When an undeniable chocolate craving strikes, nothing satisfies quite like these incredibly easy-to-make, fudgy Double Chocolate Cookie Bites. These delightful morsels are designed to melt in your mouth, delivering a concentrated burst of chocolatey goodness that will truly hit the spot!
Among my extensive collection of chocolate cookie recipes, these bite-sized nuggets stand out. They are the perfect solution for a mid-afternoon sugar fix, a delightful after-dinner treat, or simply when you need a little moment of pure indulgence. Packed with an intense cocoa flavor and brimming with chocolate chips, they offer a rich, decadent experience in every tiny bite.
Why These Double Chocolate Cookies Are a Must-Make
You might wonder what makes these particular Double Chocolate Cookie Bites so special. Here are compelling reasons why they should be at the top of your baking list:
- Portion Perfection: Mini cookies offer a sense of guilt-free indulgence. Their small size makes them ideal for satisfying a craving without overdoing it. You can enjoy a few without feeling like you’ve devoured a whole dessert, making them perfect for parties, lunchboxes, or simply portion-controlled snacking throughout the day. Unless, of course, you find yourself reaching for a dozen, which is entirely understandable!
- A Chocoholic’s Dream: This recipe delivers a magnificent trifecta of chocolate flavors. It features rich Dutch-process cocoa powder, which provides a deep, intense chocolate base, complemented by both semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate chips. This combination ensures a complex and satisfying chocolate experience that every true chocoholic will adore. The interplay of different chocolate intensities creates a dynamic flavor profile that is both decadent and balanced.
- Recipe from a Master: This reliable and delicious recipe comes from the celebrated cookbook author, Nancy Baggett. Known for her meticulously tested and consistently fantastic recipes, you can trust that these cookies are designed for success. Her expertise guarantees a flawless outcome, even for novice bakers, ensuring every batch is perfectly chewy and rich.
- Incredibly Quick and Easy: Despite their sophisticated flavor, these cookies come together with remarkable speed and minimal effort. They are a fantastic option for impromptu baking sessions or when you need a delicious treat without spending hours in the kitchen. The straightforward steps make them accessible for bakers of all skill levels.
- Crowd-Pleasing Versatility: Whether you’re serving them at a casual family gathering, packing them for a school event, or offering them as a thoughtful homemade gift, these bite-sized chocolate cookies are universally loved. Their charming size and irresistible flavor make them a hit with everyone.
The inspiration for these cookies often strikes when the pantry feels bare, and the need for something truly comforting is urgent. I recall a recent evening when our freezer stash was dwindling – only two M&M cookies and a few of my more “adventurous” creations (those involving coconut, toffee, or nuts) remained. My husband, Bill, was dangerously close to raiding the pantry for Oreos to pair with his beloved Cherry Kool-Aid. I knew I had to act fast!
I had been saving this exceptional double chocolate cookie recipe, shared by my friend Patty, for an upcoming tailgate party. However, the immediate need at hand was far too pressing to postpone. This recipe came together with such surprising speed that it quickly became a staple. Now, I’m eager to explore more of Nancy Baggett’s culinary genius and plan to add her Simply Sensational Cookies (affiliate link) cookbook to my collection, anticipating many more must-bake cookie recipes.
Expert Baking Tips for Perfect Double Chocolate Cookie Bites
Achieving bakery-quality homemade chocolate cookies is easier than you think with these professional insights. Follow these tips for consistently delicious results:
- Embrace Dutch-Process Cocoa: For the deepest, richest chocolate flavor and a beautiful dark hue, always opt for Dutch-process cocoa powder over natural cocoa in this recipe. Dutch-process cocoa has been treated to reduce its acidity, resulting in a smoother, less bitter taste. You can often find it at specialty stores like Penzey’s, and many supermarkets carry popular brands like Droste (affiliate link) in the baking aisle. The difference in flavor and appearance is truly remarkable.
- Chill Your Dough: This step is non-negotiable for preventing flat, sad cookies. Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes, or preferably an hour, allows the butter to firm up and the flour to fully hydrate. This prevents the cookies from spreading too rapidly in the oven, ensuring they maintain their delightful chewiness and ideal thickness. Cold dough bakes up with a superior texture.
- Use a Cookie Disher for Uniformity: For perfectly uniform chocolate cookie bites, a cookie disher (or spring-release scoop) is your best friend. It ensures each cookie is the same size, leading to even baking and a professional appearance. To minimize sticking, lightly spray the disher with non-stick baking spray as needed.
- Pro Tip: Smooth Exteriors for Presentation: If you’re planning to give these cookies as a gift or serve them to guests, take an extra moment to roll the scooped dough balls between your lightly damp palms. This simple step creates a smooth, polished exterior, making them look even more appealing after baking. While your family might not notice or care, this small detail elevates the presentation significantly.
- Pro Tip: Reserve Chocolate Chips for a Perfect Finish: For that irresistible, bakery-style appeal, reserve about a quarter of your chocolate chips. As soon as the cookies emerge from the oven, while they are still warm and soft, gently press these reserved chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies. This ensures those beautiful chocolate pools are visible, giving a more finished and enticing look, rather than just lumpy surfaces that hide the chocolate goodness within.
- Shape While Warm: It can be tricky to achieve perfectly round cookies, especially when the dough is studded with abundant chocolate chips. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, while they are still hot and pliable, use the back of a spatula or a round cookie cutter (slightly larger than your cookies) to gently nudge and shape them into perfect circles. This quick trick makes a huge difference in their final appearance.
- Storage and Make-Ahead: These cookies keep wonderfully! Store baked double chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, the unbaked dough can be chilled for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If freezing dough, scoop into balls first, then freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baking Chocolate Cookies
Here are answers to common questions that arise when baking delicious chocolate chip cookie recipes like these:
Several factors can contribute to flat cookies, and understanding them is key to achieving a perfect bake. First, the recipe’s ingredient ratios play a crucial role; too much butter or sugar relative to flour can cause excessive spreading. Second, your cookie sheets might be too warm from previous batches, which causes the dough to melt and spread before it has a chance to set. Always ensure your baking sheets are at room temperature or even slightly chilled before placing dough on them. Lastly, and most importantly for this recipe, dough temperature is vital. I always recommend chilling your dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour, before scooping. Cold mounds of dough hold their shape better and spread less in the oven compared to room-temperature dough, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies.
While it might seem like a simple substitution, the choice between Dutch-process cocoa powder and regular (natural) cocoa powder significantly impacts the final cookie. In many recipes, these two can be interchangeable, but because of subtle food science principles, it’s best to stick to what the recipe calls for, especially when leavening agents are involved. Dutch-process cocoa powder is neutral on the pH scale, having been treated with an alkali. Regular cocoa powder, on the other hand, is acidic. This difference in acidity directly interacts with leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder. This particular recipe likely balances the acidity with the specific leavening agents to achieve the desired texture and rise. Substituting regular cocoa for Dutch-process in this recipe could lead to a different texture, flavor, and even color than intended. For the best results in these Double Chocolate Cookie Bites, use Dutch-process cocoa.
Absolutely! While these Double Chocolate Cookie Bites are perfectly delicious as-is, adding chopped nuts can introduce a delightful crunch and complementary flavor. Walnuts, pecans, or even almonds would work wonderfully. If you decide to add nuts, I recommend stirring in about 1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts along with the chocolate chips. This will integrate them evenly throughout the dough without altering the overall texture too much. For an enhanced flavor, lightly toast the nuts before adding them to the dough – this simple step truly brings out their inherent nuttiness.
Discover More Irresistible Chocolate Cookie Recipes
If these Double Chocolate Cookie Bites have sparked your love for all things chocolate, you’ll adore these other decadent cookie creations:
- Chocolate Earthquake Cookies: A dramatic and intensely rich cookie, cracked on top for a visually stunning and deliciously fudgy treat.
- Classic Double Chocolate Cookies: A more traditional take on the double chocolate theme, offering a comforting and satisfying chewiness.
- Hot Chocolate Cookies: Capturing the cozy essence of a warm mug of hot cocoa in a delightful, soft cookie form.
- Explore my full collection of favorite Cookie Recipes and indulgent Homemade Chocolate Recipes in my comprehensive Recipe Index for even more inspiration.
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Double Chocolate Cookie Bites
15 minutes
9 minutes
24 minutes
36 cookies
Indulge in these Double Chocolate Cookie Bites for a truly delicious, intensely chocolatey experience. This fantastic recipe is adapted from the “Simply Sensational Cookies” cookbook by the renowned Nancy Baggett.
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate wafers or high-quality chocolate chips/chunks
- 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate wafers or high-quality chocolate chips/chunks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and set them aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter until it is smooth and creamy. Add the packed brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the room temperature egg until just combined, ensuring not to overmix.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies. Finally, fold in the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate pieces until evenly distributed. For optimal results and to prevent the cookies from spreading too much, let the dough rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, or for an even better texture, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- Scoop rounded teaspoons of dough (a small cookie scoop works perfectly for uniform bites) and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 9 minutes, or until the edges are lightly set but the centers still appear slightly soft. It’s crucial not to overbake these cookies to maintain their chewy texture. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Total time listed above does not reflect any optional resting or chilling time for the dough.
Baking times may vary depending on the size of your cookie scoop: a small cookie scoop generally takes about 9 minutes, while a medium cookie scoop might require around 12 minutes.
Droste is a widely available and excellent brand of Dutch-process cocoa powder, often found in most supermarket baking aisles.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan
- Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets Non-Stick Parchment Paper, 25 Sheet, 4 Count
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18
Serving Size:
2 cookies
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 205Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 137mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
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