These copycat Gideon's Bakehouse cookies are decadent and delicious. Gooey and loaded with chocolate chips they look like inside-out cookies! This post contains affiliate links. See privacy policy for more info.

You might also like our copycat Levain chocolate chip cookies, our copycat Subway chocolate chip cookies, or our copycat Chick-fil-A chocolate chunk cookies!

Watch our step by step video!

Copycat Gideon's Bakehouse Cookies

Many have marveled over the half-pound cookies sold at Gideon's Bakehouse in Florida. The lines are long, but the cookies are so unique that there is never a shortage of customers. The chocolate chip cookie is packed inside and out with a variety of chocolates, infused with vanilla and vanilla paste, and has the texture of cookie dough. With my home-baker version, you can have Gideon Bakehouse-style cookies at home for a fraction of the price.

Homemade Gideon's Bakehouse Version

The biggest cookies I've ever made are the 6-ounce Levain chocolate chip cookies, and as delicious as they were, they were a bit too big for me to make regularly. Super fun to make and share as a gift, but for the everyday baker I prefer my jumbo cookies to be around ¼ cup of cookie dough. My version of Gideon's bakehouse cookies is made with 3 tablespoon of dough and another tablespoon or two of chocolate chips pressed onto the cookie dough ball. Still a big cookie, but not half of a pound.

These cookies incorporate mini and regular semisweet chocolate chips, but you can use any variety that you'd like. There are a few chocolate chips mixed into the cookie dough, but the majority are pressed into the outside of the cookie dough balls before baking, giving them their signature look.

WHAT SETS These COOKIES APART

Loads of chocolate chips: a small amount of chocolate chips are mixed into the dough, but the majority are pressed onto the cookie dough balls before baking, giving them their signature look.
They are large: I mentioned it before, but the original 8-ounce cookies are huge! I make mine smaller, but you can experiment with size and baking times if you'd like.
No chilling required: I bake mine immediately without chilling the dough.
Baked at a higher temperature. This is KEY. The higher temperature (400 degrees) allows the outer edge to bake quickly, keeping its shape and holding the moisture inside.
They finish baking AFTER they come out of the oven: The time spent in the oven cooks the outer edge of the cookie. The cookies won't be completely set, straight from the oven, but trust the process! Let the cookies cool COMPLETELY on the baking sheet. As the cookies cool they will continue to bake. The chocolate chips will set up too.

Copycat Gideon's Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

Butter: You can use unsalted butter if you prefer, but I always bake with slightly softened salted butter.

Sugar: a combination of white and brown sugar, with a higher portion of brown sugar, creates a softer cookie that doesn't spread as much.

Eggs: for richness and texture.

Vanilla extract: have you tried making your own vanilla extract before? It's easy! You can also add a bit of vanilla paste if you want them to really be like the original.

Baking soda, and salt: for leavening, flavor, and texture.

Flour: many bakeries use a combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour. You can totally do that if you'd like (half and half). I used all-purpose flour.

Chocolate Chips: semisweet chocolate chips work perfectly to cut the sweetness of the cookie, but you can use milk chocolate chips. I used a mixture of mini and regular-sized chocolate chips to completely coat the cookies.

Sea Salt Flakes: these totally elevate the flavor of the cookie (these are the ones I use).

How To Make Levain-Inspired Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed with a paddle attachment.
Mix in eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy and smooth.
Add baking powder, salt, and flour and mix until dough forms.
Mix in 1 cup of regular-sized chocolate chips.

Combine the remaining mini chocolate chips and regular-sized chocolate chips together in a separate bowl.
Scoop dough using a 3 Tablespoon-sized scoop and press each dough ball into the chocolate chips. Cover the dough COMPLETELY with chocolate chips, except for the bottom.

Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake 6 cookies at a time at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. The bottoms of the cookies should be golden.
Use any leftover chocolate chips to add to the cookies after they are baked, to fill in any empty spots.
Sprinkle cookies with sea salt flakes.

Let cookies cool COMPLETELY on the baking sheet.
Once the cookies have set up and the chocolate chips have hardened you can store them in an airtight container.

Cookies are best eaten within 2-3 days for freshness.

Note: I bake with LIGHT colored baking sheets. I prefer light baking sheets to dark because they bake more evenly and the bottoms of the cookies don’t brown as quickly.

Copycat Gideon's Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Copycat Gideon's Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

These copycat Gideon's Bakehouse cookies are decadent and delicious. Gooey and loaded with chocolate chips they look like inside-out cookies!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 1 1

Servings: cookies

Calories: 310kcal

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened, but still slightly cold
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips divided
2 cups mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed with a paddle attachment.
Mix in eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy and smooth.
Add baking soda, salt, and flour and mix until dough forms.
Mix in 1 cup of regular-sized chocolate chips.
Combine the remaining mini chocolate chips and regular-sized chocolate chips together in a separate bowl.
Scoop dough using a 3 Tablespoon-sized scoop and press each dough ball into the chocolate chips.
Cover the dough COMPLETELY with chocolate chips, except for the bottom.
Place the cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet.
Bake 6 cookies at a time for 10-12 minutes. The bottoms of the cookies should be golden.
Use any leftover chocolate chips to add to the cookies after they are baked, to fill in any empty spots.
Sprinkle cookies with sea salt flakes.
Let cookies cool COMPLETELY on the baking sheet.
Once the cookies have set up and the chocolate chips have hardened you can store them in an airtight container.
Cookies are best eaten within 2-3 days for freshness.

Notes

I bake with LIGHT colored baking sheets. I prefer light baking sheets to dark because they bake more evenly and the bottoms of the cookies don’t brown as quickly.

Nutrition