Ultimate Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies – Chewy, Gooey Perfection!

Cookies
Written By Marta Gallagher

The fastest way to a man’s heart? Cookies. After nearly five years of marriage, I finally perfected my ideal cookie recipe—chocolaty, gooey, and even better the next day. These cookies are rich, chewy, and topped with flaky sea salt for that perfect sweet-salty balance.

Servings

12-14 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon table salt

  • ½ cup (1 stick) Tillamook unsalted butter

  • ½ cup C&H Premium Light Brown Sugar, packed

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate chunks (they have to be chunks, seriously.)

  • ½ cup Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate chips

For the Topping

  • (Another) ½ cup Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate chips

  • Flaky salt (Maldon flaky salt is the perfect salt for this!)

Instructions

1. Prep the Oven & Ingredients

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together:

  • Flour

  • Baking powder

  • Baking soda

  • Salt

Set aside.

3. Mix the Wet Ingredients

  1. In a large bowl, add the butter and microwave until the center just starts to melt. Watch closely—if it melts too much, the cookies will turn out flat.

  2. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar, whisking together. The butter/sugar mix will clump into the whisk, use a butter knife to press it out.

  3. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overmix!

4. Combine the Dough

  1. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

  2. Using a wooden spatula, gently fold the dough by scraping along the sides and pressing it into the center. Make sure no flour is left at the bottom.

  3. When a little flour remains, add 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips and fold them in just until the flour disappears.

  4. Do not overmix.

5. Scoop & Shape the Cookies

  • Use a traditional cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls on the parchment-lined trays, leaving 1-2 inches of space between each.

  • For larger cookies, use a jumbo scoop and adjust the baking time. Eye ball it! (I believe in you!)

  • Finally, gently press each dough ball down slightly using three fingers for a more even bake.

6. Bake the Cookies

  • Bake at 350°F for 14 minutes. At the 7-minute mark, switch the trays to ensure even baking. You’ll know they’re ready when they begin to turn a nice golden brown.

  • If you prefer a firmer texture, add 2-5 extra minutes until even more golden brown.

7. Add the Final Touches

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven:

  1. Press in extra chocolate chips (½ cup, piece by piece).

  2. Sprinkle flaky salt on top, lightly pinching and crushing it as you go.

8. Cool & Store

  • Let cookies sit for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a plate or cooling rack to serve!

  • Store in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap. They will stay fresh for up to a week.


This is the go-to cookie recipe for chocolate lovers. Try it once, and it might become your new favorite.

Marta Gallagher