Crisp on the outside and soft and gooey in the center, these Thick Triple Chocolate Cookies are oversized, extra-thick, and packed with chocolate. Adapted from a thick chocolate chip cookie base, this version doubles down on chocolate for an indulgent, Levain-style copycat cookie that stays tender inside while developing a crisp, golden exterior.
This recipe builds on a reliable thick cookie method and adds cocoa and an extra helping of chips for a deeply chocolatey result.
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Ingredients Needed
- Cold Butter
- Brown Sugar
- White Granulated Sugar
- Cake Flour
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- White Chocolate Chips
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Tips and FAQs
Why use cold butter?
Cold butter creates small pockets of fat in the dough that melt during baking, producing a tender interior and slightly flaky texture. Creaming cold, cubed butter with sugar leaves a few small pieces, similar to a pie crust, which helps create volume and structure while keeping the cookie thick.
Why add cake flour along with all-purpose?
Cake flour reduces the protein content of the flour blend, resulting in a more tender crumb. Using both cake flour and all-purpose gives structure without making the cookie tough.
Why bake at high heat?
Baking at a higher temperature quickly sets the outside, creating a crisp, golden shell while the centers stay soft and gooey. This contrast is key to the signature Levain-style texture.
What does cornstarch do?
Cornstarch helps the cookies remain thick and tender by adding body without absorbing moisture the way extra flour would. It contributes to a soft, cakey interior.
Best baking sheets to use?
Light-colored baking sheets: Use light aluminum pans rather than dark, nonstick sheets, which can brown bottoms too quickly. Also bake on cold sheets — placing dough on a hot sheet can make cookies spread more than desired.
What shape should the dough be?
Thick disc (hockey puck) shapes: Form the dough into flat, round discs about 1.5–2 inches thick (roughly 6 ounces or ½ cup of dough each). Large balls tended to brown on the outside before the center set, while discs bake more evenly.
How long to chill the dough?
Chill discs until firm, at least 30 minutes. Chilling reduces spread and helps the cookies stay tall. Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days, making this a convenient make-ahead option.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. Freeze the formed discs for easier baking from frozen. Add a few minutes to the baking time when baking straight from the freezer. Monitor oven temperature with a thermometer to avoid over-browning.
These are extra-large cookies with a bakery-style finish. If you enjoy oversized cookies, try other large-cookie recipes for variety.
Author note: My debut cookbook, A Little Something Sweet, includes single-serve recipes and is available to order.
Recipe
Thick Triple Chocolate Cookies
Crisp on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. These Thick Triple Chocolate Cookies are giant, extra thick, and loaded with chocolate. If you’ve had a Levain Bakery cookie in NYC, these are a close copycat.
- Author: Kathleen
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 cookies
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup Brown Sugar, light or dark
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ cups Cake Flour
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup White Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugars. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl, cream the cold cubed butter with the brown and white sugars on medium for 2–4 minutes until combined but with a few small butter pieces remaining.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated, then add vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients. Add cake flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be thick.
- Form discs. Portion the dough into thick discs (hockey puck shape), about 6 ounces or ½ cup each, approximately 1.5–2 inches thick. Avoid overworking the dough.
- Chill. Refrigerate the discs until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven. Preheat to 400°F (use an oven thermometer if possible). Line light-colored baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bake. Place chilled discs on the prepared sheet and bake 14–17 minutes (about 15 minutes is typical). Cookies are done when puffed, golden on the outside, and set. Cool on the sheet 10 minutes before transferring to a rack. If the baking sheet is warm, cool it before placing more dough.
- Serve. Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt if desired and enjoy.
Notes
Freezing: Freeze discs and bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the bake time.
Leftovers: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 giant cookie
- Calories: 812
- Sugar: 65.6 g
- Sodium: 361.5 mg
- Fat: 40.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 109.2 g
- Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 10.6 g
- Cholesterol: 112 mg