Paula Deen Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Paula Deen chocolate chunk cookies turn toasted walnuts, bittersweet chocolate and candy-coated chocolates into chewy, golden cookies in 35 minutes. It's an easy big-batch cookie recipe for potluck tables, cookouts or the holiday cookie tray, and it's a make-ahead dessert.

Cream the butter and both sugars for a full 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy, because that is where the chewy texture comes from. Rush it and the cookies bake up dense and flat instead of soft.

Paula toasts the walnuts at 325°F before the oven goes up to 375°F, which gives them a deeper, nuttier flavor than raw nuts would. She also bakes on two racks and switches the pans halfway through, so the whole batch browns evenly and you get about 7 dozen cookies in one go.

Paula Deen Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

84

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

90

kcal

Toasted walnuts, chopped bittersweet chocolate and candy-coated chocolates fill a buttery brown sugar dough in this big-batch cookie. The edges turn golden while the centers stay soft and chewy.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
  

• 2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  

• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
  

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  

• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  

• 2 large eggs
  

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate at least 60 percent cacao
  

• 1 cup candy-coated milk chocolate candies
  

Directions

• Toast the walnuts: Set oven racks in the top and bottom thirds, then preheat to 325°F and spread 1 1/2 cups walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast on the top rack for 7 to 10 minutes until fragrant and golden, shaking the pan once, then move them to a small bowl.
• Mix the dry ingredients: Raise the oven temperature to 375°F. Stir 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl.
• Cream the butter and sugars: Beat 1 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Then beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla.
• Add the eggs: Beat in the 2 large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed so everything blends evenly.
• Fold in the flour: Beat in the flour mixture until it is just incorporated. Then stir in the toasted walnuts, 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1 cup candy-coated milk chocolate candies.
• Scoop the dough: Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto two ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Keep the scoops small so they bake evenly.
• Bake the cookies: Bake on separate racks for 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown, switching the pan positions halfway through. That way the top and bottom sheets color at the same rate.
• Cool and transfer: Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 minutes so they firm up. Then move them to wire racks to cool completely.

Tools for this recipe

• KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Checkered Chef cooling racks, OXO medium cookie scoop, Lindt Excellence 70% cocoa bars, 12 pack. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make these cookies without walnuts?

Yes, just leave the walnuts out, or swap in pecans if you like that nutty crunch. The dough does not depend on them, so the rest of the recipe stays the same.

How do I store chocolate chunk cookies?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature once they are completely cool. They are best within a few days, and a layer of parchment between stacks keeps the candies from sticking.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

You can mix the dough and chill it in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Let it sit out a few minutes first so it scoops easily, and bake as directed.

Do I need two cookie sheets and two oven racks?

The recipe bakes two sheets at once on separate racks, which is how you get through about 7 dozen cookies quickly. With one sheet, bake in batches and let the pan cool between them so the dough does not spread.

What's the most common mistake with these cookies?

Overbaking is the big one, since the cookies keep setting on the hot pan after they come out. Pull them when the edges are golden and let them rest 2 minutes on the sheet.