My favorite kind of cookies are typically the unassuming ones. The cookies that look on the plainish side. If they are all sprinkles and shine then I’m probably not all that interested.

Cookies like these Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies have nothing to hide. They are what they are.

Okay. That’s not totally true. What they are hiding is hot sauce and cayenne pepper that will smack your taste buds into tomorrow.

The combination of chocolate and spice is and oldy but a goody and you’ll find these totally addicting thanks to it.

Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies

2.84 from 43 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 18 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
This recipe takes a classic chocolate chip cookie and adds just enough spicy heat to wake up your taste buds!

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • ¾ cups unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to cream together butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and sriracha hot sauce.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter base and mix until the flour disappears. Try not to overmix the dough.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips with a large spatula.
  • At this point you can chill the dough for later if you want or bake them immediately.
  • To bake, portion out heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Give the cookies plenty of room. I like to do 6 per sheet.
  • Bake the cookies at 325 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes until they are lightly browned around the edges. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Desserts

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Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies

Spicy Dough!

I love making cookie dough so much. It’s practically a food group for me this time of year.

The base for this dough is pretty standard.

Basics.
Basics.

To the flour and baking powder base, I added some cinnamon and a small spoonful of cayenne pepper. I used 1/4 teaspoon of spice and I think I would up it to 1/2 teaspoon next time. I could’ve handled more heat in my cookies.

Spice level one.
Spice level one.

You can easily make this dough using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Even though I have a stand mixer, I used the hand variety just to mix it up.

Just cream together the butter and sugars until they are a light, fluffy consistency and then add in the eggs. You should do them one at a time, but I forgot.

Standard cookie-ing.
Standard cookie-ing.

Then add in the vanilla and a big squirt of sriracha.

To be honest, I didn’t measure this. I just eyeballed it at about a tablespoon. You could use any hot sauce really (because I guess there is now a sriracha shortage). I would stay away from hot sauces that have very strong flavors like habanero or probably even tabasco. Something on the milder side (for hot sauces) works well.

Spice level two.
Spice level two.

Then mix your dry ingredients into the wet and fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula or big spoon.

Baking the Cookies

You can refrigerate the dough for these Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies if you want, but I just made them right away in this case.

Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Give the cookies plenty of room to expand. I only do 6 per sheet.

If you wanted to be really finicky you could weigh your cookies, but unless you run a bakery that’s probably not necessary.

Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies - Ready to bake.
Ready to bake.

Bake these bad boys in a 325 degrees F. oven for 12-15 minutes until they are just browned around the edges. I like mine still on the chewy side.

Perfect doneness - Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies
Perfect doneness.

Spice not for you? Try these brown butter chocolate chip cookies!

My favorite flavor combo - Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies from Macheesmo
My favorite flavor combo.

These Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies have a great chocolate flavor and the spice kind of snuck up on you. You might not get much of it on the first bite, but by the end of the cookie it will be tickling your tongue.

Spicy cookies? Sure. Why not?