Orange Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Print Version)
Chewy cookies packed with orange zest, roasted almonds, and dark chocolate chunks. Ready in 32 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 2 oranges
→ Add-ins
11 - 1 cup chopped roasted almonds
12 - 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chunks or chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, light, and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and orange zest until fragrant and evenly combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
06 - Using a spatula, gently fold the chopped roasted almonds and dark chocolate chunks into the dough until evenly distributed throughout.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the edges are golden but the centers still appear slightly soft and underbaked.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The orange zest cuts through the richness of the chocolate in a way that makes you reach for another cookie before finishing the first one.
- Crunchy almonds hiding inside a chewy cookie feel like a little surprise with every single bite.
- They come together in under 35 minutes from bowl to cooling rack, which means you can satisfy a cookie craving almost instantly.
02 -
- Pulling the cookies out when the center still looks a tiny bit wet is the secret to that soft, bakery style texture everyone obsesses over.
- Overmixing the dough after adding the flour creates tough cookies, so stop the moment everything is just combined.
03 -
- Chill the dough for thirty minutes before baking if you want thicker, chewier cookies that spread less in the oven.
- Press a few extra chocolate chunks into the top of each dough ball before baking for that professional, bakery window look.