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If you’re a Chip and Joanna fan, it will be no surprise to you that Joanna Gaines, American shiplap icon, has her own cookbook (and, like, entire empire, but also a cookbook – you can find it here and I’d highly recommend it).
In this cookbook is the Joanna Gaines cookie recipe, which is a delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe that has a few secret hacks she uses to make them super chewy and not too sweet.
I’ve aimed to recreate her famous chocolate chip cookie recipe (the Magnolia Bakery chocolate chip cookies), with excellent results, but as her original recipe makes 40 cookies, I halved the recipe if you’re wanting a more manageable amount of cookies to eat in one sitting (because you definitely will).
Ingredients
You’ll find the full ingredient amounts below. Make sure you have these on hand before baking:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 + 1/4 cups chocolate chips
What Makes These Chocolate Chip Cookies Different?
These are so many chocolate chip cookie recipes out there.
What makes these different?
For starters, Joanna uses less butter than you would normally, as she insists that this cuts down on the sweetness and makes for a nicer texture.
The other secret is the type of sugar used.
Most chocolate chip cookie recipes want a split of regular sugar and brown sugar, but she goes completely brown sugar.
This is going to add a chewiness and moistness to the cookies, as well as a depth of flavor from the molasses in the brown sugar.
The end result is a truly delicious, crowd fan favorite, chocolate chip cookie that is a little crisp on the outside and wonderfully chewy on the inside.
How Do I Make them More Puffy?
You’ll see that my cookies definitely ended up as spread out, flatter chocolate chip cookies.
The baking soda in the recipe is going to contribute to this spread.
If you prefer thicker, more puffy cookies, you can alter the recipe to use baking powder instead of baking soda.
How Do I Store these Cookies
These cookies are best stored at room temperature, in an air tight container.
They’re not going to last that long, but you can save them for about 3 days before they’re no longer at their best.
Can You Freeze Joanna Gaines Cookie Recipe?
Yes!
Freeze the cookies for up to 3 months and then take one out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter.
This is a great way to keep portion control in mind.
Can I Make them Gluten Free/Vegan?
Because baking is such a science, I always advise against trying to alter existing baking recipes to make them gluten free or vegan, and instead find a recipe like these gluten free chocolate chip cookies that are already formulated for that dietary requirement.
How to Make Joanna Gaines Chocolate Chip Cookies
Preheat the oven, and in a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
You do this in order to distribute the ingredients throughout the dough, as mixing it together first can help make sure each cookie is getting an equal amount of ingredients.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a handheld mixer for about 1 to 2 minutes until it’s fluffy.
Because I halved the recipe, this doesn’t take quite as long as in the original recipe. Joanna also states that the butter should be softened, but still chunky and a bit cold.
Add the eggs to the mixture and beat until combined.
Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
Pour the dry ingredients into your wet batter and mix until just combined.
Add the chocolate chips and either mix very briefly or fold in with a wooden spatula.
You want the chocolate chips to be incorporated, but not to overmix.
On a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat, drop spoonfuls of dough.
Joanna’s original recipe calls for you to not shape them, but I couldn’t help myself and rolled a couple into balls anyway.
Note that there is no chilling required for this recipe, but if your kitchen is particularly warm, it’s never a bad idea to pop the dough in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes just to firm it up a bit.
