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]
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!!
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!
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’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!!
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 :)
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!!!
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 :-)
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 :-)
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…………………?
The cookies are still in the oven but the dough is AMAZING, the best I’ve ever tasted. Thanks for this!
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!
these are so quick and easy, and so so good
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!!
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.
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!
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.
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 :)
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…)
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!
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!
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!
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
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!
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!
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!
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!!!
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!
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!
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 agree with you!
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.