These giant chocolate chip cookies are inspired by the famous Gideon’s Bakehouse at Disney Springs. Thick, rich, and loaded with chocolate, they’re bakery-style cookies that are large and indulgent — the kind people wait hours for. After tasting the real thing during a trip to Orlando, I recreated and refined the recipe so you can make a comparable (and in my opinion, equally delicious) version at home.
Gideon’s doesn’t ship nationwide, so if you can’t visit, this copycat recipe brings those signature flavors and textures into your kitchen. I tested variations of ingredients and techniques to replicate the chewy center, sturdy structure, and chocolate-studded exterior that make those cookies so memorable.
First, what is Gideon’s Bakehouse?
Gideon’s Bakehouse is an Orlando bakery at Disney Springs known for its theatrical atmosphere and oversized, half-pound cookies. The shop is small, darkly themed, and packed with baked goods and elaborate cold brews. Lines are common; visitors often join a virtual queue early in the day and return later to pick up their treats. The cookies are dense, rich, and loaded with chocolate — a benchmark for any copycat recipe.
Because most people can’t travel to Orlando or order from Gideon’s, this recipe aims to reproduce the texture and flavor using accessible pantry staples with a few specific ingredients to enhance the result.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is straightforward but includes a few items that help achieve the desired texture and flavor.
- Bread Flour. This recipe combines all-purpose and bread flour. Bread flour increases gluten and gives structure that keeps the cookies chewy and thick rather than cakey.
- Vanilla Bean Paste. Vanilla bean paste provides a strong, aromatic vanilla flavor and visible flecks throughout the dough. If unavailable, substitute 3 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Dark Brown Sugar. Dark brown sugar adds depth of flavor, moisture, and a darker color. It also helps the cookie maintain thickness.
- High-Quality Butter. Use a flavorful butter such as Kerrygold or another high-quality brand for better richness.
How to make Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookies at home
Make the dough
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the room-temperature butter with granulated sugar and dark brown sugar for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the whole egg, the egg yolk, and vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) and mix for another 3 minutes to incorporate air and build structure.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, bread flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined—avoid overmixing. Fold in 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chips, and the chopped 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar with a rubber spatula.
Portion the dough using a kitchen scale into six large balls (about 6.5 ounces each). The extra chocolate that coats the exterior will raise the final weight to roughly 8 ounces per cookie. Chill the portioned dough for 10 minutes so it’s easier to handle.
While the dough is chilling, combine the remaining chocolate for the coating in a medium bowl: 1 cup semi-sweet chips, 1 cup milk chocolate chips, and 1 cup mini semi-sweet chips. High-quality chocolate that melts well but retains its shape when baked works best.
Coat in chocolate and chill
Roll each chilled dough portion into a ball, then press and roll them in the chocolate chip mixture so the chips adhere to the surface, leaving the bottom uncoated to reduce the risk of burnt chocolate. Place the coated dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This overnight chill improves flavor and controls spread during baking.
Bake and serve
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place two cookies per baking sheet on parchment with plenty of space between them. Bake for 16–18 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, bang the baking sheet on the counter several times to encourage the cookies to flatten slightly; use a small rubber spatula to nudge any runaway edges back in place. The centers will still look soft but will firm up as they cool on the hot pan.
Press additional chocolate chips into any bare spots and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top while the cookies are warm. Enjoy them warm for melty centers. Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. To reheat, microwave briefly for 10–12 seconds.
Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookie Recipe Tips
- Weigh ingredients. A kitchen scale ensures consistent results. If you don’t have one, spoon and level flour into measuring cups instead of scooping directly to avoid compacting too much flour.
- Use quality chocolate. Chocolate that melts well but holds some shape is ideal; choose a brand you enjoy.
- Check oven temperature. An oven thermometer helps confirm your oven is accurate. Baking at 350°F worked best during testing—too cool and the cookies won’t spread properly; too hot and the edges over-brown before the center sets.
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gideon’s Copycat)
5 from 6 reviews
- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 18 min
- Total Time: 38 minutes + overnight chill
- Yield: 6 Giant Cookies
Description
Giant chocolate chip cookies absolutely packed with chocolate chips that rival the original Gideon’s version.
Ingredients
- 1 C (226 g) Kerrygold salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 C (165 g) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 C (55 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 3 tsp pure vanilla extract)
- 1 C (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 C (165 g) bread flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 1/2 C milk chocolate chips
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped
- 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (for coating)
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Instructions
- Cream butter and both sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla bean paste and mix for 3 more minutes to build structure.
- Whisk the flours, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in 1/2 C milk chocolate chips, 1/2 C mini semi-sweet chips, and the chopped chocolate bar.
- Weigh and portion the dough into six 6.5 oz portions and chill for about 10 minutes until firm enough to handle.
- Mix the remaining chocolate (1 C each semi-sweet chips, milk chips, and mini chips) in a bowl for coating.
- Roll each dough portion into a ball and press into the coating, covering all but the bottom.
- Place on a parchment-lined sheet and chill for 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake two cookies per sheet for 16–18 minutes, leaving ample space between them.
- Remove from oven and bang the sheet on the counter 4–5 times to flatten slightly; use a small spatula to reposition any edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the hot sheet so the centers set. Press extra chips into bare spots and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Enjoy warm. Store extras in an airtight container up to one week; reheat briefly in the microwave if desired.
Notes
- Do not skip the 24-hour chill. It develops flavor and prevents excessive spreading.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Reheat for 10–12 seconds in the microwave to revive a warm, melty center.
If you tried this Gideon’s copycat cookie recipe, please tag @buuckfarmsbakery on Instagram and leave a rating. Use the recipe card or any photo in this post to save the recipe for later.
For more of my best cookie recipes, check out my
- Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Blueberry Muffin Cookies
- Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Bakery Style S’mores Cookies
- Espresso Chocolate Chunk Cookies
