Secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies are an elevated version of the cookies you know and love. Chocolate and spice will have your taste buds singing.
Cayenne pepper is the secret ingredient in these secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies. The powder made from moderately hot chili peppers that are dried and then ground adds a fiery kick to the chocolatey cookies that will wake up your palate and demand attention. In this recipe, cayenne pepper is joined by cinnamon for added depth. Consider cinnamon a vehicle used to deliver cayenne’s spiciness in a way that isn’t so “here’s some chili powder in a cookie.” Cinnamon adds a complementary spiciness that is subtle enough to let the cayenne pepper shine.
Why You’ll Love These Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
Spicy kick – Although a small amount is used in the dough, cayenne pepper adds satisfying (and unexpected) heat to spice up these chocolate chip cookies.
Browned butter – Who doesn’t love browned butter? It adds a toasty aromatic depth that goes well with chocolate and spices. This easy extra step makes the dough 10x more delicious.
Smaller batch – This recipe yields 12 cookies but can easily be scaled up.
Crispy edges, chewy centers – You get the best of both worlds.
No chill dough – Mix and bake. It is that easy. However, you can briefly chill the dough, especially on warmer days.
Great for ice cream sandwiches – Sandwich vanilla ice cream between two cookies, briefly freeze, and you have the ultimate dessert. The slightly spicy cookie with cool, creamy ice cream is outstanding. However, if you plan to make ice cream sandwiches with the cookies, I suggest chopped dark chocolate from a baking bar instead of chips since chocolate chips get pretty hard in the freezer.
Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients Notes
To make secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies, you need the following:
- Flour: Like most cookie doughs, the recipe uses plain all-purpose flour.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for these secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for granulated and brown sugar. Granulated sugar promotes crispness, while brown adds a hint of molasses, contributes to moisture balance, and is acidic, thus reacting with the leavening.
- Cayenne: THE secret ingredient.
- Leavening: Baking powder and baking soda are needed for the dough. Powder helps the cookies spread, while soda gives them a little lift.
- Chocolate chips: Bittersweet is the way to go.
Find the complete ingredients list with amounts in the recipe card below!
How to Make Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a skillet and scrape the bottom as the butter browns. This will take a minute or two. Use a light-colored skillet to avoid burning the butter.
- Add the spices: Add the cayenne and cinnamon to the hot butter to wake up the spices.
- Combine the dry: Whisk the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined, then set those aside.
- Mix the wet: Once the butter cools, add the sugars, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry to the wet: Slowly add the dry to the wet as you mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Once done, fold in the chocolate.
- Divide the dough: Roll tablespoon portions of dough into balls and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes. The cookies will be crispy around the edges and chewy in the center.
Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
Add more cayenne – Increase the cayenne to ¼ teaspoon for extra heat.
Use chopped chocolate – If melted pools of chocolate are more your thing, chop up a bar of dark chocolate and fold it into the dough instead of chocolate chips. *We use chopped for the cookies you see in the images here.
Try white chocolate – White chocolate chips or a chopped baking bar will work equally well.
Add nuts – Fold ¼ cup of chopped nuts into the dough to add texture.
What to Serve with Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can’t go wrong with cookies and milk. It is particularly satisfying since these secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies have a kick. Ice cream is also delicious. Other options include coffee-based beverages, tea, and hot chocolate.
More Secret Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cayenne pepper isn’t the only secret ingredient to elevate your chocolate chip cookies. Try these secret ingredients next.
- Flaky Sea Salt: Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt like Maldon Salt on top of the cookie dough before baking to create a balance of sweet and salty flavors.
- Brown Butter: Brown the same amount of butter used in the recipe for a complex, nutty flavor that balances out the sweetness of the cookie.
- Nutmeg: About a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg enhances the butter and complements the richness of the chocolate.
- Rolled Oats: For a denser and chewier texture, add a quarter cup of rolled oats in place of an equal proportion of flour.
- Cream Cheese: Add a couple of tablespoons of softened cream cheese into the dough to create moist and gooey cookies.
- Orange Zest: A hint of orange from the zest of one orange is an unexpected surprise that goes well with the richness of chocolate.
- Espresso Powder: A teaspoon of espresso powder adds a subtle and pleasant coffee undertone.
- Cornmeal: Replace a portion of the flour with cornmeal for a unique soft crunch.
- Cornstarch: Add a spoonful of cornstarch for thick but also light and fluffy cookies.
- Duck Fat: Don’t sleep on this one, duck fat has long been a secret ingredient for professional chefs for adding richness and texture to foods. Simply substitute half the butter in a recipe with equal parts duck fat.
- Marshmallow: Marshmallow nestled in the middle creates a cookie with a tender center that’s delightfully stretchy and oozing with gooeyness.
Storage and Freezer Tips
Store leftover cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate cookies for up to 1 week. To freeze, individually wrap the cookies, store them in freezer bags, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
You can eat cookies at room temperature or reheat in a 350-degree oven for 3 minutes. If reheating cookies that have been refrigerated, increase the time to 5-8 minutes. Frozen cookies may take 10-12 minutes. Alternatively, you can reheat the cookies in the microwave in 15-second intervals.
Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
Secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies are an elevated version of the cookies you know and love. Chocolate and spice will have your taste buds singing.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a large spoon or spatula as the butter browns. After the butter melts, it will brown in 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the browned butter from the heat, stir in the cayenne pepper and cinnamon, and transfer it to a heat-safe mixing bowl. The butter will continue to brown and could burn if kept in the hot skillet.
- Set the browned butter aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
- Add the sugars, egg, and vanilla extract to the cooled browned butter. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients as you stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Roll tablespoon portions of dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined sheet. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 1-2 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy.
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