Double Chocolate Orange Cookies
Chewy, rich double chocolate cookies with a bright hint of orange. With a crispy edge and gooey center, these cookies have that perfect cookie texture combined with a classic Christmas flavor, great for any holiday party or cookie tray!
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Happy two weeks until Christmas! I can’t believe it’s already almost here. Which also means my baby girl will be two weeks old tomorrow—it’s crazy how time flies when they’re this little. Her little fingers are starting to get chubby and she slept for slightly longer stretches last night, which is SO nice for my sanity but so sad that she’s growing up already.
But then I stop and remember that she gets to grow up. Not every baby gets that chance. I know all too well the heartbreak of never getting to meet a child and watch each milestone happen. So I’m choosing joy at each step, choosing to savor each moment and treasure these things up in my heart. I’m choosing to be thankful for each moment.
Now, onto these cookies!
Why this recipe works
I went with the same basic ratio of ingredients as my Giant Double Chocolate Cookies, because they had such a perfect texture. I had to make some big changes from my go-to cookie recipe here. I knew that the larger size would make these prone to spreading and losing their shape. So, I explored a lot of “Levain Bakery-style cookies,” because Levain Bakery in New York is famous for their giant cookies that have the perfect texture despite their size. I increased the dry ingredients (both flour and cocoa powder). I also added a bit of cornstarch, which is know to help give a soft rise and cake-y chewiness to cookies. I also leaned more toward granulated sugar, which is hard for me because I always use extra brown sugar for a good chew. But, it worked well for these cookies. In the end, these were the perfect balance of crispy, cake-y, and chewy, and the flavor was a lovely balance of sweet and rich.
As for the flavor, I wanted to let a natural orange shine through, so I used plenty of finely grated zest. Stirring this into the sugar before adding it to the butter helps bring out the natural oils (and thus, flavors). For me, this was plenty of orange flavor, partly because I used homegrown oranges with a flavorful rind. If your oranges don’t have a lot of fragrance (try scratching the rind and sniffing—it should smell brightly orange), you can use orange extract (see note below).
Key ingredients
Flour. Be sure to spoon then level your flour or you will have too much and will end up with dry, dense cookies.
Cocoa powder. Obviously, this is how the chocolate is “double.” Use unsweetened cocoa.
Baking soda. Be sure it is fresh—not open for longer than 6 months (it will lose potency after that, regardless of the listed expiration date).
Salt. I prefer sea salt in my cookies, but table salt works, too.
Cornstarch. This is used to keep the cookies from spreading too much and thus baking up with hard, crunchy edges.
Unsalted butter. Use European style butter, as it has less water and is needed to make these have the perfect texture.
Brown sugar/sugar. Don’t be tempted to increase the sugar, as it turns to liquid when baking and will make the cookies go flat.
Orange zest. Using fresh oranges with a fragrant rind should be plenty to add a bright orange flavor, but you are welcome to add a bit of extract if desired (see below).
Eggs. Be sure your eggs are fresh and room temperature.
Vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste).
Chocolate chips. Measure with your heart, my friend! I wrote the recipe with the typical two cups, but I usually use closer to three. Don’t go beyond that, or the cookies won’t hold together.
How to make giant double chocolate cookies
1. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Sifting is technically optional, but I think it helps prevent over mixing.
2. Beat butter and sugar. You want the sugar slightly dissolved and the mixture to be light and fluffy, so mix at least 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Beat until well-blended each time, about 30 seconds on medium.
4. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix on low until just barely combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips. You can use up to 3 cups chocolate chips, but don’t use more, as the cookies will start to fall apart.
6. Chill, if desired. This is optional, and simply helps the cookies keep their rounded shape better during baking. You can also freeze them for 10 minutes after shaping and placing them on a cookie sheet.
7. Form into large balls. I like using a large cookie scoop so I can just place the dough onto my baking sheet, but you can use a spoon then roll it into a rough ball. You’ll want about 3 tablespoons worth of dough. Place cookies 2” apart on your prepared cookie sheet.
8. Bake. Bake until no longer matte in appearance and the edges begin to darken.
9. Let cool on pan then on cooling rack. You don’t want them to keep cooking once you take them out of the oven, so only keep them on the pan 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Can I use orange extract?
However, if you’re unable to use orange zest or want a stronger flavor, you’re welcome to use a teaspoon of orange extract. Or, another good option is to use a teaspoon of orange essence. It tends to have a more natural flavor, but can be hard to find.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! The dough will last up to 3 days in the fridge or at least a couple months in the freezer, depending on how well-sealed they are. I like to scoop my dough out, place it on a cookie sheet and let it freeze for an hour, then place the frozen cookie dough balls into freezer safe bags. Be sure to label the dough with the date so you don’t keep them too long.
Do I have to use European butter?
Personally, I think it makes a huge difference. It’s creamier and has a very different consistency than sweet cream butter. Since you only have a few ingredients here, you want to make sure each one is of the highest quality. But don’t worry—you can often find it at places like Costco on sale!
Brown the butter for a sturdier, chewier cookie
While I did not brown the butter here, I usually brown the butter for all of my cookies. It removes some of the water from the butter, which in turn helps prevent the sugar from creating too much liquid while baking (because sugar turns to liquid when heated). Thus, you won’t have cookies that spread too much or become too thin in the oven. While I adjusted the recipe to account for this and these cookies won’t spread if made as written, they don’t last as long as browned butter cookies, which is why I always suggest browning the butter if you have the time. You can follow the directions here to brown the butter.
Spoon then level your flour
Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making these cookies. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a perfect shortbread cookie)
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Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread
Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies
Dark Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
Double Chocolate Orange Cookies
- prep time: 10 minutes
- bake time: 12-14 minutes
- total time: 24 minutes
servings: 24-30 large cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (272g) all-purpose flour*, spooned then leveled (see note)
- ¾ cup (64g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
- 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon (6g) sea salt (reduce to ⅛ teaspoon if using salted butter)
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted European style butter**
- ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons (6-12g) finely grated orange zest***
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups (340-510g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your favorite kind)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C and line a cookie sheet (or sheets) with parchment (or use a silicone mat to help reduce your carbon footprint!). Optionally, you can do this after chilling the cookies for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Using a microplane zester, zest orange (avoid the white pith–it’s bitter). Stir into the granulated sugar in a small bowl, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Whisk together your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl, using a hand mixer), beat butter on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the brown sugar and orange-flavored granulated sugar and beat on high for at least 3 minutes, until it gets lighter and fluffier and the sugar starts to dissolve. Scrape the bowl as needed, at least once during this 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium until well blended, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and beat on medium until blended.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low until nearly combined. Don’t worry if there are some streaks of flour, as the next step takes care of that.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips. I like to add somewhere between 2-3 cups.
- Optionally, chill the dough. This creates a chewier yet sturdier cookie and is recommended but not necessary. Cover and chill the dough at least an hour or up to 2 days. I found that chilling overnight was perfect. If you’re in a rush, you could form them into balls and freeze them for 20 minutes.
- When ready to bake, use a spoon or large cookie scoop to scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough and form into a ball (if using a cookie scoop, you can just release it right onto the pan).
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny (or there’s just a tiny bit of shine around the chocolate chips).
- Let cool on the pan about 10 minutes, then either enjoy or remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter. Dough can be formed into balls and frozen in an airtight container up to 2 months. Bake straight from freezer.
*Be sure to spoon then level the flour into your measuring cup OR weigh it to prevent packing it in and ending up with too much.
**European butter is best! It has less water and makes a better cookie, in my opinion.
***In addition to orange zest, you can add one teaspoon orange extract (or orange essence), but the flavor may not be as natural as using zest alone.