USAI have baked a lot of chocolate chip cookies over the years, including the Levain Bakery version, the Jacques Torres version, and several others that get passed around as 'the best ever.' Donna Kelce's are different. Not because of any single ingredient, but because several small decisions compound: melted butter gives them a slightly fudgy chew, cake flour makes the crumb more delicate, and cinnamon does something you can't quite place — you taste it as warmth rather than spice. Most people who eat these can't identify what makes them taste the way they do.
The pecans are listed as optional but they are doing real work here — they cut the sweetness and add texture against the very soft crumb. Chop them medium-coarse so you get pieces in most bites rather than dust.
Mama Kelce's Chocolate Chip Cookies
By Sergei Martynov
Donna Kelce had been bringing these to her sons' football games for years before anyone outside Ohio knew her name. Then came Super Bowl 57, a jersey split down the middle — half Eagles, half Chiefs — and a plastic container she handed to Travis and Jason on live television. The photo spread everywhere. People immediately wanted to know what was in those cookies. She shared the recipe on the Today Show. Turns out: two kinds of chocolate, cake flour, cinnamon, and butter that goes in melted rather than creamed. Small differences that add up.
Key Ingredients
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 340 g
See recipes with butterbutter
i - 300 g
See recipes with brown sugarbrown sugar
i - 200 g
See recipes with granulated sugargranulated sugar
i - 1
- 1
See recipes with egg yolkegg yolk
i - 15 ml
See recipes with vanilla extractvanilla extract
i - 5 g
See recipes with baking sodabaking soda
i - 30 ml
See recipes with hot waterhot water
i - 250 g
See recipes with all-purpose flourall-purpose flour
i - 120 gSee recipes with cake flour
cake flour
i - 4 g
See recipes with baking powderbaking powder
i - 3 g
See recipes with cinnamoncinnamon
i - 6 g
- 170 g
See recipes with white chocolate chipswhite chocolate chips
i - 170 gSee recipes with milk chocolate chips
milk chocolate chips
i - 110 g
See recipes with pecanspecans
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter and let it cool for 15 minutes — it should be liquid but not hot. Meanwhile, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and stir until clear. These two steps are in the recipe for a reason: hot butter scrambles eggs, and undissolved baking soda leaves bitter white spots.
- 2
Beat the cooled melted butter with both sugars for 4 minutes on medium speed. This is longer than most cookie recipes call for and it matters — you are building structure that makes up for the fact that the butter isn't cold.
- 3
Add the whole egg and the extra yolk, then beat just until combined. Add the vanilla extract and the dissolved baking soda and mix briefly. The extra yolk adds richness without making the cookies cakey.
- 4
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined — stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
- 5
Fold in the white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, and pecans with a spatula. Scoop the dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place them on a parchment-lined tray. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight if possible. This step is not optional — it's what keeps the cookies from spreading into flat discs.
- 6
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Arrange the cold dough balls on a baking sheet with 5 cm (2 inches) between them. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look underdone. They will firm up on the pan.
- 7
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving them. They are too soft to lift straight from the oven and will hold their shape better once they cool slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Mama Kelce's cookies come out flat and thin instead of thick and chewy?
The most common cause is skipping or shortening the dough chill time. Because the recipe uses melted butter, the dough is soft at room temperature and spreads quickly in the oven. You need at least 3 hours in the refrigerator — overnight gives more reliable results. A second cause: oven temperature. If your oven runs hot, cookies spread before they set. Try reducing by 10°C and using the middle rack. A third factor: scooping too loosely. Pack the dough into the scoop and roll each ball lightly before chilling, so they hold their shape from the start.
What does cake flour do in Mama Kelce's cookies and can I substitute it with cornstarch?
Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour (around 7–8% versus 11–12%), which means less gluten development and a softer, more delicate crumb. In Mama Kelce's recipe, 1 cup of cake flour is combined with 2 cups of all-purpose to get that balance between structure and tenderness. If you don't have cake flour, the standard substitute is to take 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk well before using. The result is very close — slightly stiffer but nearly the same appearance and flavor.
Why does Mama Kelce's cookie recipe use melted butter instead of softened butter and does it really make a difference?
Yes, it makes a real difference. Creaming cold or room-temperature butter with sugar incorporates air, which helps cookies rise and stay thicker. Melted butter, by contrast, creates a denser, chewier texture with a fudgier bite — more like a brownie edge than a cakey cookie. The tradeoff is that melted-butter doughs are softer and spread more easily, which is why the chilling step is non-negotiable in this recipe. The 4-minute creaming time with the sugars partially compensates by building some structure in the mixture before the eggs and flour go in.
Can I bake Mama Kelce's cookie dough right away without chilling it and what happens if I do?
You can, but the results will be noticeably different: the cookies will spread into very thin, flat rounds rather than holding their shape. The flavor is also less developed — chilling gives the flour time to fully hydrate and allows the sugars to interact with the other ingredients, which deepens the caramel and toffee notes. If you're short on time, even 1 hour in the freezer (not fridge) helps significantly compared to baking right away. For the best result, scoop the dough into balls before refrigerating so you can go straight from the fridge to the oven without handling warm dough.
How long do Mama Kelce's cookies stay soft and what is the best way to store them?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay soft for 3 to 4 days — sometimes a bit longer because the high brown sugar content retains moisture. Do not refrigerate baked cookies: cold air dries them out. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a zip-lock bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 30–45 minutes. You can also freeze the unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to the bake time. Freezing dough is arguably the better option — fresh-from-oven cookies whenever you want them.
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Comments (1)
Ingredient temperature matters enormously for mama kelce's chocolate chip cookies. Unless the recipe says otherwise, everything should be at room temperature. Cold butter doesn't cream properly, and the texture suffers throughout.