Though they’re overlooked in the bakery case, in favor of trendier desserts, there are few things as transcendent as warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. One bite into a perfectly baked, handcrafted cookie, and it’s obvious why this humble dessert is an American classic.
Armed with a giant glass of milk and a deep love for all things sweet, I uncovered a few Austin bakeries that have been churning out these swoon-worthy cookies by the dozen, some for decades.
So whether you like your chipper crisp with a hefty crunch, cakey, chock-full of nuts or with a gooey epicenter, these ten Austin bake shops have you covered.
1/ Bribery Bakery: Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Editor’s Note: As of January 2018, all of Bribery Bakery’s locations have closed.
This expanding bakery empire has so many whimsical pastry enchantments to offer. But trust me; start with Bribery Bakery’s chocolate chip cookie first.
- Texture: Crisp on the outside with a soft, gooey, chocolate-swirled middle.
- Size: Delightfully giant frisbee of chewy dough.
- Components: This buttery, chewy cookie is topped with a bittersweet, no-holds-barred chocolate swirl. It’s the perfect example of how a big cookie can be all things: crunchy, chewy and soft, all in one glorious, chocolate-rich disk of dough.
- You should eat this: When you want to split an over-the-top treat with a friend over lattes. This go-big-or-go-home treat is my personal favorite.
2013 Wells Branch Parkway #109 and 1900 Simond Ave. #300 – Website
2/ Uppercrust Bakery: Chocolate Chunk With Pecans
- Texture: Crisp, with a high, dense loft.
- Size: Medium-large. You can definitely split it down the middle, if you’re so inclined.
- Components: Hunks of chocolate and pecans rest in rich batter that has hints of buttery brown sugar and bittersweet cocoa.
- You should eat this: When hankering for the perfect bakery cookie. This cookie is a crowd-pleaser and the ideal bakery cookie.
3/ Uppercrust Bakery: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
Because one Uppercrust cookie isn’t enough.
- Texture: Chewy and caked, flecked with nuts.
- Size: Large, but not monstrous. Given the cookie’s richness, it’s the perfect size for sharing.
- Components: It’s your three favorite cookies rolled out into one sugar-laden trifecta. The flavor combination seems like a lot to handle, but it works. This is a cookie that turns customers into regulars.
- You should eat this: For pure comfort food and nostalgia. It tastes the way you remember your grandmother’s kitchen smelling.
4508 Burnet Road – Website
4/ Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop: Chocolate Chunk Cookie
- Texture: Buttery soft and chewy.
- Size: Medium. Of the cookies I sampled, the Sugar Mama’s chocolate chunk cookie most resembled what I make in my home oven.
- Components: This straightforward chipper is a soft, chewy cookie lover’s dream. Chunks of chocolate are nestled in a butter-rich dough that relies on simplicity and depth of flavor, and doesn’t need extra ingredients to make you weak in the knees.
- You should eat this: When you’re in the mood for an unadorned, honest chocolate chip cookie that’s not trying to be anything else.
2406 Manor Road and 1905 South 1st St. – Website
5/ Wild Wood Bakehouse: Gluten Free Chocolate Chip
- Texture: Cakey, thick with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Size: Small.
- Components: This definitive cookie is the go-to classic we all crave, regardless of food allergies. Sugary with a flavorful richness and a kick of cinnamon, Wild Wood’s gluten-free option does not disappoint.
- You should eat this: When you’re in the mood for a classic cookie, baked with innovative ingredients.
This dedicated, gluten-free kitchen produces more than just desserts! Whether it’s bread, sandwiches or your favorite tea cake, Wild Wood Bakehouse in the north campus area has all your favorites covered.
3016 Guadalupe St. – Website
6/ Sweetish Hill Bakery: Tollhouse Cookie
This Clarksville bakery has been cranking out amazing cakes, sandwiches and cookies with flair since 1975, not to mention their focus on local, seasonal ingredients that pre-dates the farm-to-table trend. It’s easy to get carried away at their bakery counter, but the tollhouse and oatmeal cherry chocolate chip cookies are both worth a taste.
- Texture: Cakey, with a soft chew.
- Size: Medium-small. For just 75 cents each, however, you can snag Sweetish Hill’s cookies in a miniature size. This is perfect for when you only want a one-bite treat to round out your lunch break.
- Components: Semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels, interspersed with finely-chopped pecans.
- You should eat this: If you’re hankering for a classic, chocolate chip with a pecan-studded Texas twist.
7/ Sweetish Hill Bakery: Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Chip
- Texture: Firm and toothsome. Buttery, yet crisp. The perfect dunking cookie.
- Size: Smaller than your fist, but hefty.
- Components: This crunchy cookie has a lot going on. Tart cherry balances the butter richness of the dough, thick with oats. Bittersweet chocolate rounds out the flavors, making for a hearty little cookie.
- You should eat this: Upgrade your tired granola bar routine and enjoy this cookie with a cup of tea or coffee for dunking.
1120 W. 6th St. – Website
8/ La Patisserie: Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cookie
Full disclosure: I am a little bias towards this beloved South Austin bakery, as I’m part of the team churning out French-inspired macarons and pastries. Nonetheless, you can feel the love coming from the ovens at dawn every morning, as Pastry Chef Lezlie Mills Gibbs pulls out a small army of cookies to be ferried across the city.
- Texture: Chewy and firm.
- Size: Small, but lofty.
- Components: Hunks of bittersweet chocolate and cherries dot this gluten-free treat that everyone can enjoy. The cloying cherry acidity balances the caramel chocolate flavors in this addictive little cookie.
- You should eat this: For a perfect afternoon treat, paired with an almond milk latte.
602 West Annie St. – Website
9/ Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery: Salty Oat Cookie
- Texture: Soft, pliable and dense.
- Components: Okay, so this cookie has no chocolate to speak of, so it’s more of a wildcard here. But the soft, chewy texture is second only to the haunting mix of buttery oats and salt.
- You should eat this: Immediately upon entering Austin city limits. I don’t know if this says more about me or the cookie, but the first thing I did after driving my U-haul back to my hometown from Portland was pull up to Quack’s, sidle up to the bakery counter and proffer my dollars to the hipster behind the counter for this salty, buttery delight dotted with raisins. Paired with an icy cold brew, this solid cookie makes for a satisfying mid-afternoon snack.
411 E. 43rd St. – Website
10/ Make It at Home: Love & Lemon’s Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
Everyone knows the best chocolate chip cookies are the ones just out of the oven. If you’re feeling like you want to skip the bakery line and make a batch for yourself, check out Austin blogger Jeanine Donofrio’s solid vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. Using coconut oil in lieu of butter, with the addition of flaxseed, these petite, rich little cookies will disappear off your cooling rack.
@theAustinot wants to know:
Where do you snag your favorite chocolate chip cookie in Austin?
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