Chocolate Chip Cookies Sea Salt (Print version)

Chewy chocolate chip cookies accented by dark chocolate and delicate sea salt flakes.

# What you need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

09 - 2 cups dark chocolate chips or chunks
10 - 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
11 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture at low speed until just combined.
06 - Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips and nuts if using, using a spatula.
07 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
08 - Sprinkle each portion with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are golden and centers remain soft.
10 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The sea salt flakes hit at just the right moment, making the chocolate taste impossibly richer without being salty.
  • These stay chewy for days if you resist eating them all in one sitting, which honestly is the hard part.
  • Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate means you can eat more without the sugar crash kicking in quite so fast.
02 -
  • Underbaking is where chewiness lives—those soft centers firm up as they cool, and you'll thank yourself later.
  • Don't touch them while they're hot; they're still setting and will tear apart if you try to move them too early.
  • The sea salt flakes matter more than you'd think—they need to stay on the surface to do their magic, not disappear into the dough.
03 -
  • Chill your dough for even 30 minutes before scooping if you want thicker, less-spread cookies instead of thinner ones.
  • Pull them out when the centers still look slightly wet in the middle—that's the sweet spot where chewy lives.

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