not for the faint of heart. I searched for YEARS for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe – slightly crispy edges and chewy, gooey center. THIS IS IT. I stopped by search and have been making this recipe for over a decade. It is the Bouchon Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe from Bouchon Bakery by famous chef Thomas Keller in New York City. It has a rich flavor from the molasses and dark brown sugar. It doesn’t need vanilla. It doesn’t need nuts. This recipe lets the butter and chocolate chips SHINE like the stars they are. This is a purist and perfectionist’s DREAM cookie.
It usually scares people to attempt this recipe because what makes it perfect is the exact ratios of butter to flour to egg… which can only be achieved by using a food scale (this is a great inexpensive one). Measuring with a measuring cup is not precise due to variations in humidity and the volume of eggs based on what size you buy. Measuring by weight eliminates all of those variables resulting in a perfect cookie that is exactly the same, every time. But, measuring by weight is actually super easy! It can even be faster than measuring everything with spoons and measuring cups because you just keep scooping into the bowl until you reach your desired weight. If you put in too much, simply take it out.
The cookbook featured a recipe that I found harder to follow because I wanted to base my measurements on sticks of butter – and be able to double or triple or quadruple the recipe easily. So, I did what any good baking nerd would do and made a spreadsheet and reconfigured all of the weights to be based on sticks of butter (133g). You can find this cheat sheet table of ratios at the bottom and I shared the recipe below based on what is most common – two sticks of butter. I’ll show you a trick at the end which will make you want to use four sticks (and freeze some for the freshest, best chocolate chip cookies whenever you want).
INGREDIENTS:
- 322 grams all purpose flour
- 3 grams of baking soda
- 4 grams of kosher salt
- 181 grams of dark brown sugar
- 16 grams of unsulphered blackstrap molasses (I use Grandma’s brand with yellow label)
- 141 grams of white sugar
- 226 grams (two sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature (this is important)
- 81 grams of eggs (this measurement is the most important, see note below)
- 145 grams of baking chocolate cut into 3/8 inch chunks (I use Baker’s brand in semi-sweet)
- 145 grams of chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli brand in 60% bittersweet)
STEPS:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is the consistency of mayo and holds a peak when the paddle is lifted. This is called a “pomade” in French baking technique – as in, the consistency of hair pomade. Sometimes I put my warm hands around the bowl to make the temperature rise a little and help the butter soften even more.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dark brown sugar, molasses and regular sugar, breaking up any lumps, even though the mixture will not be smooth. Add in the sugar/molasses mixture and mix for 3-4 minutes on medium speed, until fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. See note below on measuring the eggs. Add in the eggs and mix on low speed for about 15 seconds. If you mix the eggs too much, they will cause the cookies to spread out too much, so be extremely careful. The batter may appear to be separated but that’s normal and will be fine once you add in the dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing on low speed for 15-30 seconds after each, until just combined.
5. Chop the baking chocolate into 3/8″ chunks. Add the chocolates and pulse on low speed about 10 times to combine. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, best is overnight. The temperature matters here because we started off with such soft butter that if you bake it right away, it will result in a very flat cookie rather than one that was cool enough to hold it’s shape in the hot oven.
6. If you refrigerated overnight, take out for about 30 minutes and let the dough temperature rise to about 60 degrees F or when it’s easier to scoop and handle and shape. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325. Line two baking sheets (love these!) with parchment paper or silicone baking mats like these.
7. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Farenheight on convection setting if you have that.
8. Weigh out 75 grams per cookie. I’ve also done smaller cookies that are about 50 grams each. (It’s more important that the cookies are the same size/weight.) Place the balls of dough on each sheet – if you’re doing 75 grams, one half sheet pan fits six. Bake until golden brown on the edges and still slightly beige in the middle, about about 12-14 minutes in total, rotating the pans halfway through. Allow to cool for five minutes on the pan, and then remove to a cooling rack lined with parchment paper (it’s so gooey that without the parchment paper, the cookies may break apart). I use a metal fish spatula like this to lift them delicately and then use a stacking cooling rack like this to save space.
9. They’re best enjoyed about 5 minutes out of the oven… but you can microwave them for about 15 seconds to slightly re-melt the chocolate if you want to enjoy it later!
IMPORTANT NOTE ON MEASURING EGGS:
In order to make this best chocolate chip cookie recipe and achieve the perfect chewy texture, you cannot have too many or too little egg in the batter. So, I crack enough eggs to have slightly MORE than I need; whisk it together so that it’s a uniform mixture of whites and yolks; and then weigh out the exact amount that I need. I know this seems like overkill. If you’re off by a 2-3 grams, it will surely be fine and still delicious. But, if you want to learn this technique and master this recipe, know that this is the most important measurement to get right.
Cheat Sheet for Ratios
If you want to double this recipe, I did the calculations for you to use four sticks of butter instead of two.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe – it really is the best chocolate cookie recipe, in my humble opinion! Drop a comment or send me a DM on Instagram! You can view a video of the step by step on Instagram as well.
