A few years ago DoubleTree by Hilton released their famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, and cookie bakers everywhere immediately got to work testing it. If you've ever stayed at a DoubleTree hotel, you probably remember the warm welcome cookies. They're thick, soft, loaded with chocolate chips and walnuts, and just a little different from the average chocolate chip cookie.
Naturally I had to try the official DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie recipe myself. The results? Pretty close to the cookies you get at the hotel.
What Makes DoubleTree Cookies Different?
If you compare the DoubleTree cookie recipe to a standard chocolate chip cookie, a few ingredients stand out.
- First, there's lemon juice in the dough. You don't taste lemon at all. The small amount simply increases the acidity of the dough so the baking soda reacts properly, helping the cookies spread and brown evenly. If you don't have lemon juice, a drop of vinegar works just as well.
- The recipe also includes ground oats for texture.
- A very generous amount of walnuts and chocolate chips go in the dough.
- And finally, there's a Low baking temperature (300°F). The low baking temperature is unusual. Most chocolate chip cookies bake around 350°F, but the lower temperature helps these cookies bake more evenly and stay soft.
After testing them, I can confirm the 300°F bake really does produce a softer cookie.
Comparing Copycat and Official DoubleTree Cookies
Years ago I tested another DoubleTree cookie copycat recipe and compared it with cookies from the actual hotel. The earlier copycat was pretty close, but the official recipe released by Hilton is slightly different. The newer version uses a little more baking soda and vanilla and has significantly more chocolate chips and walnuts.
The full DoubleTree recipe makes a lot of dough, but the good news is that DoubleTree cookie dough freezes beautifully. In fact, the cookies are arguably even better when baked from frozen dough. Still, if you just want a few cookies, here's my small batch DoubleTree cookie version.
Small Batch DoubleTree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookie Copycats
Cream together:
- 56 grams unsalted butter
- 40 grams granulated sugar
- 38 grams brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Scrape the bowl and add:
- 24 grams lightly beaten egg (about 2 tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla plus a tiny splash more
- ⅛ teaspoon lemon juice
After adding lemon juice, add:
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- a pinch of cinnamon
Stir well and scrape the bowl again and add:
- 75 grams all-purpose flour
- 15 grams oats
Finally stir in:
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 40 grams chopped walnuts
Portion the dough into 5-6 large balls (I usually make 5 big cookies).
Bake at 300°F for about 20 minutes, or until the cookies are set and lightly golden.
More Recipes
Recipe
DoubleTree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ pound butter, softened (unsalted) (230 grams)
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (160 grams)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 ¼ cups flour (300 grams)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ⅔ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ¾ cups chopped walnuts don't have to toast
Instructions
- Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down side of the bowl.
- With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don't overmix.
- Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
- Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.
- Cook's note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there's no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Sue says
I just looked at mine again and they look almost identical in color to yours at the top of this post so they’re really not pale.
Sue says
Finally got to make these. To quote my husband, “they are outstanding”. I agree with everyone about the lemon. I don’t know that it does anything in such a small quantity but I added it anyway. I do think the cinnamon was detectable but maybe that’s just because I knew it was there? I baked off a few and the rest of the dough is in the refrigerator. Something to look forward to. 🙂
They’re really good looking cookies although mine are a bit pale. They’re plenty done though so I don’t think I’ll bake them longer or hotter.
Angie says
I made them and we loved them! My son is allergic to walnuts so I used pecans and they fit right in! Thanks for the recipe. I’ve never been to a Doubletree hotel but I’ve heard all about this cookie
D says
I tried these, but subbed pecans for the walnuts. Delicious!
Rhonda Oliver says
I did make these yesterday, exactly as the recipe, except I had to use mini choc chips.
They are delicious though I can’t tell the pinch of cinnamon and 1/4 t lemon juice do a thing.
They are such big, hearty cookies! Back when I cooked at a fraternity house, the boys would loved these.
Anna says
Rhonda, I agree. I can't see how such a tiny amount of lemon juice would really affect the acidity of the batter, but I threw it in anyway. If it were a teaspoon or more then maybe it would do something, but 1/4 teaspoon? It's like they took the old copycat recipe and doctored it up for marketing purposes and the lemon juice is just there because people like to think of it as some secret ingredient. What really makes these cookies good is all the walnuts. I normally wouldn't add so many, but using the full amount of walnuts makes these more like the original. They are really good.
RHONDA Oliver says
The 1/4 t lemon juice is an odd addition and it’s such a small amount, doesn’t seem like it’s enough to do anything. Even still, I think I’ll try them this afternoon. I wish I had bought some chocolate Easter candy and since we don’t have any, cookies sound great!
Sue says
I’m looking forward to making these when I can get the ingredients! I love those cookies. When I check into a Doubletree!
Sonya says
How fun!!!!
Diana says
My family loves these cookies! But I leave out the walnuts as they are not fans of walnuts. I also use 2 cups of the semisweet and 1 cup of the bittersweet. Yummy!
Anna says
s'kat, the lemon was not detectable. I actually used a little more than the recipe called for. I think it just adds more acid to the batter.The hotel cookies didn't have any cinnamon flavor, so I just left it out. I have put it in chocolate chip cookies in the past. If you use a tiny, tiny, bit, it adds another dimension.
Anna says
They're a little bit crisp around the edges, but aside from the crunchiness in the nuts, they're tender. And yes, I did chill the dough.