A First: DoubleTree’s Signature Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
They’re craved by legions of sweet-tooth travelers. Home-cooks have tried in vain to come up with copycat recipes for it for years. And such is its stature, that it was the first food to actually be baked in orbit — aboard the International Space Station this January.
For so long, the only way to sink your teeth into a bona fide warm DoubleTree Hotel chocolate chip cookie was to check into one of its hotels, where you’re gifted with one for free with your room key.
Until now, that is.
Yesterday, in a thoughtful goodwill gesture in these horrific times, DoubleTree released a home-version recipe of its famed cookie to the public.
And faster than my printer could spit out the recipe, I was already putting sticks of butter out on my counter to soften.
Knock on wood, I actually had all the ingredients on hand, too — no easy feat in this pandemic that has stripped store shelves and online sources of many baking products, as we all hunker down to shelter in place, and apparently stress-bake to no end.
This is a straightforward chocolate-chip cookie recipe. The only surprises were the 1/4 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Was it to activate the baking soda? Or to somehow round out the sweetness of the cookie? I’m not quite sure, though, I’m guessing it’s the former. The only other eye-popper was that these cookies are baked at 300 degrees rather than the usual 350 degrees, meaning that they spread ever so slowly as they bake.
These cookies have oatmeal and chopped walnuts in the dough to add a hearty, crunchy note. They also have a heap of chocolate in them — 2 2/3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which is more than one bag. I actually ended up using 2 cups of Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips (a whole bag), plus the remnants of an already opened bag of Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Chips, which thankfully made up the remaining 2/3 cup.
After baking, the cookies are supposed to cool on the baking sheet for one hour. One hour?!? Who are they kidding? It’s a miracle that I waited even half an hour before tearing into one.
I think these cookies might bake up slightly thicker than the ones at the actual hotels, but they taste remarkably like the ones we all know and love. They are a riot of rich chocolate, as well as crisp on the edges, and soft-chewy within.
None of us may be traveling anywhere for awhile. But these cookies are certainly a transportive treat.
In fact, I might just leave a few on my pillow tonight. Just because.
DoubleTree’s Signature Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
(Makes about 26 cookies)
½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ¼ cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch cinnamon
2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.
Note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Thank you – can’t wait to make these!
Carolyn: (nice name!) I have been eating two of these per day. I’d probably eat a third — if I really gave in to my cravings. I predict you will love these cookies. Happy baking!
Yum! These are really delicious. I had to skip the nuts because we didn’t have any but they were still really good. We baked a dozen and frozen the rest of the dough balls for later baking
Marcella: These cookies are total winners! And yes, the recipe takes well to tweaks like that. Don’t have nuts? Don’t add them. Have only pecans instead of walnuts? Use those instead. I might even try the recipe next time with butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips. 😉
I actually never heard of these cookies, yours look yummy though.
I’m so glad you made these! I had all of the ingredients on my counter ready to go, then I saw the 300 degrees and that totally did not seem right, so here I am googling these cookies to see if anyone made them. I was sure that was a typo, but guess not. I’m turning the oven on now, LOL!
Terri: The 300-degree oven temp is indeed correct. You will love these cookies. Happy baking!
Are these baked at 300-degrees so they can withstand the warming oven at the front desk w/o drying out?
Doreen: I’m not sure. That might be a possibility. Though, I’m guessing the hotel gives out so many cookies that they don’t stay in the warming drawer too long. LOL
My cookie-loving husband will be thrilled with these (as if I need to do any more baking these days), He has been known to base lodging decisions entirely on that amenity!
These sound amazing; but I agree, what’s with waiting 1 hour for them to cool?!
Liz: Right? LOL Who in their right mind would wait an hour before diving into one of these?!? LOL
Carroll: That is hilarious! Though, I admit that whenever my husband books at stay at a DoubleTree, I always let out a yelp of happiness, knowing that a warm cookie awaits. 😉
i’ve only stayed at a doubletree one time but the memory of the cookie remains! these look glorious!
Have never been there live in Massachusetts visit relatives in Alabama been to Canada and Florida and that is that .now retired no longer drive guess I am homebody that reads and writes letters to keep in touch with everybody that is not online
I have friends/family who anticipate the DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie even as they’re walking up to the check-in counter. So, I jumped right on this recipe as soon as I saw it on your website. It’s delicious! The recipe made 40 cookies, using the 3-tablespoon measure. Since the dough was pretty soft after mixing, I chilled the dough while the oven was warming up and this helped a lot. I gifted the first batch to my DoubleTree fans and everyone loved them.
Sophie: I am so like your friends! If my husband books a stay at a DoubleTree, I count the days until I get my hands on one of those cookies. I am so glad that you, your friends and your family enjoyed the recipe so much. Happy baking! 😉
Agreed these cookies are amazing! The only issue I seem to have is the drying out in the days after. I also have been undercooking them slightly because of this and I seal them in an airtight container. They are magical the first day, and then start to get crumbly and dry in the next few days. What could I be doing wrong?
Krystal: I concur that the texture of the cookies is best the day that they are baked. So, I don’t think you are doing anything wrong; I think that’s just how the cookies are. You can always freeze the dough balls, then bake them whenever you like. That way they are fresh every time. Enjoy! 😉
I bake a lot of cookies! These are by far the best oatmeal chocolate chip. The flavor and texture is incredible. My son said “wow mom these are really good” That’s like getting a thumbs up from Julia Childs 🙂
Hi Nancy: I love that! It is truly the best compliment of all. 😉