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Just made this today. Sooo delicious! Currently exercising the one tiny morsel of self-control I do have to avoid eating ALL of it.
Monica
Bjork has one single specialty when it comes to cooking, and its name is Ze Big Cookie.
And yes, you do have to say ze. Bjork’s rules.
It’s cookie dough (definitely not homemade) (wait. I’m talking about HIS version, not THIS version. stay please.) pressed into a large circle on a cookie sheet and baked to underdone gooey cookie perfection. The man can’t cook a vegetable to save his life, but Ze Big Cookie more than overcompensates for any of that. As much as I roll my eyes and pretend that I’m way too foodie for that, I eat it and love it.
And I occasionally use it to inspire very similar but more homemade things like this deep dish chocolate chip cookie, so thanks babe. ❤
Rabbit trail with me for a moment here – as I was writing this post I had a distant memory of a video documenting Ze Big Cookie. So I went looking for it. Our good friends, being the awesome people they are, had not only saved but uploaded this video to YouTube where over a few years it has accumulated almost 3,000 views. Um what. 3,000 people in this world spent five minutes of their life learning to make Ze Big Cookie from the world’s most ridiculous cook? I love you Bjork, but, just, no.
I almost want to tell you not to watch it, but we’re rabbit trailing and you probably have something official to do that would just be best put off for a few more minutes. Only two rules: 1) You cannot send Bjork hate mail about using premade cookie dough, or love letters asking for his hand in cookie marriage. He’s taken. 2) You cannot calculate how many actual servings it would equal if four friends were to hypothetically eat the entire Big Cookie.
This was a looong five years ago.
So on another exciting note, guess what happened this week? My new baby nephew Charlie was born! *cheers and applause*
Charlie entered the world just like the perfect baby that he is and made me and my sisters first time aunties, and my crazy brothers and Bjork first time uncles, and my parents first-time grandparents. Also: me a first-time baby nephew stealer. I hardly have any pictures of him, but he’s actually even cuter than this deep dish cookie. Promise.
So in honor of Charlie, really, I made this Deep Dish Chocolate Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt. And ohmygosh someone send help. This is one thick cookie, stuffed with a layer of soft caramel and sea salt. SAY WHAT. I have a deep weakness for chocolate and sea salt which is why three pieces of deep dish chocolate chip cookie are “missing” and I am food comatose.
Gooey and underbaked? Definitely yes. This is a very gooey, very underbaked little guy. And by little I mean massive. Just know that when you take this out of the oven, it will look like this…nice and browned on top…
but it’s not ready to eat. It’s still gooey underneat. This is where you decide whether or not you like it like that or if you want to cover it with foil and keep baking. Especially if you’re on Team Underbaked, it needs to rest so as not to become a hot lava caramel explosion goo-ball all over your kitchen. Let it rest, let the buttery smells permeate your house, and check back in an hour. That’s what I did – it was cuttable and servable, with the exception of that always messy first piece. No regrets.
This recipes is meant to be served to a group of close friends who are lounging around on Friday night watching something random on TV, or better yet, YouTube, or better yet, Ze Big Cookie video on YouTube. Okay, no, I’m kidding. Don’t.
But seriously, this is the kind of food that says: we are good enough friends to wear our sweats over to each other’s houses, put our hair in high ponys (boys… whatever your equivalent of high pony bonding is), and not feel self-conscious about eating underbaked gooey deep dish chocolate chip cookies together. And maybe even eating a little too much because it’s the weekend. Just maybe.
Wait, it’s Wednesday. But that’s basically the same as the weekend, right?
Currently we have Netflix queued up, one massive deep dish chocolate chip cookie cooling on the counter, and true story: I’m wearing my sweats. Come over already.
Mini Cookie Deep Dish FTW!
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Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8–12 huge slices, but appropriate servings would be more like 20+ 1x
Description
This Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie is stuffed with a layer of gooey caramel and sprinkled with sea salt. Simple and over-the-top delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chunks (I chopped up a large piece of Scharffen Berger chocolate – yum)
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup caramel pieces (affiliate link)
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- coarse sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Soften the 8 tablespoons butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or until partially melted. Soften the remaining 8 tablespoons for 10 seconds or until you can make an indent with your finger.
- Mix the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until creamed. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix again until smooth. Add the eggs; beat slowly until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt (sometimes it helps to add the flour in batches). Mix until a smooth dough forms. The dough should feel dry to the touch – if it sticks to your hands, add a few more tablespoons of flour. I generally try to err on the side of more flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Melt the caramel pieces and heavy cream in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well until melted and smooth.
- Press half of the dough mixture into a 9-inch or larger cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper. (affiliate link) Pour the caramel over the dough and smooth with a spoon. Cover with another layer of cookie dough. Bake for 15-25 minutes (see notes). Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and allow to rest for at least one hour in order for the pieces to hold their shape when cut.
Notes
I baked mine uncovered for 15 minutes, but you could also cover with foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes to get the cookie center baked even further. If you only bake for 15 minutes total, like I did, the cookie WILL be underbaked. Cause that’s how we like it.
How To Clean a Cast Iron Pan After Cooking (My Go-To, Everyday Method)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: skillet cookie, deep dish cookie, deep dish chocolate chip cookie
We almost always serve things like this with a bunch o vanilla ice cream but there was none to be found in the freezer when I made this. The good news for you is that there’s still time for the warm cold melty combo! Do it.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best date night recipes page. Check it out!
Hi! Can this cookie be baked on a pizza pan?
Absolutely loved it, and so did everyone who got a bite! Easy to make, very hard to stop eating!!!
I am so excited to try this cookie!!! Quick question for you. Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
We typically use salted butter!
I made this for my son’s birthday and it was a huge hit! I appreciated the tip on rolling out the dough and placing the top cookie layer on top of the melted caramel to avoid it squeezing out the sides.
I did eliminate an entire stick of butter and we did not miss it at all!
I have made this recipe more than once. It’s so rich and buttery. One of the best tasting things I’ve ever made. My whole family loves it.
So good!!! I made this on a whim when looking for a good birthday dessert for my husband’s birthday and it was AMAZING!! The perfect combo of sweet and salty and completely addicting! It was a huge hit and our family of 5 demolished the entire pan in two days 😂 New favorite birthday dessert for sure! If I could give it 6 stars I would!
Omg.looks delicious! I am so in love with this.
SO SO GOOD. I could almost eat the whole thing, but I’d die in a sugar coma. We baked it for 25 minutes and it was perfectly gooey at about 15-30 minutes after. 😍
I know this is a really old post from you, but I just came across this recently. Made it twice so far. Caramel pieces are not available in Australia. I replaced this with Top and Fill (commonly available here & is more like Dulche de leche) which I added some salt to. Worked a treat.
So glad you enjoyed it, Karen! Thanks for the comment!
Linsday, you really should do more videos of you and your family, that could bring the blog to the next level.
I am confused about the butter 2 sticks and 4 sticks equal to the same number of tablespoons? please help me out
Hi Tan! For this recipe, 1 stick of butter equals 8 tablespoons. So you will need 2 sticks or 16 tablespoons total.
Hi! Can I substitute real maypole syrup for something else. I ran out of real maple syrup! This looks delicious 😋
Can this be made/assembled a few hours in advance and sit for a bit before you pop it into the oven to cook?
Should be just fine!
The fun thing about this recipe is you can get other family members involved. (I like to think of it as invested ;). After all, there are very few people I know with an aversion to chocolate chip cookie dough! So no shortage of volunteers here. I agree with with the under baking for that reason. Fantastic recipe, thank you!!
Fun to hear the family was involved in making this, Randy! Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m having a sleepover with my bestie sometime soon, and I’m so excited to try this! Yay diabetes
Can you make this without the caramel and heavy cream? I love them but my kids don’t…
We haven’t tried that yet, but it should work!
The link to the caramel isn’t showing up. What kinda of Carmel?
I can be omitted as well?
Just updated the link, so it should work now. 👍 If you’d prefer to leave the caramel out, you totally can.
This looks like a dessert where the devil is on one shoulder and there is an angel on the other and in this instance, the angel can’t even resist.
I was wondering do you use the traditional caramel squares or the caramel bits?
Haha! This made us laugh, Melissa! We used caramel bits here, but caramel squares should work too.
It was really yummy! But I found that I needed to bake it for a lot longer than the stated time. I also replaced the caramel with Nutella. Highly recommend it though!
YUM! Nutella here would be delicious! 😋
This is delicious. I cut each sugar by 1/4 c and use 1/2 white whole wheat flour. I also 1/2 earth balance and 1/2 oil instead of butter.
Glad you enjoyed this, Rizi!
My husband told e about this meal as he walked out the door. 5/10 because i loved him
i hate the NHS, i will sell your first born for a pack of ciggies rn
WOW, I MADE THIS AND IT WAS VERY NICE. I VOTED FOR TORYIES
yeah man
It looks amazing… is it unsalted butter or regular butter….? Hope you get this soon. Craving cookie…..by the way loved every recipes you ever posted!