This is a copycat of Australia’s most famous chocolate chip cookie – Byron Bay Milk Choc Chunk Cookies. They’re big, crunchy, buttery and generous on the chocolate! At $3.50 for a single biscuit, they aren’t cheap – so save a ton by making them yourself!
BONUS: They stay 100% crunchy for 2 whole weeks! (Possibly longer – I caved).
Chocolate Chip Cookies – Byron Bay Copycat!
Australia’s most famous cookie are Byron Bay Cookies. They come in all sorts of flavours, and three of the most popular ones are White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies, Triple Chocolate Fudge and the chocolate chip cookies.
They’re sold at cafes all across Australia, and they are without a doubt the most well known cookie brand. While sometimes you find them individually packaged and sold at grocery stores for around $2.50 each, most cafes will charge $3.50 to $4 for a single cookie.
Which means a dozen of them cost $42…. or you can make them at home for around $7!!
These chocolate chip cookies stay 100% crunchy for 2 whole weeks!
What they taste like
These cookies are crunchy but it’s a soft, buttery crunch – sort of like Shortbread Cookies, except not as sandy/crumbly. The mouthfeel is what’s quite unique about these thick cookies – most crispy cookies this thick are noticeably rougher and drier (rice flour is the secret ingredient here that specifically achieves this).
There’s generous chunks of chocolate littered throughout, and the really great thing is that they stay 100% crunchy just like they’re freshly made for up to 2 weeks!!! (Probably longer, I just couldn’t hold out any longer).
Ingredients for Byron Bay Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s what you need to make these cookies. The ingredients are basically a replica of the ingredients disclosed on the Byron Bay Cookie packets, with minor tweaks to achieve the same mouthfeel and flavour using ingredients available to home cooks (eg. things like cultured dextrose, emulsifiers and soy lecithin that normal folk like us can’t get).
Just a note on a few ingredients:
Rice flour – this is the secret ingredient to give these crunchy cookies a sort of “velvety” mouthfeel which is unique to Byron Bay Cookies and one of the reasons people love them so much. You can substitute with more flour – the cookies still work out perfectly but the mouthfeel is “rougher” (still extremely delicious and this is what I use if I don’t have rice flour). Cornflour/cornstarch also works but the texture becomes more crumbly like Shortbread but the mouthfeel is drier than shortbread;
Yolks – we use 2 egg yolks in these cookies to give them richness.
Leftover egg whites – Here’s my list of what I do with them and all my egg white recipes can be found in this recipe collection;
Softened butter – you need softened butter for these cookies so they whip up creamy and smooth. If you’re like me and always forget to leave it out to soften, or if it’s so cold that it just never softens even if you leave it out all night, you’ll love this trick: microwave a jug of water for 3 minutes, then remove and put in a plate of diced butter and just leave it. The residual heat softens the butter perfectly. Never try microwaving butter to soften it – it doesn’t soften evenly, you will always end up with melted pockets which will affect the success of the recipe;
Brown and white sugar – each of these bring something different to the cookie. White makes them crispy while the brown sugar adds flavour and adds softness to the crunch; and
Chocolate – Byron Bay calls their chocolate chip cook “Milk Choc Chunk Cookies”, being that they’re made with a darkish milk chocolate. Good quality milk chocolate for baking isn’t readily availably, so I’ve taken the liberty of using dark chocolate instead. If anything, it makes them even BETTER with a more intense chocolate flavour! Use chips or chunks if you prefer.
How to make Byron Bay Chocolate Chip Cookies
And here’s how to make them – pretty standard really. We need the chill time to make the cookies sliceable and also to stop them from inflating when they bake (yep, tried to shortcut it and ended up with sumo cookies).
Cookie emergency? No beater?
No worries! Make these super easy Chocolate Chip Cookies instead (they’re soft and chewy, no chill time).👍🏼
Ahh, it’s a good moment when you pull them out of the oven.
I know, I know, you want to grab one right away while it’s hot and the chocolate is all melty and glistening but WAIT!! We have to let them cool on the tray so they become nice and crunchy. It’s worth it!!
Use the cooling time to think about the people in your life who will be lucky enough to put one in their gob. Think very carefully – there are only 12 of them, which makes them exponentially more valuable than most cookies that make a couple of dozen in a single batch. These are very, very special Chocolate Chip Cookies! 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Byron Bay Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 175g / 12 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter , softened (6.2 oz, Note 1 – softening tip!)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or normal, not dark)
- 1/3 cup white sugar , caster / superfine
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks , at room temperature (Note 6 for using leftover whites)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract/essence
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup rice flour (sub with plain/all purpose flour, Note 2)
- 1 1/2 cups flour , plain/all purpose
- 200g / 7 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate block , chopped into pretty small pieces (Note 3)
Instructions
- Place butter, salt and both sugars in a bowl. Beat on speed 5 for 1 minute until it’s soft, creamy and fluffy.
- Add yolks and vanilla – beat for 1 minute until well incorporated.
- Add baking powder, rice flour and half the plain flour. Beat until you can’t see flour anymore, then add remaining flour and beat again until incorporated.
- Mixture will be fairly clump and thick, but if you press between your fingers, it should stick together (rather than being dry and crumbly).
- Use a wooden spoon to stir chocolate through.
- Tip out onto a work surface then press together into a 22cm / 9″ log. Wrap in cling wrap or paper, twisting to seal the ends.
- Refrigerate 1.5 – 2 hours (Note 4).
Baking:
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
- Line 2 trays with baking/parchment paper. Put one shelf in the middle of the oven, and the other underneath.
- Remove from fridge, unwrap.
- Use a serrated knife to slice into 1.75cm / 2/3" thick slices. Saw carefully through choc chunks. If it falls apart on edges, just press if back together, no big deal. Place 6 on each tray.
- Bake 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 170°C/340°F (150°C fan), switch trays (Note 5)
- Bake for a further 15 minutes until surface is light golden and edges are a bit golden.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on trays – this makes them crunchy.
- STORAGE: Keeps for at least 2 weeks in an airtight container – they stay 100% crunchy, just like they’re freshly made.
Recipe Notes:
- cut into 1 cm cubes (or for US sticks, slice 1/3″ thick) and place in single layer on small plate
- place 2 cups water in a microwave proof jug or bowl. Microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes until just before boiling
- working quickly, remove jug, put plate in microwave and shut door, DO NOT TURN MICROWAVE ON! Leave for 10 minutes – the residual heat in the microwave will soften the butter perfectly!
- if still not soft enough (eg cut too big, microwave has lower power), then just repeat (but for round 2, check after a few minutes)
Nutrition Information:
For Cookie Monsters
Life of Dozer
“Everybody” thinks I bundle Dozer up in jumpers just because I’m a crazy dog lady / for my own amusement. And while both these hold true, the main reason is because it holds in his fur and sand which means marginally less littered all over the house.
Honestly, I seriously reckon it reduces sweeping by almost half. You should see how much fluff/sand poofs out when I pull the jumper off him (outside of course!!!)
Lorraine says
Dozer : Mum, next time you make cookies please can you leave some mixture without chocolate for me?
Mum : Of course I can Dozer. Just remind me. 😁😁
Nagi says
😂 And you now I will be doing this next time! N x
Mary says
Ni Nagi, how do I get butter to soften in this cold winter? It will not soften even after I leave it on my tabletop overnight and it melts when I put it into the microwave. Love Dozer!!
Carolyn says
To soften cold butter my tip is to grate it. This works really well!
Nagi says
Hi Carolyn, Mary and Kate! I just popped my tip into the recipe card – basically, slice or dice the butter, heat water in microwave, then put the butter in and the residual heat with gently soften the butter – no risk of melting like if you microwave! I find this easier than grating personally, just from a clean up perspective – but grating works too! N xx
Kate says
Hi Mary, you can also try grating your butter before you use it – much easier to cream it!
Beth says
If you know you need it tomorrow, put it on a plate in your oven with just the oven light on. Oven off, light on. The average oven light generates enough heat to keep your oven at around 20 to 24 degrees overnight. This is also how I prove my french bread dough overnight.
Mary says
Thanks Beth, i shall do that for my breads in future.
Mary says
I had this problem too, but it was suggested to heat up a bowl with hot water for a minute or two, throw out the water then turn the bowl upside down on the butter. Let it sit until it starts to get soft. It has worked for me ever since. You just need to check it to see how soft it’s getting every once in awhile.
Mary says
Thanks
shl says
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for another great recipe! Can’t wait to try it out 🙂 I have a very small oven though, and can only bake on one tray in the middle. I guess that means I bake for 10 min at the higher temp then 8 min at the lower?
Nagi says
Yes that’s correct – just keep an eye on them 🙂 N x
Melinda says
Hi Nagi! I am looking forward to baking this recipe. I hope our grocery has rice flour. Your directions, explanations and photography are excellent. You and Dozer are favorites in my ‘in box’!
Nagi says
I hope you love them Melinda, love to know what you think once you try them! N x
Eha Carr says
Oh Nagi – what to do with your temptations on a Friday afternoon ! Not being a baker ! Minding the ‘h’ word ! But I was a Byron Bay gal for nearly six years. (well Ocean Shores, just a few kms up!) and, yes, I know the moreish bikkies and yours look especially nice and I like dark chocolate, so it would be fun !! Shall send you a photo if I manage ! Dozer: very well fitting coat, very elegant pose . . .practical . . . but I just like his own fur showing . . . no, I haven’t had to brush him 🙂 !
Nagi says
Oh these are easy for any cook Eha, you’ll love them!!
Barry says
would gluten free all purpose flour be ok for these choc chip cookies
Nagi says
Hi Barry, I feel it ill make them too dry and crumbly but would love to know if you try! N x
Barry says
Hi Nagi I made them as per your recipe , when i removed from fridge were a bit loose n a couple broke on cutting managed to reform and bake, not bad a bit dry at first but good next day out of fridge.Tomorrow my wife(a coeliac) is going to show/help me do her version gluten free ,so wish me luck n ill let you know result 🙂
Alene says
I was wondering the same thing.
Lisa says
Have my first small family gathering (since Feb) in July. I’m taking these. Dozer is such a gorgeous boy and I bet he helps keep you warm on these cold nights. Big scritches Dozer x
Nagi says
Enjoy Lisa!!! N x
Jana says
I only eat chewy, gooey cookies or none at all. I came here to read about Dozer’s hoodie….:-)
Nagi says
Haha I love this Jana – you’d enjoy these cookies then: https://www.recipetineats.com/chocolate-chip-cookies/ 🙂 N x
Gillian Didier Serre says
Awesome choc bisquits not for me I am diabetic but will make for my partner and her friends
Dozer looks adorable with or without his blue coat, sand and fur is my issue also with my old man Luca
Nagi says
That’s sweet of you Gillian, what a great friend you are to have! N x
Rich Prior says
Love the fact that these are crispy and not soft!! Nagi, check out pics of Augie, a 20year old golden in Tennessee, she is a sweetie, my Maggie made it to 16, !!