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Rye chocolate cookies offer a delightful twist from ordinary chocolate cookies, combining the beloved flavors of rich chocolate and the distinctive characteristics of rye flour. It’s crisp on the edge and chewy and almost fudgy center! So good!
What kind of rye flour do you use?
I use dark rye flour because I always have it in stock at home. I recommend the dark rye too because it has a more pronounced flavor compared to medium and light. I haven’t experimented using medium or light rye flour. I’m not sure if using the latter will affect much in terms of how much the cookies will spread, the flavor, texture etc. Probably not a whole lot ? But if you do try it with medium or light rye flour, I would appreciate it if you share your experience with me here 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
1. Taste: This recipe uses only rye flour and no mixture with other flour. I like rye flour’s nutty and earthy flavor, especially dark rye. It pairs well with the taste of rich chocolate (especially dark or semi-sweet chocolate)
2. Texture: It has a crisp edge but a chewy and soft fudgy center. It’s almost like fudgy brownies
3. Easy: The recipe also comes together very easily without needing any special kitchen equipment
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Brown sugar
I use light brown sugar.
2. Semi-sweet or dark chocolate
I use a combination of semi-sweet and dark chocolate. You can also use milk chocolate if you want it a bit sweeter. I’m a dark chocolate person 🙂
3. Unsalted butter
I use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe
4. Eggs
I usually use a large egg, which is about 58-60 grams when weighed with the shell
5. Dark rye flour
I use organic dark rye flour. I haven’t tried substituting with light or medium rye flour, but it should work I believe
6. Baking powder
Baking powder acts as a leavening in this recipe. Make sure yours is fresh
7. Salt
I use fine sea salt
Rye Chocolate Cookie
Ingredients
- 265 g semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate or a combination of both
- 190 g light brown sugar
- 100 g eggs 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 30 g unsalted butter
Dry ingredients:
- 125 g dark rye flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the cookie dough:
- Please don't be alarmed with the amount of rye flour vs the amount of sugar and chocolate. It seems like the amount of rye flour is not enough, but it's the correct amount
- Combine rye flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside
- Bring a small pot of water in a saucepan to a gentle simmer. Place a heat-proof bowl filled with chocolate and butter, on top of the saucepan. The water shouldn't be touching the bowl. Melt until all the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from the heat and keep stirring until all is melted. Let it cool down a little bit
- In another mixing bowl, whisk the room-temperature eggs and brown sugar. Add the slightly warm melted chocolate (we don't want to cook the eggs). Whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. The dough is very sticky and very soft, almost like a very thick batter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes until it is firm and easier to work with. DO NOT skip this step or your cookies will spread too much
Shaping:
- 15 minutes before the cookie is done chilling in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Position the oven rack in the middle
- The cookie dough should be firm to touch. Use a spoon to scoop about 2 tablespoon of dough, about 30-35 grams. Roll into a dough ball and place on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. About 6-7 cookie doughs per baking sheet. They will spread during baking
Baking:
- I recommend baking one pan at a time for the best result. Keep the other tray in the fridge or if you don't have the space in the fridge, portion the dough when you are ready to bake them. Keep the dough in the fridge while waiting
- Bake for 12-13 minutes. The edge will set but the center is puffy and very soft. This is the way it should be. DO NOT overbake them. If you overbake, the cookies will turn too crispy and become tough
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool down for at least 10 minutes or so on the pan. They will firm up. Remove and let them cool down completely on the rack. The puffy center will flatten as it cools down. The edge is crisp but the center is chewy and almost fudgy.
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
How to bake rye chocolate cookies
1. Combine rye flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside. Bring a small pot of water in a saucepan to a gentle simmer. Place a heat-proof bowl filled with chocolate and butter, on top of the saucepan. The water shouldn’t be touching the bowl. Melt until all the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from the heat and keep stirring until all is melted. Let it cool down a little bit
2. In another mixing bowl, whisk the room-temperature eggs and brown sugar. 
3. Add the slightly warm melted chocolate (we don’t want to cook the eggs). Whisk to combine.
4. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. The dough is very sticky and very soft, almost like a very thick batter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes until it is firm and easier to work with. DO NOT skip this step or your cookies will spread too much
5. 15 minutes before the cookie is done chilling in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Position the oven rack in the middle
6. The cookie dough should be firm to touch. 
7. Use a spoon to scoop about 2 tablespoon of dough, about 30-35 grams. 
8. Roll into a dough ball and place on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. About 6-7 cookie doughs per baking sheet. They will spread during baking
9. I recommend baking one pan at a time for the best result. Keep the other tray in the fridge or if you don’t have the space in the fridge, portion the dough when you are ready to bake them. Keep the dough in the fridge while waiting.
Bake for 12-13 minutes. The edge will set but the center is puffy and very soft. This is the way it should be. DO NOT overbake them. If you overbake, the cookies will turn too crispy and become tough
10. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool down for at least 10 minutes or so on the pan. They will firm up. Remove and let them cool down completely on the rack. The puffy center will flatten as it cools down. The edge is crisp but the center is chewy and almost fudgy.
How to store rye chocolate cookies
1. Let the cookies cool down completely and then store in an air-tight container for 4-5 days
2. For a longer storage, freeze them. Put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flash freeze in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to one month. When ready to serve, simply thaw at room temperature
Important tips
1. Please weigh your ingredients for accuracy
2. Make sure you chill the cookie dough before shaping. It’s a very sticky dough
3. DO NOT overbake. This cookie behaves like brownies. It’s better to underbake a little than overbake. They turn crispy and tough when you overbake.
Did you make this rye chocolate cookie recipe?
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2 comments
Hi. I followed this recipe exactly, and my cookies didn’t spread. Any idea why?
Hi Anna, are you using the same type of rye flour and did you measure the ingredients by weight using scale?