Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

Sweet, salty and utterly chocolatey, these Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies are impossible to resist. The chewy center filled with melted dark chocolate makes these some of the best cookies you’ll bake—rich, balanced and wonderfully satisfying.

This recipe is straightforward to make, and cookie dough balls can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer so you can bake a fresh batch whenever you like.

Ingredients
Tools you’ll need
Instructions
Recipe tips
More cookie recipes
Notes & Storage

I’m always excited to share a new recipe, and this one is extra special. What began as a craving for a salted dark chocolate cookie evolved into months of testing until I landed on a cookie with the perfect balance of sweet, salty and chocolatey. These cookies are not your standard chocolate chip cookie—they’re richer, chewier in the center and a little crisp around the edges.

Using dark chocolate chunks gives larger pockets of melty chocolate, while a sprinkle of flaky sea salt brightens each bite. The recipe is forgiving and adaptable for home bakers: dough can be portioned and chilled or frozen so you can bake fresh cookies any time.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (use unsalted butter since sea salt is added to the cookies)
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces dark chocolate chunks (chunks provide larger, melty pockets of chocolate)
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt

Tools you’ll need

Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (optional but helpful)
Baking stone or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Mixing bowls and a spatula
Ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons yields generous cookies)
Wire cooling rack

overhead image of chocolate chunk cookies on wire rack

Instructions

These cookies are easy to make—follow the steps below. The method produces cookies that are soft and chewy in the center with slightly crisp edges.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the room-temperature butter with the brown sugar and white sugar for about 2 minutes on medium speed, until well combined and slightly fluffy.
Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid over-mixing.
Fold in the dark chocolate chunks with a spatula so they are evenly distributed through the dough.
Use an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop to portion dough onto a baking stone or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave at least 2 inches between cookies to allow for spreading.
Bake at 350°F for 12–14 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly golden while the centers remain soft.
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over the tops.
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm for gooey chocolate or cooled for a chewier bite.

Recipe tips

These cookies were tested extensively to dial in texture and flavor. Below are helpful tips to get consistent, excellent results at home:

Always use room-temperature butter. Room-temperature butter creamed with sugar creates the right structure for a cookie that spreads and bakes to a chewy center with crisp edges. Avoid using melted or cold butter.
Bake at 350°F for no more than 14 minutes. This timing yields soft centers while ensuring the edges turn slightly crisp. Oven times can vary, so watch the first batch closely.
I don’t recommend chilling the dough for this version. Chilling causes the butter to harden and the cookies to spread less. For this cookie’s preferred texture—slightly crisp edges and chewy centers—baking the dough at room temperature works best.
Make life easier by portioning dough into balls and storing them. Scoop excess dough into balls and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to bake, place frozen dough balls on a sheet and add 2–3 minutes to the bake time, or thaw in the refrigerator overnight for more even baking.
Storing dough and baked cookies. Unbaked dough balls can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks; move them to the freezer for longer storage (up to 6 months). Baked cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; warm them gently before serving for that fresh-baked experience.

stacked up chocolate chip cookies on plate

More cookie recipes

If you enjoy easy cookie recipes, try other variations like double chocolate cookies, Nutella chocolate chip cookies, or salted caramel cashew cookies for different flavor profiles and textures.

Chocolate Cookies

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Red Velvet Cookie Cups