The ultimate Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies are giant bakery-style cookies with crisp edges and a perfectly chewy center, filled with chocolate chips and sprinkled with flaked sea salt. This is a cookie you absolutely must taste to believe.
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to eat a Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie from La Grande Orange Cafe, you might possibly appreciate my enthusiasm over these cookies.
I tasted their salted chocolate chip cookie a few weeks ago while at brunch with a friend . I was blown away. I make dang good cookies, but that cookie was something else.
I may have become a wee bit obsessed with recreating this Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie at home, but it paid off in an amazing new cookie recipe. I absolutely LOVE these cookies.
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve made these cookies multiple times in less than two weeks (both gluten-free and traditional recipes have been tested repeatedly) and the reviews have been fantastic from everyone who has tasted them.
This is currently my favorite cookie of all time. Exaggerate much? Maybe, but I’d still take one of these over any other cookie out there.
The size of the cookie will determine the texture. If you want a giant bakery-style cookie with crisp edges and a perfectly chewy center, follow the recipe exactly and make the cookies huge. (Just three to a baking sheet, seriously!)
There is no way to get that perfect texture without the giant cookie. Trust me on that, okay? I made some of the cookies smaller and they were really good, but the giant ones were so much better!
Kitchen Tip: I use this scoop , this baking sheet , and these cooling racks to make this recipe.
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- light brown sugar
- butter
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- old fashioned rolled oats
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Maldon flaked sea salt or coarse sea salt
Side note – don’t let the oatmeal in this recipe deter you from trying them. There is barely a hint of oatmeal flavor, but it provides a perfectly chewy texture that can’t be beat.
Salt On Chocolate Chip Cookies
The finishing salt is really important here. There aren’t a lot of fancy spices and ingredients in my kitchen, but Maldon flaked sea salt is a key ingredient in these cookies.
Just be extra careful when sprinkling the salt on the cookies, as the smaller grains of salt can quickly make them “salty” instead of giving just a hint of salt with the sweet cookie.
If you don’t happen to be a chocolate lover, I recommend checking out the Coconut Lover’s Oatmeal Cookies and the Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies .
And for a few more chocolate free cookie options, try these Iced Caramel Toffee Oatmeal Cookies or Double Vanilla Delight Sugar Cookies . Both of those cookies are pinned to my Can’t Wait To Eat This board on Pinterest!
Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1¾ cups light brown sugar
- ▢ 1 cup butter melted
- ▢ 1 egg
- ▢ 1 egg yolk
- ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- ▢ 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ▢ Maldon flaked sea salt or coarse sea salt
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- ▢ 1¾ cups brown rice flour
- ▢ ½ cup tapioca starch
- ▢ ¼ cup potato starch
- ▢ 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the hot melted butter and beat until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs and vanilla and beating once more.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir well to make sure they are evenly distributed. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour, or until thoroughly chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Scoop the dough into golf ball sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Remember, just three cookies to a baking sheet!)
- Bake for 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with Maldon salt. Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 5/8/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/21/24}
Light, buttery, almond flavored shortbread thumbprint cookies have been the most requested cookie I make for almost as long as I can remember. My friend Augusta gave me this recipe years ago and it became a forever favorite at first bite.
Thumbprint Cookies with Jam
There’s something so endearing and adorable about jam thumbprint cookies. Fruity jam adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the flaky shortbread cookie. The easy glaze on top of these thumbprint cookies adds a beautiful touch.
These cookies are great as a snack, tucked into lunches, or when served as dessert. I especially enjoy them with cafe con leche , chai , or a London Fog on a chilly afternoon.
Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
With just the right amount of sweetness, filled with jam, and then lightly drizzled with icing, these cookies are a hit with everyone who tries them. Don’t be fooled by their unassuming appearance. They’ll surprise you by just melting in your mouth.
Almond extract is what gives these cookies just a hint of almond flavor. It adds a nice layer of nuttiness that complements the buttery flavor of the shortbread cookie and the fruitiness of the jam.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
I often reach for a jar of my family’s favorite homemade peach jam to use in these cookies. You can use whatever flavor of sweet preserves you like. I’ve made these cookies with several varieties of jam and the cookies turn out delicious every time.
I typically just use whichever flavors of jam I happen to have on hand at the time. For this last batch, I used apricot jam and a mixed berry jam. You really can’t go wrong with the jam choice. If you enjoy eating the jam, you’ll likely love it in the cookies.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies
Chilling the dough for a solid hour in the refrigerator is an important step in this recipe. So even if you’re in a hurry to bake these cookies, don’t skip that step.
Chilling the dough helps keep the butter in this recipe solid. And the cold butter helps the cookies maintain their structure in the oven.
When it comes to filling thumbprints with jam, less is more. A quarter teaspoon or so should do it. Too much and you risk disrupting the structure of the cookie and the jam to cookie ratios. (Yes, jam to cookie ratios are a thing!)
The last thing to remember here is to be extra careful not to overbake these cookies! You want to take these cookies out of the oven before they are even slightly brown.
Overbaking will result in a much harder cookie without that crumby delicate shortbread texture. If you love thumbprint cookies like we do, you’ll want to try Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies and Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies too.
Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the flour and almond extract. Beat again to combine. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1″ balls or use a 1″ scoop to place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press down on the top of each cookie and use your thumb to create a small indent. After all the indents are made, fill the indents with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned. Let cool on the trays for 1-2 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.
To make the glaze, add the almond extract to the powdered sugar and then slowly add the milk. Stir constantly and stop adding milk when you reach the consistency of icing. It should drizzle off the tip of a spoon in a thin white stream.
When the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle the icing over the tops. Allow them to sit until hardened and then store in an airtight container.
Shortbread Cookie Recipes
Shortbread cookies don’t get as much love as they deserve, in my opinion. Delicious, simple, and not-too-sweet, they appeal to the palettes of kids and adults alike.
If you’re looking for more great shortbread cookies, I recommend Sugared Shortbread Cookies for sure. They’re a simple cookie sprinkled with sugar crystals that you can bake and serve all year round.
If the perfect slice of cinnamon toast met Pecan Sandies, these Cinnamon Pecan Shortbread Bars would be the result. This is a tender shortbread, filled with pecans, and then generously topped with cinnamon sugar.
Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread is a flaky shortbread that is barely crisp on the outside. These shortbread bites melt in your mouth with chocolate and just a hint of coffee flavor.
Ingredients1x2x3x
COOKIE INGREDIENTS
- ▢ 1 cup butter softened
- ▢ ⅔ cup sugar
- ▢ 2 cups all purpose flour
- ▢ 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ▢ approximately ½ cup any flavor jam I used our favorite peach jam
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
- ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the flour and almond extract. Beat again to combine. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1" balls or use a 1" scoop to place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Press down on the top of each cookie and use your thumb to create a small indent. After all the indents are made, fill the indents with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned. Let cool on the trays for 1-2 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.
- To make the glaze, add the almond extract to the powdered sugar and then slowly add the milk. Stir constantly and stop adding milk when you reach the consistency of icing. It should drizzle off the tip of a spoon in a thin white stream.
- When the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle the icing over the tops. Allow them to sit until hardened and then store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 8/12/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/13/23}
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Maldon flaked sea salt or coarse sea salt
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- 1¾ cups brown rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the hot melted butter and beat until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs and vanilla and beating once more.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir well to make sure they are evenly distributed. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour, or until thoroughly chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Scoop the dough into golf ball sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Remember, just three cookies to a baking sheet!)
- Bake for 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with Maldon salt. Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/salted-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/
