When it comes to defining the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie, I’ve found that everyone has their preferred type of recipe and many factors (elevation, humidity, personal preference) can influence that definition. These Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are definitely one of my favorites! I recommend scooping them large so they have time to develop their signature buttery-crisp edges and retain their soft centers.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter – Always use real butter if you can. One thing that’s unique about this recipe is that we’re using melted butter. Melted butter coats the flour more thoroughly than creamed, softened butter, limiting gluten development and resulting in a denser, chewier cookie.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs –You’ll need one whole egg and one egg yolk. The extra egg yolk adds fat without extra liquid, creating richer flavor and the soft, chewy texture these cookies are known for.
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet or bittersweet.
How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- We’re starting with some melted butter. I recommend melting slowly at half power until all the pieces are almost melted and let residual heat finish melting it. It should be just warm to the touch, not hot.
- That gets mixed up with typical cookie dough ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, a whole egg, and and egg yolk.
- Fold in some chocolate chips and you’re good to go!
- Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. I prefer the texture of these cookies best when scooped large, in a ball of about 3 tablespoons of dough. A scooper works great! Don’t flatten them down after placing them on the baking sheet.
- I’ve learned you can under-bake them by quite a bit because they set up well and get more crisp around the edges as they cool. So don’t wait for them to get browned, just set. Once they come out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a baking rack. Enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store fully cooked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy with days for best results.
- Freeze cookies in single layers, with each layer separated by parchment, in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw desired number of cookies at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to, unless your butter was too warm. However, if you find your cookies are spreading flat in the oven, refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes before baking can help!
Yep! Feel free to prep the dough up to 48 hours before baking. For ease of baking later, scoop the dough into balls and refrigerate in single layers, with each layer separated by a sheet of parchment, in an airtight container. This will make it easy to transfer portioned dough onto your cookie sheet when ready to bake.
Yes. Portion dough into balls and freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen at 325°F for 14-16 minutes, or until edges are set and centers look slightly under baked.
Yep. Feel free to add nuts or change up the flavor of baking chips. You can also add citrus zest, spices, or whatever you’d like!
We’ve had readers report great success using a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend!
Find your Favorite chocolate chip cookie!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoon butter 1½ sticks melted and cooled until warm*
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- *You want your butter melted, but not hot. It’s best when it has a milky look, not clear yellow. Your dough will be quite loose if you use hot melted butter and you’ll need to wait for it to harden a bit before scooping your dough. I recommend melting slowly at half power until all the pieces are almost melted and let residual heat finish melting it. It should be just warm to the touch, not hot.
- Heat oven to 350℉. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Beat butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop into balls (see Notes below for alternate scoop method) and bake until outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy. Baking time will depend on the size of your cookies. I think the texture of these cookies are best when scooped large, about 3 tablespoons of dough, each, which will bake for 9-12 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.
Notes
- Store fully cooked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy with days for best results.
- Freeze cookies in single layers, with each layer separated by parchment, in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw desired number of cookies at room temperature.
- Alternate scoop method: This recipe as written from ATK suggests rolling 1/4 cup dough into a ball and then breaking it in half, placing the broken side facing up on the cookie sheet. The craggly texture of the top creates a nice shape and texture to the baked cookie. That being said, I almost always just use an extra large cookie scoop and skip the breaking part because it’s quick and easy and they still turn out amazing.
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
So these are seriously the best cookies. I’ve been making these cookies ever since I found the recipe. The other day I made some and doubled the batch and then of course ate a few when they were fresh out of the oven. I thought they were exceptionally good this time and even better than they usually are (which is weird, because they’re delicious). It wasn’t until today that I realized that I didn’t put all the eggs in. I doubled the batch, but still only put in one egg and one egg yolk. They were a touch crispy on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside. I even froze them and then will microwave them for about 15-20 seconds when I want one and they’re as good as the day I made them. I might be doubling this recipe from now on just so I can add fewer eggs, because they were super yummy!
Love this recipe, thanks for sharing!
I’ve been using this recipe for a while now. It is my “go to”! Thanks to you…. My nephew says “Sam makes the best cookies.” I grew up with a different recipe at home that everyone LOVED! But I will never go back. Hands down… My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!
I tried the method to make the cookies pretty on top, but found I was kinda squishing them as I tried to put the pieces back together. I found it much easier to make a ball twice the size I needed, break it in half and place the jagged sides up. Half the work! 🙂
Oh my goodness. I made these to take to work, and everyone loved them!! I think I am a convert to this recipe.
I’ve made these a million times and love them! But the last couple of times I’ve made them they have decided to turn out cake-like instead of flatter and chewy. WHY?! I’m not anything different… I don’t mind fluffy cookies but my hubby prefers the chewy ones! Someone help. 🙂
Weird! Did you maybe change brands of anything? Butter, flour, baking soda, etc? That’s often the culprit, I don’t know what else it could be!
Didn’t change anything… but the only thing I can think is how hot my kitchen is. I live in AZ and now that it’s getting close to 100 degrees outside again the cookies are back to the way they were before! WEIRD.
Yay! I finally made chocolate chip cookies that weren’t flat and crispy! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love finding hidden gems on your site.
About freezing…
I actually rolled the cookie dough into balls put them on a plate with parchment paper & put them in the freezer for about an hour. After that put them in a freezer bag & now you can pull out a few at a time!!! I take them straight from the freezer bag to the oven. With my oven I had to bake them at 375 for 12 minutes & they turn out perfect. You might need to experiment with your oven. This is probably one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes & it’s super simple.
For anyone that is wondering about freezing the cookie dough, it was my second time making these last week and when the dough was ready, I realized I was running late for something. So, I took a gallon-sized ziploc bag and stuffed it in, and tossed it in the freezer. I took them out yesterday, let the dough sit on the counter till it wasn’t as firm and baked as directed. They came out just like they did the first time.
Now I will be freezing the dough in advance so whenever I’m in the mood for cookies, I can just thaw and bake! Thanks for such a great recipe.
I made these last night with my gluten free all purpose flour and they are AMAZING!!!!!! I am so happy to have found a cookie recipe that I can convert to gluten free. I’ve been missing cookies so so so much since becoming a Celiac. They are chewy, rich and probably the best gluten free thing I’ve ever baked. Thanks!!!