Jacque Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Jacques Torres’ chocolate chip cookies recipe produces large, soft, and perfectly chewy cookies with crispy edges and pockets of rich, bittersweet chocolate bars in every bite. After they are baked they are dipped in melted chocolate!
If you love a cookie with a perfect balance of textures—crispy on the outside and soft and gooey inside—these cookies will quickly become your new favorite. Jacques Torres, also known as “Mr. Chocolate,” is famous for his approach to chocolate chip cookies that blends baking science with indulgence, as featured in the NY Times.
What makes these cookies special is the combination of different types of flour and chocolates. They aren’t overly sweet, thanks to the bittersweet chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky salt, which enhances all the flavors. These are the kind of world-famous cookies you can make right in your own kitchen, without needing to hunt down fancy ingredients at your local grocery store.
This recipe is perfect for baking ahead: the dough chills for up to 72 hours, which allows the flavors to deepen and the dough to develop a richer texture. Plus, the generous size of the cookies means fewer cookies per batch—about the size of generous golf balls—making each one feel like a special treat worth savoring.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Blend of flours: The mix of cake flour and bread flour keeps cookies tender yet adds enough structure for a chewy, soft center.
- Baking soda and baking powder: The combination creates the ideal rise with a nice crumb and controls spread on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brown and granulated sugars: Brown sugar provides moisture and depth while granulated sugar helps create golden brown edges and a crisp bottom.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips + chopped chocolate: Using both drop chocolate pieces and chopped chocolate bars gives a lot of chocolate in every bite and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Chilling the dough: An essential step that enhances flavor, improves texture, and results in a more attractive cookie with less spread.
Ingredients Needed
- Bread flour – this type of flour has a higher protein content so it helps to create a chewier texture then if you were to simply use all purpose flour.
- Cake flour – this type of flour has a lower protein content so it helps to create a tenderness. If you don’t have any, you can make your own cake flour. For more ways to use up that bag of cake flour, check out my 41 Cake Flour Recipes!
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt– I used regular sea salt in the cookie dough. And after baking I sprinkled on coarse sea salt.
- Unsalted butter – it’s important to use unsalted butter because you can control the amount of salt in your recipe this way.
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips – I have used semi-sweet chips, but milk chocolate as well. You can also use a combination of regular chips, mini chocolate chips, discs, chunks, and bars chopped up. I like using a combination so that I get chocolate of every shape and size in every single bite. Basically pure heaven.
How to make Jacque Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to create the perfect flour mixture. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter with brown and granulated sugars on low speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla: Add large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla extract until incorporated.
Combine dry and wet: Reduce mixer speed to low, add the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined (about 5-10 seconds). Avoid overmixing to ensure a tender crumb.
Add chocolate: Fold in the chopped chocolate until evenly distributed throughout the dough or mix on low speed until incorporated.
Chill the dough: Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours. For easier scooping, portion dough into balls of dough before chilling, or press plastic wrap directly onto dough to avoid drying out.
Preheat and prepare: When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with a parchment-lined baking sheet or silicone baking mats.
Shape and bake: Scoop 5-6 large dough balls, about 3 to 3½ ounces each (using a large ice cream scoop), and roll into smooth balls. Space them out well on the baking sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown but still soft in the center.
Cool and finish: Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let cookies rest for 10 minutes before moving to another rack to cool completely.
Add chocolate dip and sea salt: Melt 8 ounces of chocolate bars and dip the bottom of the cookies or spread melted chocolate with an offset spatula.
Place cookies on parchment to set. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Chill the dough: This step is key for developing flavor, improving texture, and controlling spread. Don’t skip the overnight chill!
- Use a scale: Measuring dough by weight (around 80g or ounce mounds of dough per cookie) ensures even-sized cookies and consistent baking.
- Don’t overmix: Mix the wet ingredients and dry just until combined to keep cookies tender and chewy.
- Bake in small batches: Because these are large cookies, bake only 5-6 at a time to avoid overcrowding and uneven baking.
- Rest cookies after baking: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet before transferring to prevent breakage and help them set.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 4 days.
- Freezing dough: Freeze scooped dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Freezing baked cookies: Once cooled, cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQ’s
Cookie spreading is a bummer. There 8 reasons that I can think of why your cookies spread too much and are flat. If your cookies do spread in the oven, you can try this little trick I picked up from Sally’s Baking Addiction, which is to take them out of the oven and take a spoon and press the edges of the cookie inward.
For optimal taste, texture and reduced spreading then YES, YES YES! You need to chill the dough. You can try chilling the dough for less time if you are in a hurry. But if you do bake them right away then it might affect the spreading, and overall texture.
This could be because you overbaked the cookies. If the dough is too warm (remember that chilling time!) then it could cause them too spread too much resulting in a cookie that gets too thin and gets too crispy and hard. Your oven temperature may also be too high. I recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is running at the correct temperature.
Yes, but expect a less chewy and tender cookie compared to the original flour mixture.
More cookie recipes to try:
If you are craving more chocolate chip cookies then be sure to try my chipless chocolate chip cookies! Everything you love about a chocolate chip cookie without any chips.
In the summertime, I love making my S’mores Chocolate chip cookies! The cookie is baked on top of a graham cracker. And after they are baked they are topped with a toasted marshmallow and a chocolate square.
Or if you love a good copycat cookie recipe, try these Chick-Fil-A Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Jacque Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
- 1 ⅔ cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 ½ sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ pounds chopped chocolate see note
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate for dipping after baking
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour 1 ⅔ cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
- Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. 2 ½ sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Add the chopped chocolate and mix on low speed to incorporated. You can scoop the cookie dough at this point into balls or chill the cookie dough in the bowl. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 hours, up to 72 hours. 1 ¼ pounds chopped chocolate
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
- Scoop six 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet. I only bake 6 on a cookie sheet at a time because of their size. These are large cookies! You can scoop smaller cookies but adjust the baking time.
- Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Once cookies are cooled, melt the chocolate in a bowl. Then dip the bottom of each cookie in the melted chocolate or spread the chocolate on with an offset spatula. Place the cookies back onto the parchment paper chocolate side down and let cool until harden. 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Notes
- Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 4 days.
- Freezing dough: Freeze scooped dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Freezing baked cookies: Once cooled, cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Chocolate: For the chocolate in the cookie dough you can use chocolate chips but chopped chocolate is traditional. I like to use a combination of bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate with milk chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. But use what you like and want!
- Flour: You could swap the bread flour and cake flour for all purpose flour but this will make the cookies less soft and chewy.
I love these cookies! The taste and texture are so good! The method is spot on and really delivers a great cookie. When it’s cool enough, I also like the added bit of chocolate on the bottom. But even without, they are a delicious treat!
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you loved them!🍫😊
I think the bread flour and chilling the dough works some magic, because these were some of the best cookies I have ever had. I took them to a family get together for ice cream sundaes, but I think people were eating them up before they added ice cream. LOL! This recipe is a keeper!
Wow, thank you so much! I totally agree—the bread flour and chilling really do work magic, don’t they? So happy these were a hit at your gathering (and that they might’ve stolen the show from the ice cream—LOL!). Thrilled you’ve added this recipe to your keeper list. Happy baking!
Where do you get bread and cake flour? I’ve never seen them at my grocery store.
Thanks,
Bethany
Hi Bethany! These are found in most US grocery stores. You could also try purchasing these online- kingarthurflour.com sells these types of flour. Or you can try Amazon!
Just took them out of the oven. I’m hoping my husband loves them. They look amazing
Oh I’m sure he will Laynie! I haven’t met someone that doesn’t devour these 🙂
I wouldn’t call it a day if I didn’t find another great chocolate chip cookie recipe! I just can’t get enough of that “soft-inside-crunchy-outside” deliciousness 🙂 Incredible-looking cookies!
Hi Danielle! I agree with you 🙂 And yes this cookie definitely fits the “soft inside crunchy outside” description. Basically perfection!
Loving these cookies! And the recipe was super easy to make thanks to your tips and step-by-step processes! This is a keeper recipe for sure!
Hi Amanda! Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And I’m glad you found the tips and step by step process helpful as well 🙂
My husband has been begging me to make some good choc chip cookies forever and these turned out just perfect!
Oh that’s so awesome to hear Donna! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed them!
I’ve seen this recipe several times but never attempted to make it. Well, once I saw your post and instructions I decided to try it out. The cookies were fantastic. I’ll be making them again and again.
Oh that’s wonderful Marisa! Glad you liked them 🙂
You are killing me with these! I am on a three-week refined sugar free regime (only one week to go!) and I browse food all the time, and I was doing fine until I saw these. This is perfect cookie porn for reals!! I can’t wait to get back to eating sugar to make these!
Oh no Eva! I’m so sorry 😉 but these are definitely a way to celebrate once you’re done!
I’ve seen this recipe around, too; but never had a chance to try this and you now convinced me to give it a try.
Hi Linda…yes you definitely have too! 🙂 they are the best!
These are the perfect chocolate chip cookie! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Thanks a lot for this recipe. I love everything New York style.
This is going on my baking list now that fall is here. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
These chocolate chip cookies are the best. I love that it has perfect crisp edges and a soft ooey gooey chocolate middle. My son will surely love this!
Perfect and delicious and best gifting options too.
I’ve heard about it before and I am now going to try it. I want to pack it for my son’s pack lunch. I will make them smaller for it to last forever. lol
Oh they are so worth it and your son’s lunch will be the envy of everyone around him!
I would love to give this a try. Awesome gifting option too.
You will love them Veena! And yes a great gift 🙂
I love that goal! 🙂 And these cookies. Diet schmiet!!
Ooh Heather these cookies look and sound perfect! I’ve been hearing about them for a while and you’ve just about convinced me that I need to try them. Though if im being honest, they’re cookies.. I really don’t need that much persuasion! 😉 I’m interested to see how the bread flour will affect the texture as I’ve never made cookies with it. Thanks for sharing!
Oh I can’t stop eating them…and I froze some for later because they are THAT good! I do want to try them again with just all purpose flour..because let’s be honest how often do you have three types of flour sitting around your house? But ENJOY!