Step 1: Gather and Measure Your Ingredients

Before starting, measure out all your ingredients and place them within easy reach. Having everything prepared ahead of time makes the process smooth and prevents mistakes.

Allow the butter to sit at room temperature until softened. Soft butter blends more easily with the cake mix and egg, creating a smoother dough. If the butter is too cold, the mixture can become difficult to combine properly.

Make sure your egg is ready as well. Using ingredients at room temperature helps create a more consistent dough.

Taking a few minutes to prepare your ingredients before mixing helps ensure the cookies bake evenly and develop the best texture possible.

Step 2: Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

A properly preheated oven is essential for successful cookies. If the oven has not reached the correct temperature before baking, the cookies may spread unevenly or develop an inconsistent texture.

While the oven heats, prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. The parchment prevents sticking and allows the cookies to bake evenly without excessive browning on the bottom.

This simple preparation step also makes cleanup much easier after baking.

Step 3: Create the Cookie Dough Base

Place the chocolate cake mix, softened butter, and egg into a large mixing bowl.

Using a spatula, begin mixing the ingredients together. At first, the mixture may appear dry and crumbly. Continue stirring patiently as the butter and egg gradually combine with the cake mix.

This process may take a couple of minutes. Resist the temptation to add extra liquid. As you continue mixing, the ingredients will eventually come together and form a thick cookie dough.

The finished dough should be rich, smooth, and slightly sticky while still holding its shape.

One of the secrets to these cookies is allowing the ingredients to fully combine before moving on to the next step. This creates a more uniform dough and ensures every cookie bakes evenly.

Step 4: Fold in the Chocolate Chunks

Once the dough has formed, add the chocolate chunks.

Using your spatula, gently fold the chocolate chunks into the dough until they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Folding rather than aggressively stirring helps keep the chunks intact and ensures they remain evenly spread throughout the dough.

The chocolate chunks are what make these cookies especially indulgent. As the cookies bake, the chocolate softens and melts, creating delicious pockets of rich chocolate throughout every cookie.

Try to distribute the chunks evenly so each scoop of dough contains plenty of chocolate.

Step 5: Prepare the Dough for Baking

Using a small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.

Leave a little space between each cookie since they will spread slightly during baking.

Using a scoop helps ensure all the cookies are approximately the same size. Uniform sizing allows the cookies to bake evenly and finish at the same time.

If you do not have a cookie scoop, a tablespoon can work as well. Simply portion equal amounts of dough and gently shape them into rough mounds.

The dough should hold together easily and remain thick enough to maintain its shape on the baking sheet.

Step 6: Add the Sea Salt Topping

Before placing the cookies in the oven, sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over the top of each cookie.

This step may seem minor, but it makes a significant difference in the final flavor.

The sea salt enhances the chocolate notes while balancing the sweetness of the cake mix and chocolate chunks. The contrast between sweet and salty creates a more complex and satisfying cookie.

Be careful not to overdo it. A light sprinkle is all you need to elevate the flavor without overpowering the dessert.

Step 7: Bake the Cookies

Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 9 minutes.

Because these cookies are relatively small and made with cake mix, they bake quickly. Keep a close eye on them during the final minutes of baking.

The cookies should look set around the edges while remaining soft in the center. They may appear slightly underbaked when removed from the oven, but this is exactly what you want.

The residual heat from the baking sheet will continue cooking the cookies as they cool, resulting in a perfectly soft texture.

Overbaking can cause the cookies to lose their soft and fudgy consistency, so it is best to remove them promptly once the baking time is complete.

Step 8: Cool Before Serving

After removing the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.

This resting period helps the cookies firm up slightly while maintaining their soft centers.

Once they have cooled enough to handle, transfer them to a cooling rack.

As they cool, the chocolate chunks remain soft and melty, creating an irresistible texture. The cookies can be enjoyed warm or allowed to cool completely.

Serving them warm provides an extra gooey chocolate experience that many people love.