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By Michael Pinckney · May 13, 2025 · Comments

The Best Cookies in Seattle Start with Chocolate

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the story of Pinckney Cookie Cafe began in 1911 in a small Belgian town, where a man secretly worked on a chocolate recipe.

That man was Octaff Callebaut, and this was the beginning of Callebaut Chocolate, an exceptional and renowned brand now used by bakeries and chefs the world over. 

We’re very proud to say that we’re one of those bakeries. 

Chocolate is our number one ingredient – in most other cookies, sugar takes that spot — and we take our chocolate seriously. 

That means turning to Callebaut, which has been part of our recipes since day one. After all, we can’t claim to have one of the best chocolate chip cookies if we’re skimping on the most important part. (Our Chocolatier Assortment, also available in a Miracle version, spotlights the glory of Callebaut.)

“Good chocolate is smooth, complex, subtle, and impactful all at the same time. It has a great mouthfeel and tastes even better when you temper it,” says our founder, Michael Pinckney.

Typically, Callebaut is only sold in bulk to businesses. But we love this chocolate — and our community — so much that we want to share it with you. 


In Store: Our Chocolate Bags

As of April 2025, you can now find bags of Callebaut available for purchase at our Kirkland cookie cafe. 

What kind of chocolate can you expect? 

811 (55% cocoa + extra cocoa butter) 

This dark chocolate is very versatile, which is why we use it in so many of our cookies. Its flavors are balanced and smooth, with a hint of fruit.

How we use it: 

60/40 (60% cocoa) 

This option is heavy on the chocolate, a great option for mixing into your doughs and batters. While you can use it in a traditional baked good, consider mixing it with fruit and spicy flavors! It’s also great with coffee, as you’ll see come to life in our Double Chocolate Espresso.

How we use it: 

White Chocolate

Milky and creamy, this can convert even those who swear that they never like white chocolate. There are notes of caramel and vanilla, and it can be used in a variety of applications and with a wide range of flavors. (It’s also free of palm oil, unlike many other white chocolate options.)

How we use it: 

Milk Chocolate

A classic at its best. Expect what you love most about milk chocolate: a smooth body and sweet caramel notes. It’s a good choice for mixing into mousses, ganaches, and more, and it melts well, retaining its full-bodied taste. 

How we use it: 

We don’t use it in our cookies, but we carry it because we know there are plenty of milk chocolate fans out there! Try it when making your own chocolate chip cookies.

Ruby Chocolate

Pink chocolate? It's as good as it sounds. Callebaut’s ruby chocolate is made from the ruby cocoa bean — no added colors here — and it has fresh, fruity notes. Its flavor, color, and versatility invite you to get creative with using it in desserts and pastries. 

We don’t feature it in our cookies (yet), but it’s way too cool, and cool-looking, to not have it on our shelves


How You Can Use Callebaut Chocolate 

  • In your own baking! Think cookies, pancakes, banana bread
  • Make your own trail mix: for Pinckney Cookie Cafe-inspired flavors, you could combine your Callebaut chocolate chips with coconut flakes, walnuts, and dried cherries (basically a Pinckney Original meets a Bing Bling!)
  • Make energy balls: Just combine them with oats, nut butter, and honey for a no-bake, healthy-ish treat
  • Make it into a drizzle: Melt it on the stove and pour it over your ice cream and popcorn, or use it to make chocolate pretzels or almond
  • Just snacking! After all, what’s better than a handful of gourmet chocolate?

Gourmet Chocolate = Gourmet Cookies

When Michael first began to experiment with cookies in his New York apartment, he was a loyal Lindt chocolate fan. Unfortunately, Lindt isn’t available in bulk or chips, and chopping up individual bars doesn’t make practical sense when you’re baking at scale. 

Instead, after a period of research and experimentation, Michael found Callebaut, and he used it to make the Pinckney Original and Dark Chocolate Oatmeal, the two cookies that helped launch our company. It was immediately clear that Callebaut and Pinckney Cookie Cafe go together just as well as milk and cookies.

And what does a Chief Cookie Monster use chocolate for when he’s not baking cookies? A difficult question — he’s a fan of sipping chocolate, brownies, and the always iconic ice cream with chocolate sauce.

___


Pinckney Cookie Cafe is a Seattle-based bakery specializing in chewy, artisanal cookies made with gourmet ingredients. Our lineup includes classic flavors and creative takes on favorites, and our Miracle collection offers vegan and gluten-free versions of some of our most popular cookies. Founded in 2009 by a tech entrepreneur turned cookie afficionado, Pinckney Cookie Cafe has been a mainstay at local farmers markets and coffee shops. You can also visit us at our Kirkland cafe for cookies, coffee, Belgian waffles, apple pie, and much more.