There are thousands of recipes for chewy chocolate chip cookies out there, but this one is truly special, and when I moved my old site to a new home and it briefly disappeared, my inbox filled with panicked emails asking for the recipe!! Over years of baking and testing, I have found the balance that creates cookies with crisp edges, soft centers, and that irresistible chew that keeps you coming back for more.
This recipe uses simple ingredients, but the method and ratios make all the difference. With cold salted butter, an extra yolk for richness, cornstarch for texture, and the essential scooting right out of the oven for those crinkly chewy edges, these are cookies you can trust to turn out bakery worthy every single time!
Cookie lover?? Check out my almond croissant cookies, lemon curd cookies, and espresso chocolate cookies too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super easy: The dough comes together quickly in one bowl with simple pantry staples.
- Only 1 hour of chilling time: Just enough to get them cold without waiting all day.
- Great texture: Crisp edges, soft centers, and chewy crinkly edges thanks to scooting.
- Uses cold butter: No need to soften ahead of time!
Baking Tips
- Using a kitchen scale is a total game changer for baking. It makes measuring ingredients super precise, so your recipe comes out perfect every single time. Plus, fewer measuring cups means less cleanup, and who doesn’t love that? Invest in one, and you’ll wonder how you ever baked without it!
- I absolutely love baking with fine kosher salt, it gives the perfect balance of flavor. Table salt, on the other hand, can be a bit too harsh, so if you're using it, be sure to cut the amount in half to avoid over salting your treats.
- Always check your oven temperature! Ovens can be sneaky, sometimes running hotter or cooler than what the dial says, and that can really affect how your baked goods turn out. For the most consistent results, I recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your temps are spot on every time
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients
- Salted cold butter: Cold butter keeps the cookies thick and prevents overspreading.
- Cornstarch: Softens the centers and helps with spreading.
- Dark chocolate: Brings bold, balanced flavor. Dark chocolate chips or semisweet works.
- Salt (with salted butter): Enhances every flavor note. Absolutely necessary. I like fine kosher salt.
- Good vanilla extract: Do not skip. Vanilla is essential for flavor depth. Water should not be the first ingredient listed in vanilla extract.
- Dark brown sugar: This gives both moisture and that rich caramel like chew. You can use light brown if thats all you have but dark is amazing.
- 1 whole egg plus 1 extra yolk: The whole egg binds the dough, while the extra yolk adds tenderness and chew.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Best Flour for Chocolate Chip Cookies
All purpose flour is the best choice for my recipe, it gives the right amount of structure while still keeping the cookies soft. Bread flour can also be used, it has more gluten creating a chewier cookie.
How to make Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cut the cold butter into cubes.
- Cream the cold butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until a paste forms, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cold egg, extra yolk, and vanilla. Mix until combined, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt until evenly blended. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until almost combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Fold in the chocolate until just combined, making sure the chips are evenly distributed. Do not over mix.
- Portion the dough into 65 gram balls, roll them, and place them on a plate or baking sheet that fits in the refrigerator. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
Hint: Start checking your cookies a minute before the timer goes off: nothing is worse than overbaked cookies, and pulling them at just the right moment keeps them soft and chewy.
Tips for making the Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Do not skip the chilling, it is the difference between flat cookies and thick chewy ones.
- Use quality chocolate and vanilla for the best flavor.
- Always pull them from the oven earlier than you think, cookies firm up as they cool.
- You must scoot the cookies right out of the oven! This makes them thick, stops the baking process, and gives them that perfect round shape.
- Cold butter is key in this recipe, not only does it stop the spreading but the way the butter and sugars cream together is a key factor in the way the cookies bake.
How long to bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden at the edges and soft in the middle. This is where you have to use your judgment because everyones ovens are different. They will look underbaked but will continue to bake and set an hour after taking them out of the oven.
How to tell when Chocolate Chip Cookies are done
The edges should look firm, golden brown, and set, while the centers still look slightly underbaked.
How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies Softer
Add that extra yolk, already in this recipe, and avoid overbaking. Dark brown sugar also adds more moisture because of the molasses content. Storing cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread helps keep them soft as well.
Variations
- Add walnuts or pecans: Stir in chopped nuts for a crunchy, nutty twist that balances the sweetness.
- Add espresso powder: Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons into the dry ingredients to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Use different types of chocolate: Try milk, semi-sweet, white if you love a sweeter cookie.
Best way to store Chocolate Chip Cookies
I like to keep them in a cookie tin on the counter or freeze the baked cookie dough or baked cookies for up to 2 months.
How to keep Chocolate Chip Cookies soft
Store in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread to lock in moisture.
How long do Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies last?
They stay fresh for 3 to 4 days at room temperature, then should be frozen for longer storage.
How to freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies
Freeze baked cookies in a sealed bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Can you freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?
Yes. Portion dough into balls, freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, defrost in the refrigerator and bake from the refrigerator.
FAQs for Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Usually because the butter was too soft or the dough was not chilled. Cold butter and chilling fix this. It could also be from not using enough chocolate chips to hold the dough together.
No. Brown sugar provides the chew and caramel flavor that define this recipe.
No. Baking soda is what gives these cookies their spread and browning.
Usually from too much flour or overmixing the egg.
Not this recipe. Eggs are essential for structure, moisture, and chew.
No. Vanilla is critical for flavor. Omitting it leaves the cookies flat in taste.
Not for cut out shapes, but you can use a round cookie cutter or glass to scoot the cookies into perfect circles right after baking while they are still warm.
More Sweet Treats
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Chewy Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Kitchen Scale
Ingredients
- 155 grams cold salted butter, must be cold add ¼ teaspoon more kosher salt if using unsalted
- 143 grams dark brown sugar dark is best, can use light if needed
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 1 large egg cold
- 1 large egg yolk cold
- 2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 240 grams dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- *the dough needs to chill for one hour before baking
- Find a round cookie cutter or small bowl about 4 inches in diameter to use for scooting the cookies.
- Cut the cold butter into cubes.
- Cream the cold butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until a paste forms, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cold egg, extra yolk, and vanilla. Mix until combined, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt until evenly blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until almost combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Fold in the chocolate until just combined, making sure the chips are evenly distributed. Do not over mix.
- Portion the dough into 65 gram balls, roll them, and place them on a plate or baking sheet that fits in the refrigerator. Chill the dough for 1 hour. You can also make 20 smaller cookies (bake for 8-10 minutes)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F about 30 minutes before baking.
- Place 4 dough balls at a time on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep the remaining dough balls in the refrigerator.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes on the center rack of the oven, until the cookies are golden at the edges and soft in the center. Do not over bake.
- Right when the cookies come out of the oven, use your cookie cutter or bowl to gently scoot around the edges, making them thicker, rounder, and perfectly crinkly. Work carefully so you only move the edges, not the whole cookie. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet until set.
Denise says
Seriously the best
Amanda says
Yay! Thank you!! 🙂
Shayna says
These were so good! My new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe 🙂
Amanda says
I love hearing that!! Thank you so much, Shayna! 🙂