Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These large, bakery-style thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies stay soft for days and are a huge family favorite. Made with melted butter, a high brown sugar to white sugar ratio, and an extra egg yolk to ensure super soft cookies, they require NO chilling time and are the perfect after-school snack.
These cookies have been around for a LONG time! I first made them nearly 12 years ago when I fell in love with America’s Test Kitchen and my new Baking Illustrated cookbook. I had long been on the hunt for a fabulous thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie and I had finally hit pay dirt! This was my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe for years upon years, until I stumbled upon The New York Times chocolate chip cookie, which I modified a bit to become my NEW favorite thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe.
However, these cookies made a resurgence in my kitchen last weekend and were due for a revival here on the site, especially since they’re one of my all-time most popular recipes!
How to Make Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Start with Butter: We use melted butter to keep the cookies super soft and moist.
- High Brown Sugar to Granulated Sugar Ratio: Brown sugar ensures soft cookies and the white sugar helps the cookies spread out. For cookies that are chewier and have a more robust flavor, we use double the amount of brown sugar to white sugar.
- Egg & Vanilla Extract: Eggs provide structure and an extra egg yolk gives the cookies a boost of softness. Vanilla is our flavor enhancer!
- Dry Ingredients: You’ll need all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt for structure, rise and flavor balance.
- Chocolate Chips: Of course! One and a half cups give you chocolate in every single bite without being overwhelming.
Ahhhh that dough!
There’s a little shaping technique that makes these cookies have that gorgeous bumpy texture on top that looks like they came straight out of the bakery.
All of that combined to make these my oldest, most favorite chocolate chip cookie that needs absolutely no chill time whatsoever.
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While the NY Times cookies that I love require some refrigeration before they’re baked, these can be mixed up and baked right away, so you’ll have warm cookies fresh from the oven and ready to devour in about 45 minutes. Can’t beat it!
What’s your favorite type of chocolate chip cookie?
Watch the Recipe Video Below:
One year ago: The Best Chocolate Frosting
Five years ago: Overnight Chilled Plum-Oatmeal Pudding
Seven years ago: Peach Coffee Cake
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup (220 g) light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (270 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Roll a scant ¼ 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 2½ inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to set, 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 baking sheets. Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. These can also be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on June 21, 2008, updated in July 2016 with new photos, and then refreshed in August 2019 with updated photos and more recipe tips.
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
This is the absolute best recipe for chocolate chip cookies! It has never failed me. I had a brief period where my cookies weren’t baking correctly and I traced the problem back to store brand butter…the higher water content caused the cookies to spread too much. I’m back to using better quality butter and achieving consistent success.
I have made these for years. Every time I make them the dough is very soft & hard to handle. I always make sure the butter is cool. They also turn out flat but I’m hoping one of these times they will be perfect! I would really like to know what I am doing wrong.
Hi there, Michelle,
I commented several years ago about how this is my family’s favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe and how I haven’t used any other recipe since I found this one.
They’ve always come out perfect, using exactly the ingredients you mention, but now I have a question. I have always used the unsalted butter that your recipe calls for, but this time around I wasn’t able to find unsalted in the grocery store, so I bought salted butter. If I use this, would I need to just completely omit the ½ teaspoon salt that the recipe calls for? Or would I need to just use less salt? And if I need to use less, can you tell me how much?
I also wanted to know if you happened to have a copy-cat recipe (or your own version) of those wonderfully soft and chewy Raspberry Cheesecake cookies with white chocolate chips that Subway makes?
I tried using this recipe to make them, with raspberries and white chocolate chips, but they just don’t taste the same (obviously because there’s no cheesecake or cream cheese in these. I’ve also tried other copy-cat recipes that I’ve found online, but none of those taste the same either. If you don’t already have a recipe for those, would you consider creating one?
Hi Jodi, I would go ahead and omit the salt. While amounts can vary depending on brand, 1 stick of salted butter (8 tablespoons or ½ cup) usually contains somewhere between ¼ teaspoon and ½ teaspoon of salt. Since this recipe calls for 12 tablespoons of butter (1 and a half sticks) and ½ teaspoon of salt, I think you would be fine to just omit the entire amount.
I’ve never had those cookies from Subway, I’ll have to do some research!
I’ve been making this chocolate chip cookie for years and years with rave reviews. Question! I have kiddo friend of the family who is strictly dairy free due to an allergy. Can I make these dairy-free by simply swapping vegan butter for regular butter? Or is there some other alterations I should do to make them taste? If not the same as close to the real thing as possible? Thank you!
i just made these for the first time and they are very flat. what did i do wrong
I’ve read that the amount of flour makes a difference. If there isn’t enough flour to butter they will spread out too much. Look down in the comments. Some people talk about this.
I have had this happen… It could have been the temp of your dough. If your butter wasn’t cooled enough, your dough could have been to warm. Next time, pop your cookies into the fridge for 15 minutes. I always do this now just in case!
Everyone that eats this cookie says its there favorite it is the only one that my granddaughters want to make
I’ve been making these cookies for years and I promise I’ll never stop!
All time favorite chocolate chip recipe for past several years!! Make recipe as is, no alterations. Always the most soft and chewy chocolate chip recipe. Love it.
I’ve been making these for years
Only choc chip cookies my grandchildren ask for
These are AMAZING!!! My mom found the recipe years ago and I have been making them ever since. Way better than Toll House. Can’t believe people use them they are just gross.
Magnificent web site. A lot of useful info here. I’m sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks for your effort!
I cling on to listening to the rumor speak about getting boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the top site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i acquire some?
Ive made many a choc chip cookies. This had been the best recipe BY FAR ! They were perfect size. They looked hearty and kept a wonderful shape. All while tasting fantastic. Thank you. This is my first experience with any of your recipes. Ill be bake to try another.
This has become my go-to recipe! Everybody loves it. I’ve never tried this before, but is it possible to freeze the dough for baking later on? Thanks!
This is not a review, just an aside: the photos that are shown on this page don’t look thick at all. They look just like regular chocolate chip cookies….?
My go to chocolate chip cookie recipe! I have been making them for years and they’re always a hit. I usually brown the butter when I melt it for extra flavor, it’s amazing.
I keep listening to the news talk about receiving free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the best site to get one. Could you tell me please, where could i acquire some?
First time making this recipe and I loved it!
Best choc chip. This is the one my grandkids ask for
Oh my gosh! This is the best! I gave been making these for a long time. I use 2 cups of chocolate chips.
So yummy and easy!
This is a very good recipe. I love the cookies. Crispy outer edge and chewy center. This will be my go-to recipe from now on.
What weight is 12 tablespoons of butter? You give weight in grams for other ingredients but not butter. From Australia and need the weight please.
the butter would be 3/4 of a cup or 170.1 grams
The HOLY GRAIL of chocolate chip cookies. The only CCC recipe you will ever need or want. The only one I make for every party, any occasion. These are the absolute best. Hands down!! Loved them for years now!!! Thank you for these!