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Baking + Sweet, Cookies, Dairy Free, Recipes, Snacks + Sides, Special Diets, Vegan
May 14, 2023

Gideon’s Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 | 6 reviews

This copycat Gideon’s Bakehouse cookie delivers thick, bakery-style cookies with crisp edges and soft, rich centers in just about 2 hours—no overnight chilling needed. Built on a carefully tested dough base, it captures that signature indulgent flavor and texture, and can be customized into classic chocolate chip or fun variations like cookies & cream or…

Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Chill Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Jump to Recipe
jump to reviews

It’s finally here – a copycat Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookie you can make right at home and be devouring in just 2 hours. No chilling overnight, no complicated steps, just a thick, rich, bakery-style cookie that actually delivers on the Gideon’s experience.

This recipe is the result of a lot of testing, tasting, and going back to the drawing board until it hit Gideon’s-level: tall edges, soft centers, and that rich, almost over-the-top bakery flavor. The best part is that this isn’t just one cookie – it’s a fully customizable base, so you can stick with classic chocolate chip or go wild and recreate whatever your favorite Gideon’s Bakehouse cookie flavor is (I’m looking at you, cookies & cream and pistachio toffee chocolate chip).

If you’ve been craving the real thing without the trip, this is your moment. And if you’ve never had one before, this is still just a very, very good cookie situation.

Table of contents

  • What is Gideon’s Bakehouse?
  • What are the key components to a Gideon’s Bakehouse cookie?
  • Ingredients you’ll need for these cookies
  • What is malted milk powder and what does it do in cookies?
  • The process of the dough
  • How to add mix-ins and make your own flavors
  • How to bring these cookies together
  • Gideon’s flavor combinations to try
  • How to bake the cookies
  • Storage tips
  • Why is this recipe in grams?
  • Watch the recipe here
  • Looking for more cookie recipes?
  • Old Version
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions

What is Gideon’s Bakehouse?

Gideon’s Bakehouse is an Orlando area bakery that is a cult favorite in the area. It’s got a fun gothic decor vibe, and is known for their huge slices of cake and their even bigger half-pound cookies. They have a myriad of flavors, from banana to cookies & cream (which is a personal favorite of mine), but their classic is of course, the good ol’ chocolate chip cookie.

When I first developed this cookie recipe (which to be honest, was bad, but I hope to win you back here!) I had never even been to Gideon’s *cue audience gasp*

But I’ve since made the trip, to truly understand the hype, flavor, and texture of this cookie. Now that I feel equipped to recreate it, I think I found a pretty great way to make this Gideon’s Bakehouse recipe at home!

PS – it’ll never be the original, it took Gideon’s owner 15 years to perfect this recipe, but a girl can try!

What are the key components to a Gideon’s Bakehouse cookie?

As I developed this recipe, I found there were a few things I had to keep in mind:

  • Gideon’s cookies taste doughy, but aren’t doughy – I had to make sure this cookie cooked through, but still kept some moisture!
  • Gideon’s are always coated in chocolate chips that are somehow, not melted – this would play into some strategic baking timing & strategy.
  • These cookies have a lot of flaky salt on top – I skipped that when I first made this cookie, but believe me, it’s integral to the cookie’s success
  • The dough has a deeper flavor than most – I knew I couldn’t just “Mrs. Fields” my way through this, the flour and vanilla had to be important in this recipe.
  • The size of the cookies are 4 inches in diameter and 1.25 inches in height – I aimed for my cookies to be the same.
  • Gideon’s cookies weigh 8 ounces! – that’s crazy, but with 7.5 ounces of dough in each of my cookies, I feel like we live up to the half-pound cookie’s fame.

Ingredients you’ll need for these cookies

The founder of Gideon’s, Steve Lewis, said in his in-depth interview on WDW Prep to Go, that he prefers to serve his cookies at room temperature, not warm, and this is because you get a better flavor in the dough that way. It was during my research phase that I heard this, and knew that the dough was an important component. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:

  • 1 cup (226g) salted butter, divided
  • 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (70g) rye flour or pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons (7g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon malted milk powder, optional
  • Add-ins of your choice, for the inside and toppings (see blog post for measurements and suggestions)
  • Flaky sea salt, for finishing

What is malted milk powder and what does it do in cookies?

Malted milk powder isn’t mandatory, but it does a lot of quiet heavy lifting in these cookies. It’s basically a mix of dried milk, barley malt, and wheat flour that was originally used for milkshakes and old-school soda fountain drinks. So yes, it already has dessert energy built in.

In the dough, it adds this subtle, almost ice-cream-like richness that makes the cookies have more depth and taste a little more nostalgic in a way you can’t quite place. It helps make the dough feel more diverse, bridging the gap between Gideon’s vanilla-style base and their more classic cookie doughs.

It’s not loud, but it makes everything feel a little more complete. If you have it, use it. If you don’t, the cookies will still absolutely work and still be delicious – but the malt is what gives them that “wait, what is that?” bakery-cookie magic in the background.

The process of the dough

Let’s start with the brown butter

This recipe browns half of the butter and keeps the other half softened. This also uses salted butter. I chose to only brown half, because as you brown butter, you lose some of the water in the butter as it evaporates when the milk solids toast. This will help create a lower moisture level in the cookie, letting the cookies maintain some structure. It will also help with the flavor, nothing beats brown butter.

But the unbrowned butter is where the other magic happens. This butter will whip together with the sugars, creating aeration in the dough, allowing these cookies to get some of their signature height. Two butters, one dream.

Also we use salted because salted butter is like flavor reassurance. It helps naturally counter the sweetness of the cookie, creating a stronger, more contrasted flavor.

Now let’s talk about the flour

I use two types of flour in this recipe – all purpose and rye flour. The all-purpose flour has a higher protein level, so it will create gluten to keep the cookie together. The rye flour is for color and flavor alone, it gives the dough an in-depth flavor, adding some subtle nuttiness and bitterness while still maintaining a signature cookie texture.

And lastly, the vanilla

A more intense baker would call for fresh vanilla bean, or vanilla bean paste in this recipe, but both of those are expensive and more difficult to source, so to keep this recipe approachable, I opted for a high quality vanilla extract. Just get ready to use a lot of it, so we still get that signature Gideon’s cookie vanilla richness.

Gideon's Bakehouse cookie dough divided into 3 bowls.

How to add mix-ins and make your own flavors

We’re going to talk in ounces here, since it makes the ratios much easier to follow than grams and keeps everything flexible if you want to scale things up or down.

Each full batch of dough weighs about 36 ounces. From there, think of the cookies as having three parts: the dough, the mix-ins, and the toppings. The mix-ins should be about 1/4 of the dough weight, which is 9 ounces total, and the toppings should match that at another 9 ounces.

This is the base formula that lets you start playing around. If you stick to it, you can swap in pretty much anything you want and still keep the cookies balanced.

If you’re using wet ingredients like bananas or berries, keep them to about 1/3 of your mix-ins so the dough doesn’t get too soft or spread too much. For example, in a banana Oreo version, you’d want about 3 ounces of banana and 6 ounces of crushed Oreo to keep everything structured but still flavorful.

Gideon's Bakehouse cookies & cream cookie dough.
Gideon's Bakehouse cookie dough with banana and biscoff cookies.
Gideon's Bakehouse cookie dough with banana and biscoff cookies.

How to bring these cookies together

Once you’ve decided on your flavor, the assembly process stays the same no matter what you’re making.

If you want to try out multiple flavor combinations, here’s how you’d do it:

  • Portion the cookie dough into three bowls, each portion weighing 12 ounces each.
  • Add 3 ounces of your favorite mix-in of choice. Mix in with clean hands.
  • Use a scale to scoop out 7.5 ounces of the dough. Press it into a large ball, and dip it into your preferred toppings, making sure to press into all the crevices.

If you’re sticking to just one flavor, you can skip the portioning step. Just fold the full 9 ounce batch of mix-ins into the dough, divide into six large cookie balls, and coat each one in your topping mixture before baking.

3 different Gideon's bakehouse cookie flavors - chocolate chip, oreo, and biscoff.

Gideon’s flavor combinations to try

Aside from the original chocolate chip, here are a few more classic Gideon’s flavor combinations to recreate your favorites at home:

  • Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip – Mix in 4.5 ounces of chocolate chips and 4.5 ounces of toffee pieces, scoop, then top each cookie dough ball with salted pistachios.
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl – Mix in 6 ounces of peanut butter, scoop, then top each cookie dough ball with a combination of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
  • Cookies & Cream – Mix in 9 ounces of chunks of double stuf Oreos, scoop, then top each cookie dough ball with crushed Oreos.
  • Banana Biscoff – Mix in 3 ounces of banana and 6 ounces of biscoff cookies, scoop, then top each cookie dough ball with crushed biscoff cookies.
  • Cookie Butter Butterscotch – Mix in 3 ounces of biscoff cookie butter and 6 ounces of butterscotch chips, scoop, then top each cookie dough ball with crushed biscoff cookies.
  • Candied Walnut Chocolate Chip – Mix in 4.5 ounces of chocolate chips and 4.5 ounces of chopped walnuts, scoop, then top each cookie dough ball with candied walnuts.
  • Banana Bread Chocolate Chip – Mix in 3 ounces of bananas, 2 ounces of a mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate, 2 ounces of candied walnuts, and 2 ounces of banana chips.

Or, you can get creative and make up your own!

Remember, if you want to try 3 different flavors: for every 12 ounces of dough (one third of this recipe), add 3 ounces of mix-ins, then have 3 ounces of whatever you would like for the topping.

Gideon's Bakehouse cookie dough covered in crushed biscoff cookies.

How to bake the cookies

As you can see from the below, I tried these cookies out at numerous temperatures and times. The goal was to make sure they had time to bake, but didn’t have enough time in the oven to collapse. I’ve discovered that baking them 325°F gives us the best results! Here’s how to bake them:

  1. Place these cookies on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325°F convection.
  3. Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, until golden around the edges.
  4. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with flaky salt, and let them cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. By then they’ll be firm enough to handle.

Storage tips

Here’s the best way to store these cookies, based on each method:

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Refrigerator: These will keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Freezer: The baked cookies will freeze well for up to 3 months. I like to line them with wax paper so they don’t stick to each other, then place them in a freezer gallon bag. To thaw, remove the cookies from the bag and let them sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Then they should be ready to eat!

Copycat gideon's bakehouse cookies on a baking sheet.

Why is this recipe in grams?

Grams (or weight in ounces) is always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh all the way from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and mismatched results.

For this particular recipe, it’s even more important because we’re working with a dough that’s designed to be customizable. The mix-ins and toppings are part of the structure of the cookie, not just an add-on, so weighing everything helps keep those ratios consistent every time you bake them.

The good news is most kitchen scales now let you toggle between grams and ounces, so you can use whichever unit with while still getting the same level of accuracy. It makes scaling and swapping ingredients much easier, especially for a recipe like this where you might want to play around with different flavor combinations.

I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe foolproof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.

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And that’s it for these Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookies! It was a labor of love, truly.

If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

You can also shop this video if you’re looking for the exact pieces I use – I’ve linked everything on my ShopMy! *some links may contain affiliate commissions

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Gideon’s Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 | 6 reviews
These half pound cookies are famous in Orlando, and definitely worth traveling for, but also completely worth baking at home! This recipe has been trialed and tested thoroughly to be as close to the real thing as possible, while still using easy to find and easy to use ingredients. The recipe leaves you with a rich, delicious cookie that will remind you of the famous Gideon's Bakehouse classic!
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Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Chill Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Servings: 6 cookies
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Equipment

  • 1 small sauté pan
  • 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
  • 1 kitchen scale
  • 1 half sheet pan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (226g) salted butter, divided
  • 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (70g) rye flour or pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons (7g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon malted milk powder, optional
  • Add-ins of your choice, for the inside and toppings (see blog post for measurements and suggestions)
  • Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions 

  1. Divide the butter in half. Brown 113 grams of butter in a small saucepan, and add the other 113 grams of butter to a stand mixer. Transfer the browned butter to small heat-proof bowl and transfer it to the freezer.
  2. Add 200 grams of dark brown sugar, 100 grams of granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed for 9-10 minutes (yes, really). It will go from a brown paste to a light and fluffy mix.
  3. Add in the mostly cooled brown butter and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium. Crack in 2 eggs and beat on medium high for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the batter is very fluffy and smooth, almost like whipped cream.
  4. Add 420 grams of all-purpose flour, 70 grams of rye flour, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 tablespoon of malted milk powder into the stand mixer. Mix on the lowest setting until the dough is just combined.
  5. To try 3 different flavor combinations, portion the dough into three bowls, each portion weighing 12 ounces each. Add 3 ounces of your favorite mix-in of choice to each bowl. Mix in with clean hands.
  6. To make one flavor combination, don't portion the dough and just add 12 ounces of your favorite mix-in of choice to the bowl. Mix in with clean hands.
  7. Use a scale to scoop out 7.5 ounces of the dough. Press it into a large ball, and dip it into your preferred toppings, making sure to press into all the crevices.
  8. Place these cookies on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.
  9. Preheat the oven to 325°F convection.
  10. Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, until golden around the edges.
  11. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with flaky salt, and let them cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. By then they’ll be firm enough to handle. Then enjoy!

Notes

How to add mix-in and make your own flavors:
We’re going to talk in ounces here, since it’s easier to show the ratios that way vs grams.
Each batch of dough is around 36 ounces. The fillings should weigh 1/4 of the weight of the dough, so 9 ounces. The toppings will be another 9 ounces. With this rule of thumb, you can mix and match as you please! 
If you’re adding in wet ingredients, like bananas, berries, etc. they can only be 1/3 of your fillings or else the cookies will spread too much. For example, if you are making banana Oreo cookies, the fillings should be: 3 ounces of banana, 6 ounces of crushed Oreo.
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 749kcalCarbohydrates: 137gProtein: 18gFat: 14g

Old Version

Below is the original recipe that was first developed in 2023. For the updated recipe, please see the above.

Serves 6

Total cook time: 12.5 hours

Ingredients

  • 226 grams salted butter
  • 200 grams dark brown sugar
  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) high quality vanilla extract
  • 220 grams all-purpose flour
  • 200 grams cake or pastry flour
  • 40 grams rye flour
  • 2 teaspoons (7g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
  • 1/2 bar (65g) 70% chocolate, chopped
  • 140 grams mini semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 140 grams large milk chocolate chips
  • Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

  1. The day before you want to bake, begin the dough.
  2. Divide the butter in half, brown one half of the butter on a small saucepan, and add the other half to a stand mixer. Transfer the browned butter to small bowl and whisk quickly to let it cool down.
  3. Add the sugars to the stand mixer and mix on medium to create a gravely mixture. Add in the mostly cooled brown butter and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat on medium high until the dough is very fluffy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes more.
  4. Add the flours, salt and baking powder into the stand mixer. Mix on the lowest setting until the dough is just combined. Add in the chopped 70% chocolate and stir until just combined.
  5. Pour the two kinds chocolate chips into a small bowl.
  6. Using a scale, portion out the dough into 6 portions, each weighing a little over 6 ounces. Dip the top of the cookies into the chocolate chips, smashing any chocolate chips into open crevasses. To avoid oven drama, make sure none are too close to the bottom of the cookie, we don’t want the chocolate chips to melt onto the pan.
  7. Place these cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 12-24 hours, with 24 being preferable.
  8. When the cookies are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450°F. Position a rack to the top center of the oven.
  9. Bake the cookies two at a time for 8-11 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden but the tops are not scorched. Remove from the oven and use any utensil to nudge the edges into perfect circles, although most won’t need any help.
  10. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with flaky salt, and let the cookies come to room temperature. Then transfer them to the fridge to cool an additional 2 hours, this helps them set and brings out the flavor of the dough, so you aren’t just tasting warm chocolate chips!
  11. When ready to eat, let them come to room temperature again (or keep them cool!) and serve!

Hey! I’m Justine

A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, and bread enthusiast with an archive of both savory and sweet.

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Comments

  1. Sabine Avatar
    Sabine
    8/10/2021
    Reply

    5 stars
    Amazing! 10/10

    Reply
  2. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/10/2021
    Reply

    So glad you liked!!

    Reply
  3. Chelsy Avatar
    Chelsy
    8/10/2021
    Reply

    Does this recipe need to be adjusted for high altitude?

    Reply
  4. mariangel Avatar
    mariangel
    8/11/2021
    Reply

    these doesnt have eggs? and why? thank you!

    Reply
  5. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/11/2021
    Reply

    Hi! These don’t have eggs because I’ve found cookies don’t always need eggs for structure. A lot of my cookies can be made plant based! You can read more in the “impact minimizing” section of my FAQ

    Reply
  6. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/11/2021
    Reply

    Hi! I’m not super familiar with altitude baking, but I know this recipe has been specifically calibrated so I’d recommend adjusting based off of recommendations from high altitude blogs!

    Reply
  7. Katherine Anthony Avatar
    Katherine Anthony
    8/11/2021
    Reply

    I made this following all your steps and they turned out like pancakes. Wondering what you think would help them keep their shape. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  8. Amy Avatar
    Amy
    8/11/2021
    Reply

    I’m thinking I may have to try make these gluten free. My daughter looked over my shoulder when I found these recipe and asked me to make them 😉

    Reply
  9. Meghan Avatar
    Meghan
    8/12/2021
    Reply

    These turned out fine, and I like the look of the chocolate chips on top, but I think I’ll stick with the ghiradelli/toll house/guittard recipe. These are really crumbly instead of chewy and crispy.

    Reply
  10. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/12/2021
    Reply

    Oh no! Did you measure everything by weight? These are designed to have a thick cookie-dough like interior texture so I’m worried something went wrong!

    Reply
  11. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/12/2021
    Reply

    If you do try please let me know how they turn out! I’d love to have a gf option

    Reply
  12. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/12/2021
    Reply

    Hi! Did you measure everything by weight? These are designed to have enough fat content to have a moist interior, while still having a perfect ratio to flour so that they keep their height, but flour is finicky when measured in cups. An easier way to trouble shoot is to switch from 6 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of shortening to 1/4 cup of each. This will guarantee height but you’ll lose a bit of the butter flavor. I hope this helps!

    Reply
  13. Marisa Avatar
    Marisa
    8/12/2021
    Reply

    Hi! Is there a substitute for the vegetable shortening?

    Reply
  14. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel
    8/12/2021
    Reply

    Omg this is the best vegan cookie I’ve had in a while! I used enjoy life chips and it was heaven.

    Reply
  15. Debra Wishan Avatar
    Debra Wishan
    8/12/2021
    Reply

    Hello
    I just finished reading your recipe. I want to let you know that when I use the link to double or triangular the recipe, it does not change the amount of CUPS, only the grams.
    Can’t wait to try. Thanks, Debra

    Reply
  16. Ivey Avatar
    Ivey
    8/13/2021
    Reply

    Can you add pecans and have the same result? Thanks!!

    Reply
  17. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/13/2021
    Reply

    You should be able to!

    Reply
  18. Kelly Avatar
    Kelly
    8/13/2021
    Reply

    Absolutely AMAZING! 10 out of 10. This is a must make cookie recipe

    Reply
  19. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/13/2021
    Reply

    So glad you liked it!

    Reply
  20. Kiamich Avatar
    Kiamich
    8/14/2021
    Reply

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Made these last night and loved them, but the inside was still dough-like even after 20 minutes of cooking. Should I have kept them in for longer?

    Reply
  21. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/14/2021
    Reply

    Hi! So glad you liked them! For the cooking part, a few things that might help: you could lower your oven temp to 350F and bake for longer, but the cookies will spread more. But also when you let them completely cool on the pan instead of a cooling rack, residual heat should help them continue to “cook” without burning, so after a cooling period of 30 minutes they should be more set. I hope this helps!

    Reply
  22. Adrianna Avatar
    Adrianna
    8/15/2021
    Reply

    I made the dough three days ago and forgot about them I finally baked them today and they still turned out fabulous. Very good cookies I was nervous about the middle not baking correctly, but they were ready after 14-15 minutes. They didn’t look quite as polished as the picture, but they tasted divine. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  23. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/15/2021
    Reply

    So glad you liked it!!

    Reply
  24. Allie Avatar
    Allie
    8/21/2021
    Reply

    I’ve been wanting to make these for a while, but I just got around to doing it yesterday. This morning I woke up to a text from my brother telling me how good they are. Thank you so much for the recipe, my whole family loves it.

    Reply
  25. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/21/2021
    Reply

    I am THRILLED you guys love it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment ❤️

    Reply
  26. Barb Avatar
    Barb
    8/24/2021
    Reply

    Absolutely DELICIOUS! Just pulled the ingredients to make them again! My cookies spread out, though not completely like a pancake, so I am going to weigh the flour in lieu of the measuring cup. Here’s hoping for an even higher, wink wink, success rate! I must say, the flavor of these cookies far outweigh the disappointing fact that they spread out!!! Superb!

    Reply
  27. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    8/24/2021
    Reply

    I’m so glad you liked them! Another way to eliminate any spread in the cookie is to up the shortening amount to 1/4 cup and decrease the butter amount to 1/4 cup. Since shortening is a hydrogenated fat, it eliminates spread, whereas butter is 80% fat and 20% water (approximately) so it causes more spread in a cookie. The flavor should stay relatively the same, but I hope this helps!

    Reply
  28. Lillian Avatar
    Lillian
    8/31/2021
    Reply

    Made them and they turned out flat. I saw your suggestions of changing the butter and vegetable shortening amounts, but also wondering what brand of butter you use? I know that can make a difference sometimes for some reason haha

    Reply
  29. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    9/4/2021
    Reply

    Hey there! Ok that is somewhat true, some butter brands range higher in milk fat % compared to others. I used Miyokos Creamery in my first test of these, and then used Kerry Gold in the second. I had relatively consistent results but I hope this helps!

    Reply
  30. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea
    9/4/2021
    Reply

    5 stars
    Made these with Cup 4 Cup GF Flour AND at high altitude in Colorado and they are amazing!! Might bake them a little longer the next time I make this recipe, but other than that, they turned out great (as all of Justine’s recipes do)!

    Reply
  31. Justine Avatar
    Justine
    9/5/2021
    Reply

    and at altitude? Amazing!! Teach me your ways haha. I’m so glad you liked it!

    Reply
  32. Dalete Norton Avatar
    Dalete Norton
    5/17/2023
    Reply

    Could you tell us what brand of ingredients you used? I think for this recipe quality really matters.

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      5/22/2023
      Reply

      This is a great question! For flours, I used King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill for the Rye. For vanilla, I use Nielsen-Massey. Everything else I will cross-reference and add to the blog post shortly!

      Reply
  33. Varshini Avatar
    Varshini
    5/17/2023
    Reply

    They tasted very good, but 450 was too high! The bottom of my cookies burnt while the top was still very raw.

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      5/22/2023
      Reply

      Hi there! I am so sorry you had that experience – I promise we tried multiple temperatures and this is what worked best for us! However, I do use an over thermometer to calibrate my oven, since most ovens tend to swing temps based on their heating systems. If you don’t have an oven thermometer, I recommend trying 425 next time to see if that is your oven’s sweet spot!

      Reply
  34. chiffonade Avatar
    chiffonade
    5/22/2023
    Reply

    For the person asking about high altitude baking, here is information from Wilton.
    https://blog.wilton.com/high-altitude-baking/#:~:text=Raise%20the%20oven%20temperature%20by,additional%201000%20feet%20of%20elevation.

    Reply
  35. Debra Avatar
    Debra
    5/23/2023
    Reply

    These are perfect! I followed the recipe exactly (weighing all the ingredients) and they couldn’t have turned out better! I still have some in the freezer. How long can i leave them before baking the rest? Thanks for a wonderful detailed recipe!

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      5/23/2023
      Reply

      They are good to stay in the freezer for up to 6 months! The gift that keeps on giving 🙂 I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  36. Nadia Avatar
    Nadia
    5/28/2023
    Reply

    Reading all the comments and wondering about the temperatures and length of time and placement in the oven. My question is; Is your ovens convection oven? Because the fact one would use the convection mode or not could impact the cooking. If someone out there has, thank you for your input.

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      5/31/2023
      Reply

      Hello! I use a standard oven and don’t recommend cooking with the convection setting unless otherwise stated in a recipe. I agree with you, the variance does change a lot!

      Reply
  37. Dawn Mantich Avatar
    Dawn Mantich
    5/28/2023
    Reply

    5 stars
    Turned out great and everyone said they tasted just like Gideon’s! I did lower the temp to 400 and cooked for 12 to 14 minutes because the chips on my first couple baked burned a little. Question- do you plan to attempt the Triple Chocolate from Gideon’s? I’d love to try and make that one. Thanks!!

    Reply
  38. Jill Avatar
    Jill
    5/28/2023
    Reply

    5 stars
    These are one of the best cookies I’ve ever had! We brought them to a party with friends and everyone was like OMG. Will become a staple recipe in this house 🙂

    Reply
  39. Chris Avatar
    Chris
    3/10/2026
    Reply

    5 stars
    I just discovered your recipe after my daughter and I got back from Orlando and went to Gideons Bakehouse. They turned out great! I’d love to try the Pistachio Chocolate Chip and the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip. Have you any recipes for those?

    Reply
    1. Justine Snacks Admin Team Avatar
      Justine Snacks Admin Team
      3/10/2026
      Reply

      I’m so glad you liked them!! I don’t have any other Gideon copycats (great to know there’s a desire) but I do have two different banana chocolate chip cookies on the site! If you search banana cookies, they’ll both pop up <3

      Reply
  40. Cheryl B Avatar
    Cheryl B
    4/20/2026
    Reply

    Curious, What purpose does the rye flour play in the recipe? I’ve seen some other copycats call for bread flour as the third flour. Does it a impart a similar effect?

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      4/20/2026
      Reply

      Rye flour has 9% protein content, as well as a nutty taste, so it gives you a tender texture and a deeper flavor 🙂 AP flour tends to be around 11% protein!

      Reply
  41. Cristina Avatar
    Cristina
    4/20/2026
    Reply

    My first 2 had burned choccy chips so I lowered my oven temperature to 400 for the rest. Still delicious! I want to recreate the peanut butter and the Krampus (dark chocolate and mint).

    Reply
    1. Justine Snacks Admin Team Avatar
      Justine Snacks Admin Team
      4/21/2026
      Reply

      I’m so glad lowering the temp worked well for you and that you ultimately enjoyed them! If you do recreate those flavors, let me know how they come out 🙂

      Reply
    2. Cheryl B Avatar
      Cheryl B
      4/27/2026
      Reply

      I also needed to reduce temp to 400 but still experienced chips singing. My last two I baked with a piece of tinfoil loosely placed on top and removed the last two minutes of baking. These were the keepers! We’ve had Gideon’s several times and happily these did compare well.

      Reply
  42. Cheryl B Avatar
    Cheryl B
    4/21/2026
    Reply

    Thanks! Can’t wait to try them and report back

    Reply
  43. Perrine Meunier-Jones Avatar
    Perrine Meunier-Jones
    5/5/2026
    Reply

    Have you had success making these smaller? I would keep ratios of the toppings and fillings the same, but what baking considerations would I need to make? Just shorter time or raising temp?

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      5/6/2026
      Reply

      Shorter time is your best bet 🙂 And they might not spread as much, but they will still be delicious!

      Reply
  44. Emma Avatar
    Emma
    5/5/2026
    Reply

    Please update the levain copycat recipe too!! It’s one of my favorites!

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      5/6/2026
      Reply

      Update like make it different? I love it so much!

      Reply
  45. Carol Avatar
    Carol
    5/12/2026
    Reply

    I am so glad I found your recipe! I am working to make my daughter’s wedding wish come true. She wants a Smore cookie for dessert. Do you have advise on making this flavor? I’d also like to make them a bit smaller so I won’t be baking for several days just before the wedding, so I’d love some advise on that modification too.

    Reply
    1. Justine Snacks Admin Team Avatar
      Justine Snacks Admin Team
      5/12/2026
      Reply

      Hi Carol! If you’re looking to make just make one flavor, the mix-ins should be about 1/4 of the dough weight, which is 9 ounces total, and the toppings should match that at another 9 ounces. For the filling, I’d recommend doing 3 ounces of marshmallows, 3 ounces of chocolate and 3 ounces of crushed graham cracker and then whatever topping you’d like. As for the size, just note that the baking time will be shorter!

      Reply
      1. Carol Avatar
        Carol
        5/16/2026
        Reply

        Ok, I’m making these this weekend. Question on temp
        1- What is the oven temp and convection or not? Recipe states 325 degrees convection but comments include info on not using convection and 450 and 350 degrees.

        Reply
        1. Justine Avatar
          Justine
          5/17/2026
          Reply

          Hi Carol,

          This is an updated recipe, so the comments are referencing the old recipe in the yellow box below! Please proceed with the recipe instructions for 325°F, it will get you great results!

          Reply
  46. Fifi Avatar
    Fifi
    5/13/2026
    Reply

    Thank you so much for working so hard to create this recipe for us to try at home. My question is about which kitchen scale you use and recommend. I found two links for two widely different priced scales in this post. Is there one scale that you would highly recommend for the home baker where price is not really a concern, but accuracy is most important. Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Justine Snacks Admin Team Avatar
      Justine Snacks Admin Team
      5/13/2026
      Reply

      Hi Fifi! I updated the link in the recipe card to match the link that’s in the blog post. The $13.99 is my tried and true!

      Reply
  47. Annya Avatar
    Annya
    5/13/2026
    Reply

    5 stars
    Hi Justine! I had so much fun making these they came out delicious! Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    1. Justine Snacks Admin Team Avatar
      Justine Snacks Admin Team
      5/13/2026
      Reply

      I’m so thrilled you loved them!

      Reply
  48. Danielle Cohen Avatar
    Danielle Cohen
    5/15/2026
    Reply

    5 stars
    These are so delicious and worth every second of time to make them! I made double the recipe before even trying them so I could freeze them and I’m glad I did!

    Reply
    1. Justine Snacks Admin Team Avatar
      Justine Snacks Admin Team
      5/15/2026
      Reply

      I’m sp thrilled you loved them!

      Reply
  49. Arei Avatar
    Arei
    5/16/2026
    Reply

    5 stars
    I have tried so many cookie recipes and this is genuinely the best one I have manged to come across. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    1. Justine Avatar
      Justine
      5/17/2026
      Reply

      MUSIC TO MY EARS! I’m so happy you liked them!

      Reply

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A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, and bread enthusiast with an archive of both savory and sweet.

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