My Favourite Chocolate Chunk Cookies

One of my favourite food subjects of all time; Cookies! Especially when they’re fresh out of the oven — still warm, a bit gooey in the centre, and the chocolate’s all glossy and slightly melted. There’s something so satisfying about that first bite when they’re still a little soft but not falling apart. So it only makes sense that I’d want to share my go-to cookie recipe!

This chocolate chunk cookie recipe is exactly how I like my cookies — soft and chewy in the middle, with just enough structure on the outside. I use good-quality chunks of chocolate (Whittakers 50% dark chocolate) instead of regular chocolate chips, because I love those big, uneven pockets of melted chocolate you get throughout. And the final touch? A little sprinkle of sea salt flakes on top. It might sound like a small detail, but that salty-sweet contrast really brings out the richness of the chocolate and takes these cookies to the next level.

If you’re a fan of soft, slightly gooey, chocolate-loaded cookies with that perfect balance of sweet and salty, this might just become your new favourite too. It’s a simple recipe, but one I come back to again and again — because good chocolate cookies are an absolute classic.

Quick note on the chocolate:

I’ve tried a lot of different chocolates for baking over the years, and hands down, Whittaker’s 50% Dark Chocolate is my favourite! It melts beautifully, has just the right balance of richness and sweetness, and gives those lovely glossy pools of chocolate that make cookies look (and taste) next-level.

If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend using it in this recipe.

My Favourite Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe

Makes: 9 cookies

Takes: 12 minutes to bake

Ingredients:

• 100g unsalted butter (can also use regular butter)

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 1/4 tsp fine salt

• 175g plain flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 120g chocolate, chopped (I use Whittakers 50%)

Method:

Brown the butter: add butter into a small saucepan. Melt butter over a low/medium heat until it starts to turn into an amber colour (it will start to foam on the top and the milk solids will go a caramel colour). Approx 5-8 minutes. Transfer browned butter into a mixing bowl. Let it cool down for 10 minutes.

Notes: It’s important to let the hot butter cool down, so it can slightly thicken up for the next step. If still super runny, leave for longer or place in the fridge for 5 minutes to speed up the process.

Make the cookie dough: Add brown sugar and egg into the mixing bowl with the brown butter, egg, salt and vanilla. Whisk together until combined for a few minutes, should look light, fluffy pale. Sift in plain flour and baking soda. Mix until a dough starts to form. Add in chocolate chunks and continue to mix until incorporated.

The cookie dough should hold when rolled into balls. Roll into 9 balls and place on a lined plate. Cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Bake: Preheat oven to 190 deg C bake/175 deg C fan bake. Line a tray with baking paper.

Place cookie balls onto a lined baking tray, with a good amount of space around each one.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Should be slightly golden, soft and gooey. You can bake them for longer depending on your preference. Let them sit on the tray for 15 minutes before moving.

Optional but highly recommend sprinkling extra sea salt flakes on the top!