My Nearly Famous Sea Salted Dark & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

What if I told you that I don’t love chocolate chip cookies, but I bake the most amazing chocolate chip cookies? This recipe has my loved ones repeatedly proclaiming: “THESE ARE THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, EVER” & “I WILL BUY A HOUSE FROM YOU.” (Lol.)

My husband is also a chocolate chip cookie aficionado - a self-proclaimed cookie monster, so it is love that has me making these cookies. He literally reverts to a child-like state while eating these. During his first bite, his eyes narrow, his head nods, he enters a realm of divine bliss. And when I bake these cookies for friends, I have to give him a stern warning before: “These cookies are NOT yours. These are for our friends. Yours are in the freezer. And you’ve already eaten two!”

In an effort to resist the urge to write a rambling blog post where you’re infinitely scrolling to find the recipe, directly below is my Sea Salted Dark & White Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This recipe is revised (and doubled in size) from the New York Times Cooking: Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (gift article) by Jacques Torres & David Leite that has a five-star rating with 18,000+ reviews. I recommend making this recipe as a double batch (4 dozen cookies, as shown below) given that it’s a time intensive recipe, the cookies are devoured quickly, and you can freeze in batches to always have some on hand. 

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Sea Salted Dark & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe PDF (4 dozen) | Recipe PDF (2 dozen)

Yield: 4 dozen 3-inch cookies 

Time commitment:

45-min prep & clean-up | 24-72 hours fridge chill | 60-min dough ball prep

15-minute batch bake (per 6 cookies) | 12-min batch cool down

Ingredients

3 ¾ cups cake flour (482 grams)

3 ⅓ cups bread flour (482 grams)

2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons coarse sea salt

2 ½ cups unsalted, softened/slightly melted butter (5 sticks/568 grams)

2 ½ cups light brown sugar (568 grams)

2 ¼ cups cane sugar (454 grams)

4 large eggs 

4 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

20 ounces high-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (567 grams)

20 ounces high-quality white chocolate chips (567 grams)

~4 tablespoons of Maldon Sea salt flakes, reserved for sprinkling on top

Optional: Milk of your choice with serving

Kitchen Supplies:

Dry measuring cups: 1 cup, ½ cup, ⅓ cup, ¼ cup

1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, ¼ teaspoon

One large mixing bowl

One extra large mixing bowl (5+ quarts)

Whisk (or flour sifter)

Hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle)

Compostable parchment paper

15x10 glass baking dish with storage lid

Digital kitchen scale

1-2 large baking sheets

Wire cooling rack

3-4 Stasher silicone half-gallon bags, if refrigerating or freezing

Some tips before you start: 

• The cookie dough needs to rest in the fridge for 24+ hours prior to baking, so don’t count on making-baking-eating on same day!

• Bread flour is heavier than cake flour, hence the different volume (cups) despite the same weight (grams). Some NYT Food recipe commenters have mentioned that they just use all-purpose flour with delicious results. I haven’t tried this, but you can!

• It’s easier to mix if your butter is super soft. I recommend placing it in a bowl and zapping it briefly in the microwave, keeping it in mostly solid form.

• I use a semi-sweet dark chocolate with 55% cocoa, but you can go higher or lower.

• Lastly, I try to avoid all single-use plastic, which you’ll notice in this recipe.

Recipe Instructions:

Step 1

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started a recipe only to realize I don’t have an ingredient or a kitchen tool, so while Step 1 is a no-brainer for some of you, for the rest of us: Place every ingredient needed out on the kitchen counter, take out your kitchen supplies, and read the recipe in completion before beginning. Also, play some feel-good music.  

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine and sift cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and coarse sea salt. Set aside. Note: I slowly whisk the flours together (~3 minutes) in lieu of using a flour sifter.

Step 3

In a separate extra-large bowl, using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) on medium speed, mix the butter, brown sugar, and cane sugar together. Mix until the three ingredients become one (~3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and mix briefly again.

Step 4

Reduce the speed to low, slowly add in the dry ingredients (from Step 2) until just combined. Resist the urge to overmix. 

Step 5

Using your clean hands (take off your rings!), incrementally add both the semi-sweet and white chocolate chips to the mixture. Incorporate the chips into the dough as evenly as possible without breaking the chips. 

Step 6

Lay out a large piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. Place half the dough on the parchment paper, forming a roughly 12-inch log shape. Wrap the dough in parchment paper. Repeat this to form a second log. Place the two logs in the baking dish with an air-tight storage lid. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours (no more than 72 hours). 

Step 7

After the 24+ hour resting time, separate and scoop the dough into equally portioned 2.4-ounce balls, making sure that all chocolate chips (that are poking up) are turned horizontally. Measure using a digital kitchen scale. This will ensure even baking, consistent sizing, and attractiveness. Place back in the refrigerator, ideally at least for one hour before baking. 

Step 8

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Place six cookies on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt flakes to your liking.

Note: You will have to press the flakes into the dough since the dough is chilled/hardened. For flakes that do not stick, pick up the balls and press the leftover flakes into them. If your oven isn’t preheated yet, temporarily place the cookie sheet back in the fridge to keep the dough chilled.

Step 9

Bake the cookies until golden brown but still soft, 14 to 16 minutes. (Check the cookies at 12 minutes to ensure your oven’s baking time.) Let the cookies rest for 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully transferring them to a wire rack for proper cooling (10 minutes). Repeat this step with remaining dough balls, or store dough balls wrapped in parchment paper in Stasher bags in the fridge (up to 48 hours) or freezer (up to three months) for batch baking later.

Step 10

Serve warm on a beautiful vintage dessert plate with a glass of milk.

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Thanks for reading! If you bake the cookies, do let me know what you think!

With gratitude,

Ashley