Here’s why you’ll want to bake these giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies:
- These cookies require serious pan banging for those signature giant crinkles. It’s loud, it’s fun, and surprisingly mess-free.
- We used Ina Garten’s version of Sarah Kieffer’s recipe, and the result was a crunchy, salty-sweet cookie that Tate’s wishes it could be.
- Step-by-step tips on the banging process are below so you don’t overdo it like I did.
- Our toddler helped with measuring, stirring, and even photography—cookie making turned into a full family activity.
- Full recipe link and our favorite baking tools are included below.
We banged all over the kitchen. The counter, the oven, and even the floor. Surprisingly we didn’t make a mess and more importantly, we didn’t wake up our son. For these giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies, be prepared to bang the pans all over your kitchen. Go to Sarah’s blog for the recipe.
We used a recipe from Ina Garten via Sarah Kieffer’s original recipe. These were the crunchy cookies I wanted Tate’s to be. At first, they looked soft. As they began to cool, they began to harden. I was nervous, I wasn’t mentally prepared for a crunchy cookie. But they were crunchy in an addicting way. And the sea salt? It was the cherry on top.
Our experience making the giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies
Another cookie recipe and another adventure baking with my son. He loves to measure and loves to stir. We assembled the cookie dough before his nap. I baked and banged the cookies, and by the time he woke up, we were ready for some photos. On this one, he got more involved with the photography.
Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by Lilies and Loafers.
Baking supplies we love:
- Baking sheets with cooling rack
- Oven mitts
- Spatula
- KitchenAid stand mixer
- Tilt-Head Flex Edge Beater for KitchenAid
- Brownie pans
There’s this toddler newsletter I’m subscribed to. Week by week it gives us some advice for handling your X week old, milestones on the horizon, and very random things to look out for. Around the time he became a toddler, it explained that toddlers, while seemingly horrible listeners, just want to be helpful. So we began giving him directions for simple tasks. Drop this napkin in the trash, clean up your letter magnets, move your toy bins. When he showed an interest in the photography, I let him help me set up and take pictures. This is one of the photos he took (cropped and slightly edited, but looks great):
He’s also our hand model. If you haven’t seen some of his other work, check it out. But he was eager to grab a cookie, so I let him go for it (a dozen times or so).
Back to the cookies. On the first batch of cookies in the oven, I thought I had to bang the cookies multiple times. Over and over and over. What I didn’t realize, is yes, you’ll bang the pans multiple times, but every three minutes in and out of the oven. Take them out, bang them on the oven a few times, put them back in the oven. Three minutes later, take them out, bang them, put them back in. Repeat.
You’re going to need fleur de sel (flaky sea salt). It’s French and fancy AF. You’ll use this once and then you will use it on everything. We have another cookie recipe coming soon that uses fleur de sel, so pick it up and join us on this journey. Fatima’s only comment on the cookie was there was a bit too much sea salt (and she loves salt). So start sparingly! Other than that, don’t forget to add the sea salt immediately when they come out of the oven (on the last time they come out).
Ina Garten’s Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 10 giant cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
A Tate’s-like homemade cookie your whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate or whole chips (can be chopped)
- Flaky fleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
-
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
-
In a stand mixer (paddle attached), beat the butter on medium until creamy. Add the granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium until light and fluffy (~3 minutes). Add the egg, vanilla, and water and mix on low to combine.
-
Add the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Add the chocolate and mix on low into the batter.
-
Scoop 1/3 cup of dough and form into balls. Depending on your baking pan size, you can place 4 balls on a pan and transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. (After you put the first baking sheet in the oven, put the second one in the freezer).
-
Place the chilled baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed slightly in the center.
-
Lift the side of the baking sheet up about 4 inches and gently let it drop down against the oven rack, so the edges of the cookies set and the inside falls back down (this will feel wrong, but trust me). After the cookies puff up again in 2 minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan. Repeat a few more times to create ridges around the edge of the cookie.
-
Bake 16 to 18 minutes total, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden brown but the centers are much lighter and not fully cooked.
- Immediately pinch a few flakes of sea salt (fleur de sel) over the cookies.
-
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack; let cool completely before removing the cookies from the pan.