I think that just about everyone I know is constantly on a search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Most (myself included) have been let down by the recipe on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip bag, and there are many recipes floating around the Internet that seem to gain popularity and become fads before dying off when people move on to the latest and greatest. I was really please with the cookie I created last fall, as it resulted in the chewy texture I was looking for. But these Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, they really take the cake. Big, beautiful, bakery-quality chocolate chip cookies. It’s official – my love affair with America’s Test Kitchens and the Baking Illustrated cookbook continues!
More on the cookies, another PSA for weighing dry ingredients, and the recipe after the break…
The secret to the thick and chewy cookies is the combination of using melted butter, an extra egg yolk, and a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar. Also, definitely follow the instructions for making jagged edges on the top of the cookie – this gives them the crinkled and craggly bakery cookie look. In order to ensure mine were all about the same size, I busted out my scale (more on my weighing infatuation in a minute). Each ball of dough should weigh around 2.15 oz.
Also heed the instructions to remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the outsides are set but the centers are still puffy and soft. Doing so plays a large part in the resulting texture. Cooling the cookies on the baking sheets means they will continue to bake after being taken out of the oven, but without the circulating air of a cooling rack, they will retain their soft texture. I know for me it is often hard to take cookies out of the oven unless they look completely done, but have faith! You don’t want to overbake these in the oven!
Why should you weigh your ingredients? Since I began baking bread more often I started reading about how important it is to weigh the ingredients, as there is quite a delicate balance between the flour, yeast, and liquid used in most bread recipes. I haven’t really encountered weight measurement outside of breads, but this cookie recipe in Baking Illustrated provided weight measurements for the dry ingredients. To see how close I was I did a regular measurement and then weighed it. In all of the cases, my measurements came out 1-2 ounces more than the weight measurement provided in the recipe. It becomes easy to see how a heavy-handed scoop could turn thick and chewy cookies into dry and dense cookies! So, I would encourage all of you to invest in a kitchen scale and use it, use it, use it!!
{EDIT 9/1/2011} I receive a lot of questions about the shaping method used for these cookies (the pulling apart, turning, and smooshing back together), and sometimes it can be hard to explain. I LOVE the method and the results and I wanted to make sure you all had the same experience, so I’ve scanned the illustration of how to shape them so you can get a visual of the process:
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Baking Illustrated, page 434)Makes about 18 large cookies.
These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.
4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.
Tags: America's Test Kitchen, Cookies
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I am on the search for that perfect chocolate chip cookie like you said… I will have to try these.
these are the bomb! ive made them a million time, in fact, baking them right now!!! by now, youve probably made them yourself and know exactly what i mean!! i use a cookie scoop, today a small one…more to go around!!
Did not enjy the cookies I baked. I followed the receipe and they were not thick nor weere they good.
same for me! There were very thin and butter was oozing
Can I use bleached flour for this? Is there any difference between bleached and unbleached flour? Thanks.
Hi Katie, You can use bleached flour, but there actually is a difference; Cook’s Illustrated actually did a write-up on this, here is what they reported:
Carotenoid pigments in wheat lend a faint yellowish tint to freshly milled flour. But in a matter of about 12 weeks, these pigments oxidize, undergoing the same chemical process that turns a sliced apple brown. In this case, yellowish flour changes to a whiter hue (though not stark white). Early in this century, as the natural bleaching process came to be understood, scientists identified methods to chemically expedite and intensify it. Typically, all-purpose flours are bleached with either benzoyl peroxide or chlorine gas. The latter not only bleaches the flour but also alters the flour proteins, making them less inclined to form strong gluten… The bleached flours in our tests in fact did not perform as well as the unbleached flours and were regularly criticized for tasting flat or carrying “off” flavors, often described as metallic.
I have been disappointed lately with my cookie recipes – but this one looks perfect! I will give it a shot the first chance i get..thanks for posting it!
omg Chelley, those cookies look SO delicious and chewy! My mouth is watering! =)
OMG the best chocolate chip cookie in the world..got scared when I mixed the dough seemed soft but refridgerated t hem for the 1/2 hr and again a little scared when I thought they should bake longer need to get over that part but they are so good g oing to make another batch to take to MN to my sons..thanks so much.
Yes, I freezed the dough for bout 30 min. too. I love, Love, LOVE this recipe! For all of you out there that are scared to death to try this recipe, give yourself a swift kick in the butt and get cooking, ’cause you don’t know what you’re missing!
Someone wanted me to help them on making these thick and chewy, since they did not work out so well with them. I am sorry, but I deleted your email, but hopefully you can find me here.
As I said above, I freezed the cookie dough for about 30 min, to make it more workable. This helps shape the cookies better. Then I rolled the dough into balls about the size I wanted them and DID NOT pull them apart, but still got the same look on top. If you do, Im not kicking you, everybody cooks differnet. You know what they say, “Give 10 cooks the same recipe and you’ll end up with 10 different dishes!” If you’re still in doubt whether to do the pull apart thingy, toss a coin, do eeny-meeny-miny-moe, or something…or try it both ways and go with what you like best.
Sometimes if you roll your balls too small they will spread out and flatten out, whereas slightly bigger cookie-dough balls won’t flatten out all the way, making them thicker. Now, Im not telling ya”ll to make ‘em as big as baseballs or anything, but then if you want a BIG, THICK cookie…! heh, heh, heh!
As for making them chewy, take them out EXACTLY when the recipe says to!!! You do NOT want to over bake these babies! Storing them in an airtight
container helps too.
And too, my cookies turned out perfect when i used soda, salt,and all-purpose flour. I don’t know if it would make a difference, but you could try that instead of self-rising flour, and who knows?!? It might turn out better!Melt yo’ butter and don’t forget to add the extra egg yolk! After all, you add eggs to a recipe to make it eggactly right!
Don’t forget to preheat your oven before you bake your cookies. And one more IMPORTANT step I do is COOL my COOKIE SHEEY COMPLETELY BETWEEN BATCHES to prevent cookies from spreading too much while baking.
Remember, if you just can’t get this right, DONT QUIT! Keep at it and you’ll get it! It is worth it! When you get it right, all of a sudden everybody’ll love you! Marraige proposals and everything else will start coming your way and your friends will ENVY you!!! So, give yourself a pat on the back for trying, head back in the kitchen, wrap your apron abound you, arm youself with a spoon and a mixing bowl, and go conquer that Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! You can do it!
This is absolutely the best cookie dough recipe, I added M&M’s to one batch and did another with coconut and chocolate chunks. Delicious. Here’s my adaptations: http://peanutbutterjane.blogspot.com/2011/09/m-cookies.html
Good recipe, I roll mine in a mixture of 4 parts sugar and 1 part cocoa before I bake them, nice and crispy.
I these and I started selling them for charity for Africa, made 300 dollars the first week! I had to apologise to some people couldn’t take any more orders people went crazy on them! Thanks so much for sharing..
do you have to freeze the dough? after the chips are in? also, how big are the cookies?? did you actually use 1/4 cup per cookie?! did you also rotate the cookie sheet halfway through? i plan on trying this one.
no refridgeration necessary
i love them too! and so does everybody else i share them with!! 
i heart my kitchen scale!
those cookies look so perfect, i’m definitely going to have to give this recipe a try!
I am glad to see these back again! Haven’t heard anyone talk about them for a while..
that is so interesting! you’re making me want to go whip up a batch right now!
katie has this recipe in her blog and it is very similar to the one in mine – but i may have to try it w/the weighed measurements instead. thanks!
These look and sound delicious. Though, in between my Dorie baking, my hips need no more treats. I may have to try it anyway.
i’m going to have to try these. i still haven’t found *the* chocolate chip cookie recipe and these look amazing!
You are making me crave cookies now! Those look delicious!
Definitely count me in as one who continues to try recipe after recipe, even though I’ve tasted perfectly wonderful choc. chip cookies. I think it’s just so fun to experiment!
How is that Baking Illustrated book? I have never seen/read about America’s Test Kitchen besides what I read from other blogs but people rave and rave about it.
Hi Amanda,
I really love the Baking Illustrated book. America’s Test Kitchen basically takes tons of recipes and tests, tests, and retests in terms of ingredients, equipment, and methods until it nails the best way to make a certain recipe. I have honestly never been disappointed in a recipe of theirs that I have tried – everything has been spot on and amazing. They have a show on PBS that I think runs on Saturdays if you want to look up your listings – you could check out a couple of episodes and see what they’re all about.
This is my favorite cookie recipe – hands down! They’re also delicious when adding a big scoop of peanut butter to the batter. My husband and I have been known to polish off a batch in 24 hours!
excellent idea! im gonna try these!!
This is a great post. One of the reasons I love Alton Brown is his science behind the recipes – just like what you’re doing here!
Kate – Thanks so much!! That’s a real compliment!
i think we’ve found a new way to make chocolate chip cookies and melting the butter is a key step, along with lowering the oven temp. this is great. i found a peanutbutter cookie recipe that uses alton browns tips to make them soft and chewy too that’s posted on my log. that has been my quest, soft pb cookies!
YUM! these definitly make you want to go and make a batch of them right now! They look delicious!
These look incredibly delicious!
WOWZA! These are some dang fine cookies! The batter seemed a little loose and I was a tad concerned, but it was all for naught. Delicious, tender, chewy — perfect!
I used a 1/2 cup scoop and twisted them in half — they were a little more than 2.5 ounces each and made for a hefty cookie. Thanks for sharing!
these look so delicious! i have to say, your soft and chewy recipe is a staple in my house. we love love love it. but i may be trying this recipe soon. i love trying new cookie recipes.
I just made these… and trust me, after taste-testing, it is taking all my will power not to eat the entire batch tonight! Thanks Chelle, this is definitely the best choc chip cookie recipe I have ever found!
Thanks for posting this recipe! I made these for work today and everyone is raving about them!
hubby and I tried your recipe, but added 2 oz of pecan pieces with it and it turned out divine….thanks so much for the great night of baking! =)
Hi! I’m just wondering a bit… the nestle toll house recipe results in super flat and oily cookies, based on my experience. I never liked that recipe. I’m wondering how this turns out to be thick when it calls for only 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of flour. do you melt the butter? it doesn’t say anything about melting the butter in the directions. Please let me know, I’m still dying to achieve the best home-baked cookies. Thanks!!!
Sarah
It states right in the list of ingredients that the butter should be melted.
Make these and search no more for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. These really are out of this world. (And this coming from someone whose favorite cookie is not chocolate chip cookies.)
My hint: Use Toll House Mini Morsels – they make it even better!
Do you know how to get the cookies to be “cakelike” and not crispy? They came out beautifully thick.. but still crisp. I wanted them like a cake? Does anyone know the secret?
Thanks!
It needs less fat, more moisture. I achieve cake-like when I use a portion of applesauce in the place of the oil, as well as a higher ratio of flour, baking powder, etc.
Don’t cook it for as long they look a bit too soft when they first come out, but as the butter solidifies, they become perfect.
Oh my god, this recipe is great! I added about 1/2- 3/4 cup peanut butter to the dough and they turned out so good! Mine were, I am happy to report, much thicker than the ones in the pic, and so chewy! Yum, yum, yum! Perfect recipe!
Hi Ashley, Thanks so much for coming back and reporting on the cookies! The addition of peanut butter sounds so good, I am going to try that the next time I make these! So glad you liked them
The secret to cake-like cookies is to make them bigger! You can use some cake flour too, if you like. The Times did a great article on chocolate chip cookies this time last year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html
The attached recipe is fantastic! It calls for special chocolate pieces and stuff, but regular semi-sweet works fine. The proportions are about the same as Michelle’s recipe here, but they use some cake flour, and call for 36 hours of chilling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?ref=dining
I agree — this is now by go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. They had a chewy dense quality that was exactly what I was looking for! I’m not sure I got that twisting thing though…
Stephanie – I’m thrilled you’ve found your new go-to chocolate chip cookie dough! Thanks so much for stopping back to share your thoughts on the recipe.
Hi! I just wanted to say that I tried out your recipe, but I added cinnamon and used mini M&M’s instead. They came out awesome. They will be a go to cookie recipe for me from now on! Thanks for the inspiration. Your site is pretty awesome. I am a huge lover of cookies (when I was younger whenever anyone asked me what my favorite food group was, I promptly answered: cookies!). Thanks again!
Cindy – in the list of ingredients it notes that the butter must be melted and cooled until warm.
That comment was meant for Sarah. Oops!
Wow, these turned out amazing! I just baked them as part of Christmas gifts (I’m doing chocolate chunk cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies in cute little boxes) and they turned out perfect!
I made these yesterday! Beautiful and delicious! This is a perfect chocolate chip cookie
i made these cookies today and everyone loved them.
they are so good!
thanks for the recipe, it’s the first chocolate chip recipe that i’ll DEFINITELY be making again
one word-INCREDIBLE! loved these! yummy and the salt really makes them,thanks has gone in my recipe book! x
I just made these and they are delicious. The texture is perfect! I’m printing the recipe out and putting it in my favorite recipe binder
Thanks for the great post.
Hey Michelle,
I was just wondering if maybe I could add in some cocoa to make these cookies double chocolate cookies? And if yes, about how much would you recommend me to add in?
THANKS.
I’m eating one of these now – they’re delicious. :] I formed the first nine dough balls according to the instructions (“pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface”) but for the next nine I used a bit of a shortcut; I just rolled 1/2 cup dough balls and pulled them into halves, which resulted in the same crinkly texture on top.
Hi Angela,
I actually just made a Triple-Chocolate Chip version (from the same cookbook), and am planning on posting it this coming week, so be sure to check it out! I hope you’ll enjoy!
Me and my Boyfriend made these last night cause he has been craving chocolate chip cookies, We added some peanut butter chips to them as well, the dough was really gooey and messy ( but tasted fantastic!!) and the cookies turned out great…but my tops didnt turn out good like yours which means i better practice and make some more
Hi! I want to thank you for this recipe:-) I tried this cookie recipe last weekend!
I was really amazed by the results! In the philippines, i used muscovado sugar and it has a very distinct flavor. 
I made a half a dozen pieces for my great love.. weee!! i’m sure he will love it 
Thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait to try the others. 
Salamat! It means Thank you in Filipino 
I am now your avid fan 
Oh my goodness, I just made these cookies and they are my new favorite by far! Thank you SO much for the recipe! I was wondering what makes them so fat? I feel like in other cc cookies I’ve made I have to chill the dough and be very careful not to let the butter get too soft so I don’t end up with flat cookies. The dough for these was so soft I was worried they would flatten in the oven. But, miracle of miracles, they didn’t at all! Any insight you may have would be greatly appreciated =)
I’ve used this exact recipe for the last 10 years! i love it!!! I’m known for my chocolate chip cookies!!!
I was really looking forward to making these and seeing if they would be chewy. I added maybe 3/4 cup of crunchy peanut butter. Unfortunately they didn’t come out very chewy. I’ll admit I didn’t let them cool on the pan, which was supposed to make them chewier (I only have 1 small baking sheet to use), and I made these smaller than the recipe asked for—does that last factor help make them chewy? I’m thinking about trying it again but I want to get other opinions as to what I should tweak? Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Well, I must say this is a pretty tasty cookie recipe you have there.
When still warm they were perfect, but unfortunately they don´t seem to “age” as well as I hoped. (I would give them an 8/10 one day after baking them)
I used a natural vanilla bean instead of the vanilla extract though, since you can´t buy the latter over here.
Greetings from Germany !
OMG!! These cookies are so fantastic!! I have my own chocolate chip cookie recipe that my husband loves, but I will never use it again. These are crunchy and chewy and perfectly cooked. I also love the way you form them before cooking – very cool. I love your website as well. A great find!
These cookies were really good! I am taking half to my friend and her family to get them out of the house so we don’t eat them all! Curious to see how they taste after sitting a day. One recipe I have for choc chip cookies taste better after a day (uses pudding)… wow three BEB recipe in two days :p
Hi there!
I’m a long time follower on and off. I avoid following a sweet blog until I really have to make something because I LACK SELF CONTROL.
I tried this CCC with only one variation. I omited the 1/2 cup white sugar. And I don’t know its because the dark brown sugar I use is quiet sweet or what but I think it is of perfect sweetness without the white sugar. And its now my most requested cookies and loved recipe. What do you think ?
Ofcourse, using the brown sugar kind of makes a much darker looking cookie but its yummy! I was planning to switch things up and try using white sugar next time. What do you think should be the ratio considering I use both the sugars ( assuming my dark brown sugar is way sweeter??). I was planning to start of with 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 3/4 cup white sugar.
http://journeykitchen.blogspot.com/2010/06/perfect-chocolate-chip-cookie.html
I hope I made sense.
Hi Kulsum,
So glad you enjoyed these cookies with the variation you created! If you add back in white sugar, I would encourage you to keep the ratio the same (2:1 brown sugar to white sugar), otherwise if you use more white sugar than brown sugar, you will end up with a much crisper (not as thick or chewy) cookie. It might still be good, but just know that switching up the ratio will result in a very different texture.
Let me know how they turn out!
I made these today… well, I actually made the dough Saturday afternoon and baked them today (Monday). The dough was loose when I finished mixing (by hand, mind you) – much too loose to be shaped into anything resembling a ball. So I put it in the refrigerator until today. It was sticky but somewhat workable. I couldn’t get the “pull-apart” method to work though, the dough just wouldn’t hold its shape well enough. After baking, the cookies are delicious – but look NOTHING like the pictures. They more closely resemble the kind of cookie I get with the Nestle recipe – spread and thin. I was really hoping for a thick, chewy, craggly cookie like the one pictured. Any ideas where I could have gone wrong or what I could try next time? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Katy,
I’m sorry you had a less-than-stellar experience with this recipe! The most important step in this recipe is to make sure the melted butter has been cooled to the touch before you mix it with the sugars and proceed with the recipe. If you add it when it is too warm, the dough will be much wetter and less manageable than intended. I’ve had this happen to me before and it seems to be the one variable that can keep the cookies from being perfect. They definitely should not be thin. The other thing too is to make sure you don’t overbake them (or yes, they will spread). You should take them out of the oven when the edges look set but the middles are still a very pale brown and puffy. They won’t look done, but they will finish baking on the warm baking sheet when your remove them from the oven. I’m not sure if refrigerating the dough could have had an impact on the outcome, as I’ve never refrigerated this dough. Oh, one other thing – did you butter the cookie sheet or line with parchment or a silpat? Sometimes buttering a cookie sheet can cause too much extra butter to get into the dough once in the hot oven and can cause spreading too.
I hope you’ll give them another try, they are hands down the best cookie recipe I think I’ve ever made!! Let me know if you have any more questions and how the next batch turns out!
Hmm… let’s see. I might not have let the butter cool enough, I get impatient.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t overbake them, they were still a little gooey when I took them out (I’m really not a fan of overdone cookies, so I tend to err on the side of underdone since they continue to bake a little after coming out.) And I don’t grease cookie sheets when making cookies, nor use parchment or Silpat liners. So the only variable I see that might be the problem is the melted butter. Just very strange that they came out so differently from the picture… I’ve been baking (sweets) for a long time and nothing has baffled me more than the basic chocolate chip cookie. Thanks for all the ideas! I guess I’ll just have to give this another shot… darn, more cookies!
These are THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies! I am throwing out my Tollhouse recipe…no more flat Chocolate Chip Cookies! Thank you so much!
These were exactly right! Chocolate cookies to die for. Will make them again and again! Thanks so much!
I printed out this recipe a year ago, jiminy cricket! LOL And just made them tonight.. Sooo disappointed– they taste great but they came out paper thin.. just like a Nestle Tollhouse cookie.. Guess my search for that thick CCC will continue
Melody, after reading your comment I thought I would share what happened to me. I probably used the butter when it was still too warm so when I mixed everything together it was too buttery and shiny. I added about 1/4 flour and it reached the proper cookie dough consistency. I formed the cookies and baked them and voila, they turned out perfectly.
I’ve made this recipe several times and this last time I did the lazy way and dumped the whole batch on a 1/2 sheet pan with silpat lining it. Baked it for 30 minutes and they turned out great although I think the next time I’ll go for 25 mins instead as they weren’t quite as chewy as I like. Took them to a family get together and they disappeared.
Oooh great tip, Kathy! Thanks for sharing! Great to know that these make great cookie bars too!
I have tried MANY chocolate chip cookie recipies, but, WOW. this one was DEFINITLY the best. its the chocoalte chip cookie we always try to make but never can-finally!!!! you are the best
Oh my God!
.The cookies had the PERFECT concistency – they were chewy and thick. I added a handful of pecans and they added a nutty and superdelicious taste to the cookies. Definitely a keeper!
If you think that you don’t have the time to make these cookies, then let me say something, sweetie – you are crazy. I made these cookies for September 1st, and I don’t need to say that people threatened to kill me if I didn’t give them the recipe
Have you ever tried sea salt in these cookies? I’ve made some chocolate chip cookies with sea salt before and they’re wonderful in terms of the salty-sweet flavor, and added texture. I’ve notice you’re pretty into salty-sweet, so maybe just a suggestion?
Hi Reanna, I haven’t made these with sea salt but I’m definitely a fan of sweet/salty so I will give it a try next time. Thank you!
I make these using a 1/2 tsp of sea salt instead of regular salt. They are fantastic.
I just made these cookies and I must say that although mine aren’t as beautiful as the one’s posted on you site (I did follow your directions for rolling and pulling apart the dough), they are still beautiful in their own way. This is now my go-to site for baking recipes…I rave about this site to my co-workers!
So glad you loved these Tykisha, and thank you for giving me a shout out to your coworkers!
Hi! I made these a few weeks ago and they were amazing! However… I have made them twice since then and both times, they have spread out so much and are SO flat!! I am so disappointed because they were so good the first time I made them. Do you have any idea what could be going wrong? I can’t figure it out and it’s so frustrating!!
I was just going through some old comments and found someone with a similar problem, and I read your response to them. Perhaps I didn’t let the butter cool enough, I just don’t know!
Hi Bailey, That was going to be my suggestion. I’ve had it happen to me too and the flattening seems to always happen when I’m impatient with letting the butter cool. Also, do you grease your pans or use parchment? If you grease there could be extra fat getting into the cookies, causing them to spread.
I have to tell my story:
i am just like all of you, in search of the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe. but to tell you the truth, i gave up YEARS AGO because i was convinced there was no such thing.
*THIS RECIPE IS THE DEFINITION OF THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE!*
i au pair for a swedish family, now in luxembourg and for over a year i have wanted the children to experience real, authentic chocolate chip cookies. i did a lot of lecturing on how we might be dissapointed with this recipe, but there was no need for that as we had chocolate smeared on our lips, and the gooey cookie pieces in our mouths!
I AM SHARING THIS RECIPE WITH EVERYONE I KNOW! YOU ARE A GODDESS AND I LOVE YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS!
keep them coming!
XOXO
wishes from luxembourg!
Hi Colette, waving to you in Luxembourg! Thank you so much for sharing your story and the rave review of these cookies. I agree, they really are the best!
I made these cookies this weekend for my brother’s birthday dinner and they were a BIG HIT!! I left the first batch in the oven just a little too long and they weren’t quite soft enough, but I learned my lesson by the 2nd round. Perfect!!
Woo for birthday cookies! Happy birthday to your brother!
These are a great cookie, I had made them from another food blog but also found over sixty thousand followers at allrecipes.com had used this minus the trick of pulling the ball of cookie dough apart and only using one teaspoon of vanilla! I didn’t measure too carefully and the recipe was very forgiving. Other sites said you must chill batter at least an hour before baking, what’s up with that??? Good choice that could adapt to additions such as peanut butter, nuts, or other types of chocolate chunks!
Hi Paula, Not sure about chilling the dough, I’ve never chilled this dough. It’s perfect as-is as far as I’m concerned!
My first sheet is in the oven right now…they look puffy and delicious! Can’t wait to see how they turn out. I’ve been looking for the perfect recipe, and this may be just the ticket!!!
I made these today and took some to work, and everyone RAVED about them! Yum yum yum!!! (Believe me.. nurses love, and know their snacks! We sure get enough of them!) So THANK YOU! This recipe has a spot in my personal cookbook now. I even passed it on.
You are welcome! It really is the BEST!
I made these over the weekend for my family and they turned out perfect and everyone loved them. I think I’ve finally found the perfect chocolate chip recipe! So nice to have cookies that didn’t spread out all over the pan while baking then have frisbies instead of cookies. Thanks so much.
Yay! These are definitely my favorite too!
Wow! I just made these, and let’s just say that the Toll House recipe is going out and (if I don’t stop eating these), my dress size is going up! I made smaller balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoon), and ended up with 30 x 2 1/2 inch cookies-perfect for sharing at work! Thanks!
You’re welcome! I definitely ditched all other chocolate chip cookie recipes once I made these!
These truly are the BEST chocolate chip cookies. The batter looked a bit buttery, so I added about another 1/3 cup flour. Still looked oily, but I didn’t want to add more incase I ruined it, so I baked one test cookie.. It turned out perfect, so thick and chewy and professional looking, and it tasted even better! Now I’m just waiting for the oven to heat up again to bake the rest. Thank you so much, this is only the second recipe I’ve tried, and it is perfect so now I won’t have to search and search..
So glad you love these Taylor! If your dough was a little oily, next time make sure that your butter is completely cooled after melting it – that can cause a big difference in texture once it’s all mixed together.
Have made these again a couple of times, they are even better with a tablespoon or so of cocoa powder, for a double choc chip cookie – yummo
Tried these first without melting the margarine…tasted great but fell completely flat.
Then I followed the directions.
Refrigerated the dough for about 6 hours when I was at work, so it was a little hard to work with later, but WOW are these amazing. Hoping they stay soft for the event tomorrow!
Having always been disappointed by thin, flat (yet tasty) chocolate chip cookies, I was desparately searching for denser, chewier ones. My husband stumbled upon this website, while googling recipes for thicker cookies, and he said the reviews were great.
So, I just made these and they do NOT disappoint. The cookies are moist, chewy, thick and really tasty. I had to use two different types of baking sheets, so I think that changed the edges on one of the batches, and only had milk chocolate chips but otherwise I pretty much followed the directions. I will be making these again this weekend for my nephew’s birthday party and again for my daughter’s birthday celebration in school, but making them a bit smaller because these were insanely large cookies!
What a great cookie recipe!
YAY, thanks for the glowing review, they are by far my very favorite chocolate chip cookies!
OMG! Michelle, these were incredible. I baked them last night and deliberately only baked 4 as I have no will-power and would have eaten more if they were there. We ate them whilst they were warm and kinda chewy inside and wow – I will never go back to my chocolate chip recipe again. Thanks for all the tips, they were really helpful. I now know what I will be baking for my cookie exchange!
Woo, so happy you liked them! Good idea to only make 4, I go way overboard on these!
This looks very similar to the one I got from Joy the Baker (and that she got from Alton Brown) – it makes for a fabulous cookie (and sinful cookie dough…)
I made these and they were awesome. Just the way I like them; thick and chewy. I made mine a little smaller and ended up with 2 dz cookies. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
You’re welcome Hanaa! Everyone deserves perfect chocolate chip cookies
Hi,
I have just made my first batch of these and the recipe is great!! easy to follow and with great results. However mine stuck to the sheet a little and some of the mixture seemed to be on the tray, should I give it some more time?
Also can I swap the chips for nuts or cherries? and if so what weight?
Finally….
I could slightly taste the sugar am I using too much or should i increase the vanilla.
Many thanks, I love this recipe! the method is brilliant. I have read other comments and I agree that leaving the butter to cool is key, granted the recipe is follwed then the results are great!!!!
Hi Maya, I’m glad you enjoyed these!
You say they stuck to the sheet. Did you line the cookie trays with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray? I’m a big, big believer in using either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat like Silpat.
You could substitute nuts and dried fruit for the chips, just use the same amount (1 to 1-1/2 cups).
I’m not sure what you mean by saying that you could taste the sugar. In any case, I wouldn’t adjust it or the vanilla quantities.
Hi,
I used greaseproof paper however the second batch didnt stick I think I took them out prematurely. Also I tried the cookies whilst they were hot
so once slightly cooled the flavour settled. Sorry about that!
I will hopefully try them with glace cherries, should I rinse them first? Also should I halve them or into smaller segments?
Cookies were a delight
thankyou for such a great which was so easy to follow!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I just recently found your website, while looking for a good French onion soup recipe, and after great results with that, I tried this CCC recipe, and I am soooo glad I did! These are the best CCC I have ever baked, and I am a very avid baker, but these blew away every other recipe in my box! Thanks so much for not only sharing the recipe, but also your technique! I followe the recipe exactly, and got perfect results.
I made these last night for the first time and they turned out PERFECT! And usually my luck with cookie baking is hit or miss, haha. I sprayed my baking with sheet with canola oil and used a quarter measuring cup to measure the dough. These are by far the best CCC I have tried, including cookies from bakeries. I took a sample cookie to work for someone to try and it got very positive reviews. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m baking your peanut butter-chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies now!! Yay Christmas baking!!
these are so quick and easy, and so so good
I made these last night….sent them to work with my honey. Made more today…these stayed at home with me!
So good! Definitely more vanilla-y than my signature chocolate chip cookies, good thing I LOVE vanilla! Delicious and so easy to make, they stayed soft and seriously looked like a cookie you would pay $3 for at a bakery!
The cookies are still in the oven but the dough is AMAZING, the best I’ve ever tasted. Thanks for this!
I:( don’t know what I did wrong?? The dough is very dark- and not delicious….mine doesn’t look like the picture at all. I threw out the first batch – obviously, I underestimated the overcooking!! I did use light brown sugar, so I’m not sure WHY they’re so dark colored? And, I typically know my way around a recipes…….so…………………?
OMG shell this is the best choco chip cookie recipe hands down! Luv it!!! I’ve used the whole melting butter and adding egg yolk concept as a base for other cookies and it works out wonderfully. I love the low baking temp….it really adds to the recipe b/c we used to melt the butter for cookies in my food science class, but the cookies never came out this fantastic. thanks again
Okay –
Michelle R – You’ve inspired me to try ‘em again!! I’ll make another batch of delicious, “best choco chip cookie recipe hands down!” and report back!! (Well, at least I’m optimistic, right?!)
hey shasta, hope u try them again cause they r bomb! the first two x’s i made them they came out perfect! i was so happy. however third time i made them they came out thin and spread out wAy too much. i am attributing this to personal error b/c i was in a super rush so i probably mis-measured. also i didnt chill the dough which i did the previous times. so keep ur optimistic attitude and give it another shot! hope all works out well
This is the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies. The only one I use. People think I bought them at a store they look so beautiful!
Enjoy!!!
I just wanted to say that I just tried this recipe and its fantastic! A keeper, and I’m a chocolate chip cookie lover. Its the fourth thing I’ve made from your site, and each of them have been great . . . I’ve been emailing friends the link
I’m happy to report that I finally got around to re-trying this recipe after I messed it up several months back. This time, I let the butter cool completely (in fact, I put it in the fridge to cool and let it go just a little too long – it was still stirrable but starting to solidify – I just set the bowl on top of the oven vent while the oven preheated, and voila! Problem solved!). The only other thing I did was add 1/2 tsp of baking powder and used mini chocolate chips since it’s what I had. And… they turned out picture-perfect, just like yours!! Guess it pays to be patient with the melted butter
Thanks for an awesome recipe – it’s my new go-to CCC!!
We had a snow day down South today and I was inspired to bake these cookies. They turned out fantastic! Mine always taste good but look terrible and these taste great and look even better. Thanks for sharing!
I tried this recipe last week, not thinking that it would be any different than the claims of other “Thick and Chewy” cookies. After making these, I don’t think I will ever find a better recipe. Everyone that has tried the cookie, said it is a winner. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I ABSOLUTELY adore America’s Test Kitchen-They by far have the best recipes for everything from pot roasts to baked goods. At 19, I love to bake, and everyone asks how do my baked goods turn out to well? My secret-America’s Test Kitchen recipes.
I’ve been making the Thick and Chewy recipe for a few years now, and I always get rave reviews. They bake perfectly, and have such a “unique” taste that I feel Toll House lacks. They also freeze very nicely, and cook up great when you just want “one” cookie.
My other favorite’s include: Ultimate Banana Bread,Pumpkin Bread, Blondies and Tiramisu!!
YUM. i just made these and they are divine. your site is one of my go-to places for never-fail recipes like this! thanks!!
Best cookies ever! I just made a batch for my boyfriend, and…wow. That’s all there is, just wow. Of course, he’s allergic to chocolate (I know, I don’t know how he survives either, poor thing) so I substituted butterscotch chips for chocolate chips. It didn’t seem to affect the results, except for the fact that I failed to take into account how much sweeter butterscotch chips are than the regular semi-sweet chips. So now I have a batch of incredibly lovely, and ridiculously sweet blondies. Oh, well. They still taste great though, and I’ll just have to remember to reduce the sugars a bit if I make them with butterscotch again. Definitely plan on making a batch of regular chocolate chip for myself sometime soon. This recipe’s too good not to!
Thanks for such a great (and versatile) recipe!
“This is the best chocolate chip cookie EVER. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my wife” – says my husband who is a die hard CCC fan. Thank you for an amazing recipe that made me the super wife! =) I substituted regular salt for sea salt and it was amazing! Every now and then you would get a bite of chucky salt and it balanced out the chocolate really well! I also used a mix dark chocolate chips and regular semi-sweet ones. MMMMMMMMMMM!
I am ADDICTED!!! I want to make these everyday!! My only change/addition is I used sea salt in the batter and sprinkled the tops with sea salt when they came out of the oven…yummo!!
What does the sea salt do to the cookie?
These were so great!! I added a few spoonfuls of peanut better per someones recommendation–YUM!!! I can’t wait to try them without the peanut butter as well. Oh, and, we sprinkled the last batch with some sea salt–so delicious!
Can’t wait to try even more of your recipes!
i make these cookies all the time and they are absolutely delicious. They are so buttery and chewy. I baked them at 330F for 13-15 minutes.
I thought I posted here already but don’t see that I did- these are THE CCC for me. Perfect and easy. I refrigerated the dough overnight because I ran out of time to bake that day and they were awesome so I will continue to refrigerate first if I can! Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chips are hands down the best (in my opinion
and really add the extra goodness to this cookie. Might try adding nuts next time. Thanks for posting this family fav!
Perfect.
Followed the recipe exactly, did not refrigerate. Came out perfect. Best cookies ever!
This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe around! I used my baking scale for the first time with this recipe and it came out perfect. I added some toffee bits for a little extra treat.
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