Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (2024)

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Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Summer, Uncategorized

***This is a repost from a few years back, but this is still a really popular recipe on our website, so I thought I’d repost. Are you going to the fair this summer? If not, you can still enjoy the tastes at home with this delectable recipe!***

It’s State Fair Time here in Iowa, and boy do Iowan’s love their State Fair. We love everything from the animals, to the rides, to the shows. And then of course there is everything you can imagine to eat deep fried and served on a stick. This year’s new food highlights includeFunnel Bacon on a Stick and Fried Fruit Kabob. (I’m trying to picture both of those and am puzzled…)

Anyway, I don’t go for the new “on the stick” item each year. Instead, I go for a classic, the bucket of warm, chewy (and somehow just a little crunchy), mini chocolate chip cookies. You know the ones! They are heavenly! Don’t worry; I don’t eat the entire bucket myself. While that would be entirely possible, I do share these perfect gems with my husband and kiddos.
Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (1)
This photo of Iowa State Fairgrounds is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Recently, I got to thinking that there were just too good to only have once a year.I determined to do my best to recreate them at home. This was a good decision. 🙂

Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (2)

After playing around with the recipe a bit I think I’ve hit the nail of the head. I ended up using a combination of butter and shortening. I also used both brown and white sugar, lots of vanilla, and mini-chocolate chips. They were perfect!! So chewy, with just a little crunch, and of course lots of gooey chocolate. YUMMMMM

Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (3)

Now tell me, what State Fair do you go to? What is your favorite thing to eat there?

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Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

Author:Annie

Recipe type:American

Cuisine:Dessert

Prep time:

Cook time:

Total time:

Serves:5 dozen mini cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ C butter at room temperature
  • ½ C shortening
  • 2 t vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ C brown sugar
  • 1 C white sugar
  • 2¼ C flour
  • ½ t baking soda
  • ¾ t salt
  • 1½ C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Using a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, mix the butter, shortening, vanilla, eggs, brown sugar, and white sugar together.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix on low until combined. At this point, you may need to add a bit more flour if your dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl. (I sometimes need to add about ¼ C)
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  5. Scoop into balls that are half the size of a normal size cookie dough ball. I happened to have a melon baller and used that, which was perfect.
  6. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (4)

Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (5)

About Annie

Annie spends her days learning alongside her five kids, reading aloud intriguing literature, and whipping up new recipes in the kitchen. She and her family live in Southern California, enjoying both the mountains and the ocean.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (6)Mindy says

    Those look so good, Annie! I am definitely going to try your recipe — Barksdale’s cookies were the first thing I had at the Iowa State Fair this year! I still have four days left of attending, so plenty of time to enjoy a meal at the pork tent (probably a pork burger or maybe the new bacon cheddar brat burger), breakfast at Cattleman’s Beef Quarters (and a burger for lunch, too), a corn dog from Campbell’s, cheese curds from Brad & Harry’s, margherita pizza at Parlo’s Pizza on the hill, caprese salad on a stick from The Salad Bowl in the ag building, honey lemonade from the honey producers in the ag building, a soft-serve cone from The Dairy Barn, and my all-time fave…a peppermint bar from Bauder’s ice cream stand. I can’t pick just one — that’s like choosing which of my kids is my favorite!

    • Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (7)Annie says

      Oh my goodness! You are a State Fair Food Expert! I would expect no less from someone who competes (and wins!) in so many State Fair competitions. Have a wonderful time!

  2. Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (8)Francene says

    What type of shortening do u use?

    • Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (9)Annie says

      I use Crisco. 😊

  3. Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (11)Kathy Sawhill says

    By far, my favorite thing to eat at the fair is a turkey drumstick or a gyro. Always have to have a lemonade to go with either!

    • Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (12)Annie says

      I love all of your favorites, too!

Iowa State Fair Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What are the Iowa State cookies? ›

Barksdale's cookies have become synonymous with the Iowa State Fair. Each year, thousands of families get in line to get their cup or bucket of warm, fresh chocolate chip cookies.

What makes chocolate chip cookies fluffy instead of flat? ›

Butter keeps cookies fluffy in two ways. First, creaming cold butter with sugar creates tiny, uniform air pockets that will remain in the dough it bakes up. Second, cold butter naturally takes a longer time to melt in the oven.

Why add milk to chocolate chip cookies? ›

Chocolate and milk both contain emulsifiers that let ingredients that usually wouldn't combine well, like cocoa butter and cocoa powder, mix together. The chemical reaction between the chocolate and the milk actually enhances both flavors. The milk also mellows out the cookie's sweetness.

What makes chocolate chip cookies so good? ›

The combination of the toasted grain with the browned butter, caramelized sugar, vanilla and chocolate are “the beautiful rich flavors that blend together in a chocolate chip cookie,” she said. And as the chocolate melts, it becomes more aromatic and punches up the flavor.

What is the #1 cookie in the United States? ›

The chocolate chip cookie is far and away America's favorite cookie This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys the tasty treat. More than 53% of American adults prefer the cookies over the next most popular kind, peanut butter.

What is the #1 cookie in the US? ›

1 Chocolate Chip Cookie (No Further Description Necessary)

America's favorite cookie and the one dubbed “the American cookie” is the Chocolate chip cookie.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

Do you flatten chocolate chip cookies before baking? ›

Just before the dough goes in the oven, I take each ball of dough, and flatten it slightly. I then press chunks of chopped chocolate onto the top. You can add some of the chocolate dust from chopping too. Then I squeeze it back into a ball, and place it on the baking sheet.

How can I make my cookies fluffier instead of flat? ›

Baking powder or flour in excess will cause cookies to rise more, making them more fluffy and cakey. Increased sugar will make them caramelize more and increased fat will make the dough heavier and richer, all increasing retention of water in the dough- these all add up to chewier cookies.

What does adding more brown sugar to cookies do? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

What does extra sugar do to cookies? ›

By adding extra sugar, you can bake the cookies to a slightly higher temperature without over-baking, which will allow for a crispier final cookie as well as deeper flavor development.

Why add baking powder to chocolate chip cookies? ›

Baking powder simply adds carbon dioxide to the equation, providing a more forceful pressure that encourages a dough to spread up and out. Without the well-developed elasticity of a bread dough, the strands of gluten in cookies would sooner snap than stretch, cracking along the surface.

What is the purpose of egg in chocolate chip cookies? ›

Eggs promote puffiness and spreading in cookies, while also holding the cookie together during baking. The height and texture of the final product is determined by how much egg is incorporated into the batter. Substituting ingredients can make or break a recipe.

Why do my chocolate chip cookies get hard so fast? ›

Don't Overbake! This isn't a revolutionary tip and is probably quite obvious, but if you leave your cookies in the oven for even a few minutes longer than necessary, the mix will dry too quickly and lead to more rigid, dry cookies.

Why do my chocolate chip cookies always get hard? ›

Hard cookies: you are over mixing, baking too long, baking at too high a temperature, or some combination of these. Cakey cookies: not enough brown sugar, too much or too little egg, too much flour, maybe you used baking powder instead of baking soda?

What is Iowa's state snack? ›

Iowa. Inexplicably but delightfully, the Hawkeye State has chosen s'mores as its official snack.

What are the official state cookies? ›

California – Peanut butter with chocolate chips.

What are quintessential Iowa foods? ›

Iowa is also the birthplace of sliced bread (seriously) in 1927 by an inventor named Otto Rohwedder who invented a machine to slice and wrap loafs of bread. Iowa is known for Sour Cream Raisin Pie, Iowa Ham Balls, Scotcheroos, Maid Rite sandwiches, Steak de Burgo, taco pizza, snickers salad, and corn, lots of corn.

What is the dessert of Iowa? ›

Rhubarb pie is a classic dessert that originated in Iowa and has become one of the most popular desserts in the state.

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