Thick, fudgy, and rich, these whole wheat chocolate fudge cookies are a chocolate lover's dream come true.
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Would you believe me if I told you that this cookie recipe gets more compliments than any other dessert I make? That's right, a cookie recipe using whole wheat flour is my claim to fame.
This recipe is a result of an intense craving for a big, puffy chocolate cookie, and poor planning. I have been obsessed with these cookies ever since Lindsay blogged about them, so naturally, I decided to make them immediately.
Problem was, I had already melted my butter when I realized I was out of white flour. I decided to do the unthinkable - replace the white flour entirely with whole wheat flour. I know that whole wheat flour can make baked goods a little dry, so I decreased the overall amount of flour and used brown sugar to pump up the moisture.
The result? Big, puffy, cookies with the perfect fudgy texture and decadent chocolate taste.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Dark brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Whole wheat flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips
How to make whole wheat chocolate fudge cookies
- Place one stick of butter on the kitchen counter to soften. Place the other stick of butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt completely in the microwave. Allow the butter to cool to a semisoft texture either on the counter or in the refrigerator.
- Cream the softened butter, microwaved butter, and both sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and mix briefly until just incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Cover the top of the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Roll the dough into balls slightly larger than a golf ball and place two inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat (affiliate link). Bake 8-9 minutes. The cookies should be puffy and soft. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Top tips
Alternatives to whole wheat flour
The wheat flour in this recipe gives it a really nice, nutty taste. However, if you don't have wheat flour or don't want to use it, simply swap it for white whole wheat flour, which has a finer texture and less pronounced taste.
You could also swap it for all-purpose flour, but would need to increase the amount to 2 ⅔ cups of flour since wheat flour absorbs more liquid.
The best whole wheat flour for baking
I love North Dakota Mill's whole wheat flour, but you may not be able to find that everywhere. King Arthur Flour is another high quality brand that is readily available at most grocery stores.
How to know when your cookies are done
This recipe is best baked by time, rather than sight. The cookies will still appear underbaked on the top when you pull them out of the oven, but should solidify as they cool.
Since all ovens are different, bake your first batch for 8 minutes, allow them to cool, and then adjust the baking time as needed for future batches. You want your cookies to be soft but still hold together when you pick them up after cooling.
How to store whole wheat chocolate fudge cookies
Allow your cookies to cool completely, then store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They stay surprisingly soft for a cookie! Cookies can also be frozen in a freezer zip top bag for up to 6 months.
Tips for customizing
- Swap the chocolate chips for dark chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, or any favorite combination of baking chips
- Skip the chilling for a flatter cookie
- Swap the wheat flour for white flour, increasing the amount to 2 ⅔ cups
- Bake into bars. I haven't tested this, but would guess that in a 9x13 pan you should test for doneness around 25 minutes.
FAQ
Chilling cookie dough before baking is an optional step that will improve both the flavor and texture of your finished cookie. Specifically, that is what gives this cookie a little height and a "puffier" texture.
If you prefer, or time does not allow for chilling, you can skip this step.
Melting half the butter creates a specific texture when mixing the cookie dough that I find irresistible. If you prefer to melt all the butter, or work with all softened butter, you will still get a delicious cookie, just with a slightly different texture.
Most bakers swear by unsalted butter for baking cookies. I don't usually have unsalted butter on hand and usually use salted.
You can use either, just keep in mind that if you use unsalted butter you'll want to add some salt to the dough yourself (up to 1 teaspoon), and if you use salted butter you will only need to add a pinch or maybe none at all.
More cookie recipes
- Buttery Bourbon Cherry Cookies
- Christmas Cut Out Cookies
- Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Single Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cookie
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie for One
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Giant Ginger Cookies with Icing
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Fudge Cookies
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Sandwich Cookies
- Spicy Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Whole Wheat Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- Coarse salt, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Place one stick of butter on the kitchen counter to soften. Place the other stick of butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt completely in the microwave. Allow the butter to cool to a semisoft texture either on the counter or in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, microwaved butter, and both sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and mix briefly until just incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine until you cannot see any more dry flour. The dough should be sticky but you should be able to touch it with your hands without it being too messy.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Cover the top of the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Roll the dough into balls slightly larger than a golf ball and place two inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Top with a pinch of coarse or flaky salt if desired.
- Bake 8-9 minutes, depending on how cold your dough is. The cookies should be puffy and soft. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely (or be devoured).
Himika says
Absolutely yummy and delicious! My son loved it. Thank you so much 😊
Rhea says
Cookies turned out great, they were super fudgey and tasty
JCO says
Love the recipe - mine were undercooked at 9 minutes though, so kept them in for an additional 2-3 minutes. Still came out soft and moist.
Annie says
Hi Lindsay, I’m finding it very difficult to time the bake. Nine minute bake they came out very soft and squidgy and after cooling I thought they were still a bit raw in the middle. Rightly or wrongly I popped them back for a further 5 and then another 5 mins. I’m from UK and set my fan oven at 160C.
They taste great, I just can’t seem to know when they’re done. Also I had to swap in some white flour cos I ran out of w/meal. I’m loving your recipes, thankx
Lindsay Moe says
I'm sorry to hear you were having trouble with this. The cookies are a bit soft in the middle after nine minutes of baking, however they should set up nicely as they cool. If substituting some of the whole wheat flour for white flour, it may be best to add a little extra as well since white flour doesn't absorb liquid as much as wheat flour does.
Susan says
I don’t have a stand mixer, can I just use a whisk or wooden spoon?
Lindsay Moe says
You definitely can, it will just be hard work!
Amy says
Total waste, don’t bother making these.
Lindsay Moe says
This is a very surprising comment since everyone I've known who has tried them really loves them. Maybe a little more context would help people be better informed.
Jackie says
You must have down something wrong or made the wrong recipe because these are yummy!
Martha says
These are the best cookies I've ever had. Thank you!
Jackie says
So yummy and fudgey! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great. I did add walnuts for a little crunch. Will make again.
Rukshana says
These are my totally go to cookies.
The best recipe I have found. Don’t even try out any other recipe.
Amazing ! Soft! Chocolatey heaven.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
Phrank says
The recipe scaler does not work. Do not use it. Good cookies once salvaged and fixed.
Lindsay Moe says
I'm sorry that the scaler did not work for you. It is a tool that does work better for cooking since baking is more of a science. If you want to share the quantity you were trying to make I'd be happy to try help you troubleshoot a better way to do it. I'm glad you still enjoyed the cookies!
JuleeBeth says
I didn't have dark brown sugar so I used traditional light. I rolled them in vanilla sugar before baking and got the thumbs up from everybody. I would make this recipe again. 😊
Lindsay Moe says
What a lovely idea! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Even says
I just made these exactly to the recipe. They came out wonderfully and almost as good as cookies made with refined flour. My 8 year old and my picky boyfriend enjoyed them and so did I. They didn't seem to detect that I had secretly fed them healthy-ish cookies. ☺️ They do have that kind of grainy texture you can expect from whole grain baking though, so they aren't as smooth as a typical cookie, but they're still good. I might try them with white whole wheat flour next. I bet that'd be great.