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How to Make Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies

Learn everything you need to know about how to make smoked chocolate chip cookies! 

Smoked chocolate chip cookies have a great interesting flavor and are almost just as easy to make in a smoker as an oven!

Whether you’ve got a gas or charcoal grill, a Traeger or Pit Boss pellet grill, or even a Masterbuilt propane smoker, we’ve got you covered!

smoked chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

 

What You’ll Need to Make Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies

Smoking chocolate chip cookies is actually not much more difficult than baking them in the oven.

And smoked chocolate chip cookies are a fun and fast dessert to throw on the grill after you are finished cooking your main course!

In order to make smoked chocolate chip cookies you will need a few key items.

 

A Grill or Smoker

a pellet grill making white smoke

First you need a grill or smoker.

Any kind will do but what’s important is setting it up for INDIRECT heating like an oven in order to evenly cook the smoked chocolate chip cookies.

We’ll go into detail below about how to set up various kinds of grills and smokers to make smoked chocolate chip cookies.

 

A Cast Iron Tray or Baking Sheet

a cast iron baking sheet

We made our smoked chocolate chip cookies using this flat top griddle from Lodge.

Its reversible so the flat side works great for baking cookies and frying eggs while the other side is ribbed so you can use it for steaks or other chops you want grill marks on.

You can also a small baking tray like you would in an oven, however we found the hot cast iron to get the bottoms and edges of the cookies nice and crispy while keeping the rest of the cookie soft and chewy.

Make sure to put some parchment paper down first.

Just like with our smoked pizza, parchment paper will keep the smoked chocolate cookies from sticking and making a mess!

 

Smoked Chocolate Chips

smoked chocolate chips on a grill with a pellet tube smoker

Ok, so this one is optional.

However, using smoked chocolate chips in your smoked chocolate chip cookies will INCREASE the smoke flavor CONSIDERABLY.

The chocolate chips are cold smoked, much like we do with smoked cheese, for a longer period of time allowing them to absorb a lot more smoky flavor than the smoked cookies do on their own in the time it takes them to cook.

Our recipe for smoked chocolate chips is really easy to make and you can smoke them the same day as the chocolate chip cookies or store them in a jar to have on hand ahead of time!

 

Best Woods for Smoking Chocolate Chip Cookies

pit boss cherry wood pellets

Cherry, Maple, Apple, and even Pecan are great wood choices that work wonderfully for smoking desserts such as chocolate chip cookies.

They are the same choices we recommend for our smoked peach cobbler.

Stay away from very distinctive flavored woods like Mesquite and Hickory when smoking fruit or desserts.

We liked using this Cherry Blend of pellets from Pit Boss because it contains both Cherry AND Maple woods.

These woods also work great on fish, chicken, turkey, pork butt, and ribs.  So no need to use different woods if you are smoking your chocolate chip cookies right after your main protein.

 

Prepare the Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Ok, now let’s go through how to make the dough for our smoked chocolate chip cookies.

putting raw chocolate chip cookie dough in smoker

 

Modify the Recipe for a Smoker

We follow a well respected chocolate chip cookie recipe with TWO significant changes for making them in a grill or smoker.

  1. Use an extra egg yolk
  2. Use ALL Brown sugar, no White sugar

The reason is to keep the cookies moist in the grill or smoker,

In an oven, baked chocolate chip cookies stay moist naturally due to the lack of airflow and therefore a naturally more humid environment.

However, smoked chocolate cookies can dry out much faster than oven baked chocolate chip cookies because there IS a lot of airflow in a hot grill or smoker.

You can typically keep the cooking chamber of a smoker more humid with a water pan and by lowering the cooking temperature and therefore slowing down the airflow.

But while these methods may work great on a pork butt or beef brisket, they are not really conducive to getting great chocolate chip cookies.

So, you need to make modifications to the ingredients themselves to keep the cookies moist.

An extra egg yolk will naturally add more moisture to the cookie dough batter and the molasses in the brown sugar will also add more moisture than using dry white sugar.

 

Gather the Ingredients

First, get your smoker set up for INDIRECT heat at 375°F.

We will dive into the details on how to do this on various types of grills and smokers below.

Next you will need the ingredients to make your smoked chocolate chip cookie dough batter.

  • 2 and 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 and 1/2 cups Brown Sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 additional Egg Yolk (use the yolk only on this one)
  • 2 Cups Smoked Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (or you can use plain semi-sweet chcolate chips if you haven’t smoked any)

The best way to mix everything is with a good stand mixer like our Kitchenaid.

And if you have the Edge Beater Paddle Attachment it will make your life even easier by constantly scraping the sides down as it mixes the dough.

If you don’t have these you can use a hand mixer or some good old elbow grease!

 

Mix the Dough

In a separate large bowl, stir the flour in with the baking soda and the salt and set it aside.

the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl for smoked chocolate chip cookies

In your mixing bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until thoroughly mixed and creamy.

Then add the vanilla, two eggs and additional egg yolk, one at a time, mixing on low speed until well incorporated.

Slowly mix the dry mixture in with the creamy mixture, still on the low setting.

Then slowly stir in the smoked chocolate chips.

chocolate chip cookie dough in a mixing bowl

Spread out the parchment paper and scoop about a tablespoon or two, depending how large you like your cookies, with plenty of space between each one, on the paper.

You can even use an ice cream scoop or this cookie dough scooper like we do to quickly get evenly sized cookies with every scoop!

scooping balls of chocolate chip cookie dough onto a baking sheet

 

Best Times and Temperatures for Smoking Chocolate Chip Cookies

smoked chocolate chip cookies starting to cook

The best temperature to smoke your chocolate chip cookies is going to be the same as that which they are typically baked: 375°F.

This seems to be the magic temperature at which your smoked cookies will get crispy on the edges while staying moist in the middle.

While we sometimes recommend smoking low and slow to add smoky flavor and then turning up the heat to finish, like we do with our smoked peach cobbler, this just doesn’t work with smoked chocolate chip cookies.

The butter will separate from the cookie dough at lower conventional smoking temperatures like 225-250°F and dry out your cookies, even with the ingredient modifications.

So you need to set up your grill or smoker for INDIRECT heat at 375°F, and get your cast iron griddle or baking tray preheated first too if you like crispy bottoms on your cookies.

The smoked chocolate chip cookies will take about 9-11 minutes to cook but watch them carefully as this will vary from grill to grill!

Next we will talk about how to do this more specifically depending on the type of grill or smoker you are using to make your smoked chocolate chip cookies.

 

Setting Up a Grill or Smoker for Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies

New to smoking?

Check out our Complete List of the Best Entry Level Smokers for Beginners Here.

Below are the best instructions for setting up different types of grills and smokers to smoke your chocolate chip cookies, so feel free to jump down to the kind you are using.

 

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Vertical or Offset Charcoal Smoker

Weber 22-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker, Charcoal Smoker

Weber Smokey Mountain on Amazon

Fill your firebox or lower charcoal basin with about 1 chimney’s worth of unlit charcoal and create a small hollowed out depression in the center where you can add your lit briquets.

If your smoker comes with a water pan, like the Weber Smokey Mountain, DO NOT fill it.

Light a charcoal chimney about 1/2 of the way with briquets and wait about 10 minutes for them to fully ignite.

Once lit, add the lit briquets to the center depression you created.

Replace the grates and place the cast iron griddle or baking tray in the smoker to preheat if you want crispier cookies.

Keep the top vents half closed and the bottom dampers about 1/2 way open until the temperature is in the 350°F range.

Add 1 chunk of smoking wood once the smoker is up to temperature, and put your parchment paper of cookie dough on the preheat griddle or baking tray.

Then slowly close down the top and bottom dampers to only about 1/4 open until you are maintaining a temperature of 375°F.

Continue to adjust the dampers open and closed as necessary to maintain this temperature.

After about 5 minutes, open the lid and see how the cookies are progressing.  Carefully remove them from the tray using a spatula after about 9-11 minutes and place them on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Want to see a list of our FAVORITE Vertical Smokers for 2022?  Check it out here!

 

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Propane Smoker

a masterbuilt propane smoker

Propane and electric options are some of the easiest smokers for beginners to start with.

Debating whether to buy a propane or electric smoker?  Check out our COMPLETE Comparison Guide HERE.

Unfortunately, most electric smokers such as those made by Masterbuilt only go up to 275° so are going to be hard to make smoked chocolate chip cookies in.

However, a propane smoker should be able to easily reach the 375°F required to cook them well.

Need a refresher? Check our our Complete Guide to How to Use a Propane Smoker HERE.

Open your gas valve and light the bottom burner. Adjust it to keep the temperature right at about 375°F.

Place the cast iron griddle or baking tray in the smoker on the top shelf to preheat if you want crispier cookies.

Don’t bother filing the water pan.

Fill the smoking wood tray with your chosen wood chips and keep the top vent closed about 1/2 way.

Place your parchment paper of cookie dough on the preheated griddle and close the door.

Continue to adjust the dampers open and closed as necessary to maintain this temperature.

After about 5 minutes, open the door and see how the cookies are progressing.

Carefully remove them from the tray using a spatula after about 9-11 minutes and place them on a wire cooling rack to cool.

 

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies on a Pellet Grill

a pit boss pellet grill making smoke

Fill the pellet hopper with your choice of smoking wood pellets.

Plug in the pellet grill and turn the temperature to 375°F.

Make sure to adjust the lever so you have the pellet grill set up for INDIRECT cooking.

the flame broiler adjustment handle for direct or indirect heat

Let the pellet grill run through its start up process.

Place the cast iron griddle or baking tray in the smoker to preheat if you want crispier cookies.

When the pellet grill has come up to temperature, place your parchment paper of cookie dough on the preheated griddle and close the lid.

Turn and rotate the griddle as needed depending on how even the heating of your pellet grill is.

After about 5 minutes, open the lid and see how the cookies are progressing.

removing smoked chocolate chip cookies with a spatula

Carefully remove them from the tray using a spatula after about 9-11 minutes and place them on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Never used a pellet grill before?  Read our Ultimate Guide to Pellet Grills to learn why they are so easy and how to set one up for success every time.

Here is also a list of our Favorite Pellet Grills Priced UNDER $500

 

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies on a Gas Grill

Weber 45010001 Spirit II E-310 3-Burner Liquid Propane Grill, Black

Check out this Weber Grill on Amazon

On a gas grill you will likely need to use a smoker box filled with wood chips, or a pellet tube smoker filled with wood pellets.

Think you need a fancy smoker to smoke food at home? 

Think again.

Great smoked food can be made right on your current gas grill.

Check out our Ultimate Guide to Smoking on a Gas Grill HERE.

If you are unfamiliar with these gas grill smoking devices mentioned above, no worries, we have you covered!

Read Everything You Need to Know about how to use Smoker Boxes here, and see a selection of our Favorite Pellet Tube Smokers here.

Or check out this handy comparison between smoker boxes and pellet tube smokers if you can’t decide which is right for you.

In the case of smoked chocolate chip cookies, since we assume you’ll be making several batches of cookies, we would opt for the pellet smoker tube.

Since we need longer than just the 30 minutes one batch of wood chips in a smoker box will last us to do multiple batches, you the smoker tube.

You’ll notice we also used the pellet smoker tube to make our smoked chocolate chips as well so if you are making the cookies right afterwards you can just leave it lit!

Light up the end of your pellet smoker tube filled with pellets with a good butane torch (you can’t use a regular lighter for pellets) and place it in the grill as well to add smoky flavor while the chocolate chip cookies bake

lighting a pellet smoker tube with a butane torch

Let the pellets ignite for about 5 minutes then blow out the flame and lay the pellet tube smoker down on the grates next to the tray of cookies and close the lid.

Then set up your gas grill for indirect cooking with a single burner lit on one side and plan for your chocolate chip cookies to be on the other side.

a pellet tube smoker making smoke

Light two or three burners, not directly below the cookies but off to the side, so the temperature stays low in the 375°F range.

Remember, we are smoking the cookies INDIRECTLY, like an oven, not DIRECTLY over the burners.

Place the cast iron griddle or baking tray in the grill to preheat if you want crispier cookies.

When the grill has come up to temperature, place your parchment paper of cookie dough on the preheated griddle and close the lid.

putting raw chocolate chip cookie dough in smoker

Turn and rotate the griddle as needed depending on how even the heating of your grill is.

After about 5 minutes, open the lid and see how the cookies are progressing.

Carefully remove them from the tray using a spatula after about 9-11 minutes and place them on a wire cooling rack to cool.

 

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies on a Charcoal Grill

Set up your charcoal grill for indirect cooking with a small mound of unlit briquets on one side and plan for your tray of smoked chocolate chip cookies to be on the other side.

Make a small depression in the mound of unlit briquets where you will dump the lit ones along with the smoking wood.

a charcoal grill set up for indirect smoking

Remember, we are smoking the cookies INDIRECTLY, like an oven, not DIRECTLY over the coals.

Light a charcoal chimney about half way filled with briquets and wait about 15 minutes for them to fully ignite.

Once lit, add the briquets to the center depression you created.

Keep the dampers about 1/2 way to 3/4 open until the temperature is in the 350°F range.

Place the cast iron griddle or baking tray in the grill, on the opposite side of the charcoal, to preheat if you want crispier cookies.

Add 1 chunk of smoking wood on top of the lit coals and put the lid back on.

When the grill has come up to temperature, place your parchment paper of cookie dough on the preheated griddle and close the lid.

Turn and rotate the griddle as needed depending on how even the heating of your grill is.

After about 5 minutes, open the lid and see how the cookies are progressing.

Carefully remove them from the tray using a spatula after about 9-11 minutes and place them on a wire cooling rack to cool.

 

Serving Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies

smoked chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

Carefully remove the hot smoked chocolate chip cookies with a spatula and transfer them to wire rack.

This will help keep the bottoms crispy while they cool.

breaking open a smoked chocolate chip cookie

We like sprinkling some sea salt flakes on them for a little extra sweet and salty action.

smoked chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

Ideally serve the smoked chocolate chip cookies while they are still warm.

You can eat them “as-is” or even with some vanilla ice cream and you’ve got a great interesting smoked dessert to serve at your next BBQ or family gathering.

Enjoy!

 

What Other Foods Can I Smoke?

Looking for some more smoky inspiration?

Starting up a Pit Boss Pellet Grill

You’ve come to right place!

Check out these other great step by step recipes for your grill, smoker, or pellet grill.

Pork

 

Beef

 

Seafood

 

Poultry

 

Lamb

 

Sides and Desserts

 

smoked chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies

Learn everything you need to know about how to make smoked chocolate chip cookies! 
Smoked chocolate chip cookies have a great interesting flavor and are almost just as easy to make in a smoker as an oven!
Whether you’ve got a gas or charcoal grill, a Traeger or Pit Boss pellet grill, or even a Masterbuilt propane smoker, we’ve got you covered!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Holiday, Smoked
Servings 48 Cookies
Calories 250 kcal

Equipment

  • Smoker, Grill or Pellet Grill
  • Wood for smoking (chunks, chips, or pellets).
  • Cast Iron Flat Griddle or a Baking Tray
  • Parchment paper
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Stand Mixer or a Hand MIxer
  • Cookie Dough Scooper or a spoon
  • Heat Resistant Grilling Gloves
  • Spatula
  • Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Salt table salt
  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 1 ½ Cups Brown Sugar packed
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Egg Yolk use only the yolk with this third egg
  • 2 Cups Smoked Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips or you can use plain semi-sweet chocolate chips if you haven’t smoked any

Instructions
 

  • Preheat Grill or Smoker set up with INDIRECT heat to 375°F.
    a pit boss pellet grill smoking with white smoke
  • Place the Cast Iron Griddle or Baking Tray in the smoker or grill to preheat.

Prepare the Cookie Dough

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour in with the baking soda and the salt and set it aside.
    2 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Soda, ½ tsp Salt
    the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl for smoked chocolate chip cookies
  • In the mixer or another mixing bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until thoroughly mixed and creamy.
    1 Cup Unsalted Butter, 1 ½ Cups Brown Sugar
  • Then add the vanilla, two eggs and additional egg yolk, one at a time, mixing on low speed until well incorporated.
    2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 2 Eggs, 1 Egg Yolk
  • Slowly mix the dry mixture in with the creamy mixture, still on the low setting, then slowly mix in the chocolate chips.
    2 Cups Smoked Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
    chocolate chip cookie dough in a mixing bowl
  • Spread out the parchment paper on the counter the same size as your griddle or baking tray.
  • Scoop about a large spoonful or two, depending how large you like your cookies, with plenty of space between each one, on the paper or use a cookie dough scooper.
    scooping balls of chocolate chip cookie dough onto a baking sheet

Smoke the Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Place your smoking wood chunk on the hot charcoals if using a charcoal grill or pellet tube or smoker box if using a gas grill. If using a propane or electric smoker, fill the wood chip tray.
  • Wearing heatproof grill gloves, slide the parchment paper of cookie dough balls onto the preheated cast iron griddle or baking tray away from any DIRECT heat and close the door or lid.
    putting raw chocolate chip cookie dough in smoker
  • After about 5 minutes check the cookies and rotate the tray if needed for even cooking.
    smoked chocolate chip cookies starting to cook
  • Carefully remove the smoked chocolate chip cookies from the parchment paper using a spatula after about 9-11 minutes and place them on a wire cooling rack.
    removing smoked chocolate chip cookies with a spatula
  • When the cookies have cooled, serve with ice cream or a glass of milk and enjoy!
    smoked chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal
Keyword bbq, Camp Chef, Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Smoker, Chocolate Chip Cookies on a Grill, cold smoked chocolate, Grilled Chocolate Chip Cookies, Masterbuilt, Masterbuilt Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pellet Grill Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pit Boss, Pit Boss Chocolate Chip Cookies, smoked chocolate chip cookies, smoked cookies, smoked desserts, traeger, Traeger Chocolate Chip Cookies
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