Mama Kelce’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mama Kelce definitely scores a touchdown with these viral chocolate chip cookies. Filled with white chocolate, milk chocolate and a hint of cinnamon, these cookies, Mama Kelce’s Cookie Recipe, are soft, chewy and a must try!
Just before the 2023 Super Bowl, two brothers on opposing teams took the stage to receive a token of good luck from their mom–a container of her famous chocolate chip cookies.
Since then not only have those brothers, Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce, exploded in popularity, but so have these super special cookies. Luckily, Mama Kelce is a giving woman and not only has she made her cookies available for charity bake sales, but she has also made the recipe available to the masses so you can bring this Kelce family tradition into your own home!
These cookies are different from your typical chocolate chip cookies. They are super soft, with lots of buttery flavor, but they also have a hint of cinnamon and the addition of white chocolate chips and pecans.
There are a few extra steps to these cookies that you don’t see often. In addition to the white chocolate and milk chocolate (rather than semi-sweet) there is some pastry flour used to make the perfect base. Pastry flour is extra fine and contributes to a lighter texture.
This recipe also calls for melting the butter before mixing into the dough. This may cause the cookies to fall a little flatter but it also gives an extra crisp around the edges.
If that all sounds perfect to you, then this is a recipe worth giving a try.
Who is Mama Kelce?
If you’re not aware, Mama Kelce is the nickname given to Donna Kelce, mother of Travis and Jason Kelce who both play in the NFL.
The whole family skyrocketed to fame when the brothers played against each other in the Super Bowl and they have remained in the limelight as Travis began dating Taylor Swift.
By all accounts Donna is a very caring and supportive mother, which makes this recipe somehow feel even cozier.
Why Make This Recipe
- Warm and Cozy Flavor: This recipe is heavy on the butter, gives warmth with the cinnamon and has a touch of southern charm with the pecans.
- Excellent Cookie Texture: These cookies are soft in the middle and crispy on the edges. Just the way a cookie should be!
- Live Like a Swiftie: If you’re a fan of Travis and Taylor then you should appreciate that these cookies bring you a small step closer to experiencing a part of their world!
Ingredients for Mama Kelce’s Cookie Recipe
- Sweet Cream Butter: Unsalted is best for baking but if you prefer salted butter I would skip adding additional salt
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar helps retain moisture in the cookies making them soft and sweet
- White, Granulated Sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk: The extra egg yolk makes the dough extra rich
- Vanilla Extract: To boost all the flavors
- Baking Soda: Mama Kelce adds the extra step of dissolving the baking soda into hot water before adding it into the mix. This helps activate it.
- All Purpose Flour and Cake or Pastry Flour: The pastry flour gives the cookies a lighter texture
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a unique addition to chocolate chip cookies but it adds great flavor
- White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Chips: Ghiradelli is the recommended brand but you can use any you prefer. You can substitute milk chocolate if necessary. These Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies play around with even more chocolate chips.
- Chopped pecans (optional): You can also substitute walnuts.
Tools
- Large Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Mix Butter and Sugar
Melt the butter in the microwave in 20-second increments (do not overdo!). 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 mix for 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step Two: Mix Wet Ingredients
Add the egg and mix. Then add the egg yolk and mix again.
Add vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
Dissolve baking soda into a small amount of hot water. Once dissolved, add it to the mixture
Step Three: Add Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, add all-purpose flour, cake or pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and mix to combine. Slowly add this mixture 1/2 cup at a time to the mixer, scraping down sides.
Step Four: Add Mix ins
Add all chocolate chips and pecans, if desired, with a wooden spoon.
Step Five: Refrigerate, then bake
Put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours; ideally overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Before baking, make sure the dough is at room temperature. Scoop dough onto baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between scoops, 5 minutes before baking.
For small cookies, bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. For larger cookies, bake for 13 to 15 minutes. If you touch the top of the cookie and it bounces back instead of indenting, that means it’s ready. Every oven is different.
Expert Tips
- The Mama Kelce Cookie Recipe does spread a lot, so give them room on the sheet to expand or use a smaller scoop than you normally would
- These cookies may turn out flatter than your normal cookie recipe. That is normal! If you prefer a thicker cookie, you could add another half cup of flour or try reshaping the hot cookies with a cup or spatula as soon as you pull them from the oven. You could also reduce the butter by about 4 tablespoons.
- Some people have commented that the cinnamon flavor can be overwhelming. It’s only a small amount of cinnamon in the recipe but feel free to reduce it if you’re not a huge fan of the flavor. I personally love it!
- These cookies do take time to make. There are extra steps like allowing the butter to cool, dissolving the baking soda and refrigerating the dough. I don’t recommend trying to throw these together at the last minute, but if you have time to play around with the steps the results are delicious! If you want a fast cookie recipe, try out these Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
FAQs
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and they should stay soft and delicious for up to three days.
This recipe does call for refrigerating the dough for several hours or even overnight so it is important to plan some time for that.
If you want to mix them up even further ahead of time it is definitely possible but be aware the cinnamon flavor may become stronger the longer it sits. If you don’t enjoy cinnamon or prefer it to be more subtle, you might want to reduce the amount of that spice.
Mama Kelce’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sweet cream butter, 3 sticks
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 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 flour, or pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate
- 1 cup pecans, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Melt 1 1/2 cups butter in the microwave in 20-second increments (do not overdo!). Pour into a mixing bowl or stand mixer. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar to the butter mixture and mix for 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the 1 egg and mix. Then add the egg yolk and mix again.
- Add 1 tbsp vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add 1 tsp dissolved baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, add 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup cake or pastry flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 1/2 tsp salt, and mix to combine. Slowly add this mixture 1/2 cup at a time to the mixer, scraping down sides.
- Add all 1 cup chocolate chips, and 1 cup white chocolate chips, and 1 cup pecans, if desired, with a wooden spoon.
- Put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours; ideally overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Before baking, make sure the dough is at room temperature. Scoop dough onto baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between scoops, 5 minutes before baking.
- For small cookies, bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. For larger cookies, bake for 13 to 15 minutes. If you touch the top of the cookie and it bounces back instead of indenting, that means it’s ready. Every oven is different.
Notes
- Sweet Cream Butter: Unsalted is best for baking but if you prefer salted butter I would skip adding additional salt
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar helps retain moisture in the cookies making them soft and sweet
- White, Granulated Sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk: The extra egg yolk makes the dough extra rich
- Vanilla Extract: To boost all the flavors
- Baking Soda: Mama Kelce adds the extra step of dissolving the baking soda into hot water before adding it into the mix. This helps activate it.
- All Purpose Flour and Cake or Pastry Flour: The pastry flour gives the cookies a lighter texture
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a unique addition to chocolate chip cookies but it adds great flavor
- White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Chips: Ghiradelli is the recommended brand but you can use any you prefer. You can substitute milk chocolate if necessary. These Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies play around with even more chocolate chips.
- Chopped pecans (optional): You can also substitute walnuts.
- The Mama Kelce Cookie Recipe does spread a lot, so give them room on the sheet to expand or use a smaller scoop than you normally would
- These cookies may turn out flatter than your normal cookie recipe. That is normal! If you prefer a thicker cookie, you could add another half cup of flour or try reshaping the hot cookies with a cup or spatula as soon as you pull them from the oven. You could also reduce the butter by about 4 tablespoons.
- Some people have commented that the cinnamon flavor can be overwhelming. It’s only a small amount of cinnamon in the recipe but feel free to reduce it if you’re not a huge fan of the flavor. I personally love it!
- These cookies do take time to make. There are extra steps like allowing the butter to cool, dissolving the baking soda and refrigerating the dough. I don’t recommend trying to throw these together at the last minute, but if you have time to play around with the steps the results are delicious! If you want a fast cookie recipe, try out these Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies.