Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Slab Cookie

I mean, sometimes even the simplest things can feel exhausting. And I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but making cookies scooping them out, rolling them, rotating trays, swapping trays, repeating the whole cycle over and over — it can get tiring. It’s one of the easiest bakes, yet somehow it drains you on the wrong kind of day.

So I think I reached the pinnacle of laziness today, and I came up with this: a chocolate chip slab cookie. One big cookie for everyone. No mixer, no scooping, no fuss. You just bring the dough together, press it into a sheet pan, and bake it as one whole piece.

If you have guests coming over, it’s perfect they can scoop out their own desired amount, warm and soft. And if you’re heading to someone’s place, you can carry the whole slab and let everyone dig in. It’s made for a crowd. Serve it with ice cream, whipped cream, salted caramel, fruit… whatever you have. It’s incredibly versatile, and you have the freedom to dress it however you like.

So this, in a way, feels like a small liberation for me. I’ve never really perfected a classic chocolate chip cookie, but if I had to make one for someone at the last minute, this would be my take.

Yield

1 slab cookie (about 12–16 pieces, depending on how you break or slice it)

Ingredients

Dry

• 1¼ cups (155 g) all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda

• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt

Wet

• ¾ cup (150 g) olive oil

(Using ~80% of the butter weight keeps the dough from getting greasy.)

• ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar

• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

• 1 large egg (50 g)

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) whole milk

Mix-ins

• 6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Make sure the pan is larger than 9×13 inches (23×33 cm).

2. Whisk the dry ingredients.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine the wet ingredients.

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until glossy.

Add the vanilla, egg, , whisking until smooth.

4. Mix the dough.

Add the dry ingredients and fold until just combined—stop as soon as the flour disappears then add the milk and fold again until fully absorbed.

5. Add the chocolate.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Bake the base.

Spread the dough into an even layer on the prepared sheet pan, about 9×13 inches (23×33 cm)

Bake for 10 minutes; the cookie will puff slightly.

7. Bang the pan.

Remove from the oven and bang the pan firmly on a heat-safe surface to deflate the cookie and create crackly edges.

8. Optional nut topping.

After the smacking process, you can scatter your desired amount of chopped nuts—around 70 g works nicely—over the warm cookie. Press them gently into the surface so they stick.

9. Finish baking.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 7 more minutes, until the edges are golden and set.

10. Cool and serve.

Cool for at least 30 minutes. Break into rustic pieces or slice neatly. Serve warm with ice cream or cold cream.

Storage

• Store leftover cookie pieces in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

• To freeze, place broken pieces in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven.