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These supremely chocolatey cookies are a great way to use a partial container of buttermilk - guaranteed to satisfy even the strongest chocolate cravings.
Do you ever find yourself with a partial container of buttermilk and not know what to do with it? Look no further!
This recipe will have you wanting to keep buttermilk on hand at all times so you have an excuse to make these mouthwateringly delicious, decadent chocolate cookies!
If you're looking for another chocolatey favorite, these espresso chocolate chip brownies are another fantastic choice.
I've been making these cookies for yeeeeears.
I first saw them in this post over on Baking Bites and thought that the cookies sounded unique and delicious.
These cookies really do melt in your mouth. The buttermilk keeps the cookies incredibly moist, and the chocolate chips get nicely gooey and delicious.
I like using a mix of regular-sized semi-sweet chocolate chips along with these bittersweet chocolate baking chips from Ghirardelli when I bake these cookies.
They're a lot wider than standard chocolate chips, and they really intensify the chocolatey goodness of these cookies.
I actually buy them in bulk from the wholesale club because I like them so much.
Sometimes I chop them up a little smaller, sometimes I melt them, and sometimes I leave them whole - it all depends on my mood that day and the recipe I'm using.
If you can't find the baking chips, you can use any other type of chocolate chips that you enjoy, or just use 2 cups total of one type.
I happen to really enjoy the mix of different types of chocolate here, but it's totally up to you!
To further ensure a high level of dark chocolatey flavor in this recipe, I like using Dutch process cocoa powder.
What could be better?! Any time I find myself with a partial carton of buttermilk to use up, I bake a batch of these beauties. Yum!
I used a #50 cookie scoop for this recipe and got just over 4 dozen cookies from this mix.
You could make them a little larger if you like.
It's really key to let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to rack to cool, as they're extremely delicate fresh out of the oven.
A super thin spatula will be your best friend here.
Torn cookies still taste good, but they sure aren't as pretty.
I'm also curious to try chilling the cookie dough next time to see if it makes them a little thicker.
I'm not super well versed on the science behind many of the aspects of baking, but I sure do love to experiment!
Looking for more dessert recipes? Check out some of our favorites:
- Rich Cocoa Brownie Bites
- Elvis-Style Frozen Bananas
- Sweet + Salty Dark Chocolate Clusters
- 5-Ingredient Samoa Cereal Bowls
- Orange Scented Cannoli Dip
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Icing
- Dessert Nachos with Fresh Baked Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
- Tolon's Strawberry Basil Shortcake
- Cranberry Orange Snickerdoodles
- Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie with a Whole Wheat Crust
- Chocolate Cream Pie with Orange Zested Whipped Cream
- Great Grandma Francesca Cardile's Cookies
- Triple-Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
📖 Recipe
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: about 4 dozen cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These supremely chocolatey cookies are a great way to use a partial container of buttermilk - guaranteed to satisfy even the strongest chocolate cravings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dark chocolate baking chips (or another cup of chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter (I like to do this in 15 second increments at 50% power, but you can also do it in a small saucepan on the stovetop and transfer it to a bowl afterward). While the butter is still warm, add the cocoa powder to the butter and whisk until very smooth. Whisk in sugar, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain (I like to stir in about ⅓ of the mixture at a time to fully, evenly incorporate it). Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by heaping tablespoons (I like using a #50 scoop) onto prepared baking sheet, leaving a few inches in between each cookie to allow for spread.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges.
- Cool for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then use a spatula to gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 117
- Sugar: 12.5 g
- Sodium: 42 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.1 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 5.7 mg
Rebecca says
Seriously? That looks like a bite of heaven!!!
Taylor says
I need one of these right now! Now I know what I'm going to do with the buttermilk in my fridge...
Ashley says
They were a big hit at my husband's office, too!
Deeba PAB says
Found you on FG 3 hours ago, and had to make these as soon as possible! I did ... and they are delicious! Thanks for sharing them so beautifully!
Gigi says
This is nice but too sweet to my liking .
Joycee says
These look so good! Buttermilk makes anything better! Sharing these on Facebook today...
Elizabeth says
Yum! I have a "thing" for buttermilk AND chocolate, especially the good stuff, so this looks amazing!
Erika Beth, the Messy Chef says
I keep trying to make recipes that don't involved chocolate, but come on! Look at that cookie! It looks delicious!
ajcabuang04 says
I've recently tries the ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate. Soooo good!! Very intense and chocolatey. Your cookies look extra delicious!
Would you mind checking out my blog? 😀 http://ajscookingsecrets.blogspot.com/
Heather I. says
Just the words buttermilk and chocolate instantly grab my attention! Ghirardelli doesn't hurt either 🙂 I HAVE to try these!!
Debbie Pearson says
All I can same is YUMMY! And what time should I be over for cookies and milk? LOL
A. Verzello says
Made these last night and they made my life. It's hard to find a chocolate cookie recipe that yields reeeeally chocolatey cookies, and this one definitely did the trick. I love how soft they come out. Thanks for posting!
Ashley says
Always glad to help someone out with a chocolate craving 😉
Rita Russell Elmore says
PLEASE add a Pintrest option!!!
Ashley says
Rita - the Pin It button is there...I add it to all of my new posts, and have gone back and added it to the more popular past posts as well. Happy pinning 🙂
Anonymous says
How about peanut butter chips and chocolate chips
Ashley says
I haven't tried that combination before...but it sounds tasty!
aglassofmilk says
holy yum. these are so good. i threw some kosher salt on top of them before they baked.
Karen says
I had some leftover buttermilk - what to do? Hmm..chocolate buttermilk cookies? Found this and doubled the recipe for work - and sprinkled the coarse salt on top of each. They were a HUGE hit! "Incredible" "Amazing" "On a scale of 1-10, these were 100!"
Ashley says
I am so so glad these were such a hit for you, Karen! Glad to have come to the rescue in helping you use up that buttermilk. Thanks very much for the review 🙂
Ashley says
That sounds like a fantastic addition - yum!
Angobanjo says
I was given chocolate salt in my Christmas stocking so sprinkled some on top of the cookies as they came out of the oven. They're amazing!
Ashley says
Chocolate salt?!? OMG that sounds heavenly!
Carrie says
Made these for my boyfriend's birthday yesterday. They are DECADENT. Super chocolatey without being too much. GREAT texture, moist but with structure. I used Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips in mine.
They're also super easy, which I appreciate :). I hand-whisked everything, so they took a bit of time, but I'd say well worth it.
My boyfriend says, "They're very yummy and VERY chocolatey, maybe less chocolate chips."
I disagree, but figured I'd give another perspective.
Thank you for sharing! These definitely went into my make-again pile.
Ashley says
Carrie - so glad they were such a big hit!
Tina @ Tina's Chic says
Oh wow...I'm speechless. Mostly because I'm busy wiping the drool from my mouth! Pinning and making these. 🙂
Ashley says
Hope you enjoy them, Tina!
gretchen says
holy crap these cookies are aaaaamazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! taste like a cross between a brownie and a cookie they only lasted 2 days in my house hold my 3 boys practically devoured them making my secon batch now maybe I will get a few this time lol thank you soooooo much for sharing a permanent cookie in my house!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Ashley says
So glad you guys enjoyed them!
Joel says
Had some buttermilk left from a cake I made, so I whipped these up for my wife and I. They were quite delicious!
Rachel says
I had a late evening pregnant lady dessert craving, and my husband whipped these up for me. (We had leftover buttermilk from another recipe.) He is a rockstar, these are amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Ashley says
Awesome! Sounds like you have a great baby daddy on your hands 😉 Congrats on your little one AND your rockstar hubby!
Amy @swiss miss in the kitchen says
oh these cookies look to die for!!! I'm always looking for new cookie recipes 🙂 Thank you Ashley for sharing (and for stopping by at swiss miss in the kitchen!!)
xox Amy
Mom says
Oooooh....did you save some for your mother??? They look SOOO good! 🙂
Joanne says
I love the two types of chips! Double chocolate is always a good thing!
Ashley says
And with the cocoa powder, it's triple chocolatey goodness. Winning!!
Josie - Frozen Yogurt Las Vegas says
This is a piece of heaven and looks beyond delicious!! Great to find and go through the recipe. Like to say Many Thanks for sharing with us. Continue Sharing such recipe.
Alexia says
Hi, Ashley.
I just would like to let you know that I mentioned you in a post on my blog because I absolutely adored this recipe. Thank you so much for this.
Here is the link if you'd like to take a look. (:
Anga says
Absolutely the best chocolate biscuits I've made and I love that I now have an awesome use for the buttermilk left over from making butter!
Elisa says
No eggs?
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Nope! None 🙂
De says
Is the cocoa powder sweetened or unsweetened?
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Unsweetened. Hope you enjoy them!
D says
No recipe on this site. Am I just suppose to guess?
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
The recipe is below the photo. Hope you enjoy!
MaleKim says
Is something missing from this recipe? I tried baking them the other day using the ingredients as written. A 1/2 cup of butter is equal to one stick, right? What I got was the driest thing I've ever eaten.
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
I've made these several times and never experienced them being dry. Did you use enough buttermilk? Did they bake for too long? I'm not sure what else would cause them to be dry. Sorry you struck out with them!
Jesse Combs says
What kind of buttermilk did you use? If you used the low-fat or "healthy" kind, it won't work. This recipe needs the fat in the buttermilk to keep them moist.
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
I loved the way the large baking chips melted into kind of puddles in this recipe, but it would definitely be interesting to use different sized ones. How'd it work out for you?
Dee says
How long do these cookies stay fresh? Have you ever frozen them?
RadioactiveConcern says
Hi - these cookies are fantastic. I put them in the freezer after about one day. If I kept them out we would have eaten too many too soon. They are great out of the freezer - defrosted or still freezer cold they are good. Here is a great serving tip. A scoop of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia with this cookie on the side. Yum!
Agnessa Kulakov says
Excellent cookies!!!! Made them today and was impressed. Thanks.
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Oh man - that sounds HEAVENLY!!
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
So glad you enjoyed them! They're a favorite in my house 🙂
scottsmar says
Just finished making these. It started out "with" the Grandkids, lost them real quick when the mixing was so difficult! Anyway...I hand rolled first batch (doubled recipe BTW!) Whew, tedious work! Then decided an ice cream scooper packed well worked best! Yes their bigger than the advised 1 inch balls, but that's OK, no complaints here for too much chocolate! An ABSOLUTE very highly recommended deep rich chocolate almost lava like cookie! Thank you so much for sharing with everyone! YUMMMM!
Too old says
Would like to know do the chocolate chips really melt inside the cookie or do they end up being just chips in there?
steFwithanF says
I will be making these for the second time tomorrow. They were a huge, huge hit the first time. My fiancé won't stop asking me to make them again! They had this melt-in-your-mouth quality that made it taste like half cookie, half meringue. It was just amazing! A note on how I used the recipe - I always (in any recipe calling for cocoa powder) substitute sweetened cocoa powder for unsweetened cocoa powder. It always adds depth to the chocolate flavor. The brand is Ghirardelli's Sweet Ground Cocoa. I also use unsalted butter.
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Thanks for stopping by! Always happy to make people's mouths water 🙂
It does hold together well without eggs. The buttermilk binds it nicely. As far as omitting cocoa powder, I'm honestly not sure how to tweak it so it would still bake properly since 3/4 cup is a fairly large amount to leave out. Baking can be very scientific and adjusting things of that nature is definitely not my strong suit.
Jesse Combs says
Holy cow! I was looking for something to do with some buttermilk and wow! What a find! It'll be interesting to experiment with cookie sizes as well as different chocolates. I put Hershey's Dark and unsweetened "natural" cocoa, and ghiradlli semi-sweet chips in this recipe!
Christina says
I cut down on the sugar by half a cup and used dark brown sugar instead of white (it's what I had on hand) and added some espresso powder. I also used white chocolate chips (also b/c they were all I had), but the cookies still turned out perfect. The texture was amazing. Super soft, but not cakey at all, like I was worried they'd be. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Your modifications sound DELICIOUS, Christina! Glad to hear they turned out so well. Totally craving these again now!
Flora says
I was looking for a recipe of chocolate cookies with buttermilk, this one has just been awesome. Cookies were absolutely divine, soft and crunchy thanks to the chips. I adapted the recipe with the chocolate powder and sugar that I had in the pantry, a real winner!!
Oonagh Dempsey says
☹️
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Sorry to hear you had trouble with these - did you line your baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat?
Mary says
I found the dough was like cake dough-added more flour and got a nice cookie dough. I also cut down on the sugar and used white chocolate chips on purpose (for contrast). A nice soft cookie
JJ says
How long are they good for in an air tight container on the counter?
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
You know, I'm not sure because they disappear SO fast in my house. I'm actually planning to make them again soon so maybe I'll try to reserve ONE for a week to see how it holds up 🙂
Mike says
Outstanding cookie. The chocolate and buttermilk are a fine combination.
The recipe doesn't specify scoop and sweep or spoon and measure for the flour so I did scoop and sweep and they didn't flatten on their own. I had to flatten them which means there was a bit too much flour using that method I think. Came out looking like a krinkle cookie instead of what's in the pictures here on the blog. No matter. Flavor is what's important and it's outstanding.
Experimented with some flake Maldon salt on some of the cookies and some red sanding sugar on the others. Nice accents to each.
Wish I could add a pic. 😉
Ashley says
When I first made these yeeeears ago, I did the scoop and sweep method, but the revamped photos (with the blue cloth) were definitely the spoon and level method. They were great both ways, but I'll definitely take the measuring method into account when writing directions for baking recipes in the future. Glad to hear the salt worked out - I thought it'd be a nice touch, too! And while I can't get photos in the comments section here, if you're on Instagram and use #cookbigflavors, I'll see them! Or if you are interested in my small but growing FB group, Big Flavors from Your Kitchen, I love seeing photos there, too!
Mike says
I continue to make these all the time with the addition of the flake sea salt on top. Every single person who has tried them loves them.
Some are going into the oven today.
Ashley says
I'm so glad that these continue to make an appearance in your kitchen, Mike! I made them for friends a few weeks ago and did half with the flaky salt topping and half without. Some people tend to be skeptical of the sweet-and-salty combo but they almost always love it if they try it!
Rimma says
My family loves this biscuit, they describe it as brownies choc chip biscuit. I'm not a big fans of sweet, but this biscuit not too sweet (just perfect for me)!
I use teaspoon measurement and i just drop it on the baking tray and i don't need to flatten the dough, because when you baking the cookies will flatten itself.
Makesure you not over baking it, because the last batch I over cooked it by 5 mins and the biscuit rock hard when it cold.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Ashley says
So glad your family loves these! If you bake them a little too long, you can always microwave one before you eat it for a few seconds to get it warm and soft again. Just be careful not to leave it in for too long 🙂
Shar says
I, too, had buttermilk and wanted to bake cookies for my chocoholic grandsons. This recipe is a keeper. I used raw organic sugar and reduced it by 1/2 cup. I also added 2 Tbs more flour because of our higher altitude. Cookies turned out great.
Ashley says
I'm so glad you and your grandsons enjoyed these, Shar! I haven't tried these with raw sugar, but I always have that on hand for my coffee. I may just need to try that next time!
Pam Johnson says
I was also hunting for a recipe to use up some buttermilk! Great recipe! Big hit and easy to make. Thank you!
Amy says
I was disappointed with the appearance of the cookies, but the flavour was outstanding! I like my cookies to be thick, but these were so thin it was hard to hold and eat it without it falling apart. After the first tray came out of the oven, I added a bit more flour to the remaining dough and froze the cookie dough mounds for fifteen minutes before baking. It helped a small amount but still not nearly to make this a keeper for me. I might take another attempt at it and not melt the butter to see if that helps. The positive was the dough wasn't a waste because it was delicious! It was great with pretzels and with marie biscuits (a crunchy cookie in South Africa -- similar in taste to a Stauffer's animal cracker.)
Ashley says
I'm glad you still managed to enjoy them, despite the texture being a bit off. I find that sometimes they need to sit and cool on the pan a bit longer than other times in order to transfer to the cooling rack easier. I'm not sure if it has more to do with the weather/humidity outside or what, but they definitely vary a bit from time to time. Let me know if you find a method that works out better for you - hope you had a nice weekend 🙂
Jenny Chun says
First time making these, the mixture was real runny? Wasn't sure what I'd done wrong but chucked them on a baking tray anyway and they flattened out into delish cookies! Wanted to see if these could be made with standard milk now that I don't have buttermilk to use up?
Mary Hannah Ellis says
I've made these cookies 3 times now, and they've been incredible every single time! I usually halve the recipe to make 2 dozen, especially if I have just a little leftover buttermilk that I don't want to waste. These cookies really do melt in your mouth, and they're a chocoholic's dream!
Ashley says
I am so so glad these have been such a hit, Mary! I have some buttermilk in the fridge right now and may just need to make some of these again, too!
Nancy says
Can I make the dough and then freeze it to bake later?
Ashley says
I haven’t tried that with this particular recipe but my guess is that it’d work. Let me know how it goes if you try that out!
Mike says
Hi Nancy, I prepare these all the way through making them into balls and then freeze the balls. They freeze up beautifully and you can bake them from frozen no problem. I usually add a minute to the baking time when I bake from frozen.
Ashley says
Thanks for sharing the tips, Mike! I've been working at being better with using my freezer for things like this 🙂
Jan Lescher says
Just made these and they are great! I didn't melt the butter , I warmed it in the microwave for just a few seconds to make it very soft. The batter is more like a dough but the cookies have nice height. Thank you!
Ashley says
Glad these were a hit, Jan!!
Sandy M says
I made these today (with my leftover buttermilk!) and they were very good, but didn't fit your description. They were fairly thick, didn't spread out, and more cakey than I expected. I'll confess: I used 1/2 c less sugar than stated, but I don't see how that would change the consistency in this regard. Any thoughts on what might have gone wrong? I was looking forward to a thinner more chocolate-y cookie. (And the recipe doesn't call for eggs... right?)
Ashley says
Hi Sandy! Sorry you had trouble with the texture. I looked at the King Arthur Baking site and they say that the lower the amount of sugar, the less cookies will spread and the drier and more crumbly they will be. So I’m thinking that the reduction of sugar was the culprit here.
Ashley says
Correct - no eggs!
Jennifer says
I've only made cookies a handful of times in my life, but had some leftover buttermilk and made these today. Your recipe was very easy to follow and they turned out delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe! Will definitely make these again and the house smells heavenly.
Ashley says
I’m so glad these were a hit, Jennifer! They’re a fun way to use up extra buttermilk for sure.
Niki T says
This is one of the best chocolate cookie recipes ever... the buttermilk takes it to the next level! Made these for the first time a few weeks ago and can't even tell you how many times I've made them since! My husband's new favourite cookie!
Kati Blackledge says
Good taste... but no eggs? I made these and while they tasted great, they fell apart. That's not fun.
Ashley says
I'm sorry this one caused trouble for you. I wonder if you maybe needed a few more minutes in the oven to let them set a bit more? They're definitely fragile at first when you go to transfer them to a cooling rack, so I let them sit for 3-5 minutes before moving them.
Janice says
Very good chocolate cookie. I used mini semi-sweet chips and 1/2 cup of pecans and 1/2 cup of walnuts instead of the dark chocolate chips. I liked the texture and flavor of the smaller chips and nuts. Easy recipe to adapt!
Ashley says
Ooh love the idea of adding nuts into the mix! Glad these were a hit for you, Janice!
Stef says
These are the best friggin cookies ever. I've been making them for occasions for the last 6 years now. My husband calls them "candy cookies" because they are addictive and taste like the best out of this world chocolate candy bar to him. They have such a deep chocolate flavor (but not dark and bitter), and even though mine tend to spread a lot in the oven (idk what I'm doing wrong...or right?!), it causes the outside to have a chew and the inside to be soft and gooey. They are addictive. Thanks for the recipe!
Ashley says
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review, Stef! I find that mine sometimes spread more than other also. A few things that may help are to make sure the butter is softened but not too soft (so if you press your finger into it, it makes an indent but doesn’t smush right through), and you could also try chilling the dough. Let me know if you try either of those and if it helps!
Louann says
First time I made these, they spread too much and flattened. This week I made some alterations, and they were perfect.
I just softened the butter, didn't melt it. Used salted butter, and left out the extra salt. I used a bit less sugar, and a bit more flour. Refrigerated the dough overnight, and didn't grease the cookie sheets.
Ashley says
I’m glad you found a way to make this work better for you! These have been a favorite over here for many years now.
Jess says
These cookies will definitely be on a regular rotation in our home now. I had extra buttermilk and also wanted something chocolate…these definitely fit the bill! I made some adjustments for altitude (5800ft) and they are AMAZING! Thank you!
Ashley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these, Jess! What do you find trickiest about your altitude? I don't have experience with that, but I'm so glad you were able to make it work well.
Hazel says
No egg? Just checking before I make this soon.
Ashley says
No eggs needed, Hazel. I hope you enjoy them!
Amy Sonnenberg says
I was looking for a recipe that used melted butter and leftover buttermilk, and this was the perfect match.
Super super chocolatey. I added some espresso powder and used all Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, because that’s what I had.
Ashley says
Ooooh the espresso addition sounds fantastic, Amy! So glad these were a hit!
Coralie Cobb says
Can you store the cookie dough in the fridge or freezer? If so, how long? These cookies were fantastic. We love them. I have buttermilk I’d like to use but I’m we can’t have more cookies around…they are tooooooo good.
Ashley says
I'm so glad you enjoy these cookies, Coralie! I haven't personally tried freezing them, but my inclination is that the dough would freeze well. I recommend freezing the dough balls on a parchment lined plate or tray first so they freeze in their shape, then once they're frozen (a few hours or overnight), transfer them to a freezer bag, sucking out as much air as possible. Then when you go to bake the from frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time. If you give this a try, let me know how it goes! I'll also experiment with this the next time I make this recipe.