Ready, Set, Dunk: Where to Score the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day! And there’s no better way to celebrate than to chomp down on America’s favorite cookie, the chocolate chip cookie. For the sake of our dear readers, we did the legwork and sussed out some of Seattle’s best chocolate chip cookies from local bakeries. Our list has something for everyone, from kiddie favorites—a buttery cookie with ooey gooey milk chocolate chunks to an unusual cookie infused with smoked chocolate chips and marshmallows, and even ones for special diets. So go on, pour your kiddo—and yourself—an ice-cold glass of milk and get ready, set, dunk!

Café Besalu
Their croissants are heralded as the tastiest, flakiest specimens this side of the Seine, but Café Besalu also proffers their own standout version of an American classic. The chocolate chocolate chip cookie–with a cookie dough infused with cocoa powder and generously studded with chocolate chips–is surprisingly soft and has no crunch about it, in fact the texture is almost creamy. A must for the chocolate lover!

5909 24th Avenue NW
Seattle, Wa 98107
206-789-1463
Online: cafebesalu.com

Cinnamon Works
And the prize for Seattle’s heftiest chocolate chip cookie goes to…Cinnamon Works. At this popular Pike Place bakery, bigger does mean better.  Their chocolate chip cookie is about as big as your tot’s face and weighs maybe close to half-a-pound. Thankfully, it’s just as yummy as it is giganormous (yes, we just made up a word), and you’ll want to divvy up the cookie between two kiddos and/or yourself, or not.

1536 Pike Place
Seattle, Wa 98101
206-583-0085
Online: cinnamonworks.com

Flying Apron
At Flying Apron, gluten-free and dairy-free doesn’t equal taste-free, and that certainly applies to their chocolate chip cookie. Made with top quality organic ingredients—think brown rice flour, dark chocolate chips, molasses, and more–this cookie is crisp, and while a little crumbly, holds together much better than other gluten-free cookies we’ve had.

FREMONT
3510 Fremont Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103

REDMOND
16541 Redmond Way, Ste E
Redmond, WA 98052

Phone: 206-442-1115
Online: flyingapron.com

Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery
While your little one enjoys a traditional chocolate chip cookie (little does she know that a pinch more salt and some malt powder add extra oomph), you can treat your taste buds to the smoky, sweet flavor of Hot Cakes’ signature S’mores cookie. Reminiscent of campouts past and present, this cookie is greater than the sum of its parts: gooey roasted marshmallow, buttery graham cracker, and the taste bomb–dark chocolate chips cold-smoked over alder wood.

5427 Ballard Avenue NW
Seattle, Wa 98107
206-420-3431
Online: getyourhotcakes.com

Macrina Bakery and Cafe
Named for owner Leslie Mackie’s daughter, Olivia’s Chocolate Chip Cookie is crisp on the edges and soft and chewy toward the center. Dotted generously with semisweet chocolate chips and dusted with a sprinkling of fleur de sel for a sweet and salty finish, this chocolate chip cookie is the epitome of a classic Toll House-style cookie, but with a contemporary twist.

Various locations
Online: macrinabakery.com

North Hill Bakery
If you’re looking for a classic cookie that’s fuss-free and chockfull of homemade goodness, head to North Hill Bakery. Theirs is everything a chocolate chip cookie should be—crispy on the outside, rich and buttery on the inside, and with plenty of milk chocolate chips speckling the dough.

518 15th Avenue East
Seattle, Wa 98112
206-325-9007
Online: northhillbakery.com

PCC Natural Markets
We’ve discovered yet another reason to shop at PCC—their huge selection of chocolate chip cookies!  They range from traditional favorites like chocolate chip and mocha chip to special varieties such as vegan peanut butter chocolate chip and a chocolate chip rice flour cookie. Made from good-for-you ingredients (organic unbleached wheat or rice flour, organic sugar, etc.), their value is unbeatable at 99 cents!

Various locations
Online: pccnaturalmarkets.com

Specialty’s Café and Bakery
Thick, chewy and gooey—that’s a Specialty’s chocolate chip cookie alright. With every bite, you’ll score bits of buttery soft cookie and generous chunks of chopped chocolate (choose from milk, semisweet or white chocolate). Plus, they bake cookies all day long so you’re likely to be just minutes away from a warm cookie fresh from the oven. You can even sign up for warm cookie email alerts on the Specialty’s website.

Various locations
Online: specialtys.com

Did we miss your favorite place to score a chocolate chip cookie? Let us know in a comment below.

–Pat Tanumihardja (words and photos)