Egg Yolk Cookies

Egg yolk cookies with chocolate chunks are a delicious and ooey gooey treat that’s perfect for any occasion. They’re made with a rich, buttery dough packed with chocolate. Egg yolks are the secret ingredient for the most flavorful and chewy cookies ever.

One of the additional features of this egg yolk chocolate chip cookies recipe is that you don’t even need a mixer! You don’t have to beat the butter and sugars to get this ooey gooey decadent chewy type of cookie. Just one bowl, one whisk, one spatula, and this will be your one go-to-recipe for the most ‘extra’ chocolate chip cookies ever!

This recipe for egg yolk cookies works because the egg yolks have extra fat and create super gooey, dense, chewy cookies. With the sprinkles of flaked sea salt, they are simply divine!

What Does Adding Egg Yolks To Cookies Do?

Egg whites are higher in water content, so when beaten they create air pockets. Those air pockets contribute to a leavening effect. Using just egg yolks reduces the water and increases the fat content, producing cookies with a chewy, dense, and rich texture.

Why This Recipe Works

• Using only egg yolks add richness and flavor to the cookies. They also help to create a chewier, denser texture.
• One Bowl Recipe with no beating sugar, butter, and eggs until fluffy!
• Chocolate chunks add sweetness and decadence.
• Sea salt helps to balance out the sweetness of the cookies, and enhance the rich chocolate.
• Melting the butter adds to the dense, chewy texture of the cookies.
• Chilling the dough for these egg yolk cookies helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much, creating dense chewy insides and crispy cookie outsides.

This recipe is a great way to use leftover egg yolks after making

• Marshmallow Cream
• Resurrection Cookies
• Italian Meringue Buttercream
• Lemon meringue cookies

The Ingredients For Chocolate Chip Cookies with Egg Yolks

Here are the ingredients you will need for this cookie recipe that uses only egg yolks. For all the details, scroll down to the printable recipe card.

• Butter. Melted butter makes this recipe so easy. You don’t need to wait for the butter to get soft, and you don’t need to get out the stand mixer to cream the butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter (whichever you have on hand).
• Brown sugar. Light or Dark brown sugar is fine, keeping in mind that dark brown sugar has just a little more molasses, giving a deeper flavor to your egg yolk cookies.
• Granulated sugar.
• Pure vanilla extract. Use the best that you can afford.
• Egg yolks. This is a great recipe if you have leftover yolks from another recipe. You can even add an extra egg yolk, but the cookies will start to have a cakey texture with more yolks.
• All-purpose flour. This everyday flour is perfect for making cookies.
• Baking soda.
• Baking powder.
• Salt.
• Chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. You can use all semi-sweet chocolate, or make a mix of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.
• Flaked Sea Salt. Optional, however a sprinkle of flaked sea salt on freshly baked chocolate chip cookies enhances the chocolate flavor.

Other optional ingredients might be your choice of chopped walnuts, pecans, or toasted coconut flakes.

Recipe Highlights

Here is a brief overview of our recipe for egg yolk cookies with chocolate chips, but make sure you scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

1. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
   
2. Melt the butter in the microwave then transfer it to a large mixing bowl and let it cool down for a few minutes. It doesn’t have to be cold but make sure it isn’t hot.

7. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt (optional, but so good). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Why Chill Egg Yolk Cookie Dough So Long?

• Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much, making the cookies thicker and chewier. This is because the fat in the dough has time to solidify before the cookies get baked. This process creates a more tender and chewy texture.
• Another benefit to chilling the egg yolk cookie dough is that it will develop the flavor of the cookies. The longer the dough is chilled, the more time the flavors have to meld together.

NOTE: If you scoop different-sized cookies, you will need to adjust the baking time.

The cookies should look slightly underbaked when you take them out of the oven. They will finish baking as they cool on the baking sheet. 

Tips for Success

• Make sure the butter is not too hot before adding the egg yolks.
  
• Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing will result in tough cookies.
  
• Chill the dough for at least 4 hours before baking. This will help the cookies to hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
  
• Bake the cookies until they are just golden brown around the edges. They will continue to cook on the baking sheet after you remove them from the oven.
  
• You can freeze the chocolate chip cookie dough for up to six months and bake just a few cookies at a time.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are a few substitutions and variations that you can try when making this chocolate chip loaded egg yolk cookie recipe:

• Add Lemon zest or orange zest to the cookie dough for a citrusy chocolate flavor.
• Substitute the chocolate chunks or chips with white chocolate chips.
• Add 1/2 cup of chopped candied walnuts or candied pecans to the dough.
• Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the dough for a richer flavor.
• Use browned butter instead of regular butter. If you use browned butter, add 2 additional tablespoons of butter to the saucepan when you brown the butter because some of it will evaporate.

Storage and Reheating

At room temperature: Chocolate chip cookies with egg yolks can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

In the freezer: You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. To freeze the cookies, simply place them on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to eat, thaw the cookies at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Warming the cookies: You can reheat these egg yolk chocolate chip cookies by placing them on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 3-6 minutes or until heated through.

Helpful Tools

Some of the following are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission if you click on these links and purchase something. You don’t pay any extra, but it will help us keep the lights on. Some of my favorite tools when making this chocolate chip loaded egg yolk cookie recipe though are:

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowls

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