Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Thick, soft, chewy, and fully loaded with chocolate chips, this easy recipe turns an everyday treat into the indulgence of a lifetime. Everyone will be smitten with these meltingly tender Chocolate Chip Cookies!

If you’re looking for more classic cookie recipes that the whole family will love, try these soft molasses cookies, these cut out sugar cookies, or these chewy oatmeal raisin cookies!

Why You’ll Love These Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s hard to adequately express the utter amazingness of these chewy chocolate chip cookies. To make things easier, I put together a list that highlights some of my top favorite elements.

  • Perfect texture. If you love thick, super chewy, pillowy soft cookies, these ones are going to turn your whole world upside down. It’ll be love at first bite!
  • Simple ingredients and instructions. This recipe is made with kitchen staples and requires just half an hour of prep work. No need to chill the dough or let it rest!
  • Adaptable. I usually just pack these cookies with chocolate and leave it at that, but it’s really easy to add other mix-ins of your choice, too!
  • Easy to store. These chocolate chip cookies stay soft and chewy for days and maintain this texture even when they’re cool.
Vanilla extract, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar and the rest of the ingredients on a marble countertop.

Recipe Ingredients

Enough said! Let’s get started on the greatest homemade cookies of all time. Check out the recipe card toward the end of this post for the amount associated with each ingredient.

  • All-purpose flour – Use a food scale to measure your flour for guaranteed accuracy.
  • Cornstarch – I like to use some cornstarch in these cookies. It helps to prevent them from spreading too much while they rise in the oven.
  • Baking soda & baking powder – You’ll need both to achieve just the right rise and texture.
  • Salt – To complement the richness of the chocolate chips and ensure a soft, moist result.
  • Unsalted butter – Bring this to room temperature before you use it.
  • Light brown sugar & granulated sugar – Unlike the flour, the light brown sugar should be packed tightly into the measuring cup.
  • Large eggs – I threw in an extra one to add even more moisture and mass to these cookies.
  • Vanilla extract – Choose a high-quality extract to achieve the best flavor.
  • Semisweet chocolate chips – Or any other chocolate chips of your choice.
A stack of four chocolate chip cookies on a white countertop with more cookies in the background.

How to Make Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is likely just as easy as the one included on the packaging of your chocolate chips – only the results are far superior! Here’s how it’s done:

  • Prep the baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set the prepared pans aside.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set the mixture aside.
  • Cream the butter and sugars. Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
  • Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.
  • Pour in the vanilla. Stir in the vanilla extract and mix until well combined once more.
  • Combine the wet & dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Do not over-mix the batter.
  • Mix in the chocolate chips. Add the chocolate chips and use a silicone spatula to fold everything together into a uniform cookie dough. The dough will be thick and a little sticky.
  • Shape the dough into balls. Use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop to scoop out the cookie dough and drop it onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your fingers or a spatula to shape the cookies and make them a bit round. They should be about the same size as the measuring scoop – thick and tall.
  • Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. They will spread a bit and the centers will look soft, but done. Remove them just as the edges begin to turn golden. Don’t over-bake the cookies.
  • Let them cool. Remove your chewy chocolate chip cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. You can enjoy them while they’re still a bit warm if you’d like.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies lined up on a kitchen countertop with some loose chocolate chips.
A bunch of thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies on a marble surface with a small bowl of chocolate chips.

Tips for Success

Bring a batch of these cookies to any event and you’ll leave with a bunch of new friends. These tips will help you make sure every cookie comes out absolutely flawless!

  • Measure the flour carefully. Never fill a measuring cup with flour by scooping it directly out of the bag. Instead, fluff up the flour and spoon it into the cup little by little, then level it off at the top with a butter knife. This prevents over-packing, promoting an accurate measurement. Of course, using a food scale is the best way to achieve accuracy.
  • Don’t over-mix the dough. If you over-mix your dough, the cookies won’t come out as soft and chewy. Stop stirring it as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are mostly combined. After that, fold in the chocolate chips gently.
  • Make them pretty. I like to press a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops of my dough balls before I bake them to enhance the aesthetic of the finished cookies. You could even sprinkle on some flaky sea salt for an extra special touch.
  • How can I tell when my cookies are done? Once the edges of your cookies start to turn golden brown, they’re ready to be removed from the oven. The centers will be soft, but they shouldn’t look doughy.
A soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie on a marble kitchen countertop with a big bite taken out of it to reveal a bunch of melty chocolate chips in the center.

Substitutions & Recipe Variations

This fail-proof cookie dough can be used as a base for all sorts of different creations. Try one of the irresistible flavors below!

  • S’Mores Cookies: Fold crushed graham crackers into the cookie dough and swap out 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips for mini marshmallows.
  • Cookies & Cream Cookies: Substitute 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips and exchange the other 1 cup for roughly chopped Oreo cookies.
  • Butterscotch Cookies: Use butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips.
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies: Replace a portion of the chocolate chips with peanut butter chips and drizzle the cooled cookies with melted peanut butter. Alternatively, you can swap out all or some of the chocolate chips for chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups.
  • Salted Caramel Cookies: Reach for chopped Rolos instead of chocolate chips and top each ball of cookie dough with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt before baking.
Four cooled chocolate chip cookies stacked on top of one another.

How to Store

Once cooled, these cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Good luck getting them to stick around for more than one!

Warm up individual cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time before digging in, if desired.

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

Chocolate chip cookies tend to do well in the freezer, and these chewy delights are no exception. Freeze the cooled cookies in a heavy-duty freezer bag with all of the air squeezed out for up to 1 month. Alternatively, you can wrap each cookie in a tight layer of plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container. Thaw out frozen cookies before you enjoy them.

More Tempting Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

You can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes on hand! Here are some others that you’ll love:

Watch How to Make It

Read Transcript

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A pile of three chocolate chip cookies with two cookie halves balanced on top
Recipe

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 24 minutes
  • Total Time: 49 minutes
  • Yield: 14
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These chocolate chip cookies are extra thick and chewy. Every bite is absolutely packed with chocolate – they’re sure to be a hit anywhere you bring them!


Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups (325g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (112g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups (296g) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  2. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined after each addition.
  5. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
  6. Add the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Do not over mix.
  7. Add the chocolate chips and use a silicone spatula to fold everything together into a uniform cookie dough. Dough will be thick and a little sticky.
  8. Use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop to scoop out the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your fingers or a spatula to shape the cookies and make them a bit round. They should be about the same size as the measuring scoop – thick and tall.
  9. Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will spread a bit and the centers will look soft but should look done. Remove just as the edges begin to turn golden. Don’t over bake.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
     

Notes

  • Yield: Makes 12-14 cookies.
  • To Store: Cooled cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Warm each one in the microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time before digging in if desired.
  • To Freeze: Freeze cooled cookies in a heavy-duty freezer bag with all of the air squeezed out for up to 1 month. Alternatively, wrap each cookie in a tight layer of plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container. Thaw out frozen cookies before enjoying.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 357
  • Sugar: 27.3 g
  • Sodium: 181.1 mg
  • Fat: 18.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 44.9 g
  • Protein: 5.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 52.7 mg

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243 Comments
  1. Isabella

    These are AMAZING! I browned the butter and I didn’t have cornstarch and they still turned out delicious <3  Great recipe!

  2. Shea

    Can you use self raising flour if plain is not available?? What would be the conversation and would you remove any other ingredient?






  3. Rhiannon

    These were so amazing. Making them again, as they only lasted 3 days in our house. I appreciated that they tasted just as fresh in day 3 as they did in day 1. 






  4. B. Gibbs

    A quick question before baking these great looking cookies.   Your instructions don’t say to heat the oven until the dough is mixed completely.  Is that what you intended, or should the oven be heating while the dough is being mixed?

    1. Lindsay

      Either way is fine. I’ve adjusted it to say it at the beginning, since that is typical. I hope you enjoy them!

  5. Judy

    This was my go to recipe for years, had it memorized I made It so much.  Well life changed, got divorced and started working full time.  I had not made them in a couple years and could no longer remember the recipe.  I have so many chocolate chip cookie recipes pinned and could not remember which one!  I finally found it today! Can not wait to make them today!  






      1. Elizabeth Peck

        Eureka!
        I’ve made this recipe several times and I’ve made a discovery! It cannot be doubled. Doubling (or tripling) throws off all the proportions and the cookies will not turn out. They will spread too much, be too flat and taste underdone. I read through all the comments and saw that some people experienced this same turnout and I wonder if they tried to double it like I did. Try the recipe again exactly as written – it will work. Best cookies ever!

  6. Laurel

    So, I normally never leave comments on the recipes I try, but this is an exception. Where has this recipe been all my life? AMAZING. The PERFECT chocolate chip cookie, hands down. I ended up using a 1/4 C butter and 1/2 C shortening. I thought I had at least a stick of butter… apparently not! Chilled the dough for about 45 minutes and baked 14 minutes. Turned out AMAZING. Would probably be even better if I had the proper amount of butter. This is my new official go-to chocolate chip recipe. YUM!

  7. Julie

    This is my new go – to chocolate chip cookie recipe. We love how soft and chewy they stay. Thank you so very much! I’ve been searching for the best ccc recipe for years and yours is it! ????

  8. Arielle

    Do you think using browned butter 6 tbsp and the rest as room temp butter would alter the dough and shape during baking? 
    Also my dough (sugar cookie dough comes out perfect) for choc chip keeps coming out crumbly is it crucial to go slow with the flour ? Should I slowly stir in rather than use my stand mixer? I don’t want to keep wasting ingredients 

    1. Lindsay

      I’m not sure – I imagine it would change it up a bit. Browning the butter changes it.

      It sounds like you might be over measuring the flour and adding a bit too much.

  9. Susan A.

    I made these tonight and they turned out very thick and soft and looked exactly like your photo but the softness is more akin to a cakey texture than a chewy cookie (as opposed to crispy and crunchy which nobody wants).  They remind me of a soft sugar cookie with brown sugar and chocolate chips added rather than a true CC cookie.  Good, just not quite the traditional CC cookie.

  10. Nicole

    My cookies turned out very soft and I believe I cooked them just long enough. My only issue was they were very bland like others have stated. They didn’t have that sweet chocolate chip tast to them, any idea how I could make them a little sweeter? 

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29