DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe ~ the secret’s out, Hilton has finally released the authentic recipe for their famous chocolate chip cookies. I tried the recipe and loved it, in fact this is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie!
Have you ever had a DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie?
Chocolate chip cookies recipes may be a dime a dozen, but it’s not every day that a famous recipe that’s been kept under wraps for decades is released.
Maybe you have fond memories of vacationing with family and getting one of those big-as-your-hand incredibly delicious warm chocolate chip cookies at the DoubleTree Hilton hotels. All this time the hotel chain has kept the official recipe a secret, and so we home bakers had to rely on (unreliable) copy cat recipes scavenged online. Not anymore!
What makes DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies special
- First off, their size. They’re nice and big. I use an ice cream scoop to portion out the dough so nobody gets cheated.
- A large amount of walnuts give these cookies an extra nutty flavor.
- Rolled oats add texture and flavor.
- There is a small amount of lemon juice in the dough, and that reacts with the baking soda to give the cookies lift and a chewier texture.
- A pinch of cinnamon gives these cookies a special je ne sais quois! They smell amazing as they bake.
- The dough needs no chilling before baking, so there’s no unnecessary waiting.
- These cookies are not super soft, they have a nice crunchy edges with chewy centers.
How would I rate these cookies?
I give them a big thumbs up. Â I like the flavor and texture. I loved all the walnuts. And I appreciate how easy they are to make ~ no chilling makes a difference!
If you prefer a softer texture in your cookies, try my Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re plush and pillowy. If you love more of a shortbread type texture, try my Chocolate Chip Cookies. And if, by chance, you aren’t into chocolate, you need my ‘Chipless’ Chocolate Chip Cookies!
DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 2/3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F Line a baking sheet (s) with parchment paper
- Cream the soft butter, and both sugars in a stand mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. You can use electric hand beaters if you like.
- Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Lower the speed and blend in the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, making sure to get them evenly distributed.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the dough (3 tablepoon amounts) and place 2 inches apart on your lined cookie sheets. I flatten the balls slightly. Bake for 20-23 minutes until starting to turn golden. I found that 20 minutes worked for me.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
notes and variations
105 Comments
Romy
July 17, 2021 at 6:35 amcan I leave the dough in the fridge over night (still in mixing bowl) if I cover it?
Sue Moran
July 17, 2021 at 7:38 amYes, absolutely.
krysta Wolfangel
March 31, 2021 at 2:27 amThese are very good! I made an 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 batch. All batch sizes turn out the same and are great! I do not usually like cinnamon too much in cookies but the cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate in this cookie go well together. I baked at 350 for 10 minutes.
Dorothy K
February 19, 2021 at 10:30 amThe best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!!!
No chilling, just patience baking in the oven. You can heat an individual cookie in the toaster if you want it warm. I omitted the nuts & it was perfect!
Dorothy K
February 19, 2021 at 10:50 amIf using salted butter reduce salt to 1/2 teas.
Mimi Pipino
January 8, 2021 at 2:38 pmWhat is the point of baking at 300 ?? my cookies sort of melted at that temp before they actually baked thru .
some recipes say they can cook at 350 for 13 to 16 minutes
Carmen w
December 13, 2020 at 10:23 pmMy cookies are not round…did I do something wrong? Thanks!!
Damon
November 30, 2020 at 12:46 pmYou don’t have to chill the cookie dough?
Sue
November 30, 2020 at 3:03 pmNo, not necessary.
Marie
December 21, 2020 at 4:46 amWhat if you do have to chill them
Mimi
November 18, 2020 at 11:27 pmHi! Is lemon extract same as lemon juice? Can I use lemon extract instead?
Sue
November 19, 2020 at 5:26 amNo, if you don’t have lemon juice, just leave it out.
Enjoying time
June 2, 2021 at 10:06 pmNO, don’t use lemon extract here. The whole point is to have the lemon juice react with the baking soda – bubbles and adds air and ergo “lift” to the cookie. Lemon extract itself would be just for flavoring. My skinny teen just made these after swooning at DoubleTree….every time he got on and off the elevator he hit up the concierge and the man generously gave him cookies. I know, it is rude for a kid to feel entitled to more than a single cookie, but it looked like they both enjoyed this exchange…like, men know a teen boy will devour food when given the option.
Courtney
October 27, 2020 at 8:51 amDo these make a soft or hard cookie? Can you change anything to make them softer? Thanks!!
Sue
October 27, 2020 at 1:06 pmThese are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside. You might use half shortening and half butter to make them a little softer.
Katrina
November 2, 2020 at 5:41 pmThey are soft with just the perfect crisp on the he bottom. I cook mine at 350 for 14 minutes. They are PERFECTION! I’ve been making this recipe for 20 years
Pamela
October 13, 2020 at 2:43 amThese cookies are the best ever. My sister stays at hotels quite frequently. I stopped at the Double Tree just to ask for the famous cookie. I made my first batch on 10/12/2020. My husband loves them as well.
low and slow
October 7, 2020 at 7:37 amNot a fan of walnuts,can you suggest a substitute or could I just leave them out? THX
Sue
October 7, 2020 at 8:55 amYou can for sure leave them out, but pecans are also good.
Pamela Dargan
October 13, 2020 at 2:38 amThese cookies are the best ever. My sister stays at hotels quite frequently. I stopped at the Double Tree just to ask for the famous cookie. I made my first batch on 10/12/2020. My husband loves them as well.
Jassie
August 22, 2020 at 3:33 amHi! How many cookies does this recipe make approximately? 🙂
Sue
August 22, 2020 at 4:44 amIt’s about 28, Jessie, depending on how big you make them…mine are quite big 🙂
Jassie
August 22, 2020 at 2:41 pmThank you!!!
Just to confirm, Quaker old fashioned oats is the one to use?
Sue
August 22, 2020 at 3:54 pmThat’s what I use.
Jassie
September 2, 2020 at 12:39 amThAnks so much. It’s so amazing! What could I add to make it a little bit thicker?
Nina
September 26, 2020 at 10:47 amI use the cookie scooper and it yields a lot! Like 3 dozen! I love this recipe I make it all the time. I’m on here to make them again I made them last week ???
Ginny Sanford
August 3, 2020 at 5:01 pmThe recipe for Doubletree Chocolate Chip cookies in Food Network magazine call for regular (salted) butter; however if you Google the recipe they call for I salted butter. Seems this might be a problem. I’ve made them with the Googled recipe and they come out perfect every time.
Toni
July 7, 2020 at 6:57 amWho could resist a delicious chocolate chip cookie like this!! Totally irresistible!
low and slow
October 8, 2020 at 11:04 amUnsalted butter is a better product than salted.Back in the day when they developed the recipe unsalted was probably not available.
Traci
July 7, 2020 at 6:52 amAnother winner, Susan! Love this easy, delicious, classic recipe…thanks for sharing!
Erica
July 7, 2020 at 6:39 amThese photos are beautiful. Those cookies look they they have the perfect amount of chocolate! mmmm?
Sue
July 7, 2020 at 6:42 amThey do :))
Alisa Infanti
July 7, 2020 at 6:24 amI love the Doubletree Cookies and can’t wait to try these!
Nart at Cooking with Nart
July 7, 2020 at 5:40 amMade these and they were gone in no time! Love this recipe and your photography!
Alyssa
July 6, 2020 at 4:18 amCan you use self rising flour instead of combining the flour, baking soda and salt? Does that change the taste or texture?
Sue
July 7, 2020 at 6:42 amI haven’t tried that Alyssa, so I’m not sure, but I’d say give it a try.
Danica
July 11, 2020 at 2:05 pmI’m
LG
June 23, 2020 at 9:40 amGreat recipe and taste as I remembered them from the Hilton Double Tree in Regina, Saskatchewan some 6 yearS ago. I just pulled a batch of these out of the oven and let them cool off for 15 minutes. They are perfect – large and a little chewy. Great flavour. Easy to make. My family is munching on them and saying how good they are as I type this.
Ann
June 21, 2020 at 9:15 amThis is so so good! My friend made them for me (and I got addicted). Asked her for this recipe and I’m so looking forward to baking them this weekend!!
Denise
June 20, 2020 at 7:17 pmSo delicious!! These are the best chocolate chips cookies I’ve ever made!
Mary Ann Walsh
June 18, 2020 at 1:45 pmCan the dough be frozen. I made these once already and they are the best I’ve ever been.
Sue
June 18, 2020 at 4:08 pmAbsolutely, you can freeze the dough in balls. Just form the individual cookie balls, then put on a tray and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a heavy duty freezer bag.
Marty
June 17, 2020 at 4:16 amAs-“advertised”! I made these yesterday, and (because I live alone) quickly shared them around with friends! I froze half the dough for another time, but made the cookies “half-size”, with about 1.5 T. each. I can’t imagine how large the “full-size” cookies must be, because mine were between 2.5 and 3″! Still yummy, yummy, yummy! Firmed up some friendships that afternoon, too! Thanks for your comments. Without them (Doubletree’s copy didn’t state), I’d never have known how much dough they used per cookie.
Kati
June 16, 2020 at 9:09 amThese are now our go to recipe. My son has celiacs and we have not found a good recipe that he likes with the flour substitute We use. This recipe is the only one that the texture is right. THANK YOU!!!!!
Sue
June 16, 2020 at 10:01 amFabulous!
Vickie
June 20, 2020 at 8:32 pmAlton Brown’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe comes out just like Tollhouse. Totally gluten free.
Lynn Lyn
June 15, 2020 at 11:24 amHi, great sharing! I am dying to try this. However, I don’t have any oats at home. Will the recipe turn sideways without it? Also can I use chopped almonds instead of walnuts?
Sue
July 7, 2020 at 6:41 amYou can leave out the oats, and definitely use almonds if you prefer!
Teresa
June 13, 2020 at 4:31 pmWhat an amazing recipe! I made this for my family and friends and they absolutely loved it. The cinnamon is such a nice touch and the large amount of chocolate chips tops it off.
JL
June 13, 2020 at 10:08 amI baked these, and they didn’t flatten as much as your photos. Any idea why this happened?
Sue
June 13, 2020 at 11:40 amCould be a couple of things, including the type of cookie sheet you use. Possibly your dough has a little more flour, depending on how you measured it, and also make sure to flatten the balls a bit before baking. Also make sure you’re baking at 300F.
Cyndy
June 9, 2020 at 2:11 pmCan you bake them first then freeze them?
Sue
June 13, 2020 at 1:27 pmDefinitely!
Nima Patel
June 8, 2020 at 9:50 amWhen I baked the cookies it came out big, undercooked, buttery, and completely fell apart.
Sue
June 8, 2020 at 10:08 amNot sure what went wrong Nima. The undercooked aspect might be your oven not getting up to the correct temperature. If the cookie is under cooked it will not hold together.
Krista Jenkins
June 6, 2020 at 7:56 amGreat recipe, I used pecans instead of walnuts and they were wonderful. Thank you.
Ashley Hogue
May 30, 2020 at 5:13 pmHave you tried without walnuts?
Sue
May 30, 2020 at 6:00 pmIt would be absolutely fine without the nuts!
Doris
May 28, 2020 at 8:21 pmHi, I doubled your recipe to make cookies for hospital workers. Can I freeze dough in a large plastic bag and bake in a couple days? Need belong
Sue
May 29, 2020 at 6:53 amYes, the dough will freeze fine, and you could also roll the individual cookies and freeze the dough that way. Since they’re so large, you might need to let them thaw a bit so you can flatten them slightly before baking.
Marcia
May 12, 2020 at 4:05 pmI made these for the first time today, and it will not be the last! Delicious!
Mushell
May 28, 2020 at 1:09 amMade them tonight. Turned out great baked 3 cookies and and made scoops to freeze the rest. Only thing I did diff was omit lemon juice (I didn’t have one)
Reagan Selman
May 12, 2020 at 2:38 pmHonestly. I’m so confused as to why when I do everything correctly, I bake it for 17 minutes instead of 20 and it still burns. Then I tried again with 13 minutes, still burnt. Why is this happening. I won’t make this again.
Reagan Selman
May 12, 2020 at 2:40 pmI’ve made this two other times, and it came out perfectly. That’s why I’m so confused. They tasted so good and I’m just a little frustrated.
Sue
May 12, 2020 at 3:57 pmIt sounds like your oven is running hot Reagan, I would suggest using an oven thermometer, they’re inexpensive and worth their weight in gold. You can see exactly what the temp is and adjust your dial accordingly. These cookies bake at 300F, which is low for cookies, so they shouldn’t burn at all.
Adriana
May 15, 2020 at 10:12 pmLift your sheet pan higher on the next level. It’s too close to the four we. I did that to my muffins and now they bake perfect color on top and bottom.
Rande Freedman
May 25, 2020 at 4:39 pmReagan,
I used to have this problem all the time. It was my oven. It was not regulated the heat correctly.
Kristine
May 11, 2020 at 4:50 pmI loved these cookies at doubletree. What would be a good dairy-free substitute for the butter?
Sue
May 11, 2020 at 7:14 pmI haven’t tried this with margarine or shortening, but you might try.
Teresa
May 7, 2020 at 8:52 pmThank you for the recipe. I have baked these cookies twice and both times they turned out very flat. What am I doing wrong? I followed the recipe exactly.
Keith
May 3, 2020 at 9:48 amBest cookies ever. Thanks for sharing.
Lynn
April 26, 2020 at 11:01 amI just made these, adding a little unsweetened coconut and lowering the salt a pinch or two. I missed where you wrote you made a half batch and I’m glad I did! We loved them!
Sue
April 30, 2020 at 9:27 amThanks Lynn 🙂
Jen
May 9, 2020 at 6:23 pmTry refrigerating the dough for about a half hour before you bake. Flat cookies are usually from the butter being too warm so it spreads out too fast when baking, creating a flat cookie.
CL
April 26, 2020 at 9:12 amLord, help me today… I meant, voila?
CL
April 26, 2020 at 9:08 amSue, sorry, nevermind. I just went back and re-read the complete story on the Double Tree Chocolate Cookie. And, viola, there you had already answered my question. Thanks again, can’t wait to try these.
CL
April 26, 2020 at 8:59 amHi Sue! Love your blog! I was just wondering what your “take” is on the 1/4 teas. lemon juice in this recipe?
Sue
April 26, 2020 at 9:02 amI think it’s fine to leave it out, it’s such a small amount. Supposedly it helps give the cookies lift and extra ‘chewiness’, but that’s debatable 🙂
R2D2
May 17, 2020 at 11:18 pmThe acid in the Lemon juice activates the Baking Soda… That is why some recipes ask for yogurt or lemon with baking soda… Without it the cookies will be flat.
John Joseph
September 21, 2020 at 2:48 pmI also found it odd to call for 1/4 teaspoon of FRESH lemon juice. I did buy a fresh lemon 50 cents and I could not stand it, I used 1 full teaspoon. I guess it worked. I also think the lemon juice in the little yellow containers you can buy in the store should be OK? I am making again, and will increase 1/2 cup more of walnuts and add macadamia nuts, serious cookies:-)
Sue
September 21, 2020 at 6:52 pmYes, I think the bottled lemon juice would be fine, and extra nuts is always good 🙂
Patricia H
April 22, 2020 at 4:33 pmThese are wonderful. I should have made a half recipe, but into the freezer little balls of dough will go!
Is there a way to calculate nutritional value or calories?
Sue
April 22, 2020 at 7:13 pmYou’ll be so happy to have them in your freezer 🙂 I generally don’t include nutritional info on my dessert recipes, sorry Patricia. I’ll see what i can do, though.
Denise Ellen
May 23, 2020 at 10:00 pmHi Patricia-
They are 300 per cookie if you make 26.
Cathy
April 21, 2020 at 1:03 amThank you so very much for this recipe! Family loves them! Looked exactly like your pictures. Easy to make these chewy bites with a crisp edge! Not overly sweet. And you were right ~ chilling the dough doesn’t make an appreciable difference ~ I cant believe it! Fave choc chip cookie recipe!!
Mary
May 2, 2020 at 9:41 pmMade them with half a stick of butter less. My cookies turned out huge but still good haha. Lowering calories changes the consistency of the cookies, still amazing.
Kara
April 20, 2020 at 4:39 pmHelp!! So I started these with my kids and realized I am completely out of lemon juice are they still going to turn out??
Sue
April 20, 2020 at 5:28 pmYes, no problem, don’t worry, the cookies will be great.
Lorrie
April 17, 2020 at 12:01 pmMade these last night. I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies for a long time. These are the best we’ve ever had.
Sue
April 17, 2020 at 12:20 pmOh I’m so glad you got right to them Lorrie!
Rebecca
April 18, 2020 at 7:11 pmThis recipe is sooooo good. I didn’t have semi sweet chocolate so I used dark chocolate. Really, really delicious. 21 minutes baking worked for my oven.
Sue
April 19, 2020 at 8:34 amYou can never go wrong with dark chocolate 🙂
Jennifer
April 17, 2020 at 6:11 amI made these yesterday during this quarantine…i was short some chips and nuts, so coconut was added 3/4 cup to make up the difference.
Unbelievable !!
Sue
April 17, 2020 at 7:40 amCoconut sounds like a great idea!
Ann
April 24, 2020 at 10:01 pmExcited to try this! I know rolled oats are the usual choice to bake with, but do you think I can get away with using quick cooking steel cut oats?
Sue
April 25, 2020 at 6:59 amThat’s a good question. It might work because they’re quick cooking, but they might still be too tough, not sure, sorry I can’t be more definitive. I’d say it’s worth a try.
Mushell
May 28, 2020 at 1:15 amTry roughly grinding your oats. I did that with my old fashioned oats. It might work with steel cut oats.
2sisters recipes
April 16, 2020 at 2:40 pmGreat recipe Sue! Can’t wait to try these cookies. I love all the ingredients in them even the oats!
Thanks for revealing the secret!’ 🙂
Tammy Dianne Pruett
May 30, 2020 at 2:29 amYou may want to buy an oven thermometer that you can hang on an oven rack?
Lori K
April 16, 2020 at 1:38 pmHi Sue, thanks for posting! The recipe write-up mentions cinnamon in the recipe. Could you please include the amount in the ingredient list and instructions? I’m looking forward to trying these! 🙂
Sue
April 16, 2020 at 1:40 pmIt’s in there now.
SallyBR
April 16, 2020 at 9:22 amI tried it also and we loved it…. I froze a bunch and will bake to give to people tomorrow. I preferred baking them from frozen, they held their shape better. I just increased the baking time by 2 minutes
Sue
April 16, 2020 at 10:27 amThanks Sally!
Carolan Ivey
April 16, 2020 at 8:00 amCan’t wait to make these!!
Sue
April 16, 2020 at 8:01 amThey’re dangerously good 🙂