36-Hour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dough that sleeps for 36 hours. Salt on top. Best in class.
Not weeknight-friendly—requires 36 hours advance prep
Timing: 36 hours (passive)
36-Hour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dough that sleeps for 36 hours. Salt on top. Best in class.
Not weeknight-friendly—requires 36 hours advance prep
Timing: 36 hours (passive)
Key move
Cream butter and sugars until pale (5 mins). Mix dough, chill 24-36 hours for flavor. Bake from cold—edges crisp, centers underdone.
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The Setup
- Stand MixerOptionalOr hand mixer—but stand mixer makes creaming easier
- Baking SheetsLined with parchment paper
- Cookie ScoopOptional3 tbsp size for uniform cookies
The Mise en Place
5 of 12Your prep station before cooking begins
Seasoning (0/1)
The Finish (0/1)
The Fat (0/1)
The Sugar (0/2)
Cookies spread into thin puddles?
Butter was too warm, or you didn't chill the dough long enough.
Cookies are too cakey, not chewy?
You measured flour by volume instead of weight, getting too much flour.
Chef's Notes
Use a kitchen scale to weigh flour—volume measurements vary too much for consistent results.
Dough must age 24-36 hours. Can keep in fridge up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Bake straight from fridge—cold dough spreads less and creates thicker cookies.
The Method
CREAM
Time-sensitiveIn a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Temperature check: If butter is too warm, it will melt rather than aerate, resulting in greasy, flat cookies.
Mixture is light, fluffy, almost white
MIX
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Broken emulsion: Adding eggs too quickly can cause the batter to curdle. Ensure eggs are room temperature.
Mixture is smooth, eggs fully incorporated
FOLD
Time-sensitiveIn a separate bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda (1¼ tsp), baking powder (1¼ tsp), and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until no white flour is visible. Do not overmix.
Gluten development: Overmixing at this stage develops excess gluten, leading to a tough, bready cookie instead of a chewy one.
No white flour streaks, but dough is still rough
FOLD
Add chocolate discs. Fold in by hand with a spatula until evenly distributed.
Overworking dough: Do not use a mixer here; over-mixing will toughen the gluten and ruin the cookie texture.
Chocolate is evenly dispersed
CHILL
Prep aheadWrap dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, ideally 36 hours.
Improper sealing: Ensure plastic wrap is airtight to prevent the dough from absorbing fridge odors.
Dough is cold, firm, slightly darker in color
SCOOP
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop dough into large golf ball-sized portions (about 3 tbsp each). Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 3 inches apart.
Uneven baking: Inconsistent ball sizes will lead to some cookies burning while others remain raw.
Dough balls are cold, uniform size
SPRINKLE
Sprinkle each dough ball generously with flaky sea salt (2 tbsp).
Uneven distribution: Avoid clumping; a concentrated pile of salt will ruin the bite. Distribute evenly for a balanced flavor profile.
Visible salt flakes on top of each cookie
BAKE
Time-sensitiveBake for 12-15 minutes. Edges should be crispy brown, centers should look slightly underdone and pale. They will look too soft but will set as they cool.
Overbaking: The cookies will firm up significantly as they cool; if they look fully baked in the center, they will be hard once cooled.
Edges crispy, centers look underdone
COOL
Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They will firm up as they cool.
Fragility risk: Moving cookies too early will cause them to crumble or lose their shape.
Cookies are firm enough to move
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