Make Joanna Gaine's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe from her cookbook Magnolia Table! They might just be your new favorite cookie!
I picked up Joanna Gaine's cookbook Magnolia Table Volume 1 (which was released back in 2018. Her newest cookbook is Magnolia Table Volume 2: A Collection of Recipes for Gatherings and that was released on April 7th, 2020. A lot of you have been making this cookie recipe again since she showed how to make it on her new cooking show. Which is supposed to be airing on her own network. Recently, Food Network showed a special episode of that where she made her cookies. Did you watch it? Let me know below if you did!
If you are going to try this recipe of hers make it how it is exactly written from her book first. Do not try to make substitutions or anything. You can always do that after a second try if you decide you like them. 🙂
If you like Joanna Gaines try her French Silk Pie recipe.
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Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour - is a type of wheat flour that is commonly used in cooking and baking. It is versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes, including bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries.
- Baking soda - also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used in baking as a leavening agent
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Packed light brown sugar - Is made by combining granulated white sugar with molasses, which gives it a brown color and a slightly different taste than regular white sugar.
- Eggs - The best type of eggs you can buy at the store are organic or free-range eggs, while others may prefer eggs from specific breeds of chickens
- Vanilla extract - It is made by macerating and soaking vanilla beans in a mixture of water and Vodka. Use a good pure vanilla instead of the imitation vanilla extract.
- Semisweet chocolate chips - or milk chocolate chips - it's a personal preference.
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Place the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
Step 3: Place the butter and sugar In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until blended. P.S. I used a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer.
Step 4: Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture. Mix on medium speed just until the flour is mixed in, then turn the mixer to high speed for a few seconds to pull the dough together; it will be chunky. Add the chocolate chips and beat on high speed to thoroughly and quickly mix in the chips, about 5 seconds.
Step 5: Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet; don’t flatten them. Bake until lightly browned on top, 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on the pan on a rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Baking Powder or Baking Soda?
Joanna’s recipe calls for baking soda. I’ve watched her make it on her show and it even states that in her recipe book. Many of you have commented below and said baking powder helps the cookies to rise. Here's the thing though...
Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents but one requires an acid to help it work. The acid in Joanna’s cookie recipe is from the molasses in the brown sugar.
Baking soda: Contains only one ingredient (sodium bicarbonate). It needs some kind of acid to help it rise like buttermilk, brown sugar (it has molasses in it), honey, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or natural cocoa powder. Adding too much baking soda to a recipe will cause a very bitter after taste and that is something you do not want in a cookie right? ALWAYS measure the exact amount.
Baking Powder: Baking powder already contains baking soda in it and cream of tartar is added to it. Since baking powder already has an acid added to it (which is the cream of tartar) you do not need to add any extra acid. Adding too much baking powder can also cause a bitter aftertaste.
Here's the Youtube video where you can watch her make them...
Recipe FAQs
If your cookies didn’t rise chances are your baking soda is already expired. Check the expiration date on your container. 🙂
Another reason why your cookies didn't rise, is because the butter is too warm and soft. That can cause the cookies to spread too much in the oven.
Try chilling the dough for 10 minutes prior to baking.
Many of the comments below say this recipe needs to be updated but it doesn't. I will not fix or update the recipe below, because it is written exactly from her Magnolia Table cookbook. The video above the recipe shows her shaping the cookies by hand and her recipe states to scoop out by the spoonful. You can also use cookie scoops. There are multiple ways of doing something to get the end result.
Other Recipes to Try
If you tried this Joanna Gaines Chocolate Chip Cookies any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Joanna Gaines Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Prep Time: 20min
- Cook Time: 11min
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
- Yield: 40 1x
- Category: Eash
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
from Magnolia Table
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Place the butter and sugar In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until blended.
- Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture. Mix on medium speed just until the flour is mixed in, then turn the mixer to high speed for a few seconds to pull the dough together; it will be chunky. Add the chocolate chips and beat on high speed to thoroughly and quickly mix in the chips, about 5 seconds.
- Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet; don’t flatten them. Bake until lightly browned on top, 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on the pan on a rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Notes
My WW Personal Points: 6 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
1 heaping tsp means a little bit more than the level. I've made this plenty of times with only a 1 teaspoon of baking soda and they come out fine.
The cookies should flatten when they are done baking.
This recipe is written EXACTLY from the Magnolia Table Cookbook. In her video, she rolls out the cookies by hand. You can also use smaller size ice cream scoops.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 16
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 21
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
Amber says
One of my daughters had some friends coming over tonight, so I decides to give this recipe a try. I tasted one shortly after it came out of the oven, and they were so good! But, if I could change one thing, I would make the cookies a little bit softer on the edges. It wasn’t the best cookie I have ever tasted, but it is pretty close! I would say it is my second favorite cookie recipe to use!
Rosie says
My husband & I were making dinner and decided to try this chocolate chip recipe! It was wonderful!!! We don't like like hard cookies, so they were a very pleasant change! Sifted all the dry ingredients together like it says, only I like to use all-purpose gluten free flour. I whipped and whipped and whipped the butter and sugar till it was light and fluffy likes Joanna mentioned on the show! Think that made all the difference! I didn't measure the time, but the way it looked and the tiny taste! The two became super creamy and it helped breakdown the sugar. It even stayed light and fluffy with the eggs & vanilla paste I used. Stirred in the flour 1/2c at a time. The first time I made them put all the flour in at once! it was not the same cookie and stiff so added more butter and small amount of milk to soften the dough! It help and trust me it wasn't greasy! I did add 2c Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips! Dropped the dough with my smallest ice cream scoop about 1 1/2T. Looked like chocolate chip ping pong balls! When I had used 1/2 the batter I added chopped walnuts to the rest of the batter. Cooked them 11-13min because they were thick. When I was finished they looked like the ones Joanna made and Oh so good! Have made them several times with or without nuts! Everybody loves them!
Jenna says
Why would you give your kids hard cookies? Wouldn't you be able to tell that they were hard yourself when handling them?
They turned out hard because you overbaked them or overmixed the batter.
zayra says
worst recipe ever! beware. this recipe ends up with grainy,hard, and salty cookies. my children broke a tooth . if you want to make cookies , buy them at the store ! horrible.
Jenna says
Sounds like you had a fun time with your daughter!
Marie Barrera says
Me and my daughter made these cookies exactly as it is written and they were amazing. I made more using pecans and coconut flakes, and it was a game changer! Probably one of the best cookie recipes I’ve ever made!
Jenna says
We all make mistakes. Too bad they didn't work out for you.
Valerie says
I am am experienced baker. Followed recipe exactly and cookies were flat, greasy, and hard.
MICHELLE BARRETT says
I LOVE THIS RECIPE, BUT IT WORKS MUCH BETTER WITH A STAND MIXER!!!
HUGE COMPLIMENTS FROM EVERYONE I'VE BAKED THEM FOR!!
Judi says
These are amazing cookies. Everyone loves them! Once I’m done beating in the last of the flour mixture, I put the choc chips in the bowl and mix in with my hands, and place a scoop on cookie tray....perfect!❤️❤️