These amazing Blue Dory Cookies from the classic Block Island bed and breakfast are chocolate chunk cookies made with only four ingredients! How much better could a cookie recipe get?
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Why we love this recipe
There are so many reasons to love this completely unique chocolate chip cookie recipe. First and most importantly, they have a secret ingredient (more on that later!) that makes them addictively delicious.
Second, you only need four – four! – ingredients to bake up a batch of these scrumptious cookies.
And for anyone who has ever visited the lovely Blue Dory Inn on Block Island, Rhode Island. they are a reminder of delicious summer days.
The Blue Dory is a little bit of heaven right in the center of the tiny town. Rocking chairs on the porch, antique furniture in the rooms, walking distance to the beautiful New England beach…and Blue Dory Cookies.
Every afternoon we would come back from wherever we had been that day and there would be a plate of these warm, wonderful cookies on the kitchen table. They are chocolate chunk cookies, but they are lighter and not as sweet as your traditional chocolate chip cookie, and totally addictive.
Finally one day I asked the owner what the secret was, and she told me the only sweetener (and the secret ingredient!) was maple syrup. Which you can’t really taste in the cookie, but it is the perfect ingredient. And then she wrote out the recipe on a piece of the inn stationary, and I have treasured it ever since.
Now, I know that piece of paper says chopped walnuts, and you are perfectly free to put those nuts in if you like — I’m sure they would be lovely. But the Blue Dory cookies we had back in the day only had chocolate chunks, and so that is the only way I have ever made ’em.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Self-Rising Flour: Make sure you use this variety, not all-purpose flour.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter is fine, and if you have it at room temperature it will beat up more quickly.
- Chocolate Chunks: You can usually find these in the baking aisle.
- Maple Syrup: Use the real stuff, not imitation syrup, for the very best flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
STEP 2: Cream a pound of room temperature butter in a large bowl your mixer until it is nice and fluffy.
PRO TIP: Take the butter out of its wrapper while it is still cold from the fridge and let it soften on a plate. This way the soft butter won’t stick to the wrapper when you are trying to get it out.
STEP 3: Stir in four and a half cups of self-rising flour at low speed.
STEP 4: Add a cup and a half of maple syrup to the flour mixture in a slow, steady stream. Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chunks.
STEP 5: Drop them by scooping large spoonfuls (a tablespoon or two) of cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet. A cookie scoop is great for this if you have one. Make sure the cookie dough balls are a couple of inches apart as they are going to spread as they bake.
STEP 6: Bake them up for fifteen long minutes.
STEP 7: Let them cool on a wire rack, then eat one while it is still warm. When they are cool, store them in an airtight container. Make vacation plans. ⛱️
Recipe FAQs
Self-rising flour has a little salt and a little baking powder mixed in with a soft version of all-purpose flour, so the leavening agent (the thing that makes your cookies rise and gives them that soft and fluffy texture) is all in there. You can find self-rising flour in the baking aisle right near the regular all-purpose flour.
Technically yes, but one of the magical parts of this cookie is the big pockets of chocolate that you get from the chunks. They can sometimes be found in the baking aisle of your supermarket, and Target is pretty reliable about stocking them. When I can’t find them, I buy about six Hershey bars and break them into chunks. Oh, and milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are all fine – use your fave!
I promise that between the maple syrup and the chocolate, these cookies are going to be just the right amount of sweet! And it’s fun having folks try and guess what the secret ingredient is!
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
What to serve with this recipe
Other cookie recipes we love!
We want to know what you think! 😋
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Blue Dory Cookies
These amazing Blue Dory Cookies from the classic Block Island bed and breakfast are chocolate chunk cookies made with only four ingredients! How much better could a cookie recipe get?
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 pound butter
- 4 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 1/2 cups maple syrup
- 2 cups chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Cream butter in mixer until fluffy. Stir in flour at low speed.
- Add maple syrup in a slow, steady stream.
- Stir in chocolate chunks.
- Drop large spoonfuls (about one to two tablespoons each) onto greased cookie sheets 2 inches apart and bake for 15 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then cool on wire cooling racks.
- Give the first one to your sweetheart with a kiss and a hug. Make vacation plans.
Notes
Self-Rising Flour: Make sure you use this variety of flour and not regular all-purpose flour. It’s easy to find in the baking aisle.
Butter: Either salted or unsalted will work fine – I tend to use salted for this recipe.
Maple Syrup: Use the real stuff! No imitation maple syrup for this recipe…look for it in the breakfast aisle of your supermarket.
Anonymous says
Two questions:
What kind of chocolate chunks?
I assume this is legit maple syrup, and not Mrs. Butterworth's, right?
Ashley says
Oh my goodness!! These are SO fantastic!!!! I have been digging around blogs looking for cookie recipes to take to college with me…I wanted things that were unique.
These are SO unique. I'm making them at 7-8 in the morning, and there's a cool breeze wafting the smell around the house. It's driving my mom nuts!!!!!
Anonymous says
Thank you!! I have been looking for this forever!! I also think the chocolate is semi-dark and she chops it up,..no preformed chips!
Anonymous says
Your blog is gorgeous.I love all your pictures, i am eating with my eyes first.Awsome!
Thank you!
Anonymous says
I am in love with these! I just made them and added hickory nuts to this recipe. It is a shortbread cookie for sure and the kind of cookie that makes you bend at the knees. Thank you!
ellen9 says
Am making these tonight, and I realize a beautiful thing. There are no eggs in this recipe. No possibly salmonella-bearing eggs.
Raw cookie dough rides again! Let the spoon lickin' begin! (okay, so it already has in this kitchen. . .)
Lisa says
I want one!
Valerina says
These cookies look scrumptious! I am always looking for a new c.c.cookie recipe. :)
Susan says
Oh how I'd love to go back to Block Island next summer!! I just fell in love with this tiny island when I visited years ago…bet it hasn't changed all that much over the years!And these cookies look so easy to make…only 4 ingredients?!! How easy is that?!
Karly says
I'm going to have to try these! They look and sound amazing and I'm addicted to chocolate chip cookies!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen says
Oh my, they sure look delicious!
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Nutmeg Nanny says
What a simple delicious recipe! I need to give this a whirl:)
Christine says
No kidding! I'd try almost any recipe with four whole ingredients, but especially cookies.
joanh says
yum.. gotta love a recipe that has 4 ingredients!!! thanks for sharing, they look delicious!