Recipe updated: April 12th, 2024
These sea salt chocolate chip cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and topped with a light sprinkle of sea salt. You may be able to eat just one, but I doubt it. 🙂 They are chewy cookies with a soft texture and slightly crispy edges, and the salty combination gives them a unique taste all of their own.
Baking soft cookies like these salted chocolate chip cookies with gooey chocolate chips inside are so easy and fun to make, although my granddaughters think they are much more fun to eat. They get so excited when it’s time to bake cookies, especially when they get to help make a big cookie pizza loaded with mini chocolate chips and lots of candy, or sugar cookies with different colored homemade icing.
🍪 Key Ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ⅓ cup of light brown sugar
- 1 cup of granulated sugar – also known as white sugar
- 1 cup of unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of table salt
👩🍳 How to Make Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Preheat the Oven
Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2. Add the Dry Ingredients to a Bowl
In a large mixing bowl add 2 cups all-purpose flour together with 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon table salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder.
Step 3. Combine the Dry Ingredients
Use a whisk or spoon to mix the flour together with the unsweetened cocoa powder, table salt, and baking powder. Set the flour mixture aside for now.
Step 4. Melt the Butter
Next, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt one cup of butter (one cup of butter equals two sticks) in the microwave for about forty seconds.
Note: If you don’t have a microwave, you can make room temperature butter. To do that, set the butter on the countertop for about 15 minutes or so. This will soften it enough to blend it in with the following ingredients in the next few steps.
Step 5. Prepare the Wet Ingredients
In a different large bowl, add 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and then add the melted butter. Mix together. After that, add 1 and 1/3 cups of light brown sugar and 1 cup of granulated sugar to the bowl. Whisk it up altogether in the bowl.
Tip: You can use a hand electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you prefer. Start out on low speed so the mixture doesn’t fly out of the bowl, then increase to medium speed. Mix it just enough to blend the ingredients together.
So for now, in one bowl we have the flour, unsweetened cocoa, salt, and baking powder mixed altogether as the dry ingredients. In the other bowl, we have the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, 4 eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter mixed altogether as the wet ingredients.
Step 6. Add the Dry Ingredients to the Wet Ingredients
Slowly add the dry ingredients together with the wet ingredients. You may have to use a spatula or a spoon at this point because the ingredients are getting thicker.
Step 7. Blend Altogether to Make Cookie Dough
Continue to mix the ingredients until completely blended into a creamy chocolate cookie dough. Make sure to get all the cookie dough on the sides of the bowl mixed together with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 8. Add the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Add 1 and 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips together with the chocolate cookie dough mixture. Keep stirring the cookie dough and chocolate chips until well blended. Do not use the electric hand mixer at this time. Using an electric mixer will break up the chocolate chips.
Step 9. Chill the Cookie Dough
Put the cookie dough in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to chill before baking to firm up the dough. If you don’t have two hours to spare, at least shoot for 30 to 60 minutes chilling time to chill the cookie dough.
Tip: You can make this cookie dough first thing in the morning, then let it set in the refrigerator all day and make the cookies in the evening, or put the cookie dough in the refrigerator overnight and make the cookies the next day. If you do this option, cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap so it won’t get too dry.
Step 10. Scoop Out Some Cookie Dough Balls
After the cookie dough is chilled, fill up a medium cookie scoop with cookie dough. Our cookie scoop is roughly about three tablespoons. If there is a bit of excess cookie dough hanging out of the cookie scoop, that’s okay.
Tip: This cookie dough is a bit sticky, so you can use a spatula instead of your finger if you want to level out any of the excess dough hanging out of the scooper, or you can leave it as is. There’s not that much excess cookie dough hanging out, so it doesn’t matter.
Step 11. Line a Cookie Sheet with Parchment Paper
Next, we will need to line a cookie sheet (also referred to as a baking sheet or sheet pan) with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, use non-stick cooking spray. Drop the cookie dough out of the cookie scoop onto the parchment paper.
The photo below is for demonstration purposes only. You can put between 9 and 12 scoops of cookie dough on the cookie sheet (depending on the size of your cookie sheet) instead of the five shown in the photo, and space them about 2 inches apart from each other.
Tip: It is easier to drop the cookie dough on the parchment paper if you cut the parchment paper the exact size of the cookie sheet so it will lay flat.
Parchment paper is a good investment, without it, the cookies will spread out more than usual, hence, becoming thinner and crunchier. They can also spread into the cookies next to them. We experimented with one batch of these cookies without parchment paper, and the cookies stuck to the cookie sheet even after we applied the non-stick cooking spray.
Step 12. Bake the Cookies then Sprinkle Sea Salt
Use heat-resistant oven mitts to place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 – 12 minutes until the top of the cookies are set and kind of crinkly. Depending on your oven, check the cookies at 10 minutes. Do not over bake.
After 10 – 12 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven using the oven mitts and leave them on the cookie sheet for about 2 to 3 minutes. At this time, lightly sprinkle each cookie with sea salt while the cookies are still warm. We used just normal sea salt, bought in the spice section of most grocery stores, but you can buy fine sea salt, flaky sea salt, or coarse sea salt, if you prefer.
Then, using a cookie spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack, also known as a cooling rack, until they are completely cooled. Store the cookies in an airtight container and put a piece of bread inside the container to keep the cookies soft.
🌟 Recipe Variations for Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on top of the cookies after baking instead of sea salt.
- Make a giant bakery-style cookie. We had a little bit of cookie dough leftover, so we decided to surprise my granddaughters. We sprayed a small heart-shaped cast iron pan with non-stick cooking spray, then filled the pan with the leftover chocolate chip cookie dough. It was put in the oven at the same temperature and baking time alongside the batch of cookies we had in the oven. When the cookie monsters 😉 got home from school, they were so excited and loved it. They ate it right out of the pan it was baked in.
☝️ FAQs for Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
My research on this subject suggests that semi-sweet chocolate chips are the preferred chocolate chips to use for cookies. They’re not too sweet or too bitter, but just right. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t use whatever your taste buds prefer.
Cookie doughs are not all the same. Some cookie doughs are not as thick as other cookie doughs. And some cookie doughs are stickier than others. Your best bet is to always follow the cookie recipe you are making. If the instructions say to chill or not to chill the cookie dough, then do so, and if the cookie recipe says nothing about chilling, then the preference becomes yours.
When called for, chilling the cookie dough in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, or more (like 24 hours), helps the cookie dough set up or firm up so it’s not so sticky, and also it won’t spread out into a thinner cookie on the cookie sheet while baking in the oven. Even chilling cookie dough for at least 30 to 60 minutes makes a big difference.
Sometimes it’s necessary to use parchment paper, and sometimes it’s not. If the recipe you are making says to use parchment paper, then use it, and if the recipe doesn’t mention using parchment paper, then you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to, but you may need to use a non-stick cooking spray.
Parchment paper, or baking paper, is heat-resistant, greaseproof, and non-stick, so no need to use cooking spray. Cookies and even banana bread won’t stick to it. It’s easy to clean up. Cookies cook more evenly when baking. It also helps thinner cookie dough from spreading out more than it would without it.
Caution: Although we have never made a cookie recipe that has exceeded 400 degrees Fahrenheit as I type this, it is good to know that parchment paper should not be used if the temperature exceeds that amount. The parchment paper could catch on fire.
💭 Final Thoughts
Sea salt chocolate chip cookies are simply unbeatable when it comes to flavor. They’re like a cozy hug for your taste buds, with the perfect blend of sweet chocolate and a touch of saltiness. Baking them is easy, and the result is pure deliciousness.
So why not give them a try? Whether you share them with friends or enjoy them all to yourself, these cookies are sure to hit the spot. Just gather your ingredients, turn on the oven, and get ready for a tasty adventure that’ll definitely satisfy your taste buds. Enjoy!
📋 Recipe Card
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
🫕 Equipment
- 1 Microwave-safe bowl (to melt butter)
- Whisk (optional)
- Spatula (for mixing)
- Electric hand mixer (optional)
- Parchment paper (or non-stick cooking spray)
- Cookie spatula (optional)
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (or sea salt flakes to sprinkle on top of the cookies)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp table salt
👩🍳 Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, table salt, and baking powder. Mix it thoroughly with a whisk. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in the microwave using a microwaveable bowl for about 40 seconds, or set it on the countertop for about 15 minutes to soften.
- In a different bowl, add the melted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Slowly, add the flour mixture (we set aside earlier) to the sugar and butter mixture. Stir well.
- Add the chocolate chips. Stir.
- Put a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl of cookie dough and place it in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours. Even chilling for 30 to 60 minutes is better than nothing. (See "Recipe Notes" below)
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. This is a must if you don't want the cookies to stick to the cookie sheet or run into the cookie next to it.
- Use a cookie scoop and drop about 9 or 12 scoops of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet. Space the cookie dough about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees between 10 and 12 minutes (depending on how hot your oven bakes). Check the cookies at 10 minutes.
- After baking, let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 to 3 minutes. While waiting, lightly sprinkle each cookie with sea salt.
- Transfer to a cooling rack for a few minutes until cooled.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- We used regular sea salt sprinkled on top of each cookie for this recipe, but if you can find sea salt flakes, that would make for a more aesthetically pleasing looking cookie.
- Chill the cookie dough for a couple of hours, or at least 30 to 60 minutes before baking. This helps firm up the dough so it won’t spread out as much on the cookie sheet while baking.
💖 More Recipes You Will Love
- If you love to make cookies and love to eat them like we do, then you must try these amazing ranger cookies filled with rolled oats, raisins, and rice crispies. They are fun to make and taste so good!
- Or try these amazing cream cheese cookies with sprinkles that melt in your mouth with a chocolaty surprise inside, a couple of chocolate chips.
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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