This is truly the BEST recipe clone for the DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels has been welcoming guests for 30 years with these complimentary cookies. The cookies are presented warm, packed full of gooey chocolate chips, a little bit of oats and crunchy walnuts. These cookies are one of our favorites and we look forward to them when we stay at one their hotels. I’ve tried a few copycat versions of this recipe, but this one is IT!
Whenever we visit Southern California, or family in Minnesota, we usually stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotels. Once we’re all checked in, we always look forward to being handed their trademark cookies. They are warm, chewy, loaded with chocolate chips and walnuts. There’s a hint of oatmeal for extra texture, and a nutty flavor. They are irresistible!
I admit, that we take turns asking the front desk for another cookie, each day. The staff, graciously, obliges. Score! When we returned home from our last trip, I got to wondering if I could replicate these delicious cookies. I tried a few recipes on the internet. Sadly, they weren’t quite right. At last! This recipe worked, so I want to pass it on to my readers.
The ingredients are pretty standard for a chocolate chip cookie: butter, flour, eggs, brown and white sugar, baking soda, vanilla and chocolate chips. There are four additional ingredients that makes these cookies special– a small amount of oats, a pinch of cinnamon and walnuts. The third ingredient is one you don’t want to leave out. It’s lemon juice!
Making the batter isn’t complicated, so I didn’t photograph the process. My stand mixer does a great job creaming the butter and sugar together. The key in making cookie batter is to not over mix! Be gentle in adding the dry ingredients. That is, mix until just combined. Hand stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
A cookie scoop makes portioning out even cookies much easier than using a spoon. For large cookies, I chose my #20 scoop (3 tablespoons of dough). You can certainly use a smaller scoop that will yield more cookies.
Please note that the cookies bake at a low 300F. Depending on your oven, bake between 20-23 minutes. With my oven, it took about 25 minutes for the cookies to be brown around the edges. Don’t over bake!
Here’s the hard part: You should need to wait for an hour, for the cookies to cool. Um, well, that’s what’s recommended. I couldn’t wait past 30 minutes. The cookies were a bit soft and flimsy, but the taste test was worth the sneak attack.
I left the rest of the cookies to cool on a baking rack for the recommended hour.
TASTING NOTES: These cookies truly taste just like the cookies were given at the DoubleTree by Hilton. They have an addictive chewy texture, with a nutty flavor. You really can’t taste the cinnamon nor the lemon juice. However, both ingredients give a subtle background and brightness of flavor. Who doesn’t love a chocolate chip cookie? This version, to me, elevates the cookie flavor to a higher level. NOTE: While I always list my recipe source on my printable recipe card, I wanted to give a shout out to one of my favorite blogs, “I Am Baker“. I’ve been following her for almost as long as I’ve been blogging (2008). She has been my inspiration and source for many of her fabulous recipes. She nailed this recipe 100%!
DoubleTree Cookie Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks / 227g, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon 150 g
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed 150 g
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice don't leave out!
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 281 g
- ½ cup rolled oats (regular, not quick cooking) 45 g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 2⅔ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 448 g
- 1¾ cups chopped walnuts 205 g NOTE: I like to toast mine for more flavor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
- With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Do not over mix!
- Remove bowl from the mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Portion dough with a 3 tablespoon scoop about 2 inches apart onto the lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
- Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets for about an hour before serving.
Notes
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