Fall Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These fall spiced chocolate chip cookies are big, bakery-style cookies with chewy, almost gooey centers and slightly crispy edges. They’re made with brown sugar, warm spices and a hint of molasses to give them the perfect cozy fall flavor.
I don’t think you can ever have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes – and these fall spiced chocolate chip cookies are designed for when the leaves start to change and you’re looking for the perfect cookie. For the spices, we’re using – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves. Then the flavor is rounded out with a touch of molasses, brown sugar and vanilla. These cookies are extra chewy, with just the right amount of browning around the edges.
I like to make these as big, bakery-style cookies – but I’ve included instructions in the recipe for making smaller cookies too.
Cookie Baking Tips
- Cold Butter. This recipe starts with cold butter cut into cubes, as opposed to softened or melted butter. Using cold butter gives the cookies slightly crispier edges with gooier centers.
- Dark Brown Sugar. The flavor of these cookies really benefits from dark brown sugar – or muscovado sugar if you can get your hands on it. Do not substitute the dark sugar with light brown or yellow sugar.
- Measure the Flour Carefully. Otherwise, the cookies can become dry. If you have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend using it. If not, whisk the flour first, then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off the top.
- Cornstarch (AKA Cornflour) for Extra Soft Cookies. The cornstarch really helps to give these cookies the perfect texture – don’t leave it out!
- Make BIG Cookie Dough Balls. No need to flatten the cookies before baking.
- Bake at a Higher Temperature. Baking the cookies at 375F (as opposed to 350F) helps to make the cookies thicker and slightly golden on top while still soft and gooey in the middle.
- Perfect when Fresh from The Oven. For perfectly round cookies, here’s the secret! When the cookies are right out of the oven, take a very large, round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter. Place it around each cookie, then gently trace a circular shape. This step will mold the cookies into a perfect circle.
- Note: You aren’t cutting the cookie into a circle – you’re helping the press the sides to create a perfect circle.
Make Ahead Tips
Cookie dough can be made up to 48 hours before you plan to bake. Cover the bowl, and place in the fridge. Then when ready to bake, bake as directed.
Alternatively, cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months. Form the dough into balls, and store in an airtight freezer bag or freezer container. When ready to bake, you’ll bake the dough balls from frozen – do not thaw first. Bake as directed in the recipe. The cookies will need 1-2 extra minutes.
Baked and fully cooled cookies freeze beautifully too. Ensure that the cookies are fully cooled first, then place in a freezer bag or freezer container. I recommend placing sheets of wax paper or parchment paper in between layers of cookies so that they don’t stick together. Thaw in the fridge first, then bring to room temperature before enjoying.
Fall Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams – 13 ounces)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (32 grams), AKA cornflour in the UK and Australia
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, could reduce to just a pinch
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), cold, cut into cubes
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (262 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chips (360 grams), I prefer dark chocolate, semi-sweet works too
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves. Whisk together. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the cold butter (cut into cubes first for easier mixing), brown sugar and granulated sugar. Keep mixing until there are no lumps of sugar or butter. Do not overmix. Mix the molasses and vanilla extract into the butter mixture.
- Mix the eggs into the butter mixture 1 at a time. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Starting with the mixer on a low speed, beat the flow mixture into the butter mixture. The dough will be thick – this is expected.
- Form the dough into balls, with each dough ball about ¼-⅓ cup in size. I like to weigh my dough balls – each weighed about 3.75 ounces or slightly over 100 grams.
- Place the dough balls at least 2½ inches (6 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets. Do not flatten.
- Bake 1 cookie sheet at a time in the middle of the preheated oven. The cookies will bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are set. As one cookie sheet is baking, keep the other cookies dough balls in the fridge.
- Remove the cookies form the oven and cool completely on the cookie sheets. Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven, grab a large round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter (it should be bigger than the cookies). Place it around each cookie, and gently draw a circle – the light pressure and circular shape of the cookie cutter will mold the cookies into perfect circles.
Notes
- For Smaller Cookies: Form the dough into balls with about 2 tablespoons of dough each – you’ll end up with about 28-30 cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes, or until the tops are set.
- For Extra Thick Cookies: Mix in 1 extra tablespoon of flour and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 48 hours before baking.
- Nutrition: Details are an estimate only, based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 14 uniform cookies.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
