Impress everyone with these crinkled chocolate cookies that are a triple threat of chocolate! They taste like they’re right from a bakery.

Here is the best chocolate cookie recipe we’ve had….hands down. It tastes like it’s from a professional bakery. That’s because it’s by a professional baker! These triple chocolate cookies are from our friend Sarah Kieffer’s new book 100 Cookies. We dropped some off to our new neighbors and they came back with the review: “the best cookies we ever tasted.” These are the famous pan banging cookies of internet fame, a technique invented by Sarah. This flavor features a triple threat of chocolate: chocolate dough with milk chocolate and dark chocolate chunks. Topped with flaky sea salt, they’re pretty darn insane.

What are pan banging cookies?

You’ve probably heard or seen pan banging cookies on the internet or Instagram. But what actually are they? Pan banging cookies are large cookies with beautifully crinkled edges made by banging the pan during baking. What, you say? Well, banging the pan against the oven rack causes the cookies to deflate and ripple. Do this a few times, and you get the most beautiful cookie you ever did see. It results in a cookie that’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Our friend Sarah actually invented the pan banging cookie! Here’s her original recipe. After lots of copy cat recipes all over the web, the New York Times picked it up and gave her the due credit. Then she wrote a cookbook with a whole chapter on pan banging cookies! We’re pretty darn proud our friend is a genius (don’t let anyone else take credit for this technique: including us!).

Tips for making pan banging chocolate cookies

These chocolate cookies are a little different from your traditional cookie: but they are well worth the time and effort. Our wheelhouse at A Couple Cooks is fresh and healthy recipes: so it’s a true treat to share a recipe who is a professional cookie baker! Here are a few tips and tricks for making these jumbo restaurant style beauties:

• Weighing the ingredients is always the most precise. If you don’t have a scale, that’s ok. But weighing out the dry ingredients is what pro’s do.
• They’re jumbo, so you’ll bake 4 at a time. Four cookies fit on a baking sheet because they’re so big: and you’ll only put one tray in the oven at once to get the most even bake.
• You’ll pan bang about 3 times in the last 6 minutes. Open the oven, pick up the corner of the tray with an oven mitt, then let it fall onto the rack. You’ll see the ripples start immediately. You’ll keep doing this 3 to 4 times until you’re done baking. Then do this for the other 3 baking sheets. It’s time consuming, but worth it.
• Don’t overbake. Try not to go over the 15 minute timing. To get the centers chewy, you’ll need to pull them while they’re still gooey. If in doubt, pull sooner rather than later.

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like!

Sarah’s recipes are always spot on, so these chocolate cookies definitely did not need improvement. But we are suckers for a sweet and salty combo, so we added a sprinkle of flaky sea salt in the first or second pan bang. The incredible pop of salty really amps up this dark chocolate cookie. If you have some on hand, we highly recommend it: plus it gives a little “sprinkle-like” action to the top of the cookie.

What’s Dutch process cocoa powder?

You may notice that the cocoa powder in these chocolate cookies is special: it’s Dutch process cocoa powder. This type is like a dark chocolate version of cocoa powder. It’s been treated with an alkali to make it pH neutral, which gives it a darker color and milder flavor. It makes the flavor ultra chocolaty, and we use it all the time: like in our Chocolate Banana Muffins and Healthy Chocolate Pudding.

You should be able to find Dutch process cocoa powder at your local grocery, right next to the regular cocoa powder. If you can’t find it, you can buy it online. We like the brands Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder or Ghiradelli Dutch Process Cocoa Powder.

Chocolate cookie storage

Honestly, we always get a little anxious about cookie storage because the texture of cookies can change dramatically after you store them. Luckily, the storage instructions for these pan banging chocolate cookies is pretty simple:

• Room temp: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. Ours did get a little more crisp, but they still tasted great.
• Refrigerate: You can also refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving though, because no one likes a cold cookie. Or warm for a few minutes in a 200 degree oven.

About the book: 100 Cookies

This triple chocolate cookies recipe is from the book 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer. This book is an absolute charmer with all the cookie recipes you could ever dream of. There are standards like the traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies and Oatmeal Cream Pies…and then unique beauties like pale pink, white and brown Neapolitan Cookies and swirly Marshmallow Peanut Butter Brownies. The photography is insane and the design is beautiful…it’s incredible gift idea! (Holiday gift, Christmas gift, housewarming gift, birthday gift…you get the picture.)

Sarah is a dear friend and one of our most trusted baking resources. We highly recommend checking out this book…these recipes will feed your soul. Grab a copy: 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer

This recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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More chocolate recipes

We admit it: we’re choco-holics around here! Here are all our favorite chocolate recipes:

• Vegan Chocolate Pudding This vegan chocolate pudding is so rich and chocolaty, no one will know its dairy free! Cocoa powder and oat milk combine into a decadent dessert.
• Flourless Chocolate Cake Here’s the ULTIMATE fudgy and rich flourless chocolate cake! Paired with tangy raspberry compote, it’s decadent perfection.
• Chocolate Banana Muffins Dark chocolaty with a light crunch on top and a moist interior.
• Healthy Chocolate Pudding Snack Need a chocolate fix? This healthy snack tastes rich and chocolaty, but it’s just Greek yogurt, cocoa powder and maple syrup.
• Vegan Chocolate Cake A decadent cake with vegan chocolate buttercream filling and a shiny dark chocolate ganache.

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes