Orange Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Printable)
Zesty orange, crunchy almonds, and rich chocolate chunks in every chewy bite.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 2 oranges
→ Add-ins
11 - 1 cup chopped roasted almonds
12 - 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chunks or chips
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and orange zest, mixing until combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until the flour is fully incorporated. Do not overmix.
06 - Using a spatula, gently fold in the chopped almonds and dark chocolate chunks until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each mound about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden while the centers remain soft.
09 - Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The orange zest perfumes the entire dough without needing any fancy extracts or oils.
- That crunch from roasted almonds against melty dark chocolate is genuinely addictive.
02 -
- Pulling the cookies out when the centers look slightly underbaked is the single most important thing you can do for texture.
- Rubbing the orange zest directly into the sugar before mixing releases oils you would otherwise lose.
03 -
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm, it prevents excessive spreading and deepens all the flavors.
- Use a chocolate bar chopped by hand instead of store bought chips for those gorgeous, irregular melted pockets.