Looking for a new, outrageously delicious, and unique cookie? These Layered Chocolate Chip Cookies are a gourmet treat you can make at home!

These unique gourmet Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies are formed with 3 layers of buttery cookie dough filled with bittersweet chocolate shards. Cut into rounds and baked, they taste as incredible as they look!

Layered Chocolate Chip Cookies stacked on a square white plate.

Why You Must Make

  • They’re big, thick, and chewy!
  • Bittersweet shards of chocolate are interspersed throughout the cookies.
  • They look like they came from a bakery, but instead, you can easily make them at home!

Well, this twist may not be SO new, just new to me! This recipe for layered chocolate chip cookies was featured on the Martha Stewart website as Thousand-Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies in 2012. Nothing earth-shattering, but definitely not the Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe that I memorized decades ago!

Ingredient Notes

Layered Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients with labels on a sheet pan.
  • Kitchen Staples – Butter, Sugar, All-Purpose Flour, Salt
  • Dark Brown Sugar – This has more molasses added than regular brown sugar so it will have more caramel undertones.
  • Vanilla Extract – Make sure it’s real vanilla extract. If the bottle says “imitation,” it will be lacking in quality and taste artificial.
  • Bittersweet Chocolate Bars – I use Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate bars that are readily available at most supermarkets.
Layered Chocolate Chip Cookies in a white bowl.

Expert Tips

But just a few days ago I spied these very cookies on Butter and Brioche, a blog by a young, extremely talented baker, Thalia. As you may know, chocolate chip cookies are always a hit around here—unless I get sneaky and add toasted pecans or ground oatmeal. Then the batch is for me alone. Here is what makes these cookies a bit different:

  • They’re made with dark brown sugar for more caramel undertones. And if you don’t have dark brown sugar, just add a tablespoon of molasses to a cup of light brown sugar (you’ll only need 3/4 cup for this recipe). The extra molasses makes for softer cookies.
  • 4 egg yolks are used instead of the traditional 2 whole eggs. This makes for a richer cookie.
  • Use a serrated knife to cut the chocolate shards. It provides less resistance than a straight-edge knife so makes chopping easier.
  • Bittersweet chocolate is used instead of semi-sweet. Even the picky daughter didn’t complain (her palate typically prefers a less intense chocolate flavor), but feel free to substitute semi-sweet if that is your preference.
  • The chocolate is cut into shards versus chunks or classic chips. PRO-Tip: Make sure to make your shards thin enough so you can cut through them with your cookie or biscuit cutter.
  • The dough is divided and rolled into 3 rectangles with the shards layered in between the dough.
  • The cookies are cut out with a round biscuit or cookie cutter. I used a two-inch cutter, but expect them to spread a bit when baked.
  • Sprinkle with coarse sugar for sparkle or fleur de sel for that sweet-salty combo to each cookie before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes These Thousand Layer Cookies So Special?

They use dark brown sugar which provides extra moisture and caramel undertones.
All egg yolks provide more fat which helps make for soft, chewy cookies.
The bittersweet chocolate gives a more intense chocolate flavor than semisweet.
The shards instead of chips and layers of dough contribute to the uniqueness of these cookies.

Can I Use Semisweet Chocolate Instead of Bittersweet Chocolate?

Yes, bittersweet and semisweet chocolate are interchangeable in most recipes.

What is Fleur de Sel?

Fleur de Sel is a rare and expensive form of sea salt that’s collected in France and more recently, other locales. The French phrase translates to “flower of salt” due to the appearance of the sea salt after the evaporation process.
Sea salt is used as a finishing salt, which is usually a fine salt that’s sprinkled over a finished dish.

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Layered Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Layered Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Yield 18 cookies

Multiple layers of bittersweet chocolate shards, dark brown sugar and four egg yolks make for thick, out of this world chocolate chip cookies!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup dark-brown sugar
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ salt
  • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into thin shards with a serrated knife
  • Coarse sugar of fleur de sel for dusting (optional)

Instructions

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix to combine.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  4. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix till just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed
  5. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Chill for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375º.
  7. Unwrap one portion of chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. ]Roll into a rectangle less than an inch thick.
  8. Sprinkle with half the chocolate.
  9. Roll out the second portion of dough to a similar size and use it to top the chocolate-coated layer. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate and top with the last portion of dough, rolled out to a similar size as the former portions.
  10. Lightly dust the cookie dough with flour and gently roll out the dough to a rectangle, about 1½ inches thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds of dough.
  11. Place on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Pat any scraps together gently and cut more rounds of dough.
  12. Bake until cookies are set, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's website

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 91mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 16gProtein: 5g

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