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These famous Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy, and loaded with bittersweet chocolate discs. With golden edges, a soft center, and a sprinkle of sea salt on top, they’re the ultimate bakery-style chocolate chip cookies you can make at home. These are the New York Times top rated #1 chocolate chip cookie recipe.
One of my favorite places to travel is definitely New York City. There is a ridiculous number of restaurants and bakeries to try and you could spend your entire day just eating your way through the city. A few years ago, I was there for a work event and since I had the entire afternoon and evening free, I decided to walk the city in search of the best chocolate chip cookie in NYC. It was an adventure!
You know I had already fell in love with the thick Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookie so that will always be one of my favorites. But, I was on the hunt for some new ones I hadn’t tried before. I admire Jacques Torres, who is referred to as Mr. Chocolate, and I couldn’t wait to try his famous chocolate chip cookie.
So, what makes these Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies so special? Chocolate is definitely the star of the show and Jacques using 60% bittersweet chocolate so this cookie is super rich and chocolatey. He also says that sea salt flakes sprinkled on the top is a must — it brings out the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness from the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Also, chilling the dough is imperative in this cookie recipe. Why? It allows time for the dry ingredients to soak up the wet ingredients and the result is a more caramelized, toffee-like, richer flavor. It is worth the wait!
This is the New York Times #1 top-rated chocolate chip cookie recipe and has been popular for years!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Chewy centers and crisp edges: The blend of cake and bread flour gives the cookies a tender, chewy texture with crisp golden edges.
Bakery-quality at home: These cookies taste like they came straight from the famous Jacques Torres shop!
Chocolate in every bite: Using chocolate discs instead of chips creates puddles of chocolate in every bite! A chocolate lovers dream.
Ingredients for Jacques Torres cookie copycat:
- Cake Flour & Bread Flour: Cake flour adds tenderness, while bread flour adds chewiness. The combo makes chewy and soft cookies! I found that you can substitute all-purpose flour instead.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: The mix of both creates lift while keeping the centers thick and soft.
- Coarse Sea Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Provides rich flavor and a crisp edge when creamed with sugar.
- Light Brown & Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel-like depth; white sugar helps create crisp edges.
- Eggs: Always use large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: Use high-quality vanilla. I like this Nielsen Massey Vanilla.
- Bittersweet Chocolate Discs: Use at least 60% cacao, they melt into the cookies instead of keeping their shape like chips.
How to make Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies:
In a large bowl, add flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add chocolate pieces and stir into dough. Wrap cookie dough into plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a light-colored baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Scoop 3½-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet. For more gourmet looking cookies, set aside some chocolate to press into the tops of the cookies as soon as you remove them from the oven.
Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Lightly press more chocolate into the tops of the baked cookies. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies Tips!
Chill for flavor: Letting the dough rest for 24–36 hours allows the flour to fully hydrate and the sugars to develop a deeper, more complex flavor! This is what makes these cookies truly special.
Sea salt is non-negotiable: A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt right after baking balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate shine.
For the perfect cookie texture: Bake until the edges are golden and the center is slightly underdone, they’ll finish setting as they cool. You don’t want to overtake these cookies!
Can I add melted chocolate to the bottom of the cookies?
Absolutely! Melt high-quality chocolate (about 8 ounces of 60–70% cacao chocolate, the same type you used in the dough) over a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave until smooth.
Dip the bottom of each cooled cookie gently into the melted chocolate, just enough to coat it evenly.
Place the dipped cookies chocolate-side up on a parchment-lined tray.
Let them set at room temperature until the chocolate firms up — or chill them for 10–15 minutes for faster setting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):
1. Why do I need to chill the dough so long?
Chilling allows the dough to rest, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies with deeper, more caramelized flavor. It’s worth the wait!
2. Can I skip the sea salt?
You can, but you shouldn’t — it takes the cookies from good to unforgettable by highlighting the chocolate and balancing the sweetness.
3. Can I use regular chocolate chips instead of discs?
Yes, but chocolate discs (or fèves) melt into luscious layers, giving that signature Jacques Torres look and texture.
4. How do I make the cookies thicker?
Make sure your dough is cold before baking, and don’t flatten the cookie dough balls — this helps them bake up nice and thick.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Storage and freezing:
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. To freeze, keep dough balls in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can bake directly from frozen whenever a cookie craving hits, I would add 1-2 minutes of baking time (watch for edges to turn slightly golden).
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Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 Tablespoons Cake Flour * (8 1/2 ounces) see notes
- 1 2/3 cups Bread Flour * (8 1/2 ounces) see notes
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt (if using unsalted butter, reduce to 3/4 teaspoon if using salted butter)
- 1 1/4 cups Unsalted Butter (2 1/2 sticks)
- 1 1/4 cups Light Brown Sugar (10 ounces)
- 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (8 ounces)
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/4 pounds Semi-Sweet or 60% Chocolate Disks, Feves, or Chunks
- Sea Salt Flakes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
- Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add chocolate pieces and stir into dough. Wrap cookie dough into plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a light-colored baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
- Scoop 3½-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet. For more gourmet looking cookies, set aside some chocolate to press into the tops of the cookies as soon as you remove them from the oven.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Lightly press more chocolate into the tops of the baked cookies. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Instead of using both cake flour and bread flour, you may use only all-purpose flour. You will need 3 3/4 cups total (17 ounces weighed).
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Can I add melted chocolate to the bottom of the cookies? Yes!
- Melt high-quality chocolate (about 8 ounces of 60–70% cacao chocolate, the same type you used in the dough) over a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave until smooth. Dip the bottom of each cooled cookie gently into the melted chocolate, just enough to coat it evenly. Place the dipped cookies chocolate-side up on a parchment-lined tray. Let them set at room temperature until the chocolate firms up — or chill them for 10–15 minutes for faster setting.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
