Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double the chocolate means double the deliciousness with these irresistible chocolate chip cookies. Perfect for impatient chocolate lovers, these cookies are ready in just 30 minutes.
Today’s cookies get a double dose of chocolate from semi-sweet chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Chewy on the inside with slightly crispy edges, these double chocolate chip cookies are absolutely delicious and ready in 30 minutes.
When shopping for cocoa powder for today’s cookies, you’ll likely notice a few options. Understanding the nuances between various types of cocoa powders will help you make the best choice for your baking needs. Let me explain.
Cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans. After the beans are harvested, they’re fermented, dried, and roasted to bring out their flavor and aroma. The outer shells of the beans are removed (hulled) to reveal the cocoa nibs. The nibs are ground into a liquid paste called chocolate liquor. Allowed to cool and solidify, this chocolate liquor (contains no alcohol) becomes what’s known as unsweetened baking chocolate. When the paste is pressed to remove most of the fat (cocoa butter), dried, and finely ground, it becomes unsweetened cocoa powder.
There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder: natural and Dutch processed. While both types of cocoa powder add a wonderful deep chocolate flavor to desserts and baked goods, their unique chemical properties affect how they work in various recipes.
Natural cocoa powder is the most common type of cocoa powder used in recipes. Sometimes labeled “unsweetened cocoa powder” or “100% cocoa powder,” it’s bitter and acidic with a strong, concentrated chocolate flavor. It’s the cocoa powder of choice in recipes that include baking soda. Since natural cocoa powder is an acid and baking soda is a base, the two ingredients react together causing baked goods to rise.
Dutch-process cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans that have been soaked in an alkaline solution which neutralizes the acidity of the beans. Sometimes it’s labeled “alkalized cocoa powder” or “processed with alkali.” This type of cocoa powder is darker in color, less bitter tasting, and dissolves easier in liquids. It’s often described as having a rich, fudgy flavor. Since Dutch-process cocoa powder doesn’t react with baking soda, it’s often used in recipes calling for baking powder.
Black cocoa powder is a style of Dutch-process cocoa powder that has gone through a slightly different alkalizing method, making it extremely dark in color. I understand it’s the cocoa powder used to make Oreo cookies. The same selection rules apply for black cocoa powder as Dutch-process cocoa powder in terms of leavening agents.
To simplify your cocoa powder selection process, here’s a helpful chart.
If you don’t have the desire or pantry space to stock multiple varieties of cocoa powder, I would make natural cocoa powder my go-to choice. You can also purchase cocoa powder blends that contain a mix of natural and Dutch-process. Saco Pantry brand makes a cocoa powder blend containing natural and Dutch. The King Arthur Baking Company produces a blend of natural, Dutch, and black cocoa powder called Triple Cocoa Blend. Both of these cocoa powder blends can be used in any recipe calling for cocoa powder.
Store cocoa powder in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place. When properly stored, cocoa powder will keep for up to two years. However, the strength of the chocolate flavor fades over time. Do not store cocoa powder in the refrigerator or freezer as moisture can lead to spoilage.
Cook’s Note: Instant espresso powder, as called for in this recipe, is best known for being a chocolate dessert enhancer. Adding espresso powder to anything chocolate will intensify the chocolate flavor, making it taste even more decadent.
To your health,
Darlene
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DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Yield: 28 servings
Serving Size: 1 cookie
Prep: 15 minutes
Ready: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Parchment paper or vegetable oil cooking spray (such as Pam)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1 to 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional ingredient)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, yielding 28 cookies. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until done. Cool on wire racks.
Cook’s Note: For evenly portioned cookies, I used a 3/4-ounce scoop (also labeled #40) filled with cookie dough and leveled. You could also use a one tablespoon measuring spoon that’s slightly heaping.
Nutrition Information per cookie
141 Calories, 6 g Total fat, 3 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 13 mg Cholesterol, 89 mg Sodium, 20 g Total carbohydrate, 1 g Dietary fiber, 14 g Total sugars, 14 g Added sugars, 2 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 9 mg (0%) Calcium, 0 mg (0%) Iron, 70 mg (2%) Potassium
© 2026 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC
