Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme (2024)

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Are you looking for the ultimate Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe? Experience the perfect blend of sweet and savory with these delicious cookies, featuring rich chocolate chips and a hint of sea salt, for a taste that's truly unforgettable.

Searching for the Best Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe?

Are you here for the ultimate recipe for Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies? You've come to the right place! This recipe for Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies isn't a typical overly sweet cookie recipe. It blends the richness of dark chocolate chips with the unique twist of thyme and the distinct flavor of large flakes of sea salt.

This distinctive combination sets these apart as the best cookies, offering a gourmet experience that balances sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors, making it our go-to recipe for the holidays. If you're looking for a unique version of homemade chocolate chip cookies that's a bit more mature, this is it.

Ingredients

Give classic chocolate chip cookies a complete overhaul with some easy swaps.

  • All-purpose Flour
  • Baking soda
  • Kosher salt - its important to use kosher salt for the flavor in these cookies, not traditional table salt.
  • Fresh thyme (literally the most time-consuming part of this recipe is peeling those little leaves from the stems)
  • Unsaltedbutter-at room temperature
  • Granulated sugar
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Bourbon - you could use vanilla extract but we love the subtle flavor of bourbon in these
  • Eggs
  • Dark chocolate chunks-or chips
  • Flaky Sea salt

If you love walnuts in your cookies, feel free to add toasted walnuts that have been finely chopped to the mix when you add dark chocolate chips.

How to Make these salted chocolate chip cookies

This cookie recipe is just like any classic cookie.

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and lining two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and thyme in a large bowl.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add in the white sugar and dark brown sugar and mix to combine. Then, using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and the mixing paddle attachment. Add in the eggs and mix again, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Add the bourbon and mix one more time.

Then, working in batches, mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time until they are fully incorporated. The dough should come together. At this point, you could cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight or freeze it to bake later.

To prevent flour going everywhere, I drape a clean dishtowl over my mixer when adding the flour in. That way when the mixer starts, and poofs of flour are contained minimizing clean up.

- Pro Tip

Add in the chocolate chips and mix just once more to incorporate. Then, using a small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle of sea salt over the top of the cookie, pressing gently with your fingers.

Slide the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are set for a chewy center. Add an extra minute if you like crispy edges.

Let the cookies sit on the sheet for another 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cook completely. Repeat the process until the dough is all gone.

The thyme flavor is mild right out of the oven, but who can resist a warm chocolate chip cookie? The next day, the thyme starts to pop in every bite.

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme (3)

How to remove thyme leaves from the stems.

Removing thyme leaves from the stem is a straightforward process. Hold the top of the stem with one hand, then gently slide the fingers of your other hand down the stem, against the direction of the leaves, stripping them off. This works best when the thyme is fresh as the leaves come off more easily. For woody or dried stems, you might need to pick the leaves off individually. This method quickly separates the leaves from the stem, leaving you with the flavorful thyme leaves for your cooking, just be sure to discard the stems.

Storage

Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag. We love old-fashioned cookie tins, which we find on sale at the dollar store around the holidays. They also make perfect gift boxes if you're baking cookies in batches for Christmas or the holidays.

More Cookies Recipes to Try

  • 100 Must Bake Cookie Recipes for the Holidays
  • Chocolate Chip Granola Cookie Recipe
  • Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
  • Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies

If you've tried this recipe, be sure to rate the recipe and leave a comment to help the next reader out!

📖 Recipe

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme (8)

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme

Indulge in the unique combination of sweet and savory with our Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, featuring rich dark chocolate chips and a hint of aromatic thyme. Perfect for dessert or a special treat, these cookies offer a gourmet twist on a classic favorite.

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Dessert

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme (9) American

Author: Kita

45 minutes mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 cup butter - softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon bourbon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cup dark chocolate chunks - or chips
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt - coarsely ground

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and thyme leaves. Set aside.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together. Add bourbon, scrape down sides and mix again.

  • Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides as needed.

  • In three batches, combine the flour mixture until combined after each addition.

  • Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the chocolate chunks.

  • Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop out tablespoon size portions of cookie dough onto sheets about 2 inches apart from each other.

  • Sprinkle with sea salt.

  • Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown.

  • Cool on for 5 minutes on sheet before transferring and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Notes

We find that the flavor of the thyme get's better on day 2 with these cookies.
Feel free to substitute vanilla extract for the bourbon if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.

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Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme (11)

Kita

Kita is a world traveled photographer and writer with over a decade of experience. An award-winning co*cktail developer and not-so-secret BBQ aficionado.

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme (2024)

FAQs

Do you sprinkle sea salt on cookies before or after baking? ›

Once the cookies are done baking, remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of coarse sea salt. Let cookies cool at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a cooling rack or enjoying them warm with a cold glass of milk. Repeat with remaining cookie dough and enjoy!

What is the purpose of sea salt in cookies? ›

Sea salt intensifies the flavor of your baked goods, especially chocolate! The contrast between sweet and salty is absolutely divine!

What happens when you add salt to cookies? ›

Salt plays multiple roles in our recipes: It brings out the flavors of other ingredients, aids with browning, helps control the growth of yeast in yeasted doughs, and strengthens the gluten and gliadin proteins found in wheat flour to give our doughs strength and structure.

What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness.

Does sea salt make a difference in baking? ›

Unless you're using it as a sprinkling/finishing garnish, I don't recommend using flaky sea salt in baking recipes. Why? The large flakes don't dissolve or disperse evenly in doughs and batters, leaving crunchy, salty pockets in whatever you're baking.

What is the best salt to sprinkle on cookies? ›

Flaky Sea Salt

Their shape makes them perfect for sprinkling as a finishing salt, such as on a tray of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven.

Which salt is best for high blood pressure? ›

Try to avoid table salt specifically in raw form. Better to go for Himalayan salt or rock salt instead of it. That cutting down on sodium in your diet is the best way to maintain your BP? Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can improve blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg.

Why does sea salt taste so much better? ›

Sea salt is a general term for salt produced by evaporation of ocean water or water from saltwater lakes. It is less processed than table salt and retains trace minerals. These minerals add flavor and color.

Why do people put sea salt on chocolate? ›

Salt accentuates sweetness and suppresses bitterness, while also functioning as a natural enhancer to bring out the flavor in chocolate. Simply adding a touch of salt in chocolate recipes can make the chocolate taste better by balancing out flavours and bringing out many subtle nuances.

Why put salt on a chocolate chip cookie? ›

The salt triggers certain taste bud receptors that can appreciate the sweetness of the chocolate chips, adding a whole new world of flavor in every bite.

What does egg do in cookies? ›

Eggs promote puffiness and spreading in cookies, while also holding the cookie together during baking. The height and texture of the final product is determined by how much egg is incorporated into the batter. Substituting ingredients can make or break a recipe.

Is it OK to use melted butter instead of softened? ›

Softened butter and melted butter are not the same. Using melted butter will change the texture of whatever you're baking. If you only want the butter to soften for spreading, microwave it on the Defrost setting (30%) in 5-second increments until it's softened as desired.

What does adding cornstarch to cookies do? ›

1. Cookies. Cornstarch does kind of incredible things to cookies. I mean not only does it give them soft centers, prevents them from spreading, and makes them somewhat thick (in a good way), but it also contributes to the chewiness factor, which, in my opinion, is the most important cookie attribute.

What makes a cookie chewy instead of crunchy? ›

Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it's all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter. This can be achieved by making substitutions with wet and dry ingredients, or even just changing the way you incorporate certain ingredients.

Do I sprinkle cookies before or after baking? ›

If you want to add sprinkles to cookies, cupcakes, breads, or cakes before baking, that is totally and completely ok. Add sprinkles to the tops of these baked goods right before they go into the oven. Adding sprinkles to “wet” batter is the only way to get them to stick without an additional “glue” like frosting.

What is the rule of salt in baking? ›

The functions of salt in baking include stabilizing the yeast fermentation rate, strengthening the dough, enhancing the flavor of the final product, and increasing dough mixing time.

What to put flaky sea salt on? ›

Flake salt is very versatile when it comes to proteins so it can be used to finish everything from fish and poultry to meats such as roasts or steaks. Flake salt really has no wrong use when it comes to finishing a meal — and even dessert! The salt-sweet balance is perfectly achieved with flake salt.

How much salt do you add to cookies with unsalted butter? ›

So here's a simple rule of thumb to use so you can make the recipe with unsalted butter. Just remember, for every half cup (1 stick or ¼ lb) of salted butter required, you can add ¼ teaspoon of salt to Challenge Unsalted Butter. Regular butter contains some salt, and most recipes take this into account.

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