Double Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Double chocolate chip pecan cookies are what happens when a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie collide. The dough leans on a third of a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder for deep chocolate body, then doubles down with another six ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips folded in. Twice the chocolate, twice the reward.

The cocoa is the move that makes these distinctly chocolate, not ‘a chocolate chip cookie with the chocolate flavor turned up.' Cocoa changes the dough chemistry, gives it a darker color, more pronounced bittersweet edge, and a slightly cakier crumb than a standard chocolate chip cookie.

A full cup of toasted pecans (or walnuts) brings buttery contrast to the chocolate. The bitterness of the nuts cuts the sweetness so each bite stays interesting through the last cookie. Don’t skip toasting; raw nuts taste flat once buried in chocolate dough.

The two tablespoons of milk in this recipe is the secret that keeps the dough hydrated despite the cocoa. Cocoa powder is dry and absorbs moisture, so without that splash of milk you’d end up with crumbly cookies that fall apart on the cooling rack.

Pull cookies at 12 minutes for soft and chewy, 13 for crisp edges and a soft middle.

Pro Tips

• Toast pecans on a sheet pan at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes before chopping. The flavor difference is significant.
• Use Dutch-process cocoa for a deeper, less acidic chocolate flavor.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls and don’t flatten. The dough spreads on its own.
• Cool 2 minutes on the sheet before transferring. Cocoa-based cookies are fragile when warm.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips with the cocoa dough for striking contrast.
• Add ½ teaspoon espresso powder to the dough to deepen the chocolate without adding coffee flavor.
• Stir in ½ cup dried cherries with the chocolate chips for a chocolate-cherry version.