minneapolis blackout cookies

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bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! this Recipe for Later! whoop whoop! welcome back for DELICIOUS holiday treat! plays well with butter’s first-annual treat…
bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent!

whoop whoop! welcome back for DELICIOUS holiday treat! plays well with butter’s first-annual treat week continues today with these tahini buckeyes. & guys? i couldn’t be more excited about it. they. are. in.freaking.sane.

be sure to come back tomorrow for the final easy, festive, & delicious holiday treat recipe in pwwb’s treat week this year!

minneapolis blackout cookies {salted bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate}bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

um, total show stoppers. right?!bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

pin this bittersweet chocolate cookies recipe for later!!!

if there’s one dessert i cannot resist when i’m out at a cafe or coffee shop, it’s a gorgeous cookie. i am such a sucker for cookies, & i will always order one to dunk in my coffee during a coffee date or a little work sesh.

these minneapolis blackout cookies are a combination of 2 of my current favorite cookies in minneapolis: the bittersweet chocolate cookies from rustica & the zephyr chocolate rye cookies from penny’s.

if you’ve never been, rustica’s bittersweet chocolate cookies are the ultimate chocolate cookie: intensely chocolatey, with the best fudgy texture. penny’s zephyr chocolate cookies are perfectly crisp around the edges, & they’re filled with caramelized white chocolate chips. (insert all the heart eyes here, right?!)

minneapolis blackout cookies are a little bit of both: bittersweet chocolate cookies that are chewy & fudgy in the center, crisp around the edges, & filled with both bittersweet chocolate & caramelized white chocolate.

aka…the ultimate cookie. bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

pin this bittersweet chocolate cookies recipe for later!!!

the chocolatiness of these bittersweet chocolate cookies is what really takes them over the top. they’re made with three kinds of chocolate: black cocoa, bittersweet chocolate chunks & giant pieces of white chocolate that have been slowly caramelized. bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

if you’ve never used it before, black cocoa powder is such a fun ingredient to bake with! black cocoa is basically ultra dutch cocoa powder, meaning it is less acidic than a standard cocoa powder & has more pronounced chocolatey bitterness.  

plus, it’s got the most dramatic dark color that’s so fun to play around with, especially in these bittersweet chocolate cookies.

i find my black cocoa at a co-op near my parents house, but it’s pretty easy to find online – i have some suggestions below in the recipe notes!bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

pin this bittersweet chocolate cookies recipe for later!!!

the other thing that makes these bittersweet chocolate cookies so special? the giant pieces of caramelized white chocolate folded throughout them.

caramelizing white chocolate is a really fun way to take white chocolate to the next level. i’m totally not normally a white chocolate person. while some people (ahem, chris), love its sweetness, i typically find white chocolate to be too sweet – cloyingly sweet. but when you caramelize white chocolate? holy whoa. all of that sweetness transforms into a rich & deep caramelly flavor that’ll make even the darkest chocolate lover swoon. (promise.)

caramelizing white chocolate is it’s super easy. i learned all about it from this post: you basically just pop some good white chocolate on a baking sheet & cook it ever so slightly in low heat for about 45 minutes. but! it can be a little finicky. the white chocolate needs to melt slowly to ensure it doesn’t seize up or caramelize unevenly, so you just want to take your time while you do it.bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

pin this bittersweet chocolate cookies recipe for later!!!

with that in mind, these bittersweet chocolate cookies are admittedly the most high maintenance thing i’ll ever ask you to make – but that is not to say that they’re hard to make…at all!

between caramelizing the white chocolate & letting the dough chill enough to yield the perfect texture for these cookies, making bittersweet chocolate cookies just takes a little bit of time.bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

but if you have a little bit of time in your holiday baking schedule, these bittersweet chocolate cookies are the cookies to make. they’re dramatic, decadent, & feel so special thanks to the combination of bittersweet chocolate & caramelized white chocolate. bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

i’m pretty sure the only thing missing is a hot cup of coffee!bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

pin this bittersweet chocolate cookies recipe for later!!!

if you love this salted bittersweet chocolate cookies recipe, here are a few other recipes you have to try!

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bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

minneapolis blackout cookies {salted bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate}

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.4 from 9 reviews
  • Author: jess larson | plays well with butter
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour (includes inactive time)
  • Total Time: 2 hours (includes inactive time)
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Category: cookies, dessert
  • Method: baking

Description

bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped (see Recipe Notes)
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ¾ cup black cocoa (see Recipe Notes)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
  • optional: flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Caramelize the white chocolate: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the chopped white chocolate on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the chocolate in the oven and heat in 5 minute intervals, using an offset spatula to mix and re-spread the chocolate between each interval. The chocolate will go from white and smooth, to caramelly and grainy, to caramelly and smooth. After about 45 minutes, the chocolate will be caramelized and totally smooth. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator to chill. Once chilled and set, chop into pieces and set aside. For more step-by-step photos, check out this post, which I used a reference for caramelizing my chocolate!
  2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and Kosher salt. Whisk to combine well and set aside.
  3. Make the cookie batter: Add the butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can also use a hand mixer. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Add in the dry ingredients and mix to combine, taking care not to overmix the cookie dough. Fold in the caramelized white chocolate chunks and the bittersweet chocolate chunks. Remove the cookie dough from the bowl, wrap it in plastic, and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours – this helps in getting a nice, chewy cookie!
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  5. Roll out the cookies: Use a cookie scoop to roll the cookie dough into 2-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Press the cookies down slightly, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, just until the cookies begin to crisp around the edges. The cookies will look underbaked, but they’ll continue to cook as they cool to yield the perfect chewy texture! Allow to cool on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Notes

  • White chocolate: It’s important to use high-quality white chocolate when you caramelize white chocolate! The chocolate should list “white chocolate” as the first ingredient on its ingredient label. My favorite brand is Gihrardelli. Chop it into large, even pieces so they melt and caramelize slowly and evenly. I learned about and referenced caramelizing white chocolate in this post!
  • Black cocoa: I find black cocoa at a co-op near my parents house, but it’s pretty easy to find online. King Arthur sells a very reputable black cocoa, and this one from Amazon is very well-reviewed.  
don’t forget to pin this salted bittersweet chocolate cookies recipe for later! bittersweet chocolate cookies with caramelized white chocolate. intensely fudgy dark chocolate cookies made with black cocoa powder, filled with caramelized white chocolate chunks & bittersweet chocolate chunks & finished with flaky sea salt. these bittersweet chocolate cookies are dramatic, rich & decadent! #playswellwithbutter #cookierecipe #chocolatecookie #doublechocolatecookie #fudgychocolatecookie #blackcocoapowderrecipes #caramelizedwhitechocolate

Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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Comments

  1. 3.20.24
    Monica Osterhout said:

    I was disappointed in these cookies! I do not care for black cocoa. Really not the flavor I was going for. And the white chocolate really did not come through flavor-wise. (FYI, you can buy blonde chocolate and skip the step of caramelizing white chocolate on your own.)






    • 3.20.24
      Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Monica, we’re sorry to hear that. Black cocoa definitely has a very distinct flavor, so if you don’t care for black cocoa, this recipe is probably not the right fit for you. Hope you’re able to find another cookie recipe that better suits your tastes! 🙂

  2. 6.28.23
    Lauren Sher said:

    So yummy! I was wondering if I could use bread flour and AP flour combined instead of the whole wheat, since they’re what I have in my pantry? I know some use just AP but since I have the bread flour I thought a balance might be good? I’m just not positive on the amounts… thanks in advance!






    • 6.28.23
      Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Lauren, all-purpose flour would be the best substitute for whole wheat in this recipe!! Make sure to let us know how they turn out if you give it a try!! 🙂

  3. 12.7.21
    jp26 said:

    These are so good, have used this recipe many times. The last batch I made I dipped the tops in milk chocolate…so good






    • 12.27.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Bring on the chocolate! The extra dipping in milk chocolate sounds wonderful – thanks so much for sharing!

  4. 12.23.20
    Jo said:

    I’ve made these a few times and they’re soo good. I haven’t caramelise the white chocolate (because time) and just use regular cocoa powder since I’m not able to find black cocoa but still sooo good. I make them gluten free and yep they’re eaten in a flash everytime.






    • 6.12.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Jo! Thank you so much for sharing – can’t go wrong with these cookies & we are so glad to hear that you are able to make substitutions, they sound delicious!

  5. 9.9.20
    Irish said:

    Hi Jess! I tried this recipe last night and baked a few batch this morning, they were super good! But I had a minor issue with my dough, they didn’t spread out or look liked yours. Do you think I made a mistake when I convert some of the ingredients into grams? Your response is highly appreciated. Thanks!

    • 6.20.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Irish! Like you mentioned, it could have been a conversion issue but it is hard to say for sure! Did you have a chance to chill the dough as recommended for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hrs)? Chilling the dough helps solidify the fat in the cookies & helps prevent too much spreading when baked.

  6. 8.18.20
    Imogen said:

    These cookies were absolutely brilliant, I almost ever come back to leave a review but these were so lovely I had to!

    My only question is about the temp, is it 250 f or c? It seems really hot for F but its only 120 C .. I had frozen these solid before baking, cooked them at 250f but only for 4 mins!

    Would love to know the answer! And thanks again xx






    • 6.20.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Imogen! The recipe directions call for preheating the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit to caramelize the white chocolate. Then once the cookie dough batter has been prepared, chilled, & the cookie dough has been scooped & is ready to bake we recommend preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit & cooking for about about 10-12 minutes. This is for cookies where the dough has been formed into about 2-inch balls. If you make smaller cookies, the time needed to cook through could be less!

  7. 7.27.20
    Irish said:

    Hi. Can I replace the whole wheat flour with the same amount of regular All purpose flour?

    • 6.20.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Irish! Since whole wheat flour contains a higher protein content than all-purpose flour it is likely not an exact 1:1 swap and all-purpose flour alone (at the same ratio) may yield a “wetter cookie dough”. While we haven’t tested using another flour other than whole wheat in this recipe, you may want to try adding a bit more all-purpose flour, if you make this substitution, to make sure the dough feels like the right texture & consistency. You can start with adding an additional tablespoon for every cup of flour the recipe calls for if only using all-purpose. If you do give it a try, let us know how it goes!

  8. 5.23.20
    Ashleigh said:

    I spent my morning on these deliciously rich cookies, but they’re well-worth it. I used AP flour, as that’s all I have and another reviewer mentioned it. I found my cookies to be very soft. The first batch came out mostly melted into thin pools, sadly, even after the 30 minutes in the fridge. I then chilled each following batch on their tray for 10 minutes before baking and had much better results.






    • 3.8.21
      Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hi Ashleigh! Thanks for sharing these tips when using AP flour, so glad you enjoyed!

  9. 3.3.20
    Chris said:

    These were great if you like the Oreo chocolate taste (but better than Oreo cookies, for sure). The recipe made 21 fairly large cookies for me. I let the batter rest 45 minutes. They were even better the second day. The only thing I will do different next time is make the caramelized white chocolate thicker. I think being chunkier will help its taste stand out more (love the color contrast). I used Valrhona white chocolate feves. Don’t skip the sea salt, I used Malden.






  10. 12.8.19
    Steve said:

    These look incredible. Could I add nuts to the recipe, and, if so, what would your recommend insofar as type and quantity? I have another awesome chocolate cookie recipe that uses Macadamia nuts, but I would think pecans would be good too.

    • 12.20.19
      jess said:

      Hey Steve! I think you could scale back on the chocolate by 1/2 cup (either or both types – up to you!) and replace with 1/2 cup of nuts. Pecans sound yummy! I think pistachios could be amazing, & always love walnuts in cookies, too. Let me know what you end up trying!

      • 12.22.19
        Steve Walsh said:

        Jess: I did as you suggested and substituted half of the bittersweet chocolate with chopped pecans, and the cookies were divine! Definitely a keeper recipe and so glad I discovered your web page.






        • 1.8.20
          jess said:

          I’m so glad to hear that, Steve!!!

  11. 10.30.19
    Stephanie said:

    Hi! These look great. DO you know if the recipe can be doubled? Thanks!

    • 10.30.19
      jess said:

      Hi Stephanie! I’ve not tried a double batch, but I think it should work. If you try, definitely report back! xx

  12. 10.10.19
    Sara said:

    I read online that black cocoa doesn’t react with baking soda and should be used with baking powder instead. Do you or have you noticed a difference?

    • 10.11.19
      jess said:

      hey sara! great question. can’t speak for other recipes, but I’ve made this recipe successfully many times!

  13. 9.20.19
    Melissa said:

    can I use AP flour? Thanks!

    • 9.23.19
      jess said:

      definitely! i love whole wheat because it lends a nice chewiness, but AP will do the trick.

      • 12.30.21
        LD said:

        This recipe is so delicious and unique! Thank you so much! 😊






        • 1.17.22
          Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:

          So glad you think so! Thank you for your comment!