Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
To me, these Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies (with two secret ingredients) are the ultimate chocolate chip cookie.
Baking different varieties of chocolate chip cookies seems to be all-the-rage these days. If someone claims to have the most superior recipe, I’ll give it a go. I’ve tried many recipes but I always come back to this one. This recipe was on a recipe card that I’ve had for many years. I’m not quite sure where it was originally published.
I’m personally happy nibbling away on the cookie dough. My husband freaks out about that. I try to explain to him that I grew up eating cookie dough and cake batter and all that stuff and I don’t seem to harbor any ill-effects. The best part about baking is licking the beaters and rubber spatulas. Yum.
I haven’t found any value in refrigerating cookie dough before baking… but I do like to plop it on my cookie sheets (lined with parchment) in a semi-round manner. I figure if it starts out round, it’s less likely that you’ll get the funky shapes. For these cookies, I use a regular-sized ice cream scoop (about 1/4 cup).
The result: Big. Round. Perfect.
Warm is best.
With milk, of course.
These Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies produce a big, round, chip-filled chewy cookie. And what are those secret ingredients I mentioned??
Vanilla and lemon. Lots of vanilla… 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract plus a scraped vanilla bean. Lemon juice too… just a teaspoon. You don’t taste it at all, but it helps produce a chewier cookie. I suppose there is a third secret ingredient to share too… oatmeal. Except that you put the oatmeal in the food processor and pulverize it into an almost-powder. That adds a little twist to the dry ingredients.
So go ahead and continue your search for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe… refrigerate the dough for 24 hours, use parchment, use silpat, use insulated sheets, use jelly roll pans, bake them upside down or whatever… but if you try these, you might just wish to put an end to your search. Enjoy!
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats regular or quick
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped (optional, but totally recommended!)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, optional
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in mixing bowl.
- In another bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, sugars, vanilla, vanilla bean and lemon juice. Add the eggs, and beat until fluffy.
- Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture, blending well. Add the chips and nuts (if desired) to the dough and mix well. Using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, scoop round balls with an ice cream scoop and place 2 1/2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and chewy.
Tips:
- If you do not want to grind oats for this recipe, go ahead and use regular oats. Just make sure that you are using quick-cooking oats.
Here are a few more recipes for chocolate chip cookies you might enjoy:
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies by Recipe Boy
- New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies by Recipe Girl
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies by Life Love and Sugar
- Kahlua- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies by Recipe Girl
Thank you to Miranda from the CookieDoughAndOvenMitt.com blog for shooting some of these photos for me.
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Lol, I have that recipe card in my recipe binder! Lunch Box Special, cookies & brownies card 1, easy to bake easy to make series. One of those subscription things where you get packs of cards every month. I still keep a few of them. I swear I made them in college, but my card says 2009. Maybe I got a second sample set years later because my head tells me it is 20 years old. And it IS a good recipe! I need to roll them out again.
Yes! It definitely was from some old recipe card subscription service a long time ago!
HI,
I only have regular vanilla extract, do I have to use the vanilla bean ??
No– it’s just an extra vanilla flavor. Add a little more vanilla if you’re not using the bean.
Delicious cookies! Can’t wait to try them!
These cookies are easy to make and a pleasure to eat.
Thumbs up all the way.
I use almost the exact recipe, but I use vanilla bean paste, I add half of a grated hershey bar to the dough, and use pecans instead of walnuts. Vanilla Bean Paste makes everything better.
I have tried many of your recipes and have never been disappointed. Thank you for having an excellent site.
Thanks for the tip. I actually just bought vanilla bean paste at Williams Sonoma the other day. I’m excited to use it!
These are fantastic! I’ve been searching for my go-to chocolate chip cookie and this is the one.
Good to hear!
These are legitimately the best cookies I have ever made/eaten in my life! All the members of my track team agree!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I lost this recipe during a recent move. I have been on the web for hours trying to find it. I originally found it on a recipe card from the Easy to Make Easy to Bake club. I have made these cookies so many times I knew the ingredients but did not know the portions. Tips: If you substitute 1.5 cups of packed dark brown sugar for the sugars, you end up with a fatter, prettier cookie. Make sure to take them out of the oven when they look almost done. I have also been known to substitute different types of add ins, such as white chocolate and macadamia nuts or craisens and pistachios.