Bakery-Style Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients

• 227 g (1 cup)unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm
• 175 g (¾ cup), packedbrown sugar
• 100 g (½ cup)white sugar
• 1 largeegg
• 2 tspvanilla extract
• 220 g (1¾ cups)plain flour
• 2 tbspskimmed milk powder
• 1 tspsalt
• ½ tspbaking powder
• ¼ tspbicarbonate of soda
• 300 gchocolate chunks, from a roughly chopped dark chocolate bar

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the trays

   Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line three baking sheets with baking parchment.

2. 2

   Mix the sugars

   In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the brown and white sugars until smooth.

3. 3

   Add egg

   Whisk in the egg and vanilla until the mixture looks glossy and is fully blended.

4. 4

   Mix dry ingredients

   Use a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon to mix in the flour, milk powder and salt.

5. 5

   Add raising agents

   Mix in the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda until just combined.

6. 6

   Fold in chocolate

   Fold the chocolate chunks through the dough.

7. 7

   Scoop and bake

   Use a large cookie scoop or a 60 ml (¼-cup) dry measuring cup to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions 5–8 cm (2–3 inches) apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

8. 8

   Cool the cookies

   Leave the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets.

What are bakery-style chocolate chunk cookies?

These are large American-style cookies, with chopped chocolate distributed throughout the dough rather than small, uniform chips. The bakery-style name points to their generous size and contrast between a browned edge and a soft centre.

This version uses melted butter and a mix of brown and white sugars for a rich, chewy cookie with crisp edges. Milk powder adds another layer of richness, while chopped dark chocolate gives the bites varied pockets of chocolate.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 295 calories, 3g protein, 33g carbs, 17g fat.

The flour and sugars provide most of the carbohydrates, while butter and chocolate contribute much of the fat. The egg and chocolate provide some protein, though the recipe is not especially protein-led. Pair a cookie with fruit or plain yoghurt for a more rounded snack.

Why melted butter works

Lukewarm melted butter blends smoothly with the sugars, so there is no need to cream softened butter first. Let it cool until warm rather than hot before mixing, as the recipe calls for lukewarm butter.

Brown sugar brings a soft, chewy quality, while white sugar helps the edges brown and crisp. Whisking them until smooth gives the dough an even base.

Mix the dough gently

Dry ingredients: Stir in the flour, milk powder and salt with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon. Mix in the raising agents only until combined, as directed, rather than continuing to beat the dough.

Chocolate: Fold the chunks in at the end so they stay distributed through the dough. Roughly chopped chocolate creates a mix of smaller flecks and larger pieces.

Look for browned edges

The recipe gives a bake time of 10–12 minutes at 190°C. The clearest doneness cue is golden-brown edges; the centres are intended to remain chewy and fudgy rather than bake until firm.

The cookies are left on the baking sheets to cool completely. Handle them gently while warm, as they will be softer before cooling.

Space out the portions

Use a large scoop or a 60 ml (¼-cup) measure to make the jumbo portions. Leave 5–8 cm between them so the cookies have room to spread without running together.

The recipe uses three lined baking sheets. If they do not all fit in your oven at once, bake in batches and keep the remaining dough ready while the first sheets bake.

Serve and share

These cookies are well suited to serving once they have cooled, when their edges have set and their centres remain chewy. A glass of milk or a cup of tea or coffee makes a simple pairing.

For a dessert plate, serve one cookie alongside fresh fruit or plain yoghurt. The recipe makes 18 cookies, so the portions can also be shared across a group.

Recipe notes & tips

• Let the melted butter cool until lukewarm before whisking it with the sugars.
• Use a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon to mix the flour into the dough.
• Stop mixing once the raising agents are just incorporated.
• Space the portions 5–8 cm apart to allow for spreading.
• Check for golden-brown edges from the 10-minute mark.
• Allow the cookies to cool fully on the baking sheets before moving them.

Variations

• Dark chocolate: Use a dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped, as in the recipe.
• Milk chocolate: Swap in chopped milk chocolate for a sweeter version.
• Mixed chocolate: Combine dark and milk chocolate chunks for a varied flavour.
• Smaller cookies: Scoop smaller portions and begin checking them earlier, as they may bake faster.
• Flaky finish: Add a small pinch of flaky salt on top after baking.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Hot butter: Let it become lukewarm before mixing so it matches the recipe method.
• Overmixing: Stop as soon as the dry ingredients and raising agents are incorporated.
• Crowded trays: Leave 5–8 cm between portions so the cookies have room to spread.
• Overbaking: Use golden-brown edges as the cue and avoid waiting for the centres to firm up.
• Moving them too soon: Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before handling.

How to store

Once completely cool, keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within about 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a sealed container; thaw at room temperature, or warm briefly in a low oven.

Frequently asked questions