The Hilton Doubletree Cookie: The Ultimate Sweet Guide [2024]

There are a few things better in life than releasing your inner fat kid and biting into a fresh chocolate chip cookie upon arrival at a hotel.

And for decades, the Hilton Doubletree has been allowing guests to do just that.

But when did this tradition of serving up chocolate chip cookies begin and how exactly can you partake in this tasty tradition?

In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about the famous Hilton Doubletree chocolate chip cookie.

What are the Hilton Doubletree cookies?

The type of cookie served up by the Hilton Doubletree is a freshly baked walnut and chocolate chip cookie and these are given away for free to each hotel guest. These are “real deal” warm cookies that are nice and thick with each having an average of 20 chocolate chips.

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When did the tradition begin?

The first ever DoubleTree hotel opened up in Scottsdale, Arizona, back in 1969, on the grounds of Scottsdale Fashion Square and the second property opened up in Tucson, Arizona, in 1974.

The latter — DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson Reid Park — is still operational today, making it the oldest operating DoubleTree in the world.

The DoubleTree brand did not join Hilton until late 1999 when Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired Promus Hotel Corporation but they had already started serving up those cookies in the 1980s.

When the cookies first came out, they were designated for VIP guests but the cookies were not always consistent.

Then, in 1986, they developed their secret recipe and that allowed every hotel to serve up a universally consistent cookie to the common folk.

Since then, the cookie has gained a lot of notoriety with one of its most impressive accomplishments being that it was the first ever food baked in space. One can only imagine how heavenly that space station smelled….

Also impressive is the sheer number that go out every year. More than 30 million of these cookies are consumed every year!

And who oversees all of this cookie distribution?

Well, Doubletree has officially appointed a Chief Cookie Officer, which some have called the sweetest job in the world.

How can you get a free DoubleTree cookie?

Whenever you check into a Hilton DoubleTree hotel, a front desk agent should hand you a cookie or ask you (non-sarcastically) if you want a cookie. (You should definitely say yes.)

The cookies are usually inside of some type of wrapper or bag so that you can take them to your hotel room and devour them in private.

Some properties have, on occasion, failed to have any of these cookies ready for guests. (Like many things this is usually blamed on the pandemic.)

Related Reviews:

• DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Review
• DoubleTree Flagstaff, Arizona Review

Tip: Sometimes on national chocolate chip cookie day the hotels give away free cookies to the public so you don’t even need a reservation to receive a free cookie on those days!

Can you order Hilton DoubleTree cookies online?

If you don’t have any plans of staying at a Hilton DoubleTree anytime soon you can still partake in the sweet goodness of these cookies by ordering them online.

You can purchase a tin of these cookies which will contain six individual cookies for approximately $15.

Standard shipping is about seven dollars (depending where you live) but you can get expedited shipping for up to $40. They also can even ship internationally.

Is there a Hilton DoubleTree cookie recipe?

For decades the Hilton DoubleTree cookie recipe was a secret. But that all changed in 2020 when Hilton decided to release the recipe to the public.

Presumably, this was prompted by the pandemic which caused a lot of people to remain home and miss out on the cookies.

You can find the recipe to make these at home below.

Ingredients

• ½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
• ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts 
• 2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
2. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
3. With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix.
4. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
6. Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
7. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.

Cook’s Note

You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.

I think it’s worth pointing out that I don’t believe every DoubleTree serves up the exact same type of cookie.

It’s not always easy to compare food items you eat so far apart but I could have sworn that on a few occasions I’ve received a cookie that differed in taste, size, and composition compared to other experiences. For example, sometimes the oats or walnuts are less prominent.

So just keep in mind that the recipe and/or baking method may not always be 100% consistent.

Recipe courtesy Hilton.

Hilton DoubleTree cookie FAQ

Final word

There’s a reason why the Hilton DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie tradition has been around for decades. The cookies are delicious and there’s nothing better than getting greeted with one of these after a long day on the road.

Even if you’re not able to partake in one of these at a hotel, you can still order them online or if you have the baking skills, you can even make them in your kitchen.