Mama Kelce cookies are loaded with milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and optional nuts, with a hint of cinnamon that makes them different from classic chocolate chip cookies. I tried Donna Kelce's famous recipe and am sharing my review and baking tips.
These cookies became well known when Donna Kelce brought homemade batches to her sons, Travis and Jason, during Super Bowl week. The recipe combines melted butter, brown sugar, two kinds of chocolate chips, and cinnamon for a sweet, chewy cookie with crisp edges. People covered the family tradition and the recipe.
If you love testing famous cookie recipes, you might also enjoy my collection of famous chocolate chip cookie recipes.
Right before Super Bowl 57, on opening night, Donna Kelce met her sons Travis and Jason on stage and presented them with a container of her famous cookies. Mama Kelce has been known to share them with TV hosts and even donated her recipe to be made and sold for fundraisers.
When the recipe was shared in People magazine, I bookmarked it and knew that I had to try it! I'm not typically a big fan of white chocolate chips, but the combination of milk chocolate, white chocolate, nuts, and a hint of cinnamon might just be my new favorite now.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Incredible flavor combination. These are, quite possibly, one of the BEST flavored chocolate chip cookies that I've ever had, and I don't say that lightly. These are the most unique chocolate chip cookie recipe and the extra steps are totally worth it. I’m going to share the exact recipe and then share what I’d change if I made them again.
- Uses Melted Butter: this recipe calls for melted butter that has been cooled to room temperature. When combined with brown sugar it creates a caramel flavor throughout the cookie (see my notes at the end).
- Cinnamon Flavor: Double Tree uses a small amount of cinnamon to set their cookies apart. Mama Kelce's cookies call for a teaspoon and it gives such a unique touch to the cookies.
- Chills 3-24 Hours: I typically shy away from chilling dough unless absolutely necessary. Because of the melted butter, it is necessary to chill the dough and it's worth the effort! Not only does it allow the dough to set up, it intensifies the flavor. It is recommended to chill the dough for 3-24 hours.
- Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate: most recipes call for semisweet chips, but the milk chocolate and white chocolate play really well together in these cookies.
- Crispy and Chewy: I was worried that the cookies would be too crispy because they bake up thin, but they were perfect! Crispy on the outside and soft in the center---even on day 2.
What makes Mama Kelce's cookies different from a traditional chocolate chip cookie? The combination of milk chocolate and white chocolate gives them a sweeter, creamier flavor, while cinnamon adds a subtle warmth. Cake flour contributes to a softer texture, and the long chill gives the melted-butter dough time to firm up before baking. Optional pecans add a little crunch.
What Others Are Saying
I did use just a cup of salted butter and reduced the amount of salt to 1 tsp. I chilled it overnight, and I proportioned the cookie dough already, as always, and so much easier. All in all, this is a very good recipe. I brought it to work today for my co-workers to enjoy🐸🤗 ---Cristina
Love this recipe and have made the adjustments of less butter. I also incorporate corn starch to prevent over-spreading. I always get rave reviews about these cookies.---Julia
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🍪Tips and Tricks
- Chill the dough for 3–24 hours. The recipe uses melted butter, so chilling is an important step before baking. I chilled my dough for 3 hours.
- Bake a test cookie if spreading worries you. These cookies spread more than many chocolate chip cookie recipes. Bake one or two first to see how they behave in your oven before filling the baking sheet.
- Reshape the cookies while they're hot. If the edges look uneven, gently use a spatula or round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to nudge the edges inward while the cookies are still warm.
- Leave plenty of room between cookies. The recipe card notes that these spread considerably. Bake only 4–6 cookies at a time if needed to keep them from running together.
- Adjust baking time to the scoop size. For about 2 tablespoons of dough, start checking at 10 minutes. For 3-tablespoon portions, plan on 13–15 minutes, watching for lightly golden edges.
- Let the butter cool before mixing. After melting the butter, let it cool for 15–20 minutes as directed. Adding eggs to very hot butter can affect the mixture.
- Measure the flour carefully. Too little flour can contribute to excess spreading. Use the spoon-and-level method rather than packing flour into the measuring cup.
- My personal note: I made the original recipe as written before deciding I would try reducing the butter to 2 sticks or increasing the flour in a future batch. Those are possible adjustments, not tested changes to the original recipe, so make them only if you're comfortable experimenting.
🥣 Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: I always use salted butter, but you can use unsalted
- Light brown sugar and white sugar: This recipe calls for a combination of both.
- Eggs: 1 egg and 1 egg yolk for richness.
- Baking Soda and Hot Water: you mix these together and add it to the cookie dough mixture.
- All All-purpose flour AND Cake (Pastry) Flour: This combination helps create the cookie's texture. If you don't have cake flour, see the substitution instructions in the FAQs.
- Ground cinnamon: Not typical in most chocolate chip cookie recipes, but it adds such a unique flavor when mixed with the white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.
- Milk Chocolate Chips AND White Chocolate Chips: the combination really sets the cookies apart.
- Chopped Pecans (optional): I used walnuts.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How To Make Donna Kelce's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Melt butter in the microwave in 20-second increments until melted. Pour into a mixing bowl or stand mixer. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 2: Add brown and white sugar to the butter mixture and beat with a mixer for a few minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and mix. Add vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
Step 3: In a small bowl mix hot water and baking soda together. Add this to the cookie dough and mix.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, add all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix to combine. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients and mix.
Step 5: Stir in all chocolate chips and nuts with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Chill for 3-24 hours (I chilled mine for 3 hours).
Step 6: Preheat oven to 350°. Allow cookie dough to come to room temperature. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop cookie dough (or drop with a spoon) onto baking sheets.
Step 7: For regular cookies (about 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough), bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. For larger cookies (3 Tablespoons), bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
Step 8: These cookies bake up flatter than many of my recipes. Some came out perfectly round, and others looked a little wonky in shape (which, according to images others have shared, is normal). To fix this, I re-shaped the hot cookies with a spatula. It's easy to do and creates perfectly round cookies.
Mama Kelce's Cookies FAQs
These cookies bake up flatter than many of my recipes. To fix any wonky-shaped cookies, re-shape the hot cookies with a spatula. It's easy to do and creates perfectly round cookies.
You can, although the texture may be a little different. To make a cake-flour substitute for 1 cup, measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk well before using.
Yes. The pecans are optional in the original recipe. You can leave them out if you prefer cookies without nuts.
Freezing portioned cookie dough is a convenient way to bake a few cookies at a time. For best results, freeze the portions until firm, store them in an airtight freezer-safe container, and test the baking time with a small batch. The baking time may need to be adjusted if you bake the dough from frozen.
Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. In my experience, they stayed soft for about 3 days.
If you enjoyed this recipe, don't miss my growing collection of Copycat Recipes! From famous restaurant dishes and luxury hotel cookies to bakery favorites and nostalgic grocery store treats, there's something for everyone.
More Famous Cookie Recipes To Make
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Mama Kelce's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups sweet cream butter 3 sticks
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 2 Tbsp. of hot water to activate; microwave water first then stir in baking soda to dissolve
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup cake or pastry flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in the microwave in 20-second increments until melted.Pour into a mixing bowl or stand mixer. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add brown and white sugar to the butter mixture and beat with a mixer for a few minutes.Add egg and egg yolk and mix.Add vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
- In a small bowl mix 2 Tablespoons of hot water and baking soda together. Add this to the cookie dough and mix.In a separate bowl, add all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix to combine. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients and mix.Stir in all chocolate chips and nuts with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and chill for 3-24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°.Allow cookie dough to come to room temperature. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and drop cookie dough onto baking sheets. These cookies spread considerably so bake 4-6 cookies at a time.
- For regular cookies (about 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough), bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. For larger cookies (3 Tablespoons), bake for 13 to 15 minutes.Brandy's Note: these cookies bake up flatter than many of my recipes. Some came out perfectly round, and others looked a little wonky in shape (which, according to images others have shared is normal). To fix this I re-shaped the hot cookies with a spatula. It's easy to do and creates perfectly round cookies. You can see how I did that in my video. The result is perfectly round cookies with great thickness and texture.
- Allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 3-5 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
- This recipe makes 3-4 dozen small cookies and 2 dozen large ones. I made mine 3 Tablespoon-sized and baked them for 14 minutes. I ended up with 2 dozen cookies.
- The measurements in this recipe are exactly the same as the original, but I re-wrote the directions. Original recipe credit.
Brandy says
Amazing flavor! The cookies are a little flatter than most, but reshaping them after baking works like a charm!
Brandy Miller says
If you do not have cake or pastry flour, what can I use as an alternative?
Brandy says
All purpose flour and a bit of corn starch. To make 1 cup: Measure 1 cup all-purpose flour, then scoop out and remove 2 tablespoons. Now add 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
Karen says
Too much butter! They do not look like picture..they ran into each other. I don't like to wipe greasy on the bottom when I eat a cookie. I'll not make again! Tasted good. I usually use Crisco, guess learned a good lesson, stick w recipe from 1963. Hope my kids won't be mad..if it ain't broke don't fix it..lol
Brandy says
Hi! This is not my recipe, it is Travis Kelce's mom's recipe. I gave my review and shared the reicpe. I thought they were delicious but made notes about what I would change. Did you see those? Copied from the post:
Brandy’s notes: If I were to make these again I’d probably reduce the amount of butter to 2 sticks or increase the flour. I don’t think it needs 3 sticks and reducing the butter would yield cookies that aren’t quite as flat and don’t need to be re-shaped after baking. I feel like the flavor would be very similar."
If you liked the flavor of the cookies, try that next time! 🙂
Julia says
Love this recipe and have made the adjustments of less butter. I also incorporate corn startch too to prevent over spreading. I always get rave reviews about these cookies.
Eveline says
Can you please tell me how much corn starch did you use?
Thank you =)
Cristina says
I baked a batch last weekend and I did use just a cup of salted butter and reduced the amount of salt to 1 tsp. I also added toasted pecan chips (I’ve always toasted any nuts or coconut flakes/shredded to bring out the flavors). I chilled it overnight and I proportioned the cookie doughs already as always and so much easier. All in all this is a very good recipe. I brought it to work today for my co-workers to enjoy🐸🤗