cinnamon double chocolate cookies. yes. these cookies are not terrible. it all started recently when i made another batch of my chocolate cookies with m&ms. as i was eating one, two thoughts crossed my mind:
- these would be amazing with some cinnamon and an ever so slightly spicy kick (with chocolate chips replacing the m&ms), and
- these cookies are little!
armed with this inspiration, i grabbed the ingredients from the cupboard and got to work. (on a side note, that’s one of the things i like about this recipe: it uses cocoa powder and chocolate chips, both of which i always have in the pantry, rather than solid chocolate bars, which i never seem to have the right sweetness level of for whatever recipe i’ve just found and am now desperate to try.)
despite my middling interest in chemistry in high school (with grades to match), recently i’ve been on a sugar experimentation kick. no, not replacing real sugar with fake/chemical “sugar” – been there, done that, won’t be happening again. no, i’ve been tinkering with the ratios between white and brown sugar, with the help of this article from serious eats that explains the science behind sugar.
i just think it’s fascinating how varying the amounts of white and brown sugar can so dramatically change a cookie or cake. and if you get a tastier cookie while you’re at it, so much the better! (perhaps if high school chemistry class had included more cookies…)
knowing that i wanted these cookies to be a little bit chewier than their m&m counterparts, i replaced some of the white sugar with brown. bingo! these cookies, in addition to being portioned out larger, had more chew from the balance of sugars. and the cinnamon plus hint of cayenne was just right for a cookie with warm cinnamon flavor and subtle heat from the cayenne. i was almost disappointed that the first trial went so well, until i remembered that since i always have the ingredients on hand, i can make these cinnamon double chocolate cookies anytime i want.
cinnamon double chocolate cookies
Save to BigOven Ingredients
- 4 ¼ oz. (120 g. / 1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ oz. (42.5 g. / ½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder (i use hershey’s natural/non-dutch processed)
- 1 teaspoon (4 g.) baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 4 oz. (113 g. / 1 stick / ½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ oz. (99 g. / ½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 7/8 oz. (53 g. / ¼ cup packed) brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 oz. (227 g. / 1 1/3 cups) chocolate chips, see notes
Instructions
- preheat the oven to 350° F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (i'd avoid silicone mats here, as they cause the cookies to spread a lot).
- combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl and stir until everything is evenly distributed.
- use an electric mixer on medium speed (4 – 5 on a kitchenaid) to cream the butter and sugars together until it is fluffy like buttercream frosting. this task is possible/much easier if your butter is at room temperature, especially if you are using a hand mixer.
- add the egg and vanilla, beat to combine.
- if you’re using a stand mixer, reduce the speed to low, grab your splash guard or drape a dish towel over the top of the mixer, and add the flour mixture. if you’re using a hand mixer, it will likely be easier to turn it off, set it aside, and stir the flour mixture in with a wooden spoon.
- no matter what mixer you were using, trade it in for a wooden spoon to mix in the chocolate chips.
- set ¼ cup size cookie dough lumps about 2” apart on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. i am always nervous about uneven results with more than 1 cookie sheet in the oven so i bake them one at a time but if you’ve got that down, have at it.
- either way, bake the cookies for 8 – 10 minutes. we’re shooting for just-firm edges and ever-so-slightly underbaked centers (9 minutes was perfect in my oven). the chocolate cookies will firm up a bit as they cool.
- let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to your mouth/cooling racks to finish cooling. store in an airtight container.
Notes
if you’re doubling the recipe, add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined after each one.
chocolate chips vs. chopped chocolate - while i have converted to chopping chocolate bars in some cookies (like buckwheat olive oil dark chocolate chunk cookies), i tried it here and the cookies were verrrry soft and gooey. in the future, i'll stick to chips here, as they hold their shape better.
this dough freezes like a dream. just portion it out into ¼ cup cookie balls and pop it in an airtight, freezer safe container. when you are ready to bake the cookies, take out the portion that you want to bake and set them out on your parchment lined cookie sheet while the oven is preheating. i don’t wait for them to defrost and i don’t have to add much baking time on either, maybe just 30 seconds – 1 minute, if they look especially underdone in the center when i peek after 9 minutes.
to state the obvious (that i of course confirmed the hard way), these cookies are not the ideal choice for a picnic on a warm, summer day, as the cookies are only too happy to slide back towards gooey dough as all of the chocolate warms up. still delicious, but super messy. they'll firm back up if you pop them in the cooler, though.
adapted from my chocolate cookies with m&ms, where were adapted from a march 2011 women's day recipe for peanut butter chip chocolate cookies.
Nutrition Facts
cinnamon double chocolate cookies
Serves: 14
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 231 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat | 0 | |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 0 | |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
tasty seasons
Love the quality of the cookie picture! I like that I can freeze the dough and make 1/4 cup size cookies whenever we want. I will try this recipe tomorrow. Thanks.
thanks trees! i hope you enjoy the cookies. i love that i’m never more than 15 minutes away from enjoying one. 🙂