Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookies are renowned for their impressive size and decadent flavor. Each cookie weighs nearly half a pound, delivering an unparalleled experience for chocolate lovers. This meticulously crafted copycat recipe aims to replicate that signature bakery-style indulgence, featuring a rich dough overloaded with three distinct types of chocolate and perfectly balanced with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

If you have a penchant for thinner, crisper bakery-style cookies, you might also enjoy exploring our Bakery M&M Cookies for a different delightful texture!

The Ultimate Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookie Copycat Recipe

Gideon’s Bakehouse started as a humble establishment in Orlando’s vibrant East End Market, quickly blossoming into an international sensation. Their legendary nearly half-pound cookies have garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning them titles like “the best cookies in Orlando” and even “the best on Earth.” Trip Advisor notably distinguished Gideon’s cookies as “One of the Five Foods You Have to Eat in the U.S. Before You Die,” a testament to their extraordinary appeal.

The true genius behind Gideon’s cookies remains largely a mystery, with the creator famously stating on Instagram, “No one alive, outside of myself, knows the complete recipe. Every Gideon’s Cookie is handmade from scratch and takes over 24 hours to prepare. The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie took 15 years to perfect.” This dedication to craftsmanship and a long, patient development process is what sets their cookies apart. Key characteristics include an incredible abundance of multiple chocolate chip varieties and a deep, pronounced vanilla flavor derived from genuine vanilla beans integrated into the dough.

While achieving an exact replica of such a meticulously perfected recipe is a formidable challenge, this copycat recipe offers an incredibly close and equally satisfying experience. Prepare yourself for a massively thick, wonderfully gooey, and intensely chewy bakery-style chocolate chip cookie that you can create in the comfort of your own kitchen—no more enduring famously long lines! This cookie is not just rich; it’s an unapologetically thick, chewy, and seriously chocolate-overloaded masterpiece, poised to become your new favorite homemade indulgence.

Essential Specialty Ingredients for Gideon’s Bakehouse Copycat Cookies

To truly capture the unique texture and flavor profile of Gideon’s Bakehouse cookies, certain ingredients are non-negotiable. These specialized components play a crucial role in delivering the characteristic softness, chewiness, and rich vanilla notes that define these beloved treats.

• Cake Flour: This ingredient is vital for achieving the cookie’s signature soft, tender crumb and delightfully chewy texture when expertly combined with all-purpose flour. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps create a more delicate final product. It is highly recommended to use commercial cake flour, as homemade substitutes often do not yield the same precise results required for this recipe.
• Vanilla Bean Paste: For an intensely bold vanilla flavor and those characteristic tiny black specks that signify premium vanilla, vanilla bean paste is indispensable. It offers a more concentrated and complex vanilla profile than extract. If vanilla bean paste is unavailable, you may use an equal amount of high-quality vanilla extract, but be aware that the depth of flavor will not be quite as potent, and you will miss the visual appeal of the vanilla specks.

The Triple Chocolate Indulgence: A Deep Dive into Our Chocolate Blend

Once the luscious cookie dough reaches its perfect consistency, the magic truly unfolds with the incorporation of a generous blend of three distinct chocolate varieties. This trio not only infuses the interior of the cookie with rich flavor but also serves as a critical element for the cookies’ signature chocolate-coated, “overloaded” appearance, a hallmark Gideon’s is celebrated for. A portion of this blend is mixed into the dough, and the remaining is used to coat the dough balls before baking, ensuring maximum chocolatey goodness in every bite.

• Premium Milk or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: The choice between milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips allows for a customizable sweetness level. Milk chocolate delivers a sweeter, creamier profile that enhances the cookie’s dessert-like quality, while semi-sweet chips provide a deeper, more balanced chocolate flavor that beautifully cuts through the richness of the dough. We highly recommend using high-quality brands like Guittard® or Ghirardelli® for their superior melt and flavor.
• Mini Chocolate Chips: These smaller chips are essential for ensuring an even distribution of chocolate throughout the entire cookie. Their diminutive size means you’ll encounter a burst of chocolate in nearly every bite, complementing the larger chips without overwhelming the texture. Semi-sweet mini chips are particularly effective at adding another layer of balanced chocolate intensity.
• English Toffee Baking Bits (Heath Bits): While crushed toffee bits might not be a component of Gideon’s original cookie recipe, their inclusion in this copycat recipe introduces an absolutely incredible, irresistible dimension of flavor and texture. The buttery, crunchy toffee pieces melt slightly during baking, creating pockets of rich, caramelized goodness that pair exquisitely with the chocolate. Once you try these cookies with toffee bits, it’s hard to imagine making them without them; they add a delightful complexity that elevates the entire experience.

Expert Tips for Crafting Perfect Gideon’s Bakehouse Copycat Cookies

Achieving the legendary status of Gideon’s Bakehouse cookies at home requires attention to detail and a few key techniques. Follow these expert tips to ensure your copycat cookies are thick, chewy, and utterly irresistible:

• Always Use Fresh Ingredients: The quality of your ingredients directly impacts the final outcome. For the softest, most flavorful, and truly bakery-style cookies, make sure your brown sugar is soft and fresh, and your baking soda and baking powder are not expired. Fresh leavening agents ensure proper lift and texture, while fresh brown sugar contributes to a moist, chewy crumb.
• Allow Melted Butter to Cool: After melting the butter, let it stand at room temperature for at least 5-10 minutes. It’s crucial that the butter is no longer hot. Introducing hot butter to brown sugar will prematurely melt the sugar crystals, leading to greasy cookies that spread excessively and lose their desirable thick texture. Aim for butter that is cool to the touch but still liquid.
• Measure Flour Accurately – The Spoon and Level Method: This is perhaps one of the most critical steps for achieving the correct cookie texture. If you pack too much flour into your measuring cup, your cookies will end up dense, dry, and cakey instead of delightfully soft and chewy. To measure flour correctly, lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then level off the top with the back of a straight edge (like a table knife). Never scoop directly from the flour bag or container with the measuring cup, as this compresses the flour and adds significantly more than intended.
• Embrace a Food Scale for Precision: While not strictly mandatory, using a food scale to weigh your dough portions makes an astounding difference. Consistent cookie sizes ensure that every cookie bakes evenly and perfectly, eliminating guesswork. Furthermore, uniformly sized cookies boast a professional, aesthetically pleasing appearance, making them look like they just came out of a gourmet bakery.
• Achieve that Bakery-Esque Appearance Post-Bake: For cookies that look as good as they taste, employ this neat trick: immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, work quickly with the back of a large metal spatula. Gently press the edges of each cookie inwards towards the center. This technique not only helps create a thicker, more uniformly round shape but also pushes the molten chocolate and gooey center slightly inwards, contributing to an even chewier texture and a beautifully domed top. Speed is key here, as the cookies set up rapidly and will resist shaping after just a minute or two.
• Provide Ample Baking Sheet Space: These are not your average cookies; they are truly ginormous! Given their substantial size, they require plenty of room to spread during baking. To prevent them from merging into one giant cookie and to ensure proper heat circulation, we recommend baking only 2-3 cookie dough balls at a time on a standard-sized baking sheet. Overcrowding will result in uneven baking and misshapen cookies.

The Art of Chilling the Cookie Dough: A Crucial Step for Flavor and Texture

One of the lesser-known secrets to Gideon’s Bakehouse’s extraordinary cookies lies in their meticulous preparation process, which famously includes chilling the dough overnight for 24 hours. This extended chilling period is not just a recommendation; it’s a transformative step that significantly intensifies the flavors, particularly the rich vanilla bean notes, and contributes to the cookie’s exceptional texture and depth of taste.

For an experience that comes as close as possible to the authentic Gideon’s Bakehouse cookie, we strongly advocate for chilling your cookie dough for approximately 24 hours. During this time, the flour fully hydrates, the flavors meld and deepen, and the fat solidifies, which ultimately results in a cookie that spreads less, bakes thicker, and boasts a chewier, more complex flavor profile. However, we understand that patience can be a virtue in short supply when delicious cookies are involved! If you’re eager to enjoy your cookies sooner, a shorter chill of 45 minutes to 1 hour for the formed cookie dough balls will still yield excellent results, providing a noticeable improvement in texture and flavor compared to baking immediately.

Discover More Irresistible Cookie Recipes

If you’ve enjoyed mastering the art of Gideon’s Bakehouse copycat cookies, you might be inspired to explore more delightful creations from our collection. Expand your baking repertoire with these other fantastic cookie recipes:

• Maple Cookies with a luxurious maple glaze – a sweet, comforting treat perfect for any season.
• Magic Cookie Bars featuring a rich graham cracker crust and layers of irresistible toppings, truly a magical dessert.
• Salted Caramel Cookies elevated with a dreamy cream cheese frosting, offering a perfect balance of salty and sweet.
• Gingersnap Cookies bursting with the ideal blend of warm holiday spices, wonderfully crisp and flavorful.
• Avalanche Cookies – an incredibly easy no-bake option for when you crave a quick, delicious dessert without turning on the oven!

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Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookie Recipe Copycat

By Chelsea Lords

This copycat Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookie is a chocolate lover’s dream—a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie loaded with three types of chocolate and finished with flaky sea salt!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours (or 24 hours for best results)

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes (or 24 hours 35 minutes)

Servings: 6 large cookies

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars from 7 votes (average)

Equipment

• Sheet pan (15″ x 10″)
• Parchment paper
• Cooling rack

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (reduce if using table salt or if sensitive to salt)
• 1 cup cake flour (see Note 1)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate; milk chocolate recommended for sweetness balance)
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup English Toffee Baking Bits
• Flaky sea salt (optional, for a salty-sweet treat!)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and toffee baking bits. Stir to evenly mix. Set aside for now.
2. Melt the butter in a very large, microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, let it stand to fully cool, about 5–10 minutes. Hot butter will melt the sugar and make the cookies flat and greasy. Once the butter has cooled to room temperature, use a whisk or wooden spoon to stir in the light brown sugar. Mix until smooth and integrated. Add the egg and vanilla paste or extract. Stir again until smooth.
3. Add in baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Again, stir until smooth. Add the correctly measured (see Note 2 for measuring flour) cake flour and regular all-purpose flour and mix until just combined. The dough will be thick! Be careful not to overmix. Gently stir in 1 and 3/4 cups of the prepared chocolate chip mixture until combined.
4. Form 6 large cookie dough balls. For accuracy, use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to pack the dough firmly into the cup. Alternatively, weigh the dough on a food scale; each ball should be approximately 155 grams (5-1/2 ounces). You should yield 6 uniform cookie dough balls.
5. Generously press the remaining chocolate chip mixture onto the top and sides of the dough balls. Avoid pressing chocolate onto the bottoms of the cookies, as they might burn. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t use all the remaining chocolate chips; set aside any leftovers to press into the tops of the cookies immediately after baking. Place the chocolate-chip-coated dough balls on a parchment-paper-lined plate or sheet pan, cover them, and chill for 45 minutes up to an hour. For the most authentic Gideon’s experience, place them in an airtight bag or container and chill for 24 hours.
6. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking pan with a silicone liner or parchment paper (do not use aluminum foil). Place only 2–3 dough balls at a time on the sheet pan, ensuring they have ample space to spread without touching. Bake for 15–23 minutes, erring on the side of underbaking to maintain their soft and chewy texture (around 16–17 minutes is often ideal). The cookies will continue to “bake” slightly on the hot pan after they are removed from the oven. Visual cues: the edges should be lightly browned, and the tops should appear set but not wet or gooey.
7. Remove the tray of cookies from the oven. Working quickly, use the back of a metal spatula to immediately and gently press the edges of each cookie slightly inward towards the center. This helps create a beautiful shape and a thicker middle. If you have any remaining chocolate chips or toffee bits, press them onto the tops of the warm cookies for an extra visual and textural boost. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 10–15 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack using a metal spatula. If you appreciate salty-sweet flavors, sprinkle a few flakes of flaky sea salt on top while the chocolate is still slightly gooey.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Understanding Cake Flour: Cake flour is specifically chosen for this recipe because of its lower protein content, which results in a lighter, fluffier, and more delicate crumb. We combine it with all-purpose flour to achieve the perfect balance of softness and chewiness that characterizes Gideon’s cookies. Cake flour can typically be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, alongside other flours. For optimal results, we highly recommend using commercial cake flour and advise against using homemade substitutes, as they generally do not perform the same way in this specific recipe.

Note 2: Precision in Flour Measurement: Accurate flour measurement is crucial for preventing a cakey texture. Overpacking flour is a common mistake that leads to dense, dry cookies rather than soft and chewy ones. To measure flour correctly, use the “spoon and level” method: gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then use the flat back of a table knife to level off the excess, ensuring a precise amount. Avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour bag or container, as this compacts the flour and adds significantly more than the recipe intends.

Storage: These glorious cookies are truly best enjoyed the day they are baked, when their centers are at their gooiet and chewiness is at its peak. However, they will happily last for up to one week if stored properly. After the cookies have completely cooled, place them in an airtight container at room temperature. Their ideal texture and flavor begin to diminish after 3-4 days, but they remain delicious. To reawaken their fresh-baked goodness, simply warm individual cookies in the microwave for 10-15 second bursts until they are soft and slightly gooey again.

Freezing: For longer-term storage, we strongly recommend freezing the unbaked cookie dough rather than freezing baked cookies. Freezing baked cookies can often alter their texture, making them less enjoyable upon thawing. To freeze the dough: form the dough into balls as instructed, then place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the solid dough balls to a freezer-safe, airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag, where they can be kept for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, simply place the frozen dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time until the edges are golden brown and the centers are soft and chewy.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 983 kcal | Carbohydrates: 129g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 519mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 91g | Vitamin A: 1048IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.