Duck fat chocolate chip cookies are a sweet & salty treat with a rich, savory depth. The duck fat deepens the flavor while creating a perfectly crisp yet chewy texture. This unique twist on a classic is sure to impress!
Recipe Highlights
Unique Twist: Duck fat cookies are a creative take on classic chocolate chip cookies. I've been perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe for years and the addition of duck fat is the perfect secret ingredient!
Rich Flavor: Duck fat enhances the depth of sweetness and chocolate. Try my duck fat pie crust for another way to enhance desserts with duck fat.
Sweet & Salty Balance: Perfectly blends savory and sweet flavors.
What's So Special About Duck Fat?
Rendered duck fat is a culinary delicacy that can be used for a variety of dishes. Duck fat is a versatile ingredient that adds a rich, savory flavor to dishes and has a nutritional profile similar to olive oil. It is higher in unsaturated fats and lower in saturated fats which makes it semi-solid at room temperature instead of being completely solid like pork lard and other animal fats.
The rich but mild flavor can be paired with many different ingredients. It is most often used to make duck confit, but can be used for pie crust recipes, duck fat potatoes, sous vide duck breasts, and more! It's perfect for creating unique and delicious treats like duck fat cookies.
Ingredients
- Duck Fat: Duck fat is an essential ingredient for these cookies! But, you can experiment with other animal fats like pork lard, bear fat, or even bacon grease!
- Salted Butter: These are called salted cookies for a reason. The salt comes from the butter, salt in the dough, and salt on top. You can use unsalted butter but you should add more salt to the dough if you do.
- Sugar: A combination of dark brown sugar and unrefined cane sugar creates the perfect balance of sweetness and depth for this recipe.
- Eggs: The addition of an egg yolk adds extra creaminess to the dough and richness to the cookies. Don't skip it!
- Chocolate: I find that a mixture of dark chocolate chunks and semi-sweet chocolate chips provides the perfect amount of sweetness without overpowering the cookie. But, you can experiment with your favorite baking chocolate too!
- Flaked Sea Salt: A finish of flaked sea salt is essential for these duck fat cookies. The crunchy salt perfectly balances the sweetness and richness of the cookies.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Recommended
Cookie Scoop
A cookie scoop is the perfect tool for getting evenly-sized cookies.
How to Make Duck Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Duck fat and melted butter make this cookie dough exceptionally soft, so it's crucial to follow the steps below to ensure they bake properly!
- Step 1: Melt the butter in a large glass bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
- Step 2: Add duck fat, cane sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl. Use the hand mixer beaters to mix the fats and sugars together by hand. This helps keep the mixture from splattering when you turn on the mixer.
- Step 3: Turn the hand mixer on medium and mix for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Step 4: Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 20-30 seconds, just until the mixture is combined. Don't overmix!
- Step 5: Add flour, salt, and baking soda to the bowl. Use the hand mixer beaters to mix the dough by hand until the flour is mostly moistened. This helps keep the flour from making a mess when you turn on the mixer.
- Step 6: Turn the hand mixer on medium and mix for 30-45 minutes or until the dough is well combined. The mixture should be soft but not sticky. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky.
- Step 7: Add the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the chocolate is well-distributed throughout the dough. You can also do this step by hand.
- Step 8: Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper Using a 1 oz cookie scoop, scoop 30 even cookie dough balls onto the sheet pan.
- Step 9: Gently roll the dough into balls. Be careful, the dough will be soft. Make sure the dough balls are not touching each other on the pan. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour before baking.
- Step 10: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line another large sheet pan with parchment paper. Transfer 9-12 dough balls to the lined baking sheet (depending on the size of the pan, with at least 3-4" of space between dough balls). Bake on the middle rack for 11-12 minutes, or until the outer edges are just starting to brown.
- Step 11: Remove the pan to a wire rack. Sprinkle flaked sea salt over the top of the cookies. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack.
- Step 12: Let the cookies cool fully before storing them in an airtight container. Don't forget to enjoy at least one while they're warm, though!
Pro Tips
- Set aside a few chocolate chips and chunks to press into the tops of the dough balls before freezing. This little trick makes the cookies look even more irresistible!
- I like to make a big batch of cookie dough and freeze the dough balls for when I want to bake 1 or 2 cookies at a time!
Serving Suggestions
These cookies are special and should be treated as such! Here are some delicious ways to serve duck fat chocolate chip cookies:
- With a Glass of Milk – Classic and comforting, the rich cookies pair perfectly with cold milk.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches – Layer with vanilla or salted caramel ice cream for a decadent treat.
- With a Glass of Wine – A bold red wine helps cut through the rich, savory flavors and is a perfect pairing.
- Paired with Coffee or Espresso – The deep flavors of duck fat complement a bold cup of coffee.
- With a Cheese Board – Serve alongside aged gouda or brie for a sweet and savory contrast.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Duck fat adds richness, enhances flavor, and creates a crisp, flaky texture in baked goods like pastries, pie crusts, and cookies. Try these duck fat cookies or duck fat pie crust.
Yes, you can substitute duck fat for butter, though it works best in savory baked goods or recipes that complement its slightly savory depth. Use a 1:1 ratio, but consider blending with butter for a balanced flavor and texture.
Duck fat is excellent for roasting potatoes, frying, sautéing vegetables, making flaky pastries, and even enriching soups and sauces.
Duck fat has a rich, slightly savory flavor but is not as creamy or sweet as butter. It adds depth and enhances flavors without overpowering dishes.
Related Recipes
Looking for more duck fat recipes? Try these:
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Thank you!
Annie
📖 Recipe
Duck Fat Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter (Tillamook preferred)
- ½ cup duck fat, room temperature
- 1 cup pure cane sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- flaked sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large glass bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
- Add duck fat, cane sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl. Use the hand mixer beaters to mix the fats and sugars together by hand. This helps keep the mixture from splattering when you turn on the mixer. Turn the hand mixer on medium and mix for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 20-30 seconds, just until the mixture is combined. Don't overmix!
- Add flour, salt, and baking soda to the bowl. Use the hand mixer beaters to mix the dough by hand until the flour is mostly moistened. This helps keep the flour from making a mess when you turn on the mixer. Turn the hand mixer on medium and mix for 30-45 seconds or until the dough is well combined. The mixture should be soft but not sticky. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky.
- Add the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the chocolate is well-distributed throughout the dough. You can also do this step by hand.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper Using a 1 oz cookie scoop, scoop 30 even cookie dough balls onto the sheet pan. Gently roll the dough into balls. Be careful, the dough will be soft. Make sure the dough balls are not touching each other on the pan. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line another large sheet pan with parchment paper. Transfer 9-12 dough balls to the pan (depending on the size of the pan, with at least 3-4" of space between dough balls).
- Bake on the middle rack for 11-12 minutes, or until the outer edges are just starting to brown.
- Remove the pan to a cooling rack. Sprinkle flaked sea salt over the top of the cookies. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack.
- Let the cookies cool fully before storing them in an airtight container. Don't forget to enjoy at least one while they're warm, though!
Notes
- I like to use a hand mixer for making these cookies but you can also use a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- A cookie scoop is the perfect tool for getting evenly-sized cookies.
- Duck fat is an essential ingredient for these cookies! But, you can experiment with other animal fats like pork lard, bear fat, or even bacon grease! Duck fat and melted butter make this cookie dough exceptionally soft, so it's crucial to follow the steps in the recipe to ensure they bake properly!
- These are called salted cookies for a reason. The salt comes from the butter, salt in the dough, and salt on top. You can use unsalted butter but you should add more salt to the dough if you do.
- The addition of an egg yolk adds extra creaminess to the dough and richness to the cookies. Don't skip it!
- I find that a mixture of dark chocolate chunks and semi-sweet chips provides the perfect amount of sweetness without overpowering the cookie. But, you can experiment with your favorite baking chocolate too! Set aside a few chocolate chips and chunks to press into the tops of the dough balls before freezing. This little trick makes the cookies look even more irresistible!
- A finish of flaked sea salt is essential for these duck fat cookies. The crunchy salt perfectly balances the sweetness and richness of the cookies.
- These cookies freeze really well either in dough form or baked form. To freeze the dough, simply place the dough balls in a freezer zip top bag after they have frozen solid on the sheet pan. Freeze for up to 3 months and follow the baking instructions above. Keep them on hand for when you want to bake 1-2 cookies at a time!
- To freeze baked cookies, let them cool fully before transferring them to a freezer zip top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and let them thaw fully at room temperature before enjoying.
Mel G says
It says to mix the dry and wet ingredients for 35 to 40 minutes. Is that correct?
Annie Weisz says
It should say seconds! Thank you so much for pointing that out! It's corrected now.