The Unusual Flour Swap To Give Complexity To Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are enough takes on the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe to fill many recipe books. But chances are, you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that has your loyalty. Whether you prefer your chocolate chip cookies soft and gooey or a bit crispy, there are countless recipes to choose from. 

But if you think bakers are out of fresh ideas for making chocolate chip cookies taste even better (is that even possible?), think again. From brown butter chocolate chip cookies to cookies you can make in your air fryer, there are countless ways to elevate your cookie-baking repertoire.

One of the more unusual versions of the chocolate chip cookie takes an ingredient in nearly every cookie recipe — flour — and uses a substitute that deepens the flavor profile while still holding onto the chocolatey goodness (per Kitchn). If you give this secret ingredient a chance, you just might find a new favorite recipe for the classic cookie.

According to Kitchn, recipe developer Aaron Hutcherson opted to make his creative flour swap during the COVID-19 quarantine. Grocery store shelves were devoid of flour, and everyone was testing out new recipes. Hutcherson wanted to make chocolate chip cookies but was running out of his usual wheat flour. With his chances of scoring a bag of "traditional" flour being slim, Hutcherson spotted a bag of rye flour on his shelf and immediately knew that he had to incorporate it into his chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Rye flour typically yields denser baked goods than wheat flour does — and the differences don't stop there (per Healthline). Wheat flour has a fairly neutral flavor, which is why it's a staple in so many cookies, cakes, and other treats — its taste can take a backseat to the sweet ingredients many of us love to stand out in bakery recipes. By contrast, rye flour has a more sour or bitter flavor that's a surefire standout in baked goods (per Serious Eats). It also has less gluten than wheat flour does, which is why it makes for denser baked goods. 

And for those who think most chocolate chip cookies are a little too sweet, rye flour can make for a more subdued (but still delicious) cookie that tastes like it came straight from a professional chef.

Aaron Hutcherson's rye flour cookie recipe may sound fancy or complicated on first thought, but chances are, you already have almost all of the ingredients in your kitchen — with the possible exception of the rye flour. Thankfully, it's a fairly easy buy (per Cook's Illustrated). And once you have it, you can get started on your cookies. (Rye chocolate chip cookies aren't as unusual as you might think, either — King Arthur Baking and Rachael Ray both have recipes for rye flour chocolate chip cookies, too.)

Hutcherson's recipe calls for both light and dark brown sugars, as well as granulated sugar. Combined with the other ingredients (especially the chopped chocolate), the sweeteners come together to offset the bitter flavor of the rye flour.

Once you take that first bite, you'll never go back to your old chocolate chip colored recipe again.