These light, crispy, and oh-so-chocolatey Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies will knock your socks off! The flavors of dark chocolate and flake salt are a terrific match, making these cookies some of the best around!
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If you’re a dark chocolate fan, then these are the cookies for you! Loaded with good-quality, rich dark chocolate and getting an extra boost from cocoa powder, these cookies are all about chocolate! And, with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top, they’re a grown-up version of your favorite chocolate cookie!
The key to the deliciousness of these cookies is starting with great chocolate. Get the kind of dark chocolate bar you’d eat – and look for around 78% dark chocolate. Finely chop the chocolate so that the flavor distributes throughout the cookie, melting into the cookie as they bake.
These easy Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies are a cinch to make, and the dough doesn’t need to chill first, so you can be nibbling on just-out-of-the-oven cookies in no time!
What you’ll love about Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies
- They’re rich and chocolatey but not too sweet.
- Flaked salt puts them over the top!
- They freeze beautifully so you can have a cookie whenever you want!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Baking powder – Watch the expiry date!
- Baking soda
- Flaked sea salt – I use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes – it has lovely big flakes!
- Dark brown sugar
- White sugar – Granulated sugar.
- Butter – Salted, at room temperature.
- Egg
- Vanilla – Artificial vanilla extract is fine.
- 78% cacao chocolate
What Is Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder?
Dutch-processed cocoa powder vs regular cocoa powder – what’s the difference? There is a difference, and for the deepest chocolate flavor, I always use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder starts with cocoa beans that have been washed in an alkaline solution before drying and grinding. This makes it darker in color, it won’t react with the baking soda in a recipe, and it has a slightly different flavor.
How To Make The Best Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies
For a complete list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
These Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies are easy to make, but they do spread a bit, so be sure not to crowd your pan!
- Preheat your oven to 350-F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda into a bowl.
- Add half the flaked salt to the flour mixture and stir.
- Beat the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the chocolate and stir it in gently.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place them 2-inches apart on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the remaining flake salt.
- Bake in a 350-F oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to set. Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Recommended
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Creaming the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy is important! Always start with room temperature butter, and use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer to do the job.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. To get fully mixed cookies, you’ll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl. A spatula will do the trick nicely – just remember to turn off your mixer first!
- Don’t flatten the cookie dough balls before baking – they’ll do their job in the oven and flatten out as they bake.
- Parchment paper is NOT the same as waxed paper. Waxed paper will make a mess on your cookie sheets and will ruin your cookies. Parchment paper is a silicone-treated paper designed to withstand the oven’s high heat. The cookies won’t stick to the paper, and cleanup will be a breeze!
Storage
These cookies will be fine for 2-3 days in an airtight container on your counter. To keep them longer, freeze them! Pop the cookies into a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and then freeze them for up to a month. Just thaw and eat!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! These are easy cookies, and the dough is very forgiving. Just cream the butter and sugar, mix in the other ingredients, and bake! Don’t forget the flaked sea salt – that makes this easy dark chocolate cookie so special!
Yes, in this recipe, the sugars are interchangeable. Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it, which gives the cookies a deeper, richer flavor. But if all you have is regular brown sugar, use that! The cookies just won’t have the same intense chocolate flavor, but they’ll still be delicious!
Flaked sea salt is different than table salt or even kosher salt. Flaked sea salt is actually compressed salt crystals. They’re mechanically compressed to create the flake shape, and they retain their crunch, which makes them perfect for finishing dishes – like cookies!
Step By Step Process
Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt divided
- 1 cup dark brown sugar lightly packed
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup butter salted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3.5 ounce dark chocolate bar about 78% cocoa, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350-F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda into a bowl.
- Add 1 teaspoon of the flaked salt to the flour mixture and stir. Crush it up with your fingers before adding it.
- Beat the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the chocolate and stir it in gently.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place them 2-inches apart on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the remaining flake salt.
- Bake in a 350-F oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to set. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Creaming the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy is important! Always start with room temperature butter, and use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer to do the job.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. To get fully mixed cookies, you’ll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl. A spatula will do the trick nicely – just remember to turn off your mixer first!
- Don’t flatten the cookie dough balls before baking – they’ll do their job in the oven and flatten out as they bake.
- Parchment paper is NOT the same as waxed paper. Waxed paper will make a mess on your cookie sheets and will ruin your cookies. Parchment paper is a silicone-treated paper designed to withstand the oven’s high heat. The cookies won’t stick to the paper, and cleanup will be a breeze!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
