With 11 million page views and counting since 2013, these super soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are the most popular cookie recipe on my website. Melted butter, more brown sugar than white sugar, cornstarch, and an extra egg yolk guarantee the absolute chewiest chocolate chip cookie texture. And you don’t even need a mixer!
Reader Adrienne commented: “These are the best cookies I’ve ever had. Incredible. Don’t cut corners or you’ll miss out. Do everything she says and you’re in for the best cookies of your life. ★★★★★“
There are thousands of chocolate chip cookies recipes out there. Everyone has their favorite and this one is mine. Just a glance at the hundreds of reviews in the comments section tells me that this recipe is a favorite for many others too! In fact, if you asked me which recipe to keep in your apron pocket, my answer would be this one. (In addition to a classic cut-out sugar cookies and flaky pie crust, of course!) Just read the comments on a post in our Facebook group. These cookies are loved… and, warning: they disappear FAST.
The recipe is also included in two of my published cookbooks (in Sally’s Baking Addiction, I swap chocolate chips for M&Ms/chocolate chips combo).
Why Are These My BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies?
- The chewiest of chewy and the softest of soft.
- Extra thick just like my favorite peanut butter cookies!
- Bakery-style BIG.
- Exploding with chocolate.
Back in 2013, I tested this cookie recipe over and over again to make sure they’re absolutely perfect. I still have a big space in my heart (and stomach) for these Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies. Today’s recipe is similar, but I increased the chewiness factor.
Reader A.Phillips commented: “Look no further. This is it. This is the perfect cookie recipe. Follow her instructions exactly and the cookies will be chewy and amazing. … These are the most perfect cookies I’ve made and I’ve tried at least 20 different recipes. ★★★★★“
You can make them with chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
Key Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
The cookie dough is made from your standard cookie ingredients: flour, leavener, salt, sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla. It’s the ratios and temperature of those ingredients that make this recipe stand out from the rest.
- Melted butter: Melted butter produces the chewiest cookies. It can, however, make your baked cookies greasy, so I made sure there is enough flour to counteract that. And using melted butter is also the reason you don’t need a mixer to make these cookies, just like these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and M&M cookie bars.
- More brown sugar than white sugar: More brown sugar than white sugar: The moisture in brown sugar promises an extra soft and chewy baked cookie. White granulated sugar is still necessary, though. It’s dry and helps the cookies spread. A little bit of spread is a good thing.
- Cornstarch: Why? Cornstarch gives the cookies that ultra soft consistency we all love. Plus, it helps keep the cookies beautifully thick. We use the same trick when making shortbread cookies.
- Egg yolk: Another way to promise a super chewy chocolate chip cookie is to use an extra egg yolk. The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and binds the dough. You will need 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature. See the recipe Notes for how to bring your eggs to room temperature quickly.
The dough will be soft and the chocolate chips may not stick because of the melted butter. Just keep stirring it; I promise it will come together. Because of the melted butter and extra egg yolk, the slick dough doesn’t even look like normal cookie dough! Trust the process…
The most important step is next.
2 Major Success Tips
1. Chill the dough. Chilling the cookie dough is so important in this recipe! Unless you want the cookies to spread into a massive cookie puddle, chilling the dough is mandatory here. It allows the ingredients to settle together after the mixing stage but most importantly: cold dough results in thicker cookies. Cover the cookie dough and chill for at least 2–3 hours and even up to 3–4 days.
After chilling, the dough is quite solid, so let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (to soften it up slightly) before shaping. (No time to chill? Make these soft & chewy chocolate chip cookie bars instead!)
- Further reading: How to Prevent Cookies from Spreading
2. Roll the cookie dough balls extra tall. After the dough has chilled, scoop out a ball of dough that’s 3 Tablespoons for XL cookies or about 2 heaping Tablespoons (1.75 ounces or 50g) for medium/large cookies. I usually use this medium cookie scoop and make it a heaping scoop. But making the cookie dough balls tall and textured, rather than wide and smooth, is my tried-and-true trick that results in thick and textured-looking cookies. We’re talking thick bakery-style cookies with wrinkly, textured tops. Your cookie dough should look less like balls and more like, well, lumpy columns, LOL.
Watch the video below to see how I shape them. I also demonstrate how I use a spoon to reshape them during baking if I see they’re spreading too much.
Another Success Tip: When you remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator, the dough may be slightly crumbly. Scooping and then shaping it with warm hands keeps it intact.
Tools I Recommend for This Recipe
I’ve tested many baking tools and these are the exact products I use, trust, and recommend to readers. You’ll need most of these tools when making sugar cookies and snickerdoodles, too!
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Sheets
- Medium Cookie Scoop
- Cooling Racks
- See More: Best Cookie Baking Tools and 8 Must-Have Baking Pans
Can I Freeze This Cookie Dough?
Yes, absolutely. After chilling, sometimes I roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze them in a large zipped-top bag. Then I bake them straight from the freezer, keeping them in the oven for an extra minute. This way you can bake just a couple of cookies whenever the craving hits. (The chewy chocolate chip cookie craving is a hard one to ignore.)
If you’re curious about freezing cookie dough, here’s my How to Freeze Cookie Dough page.
Facebook member Leigh commented: These are the only CC cookies I’ve made for years (and this recipe is how I came to be such a fan of SBA!) This recipe worked great when I lived in Denver and had issues with baking at altitude, and it’s still our favorite now that we’re back at sea level. I usually make 4x-6x batches and freeze tons of cookie balls to bake later.
In Short, Here Are the Secrets to Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies.
- Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie.
- An extra egg yolk increases chewiness.
- Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness. It’s a trick we use for cake batter chocolate chip cookies, too.
- Using melted butter (and slightly more flour to counteract the liquid) increases chewiness.
- Chilling the dough results in a thicker cookie.
Q: Have you baked a batch before?
Print
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 22 minutes
- Yield: 16 XL cookies or 20 medium/large cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These super soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are the most popular cookie recipe on my website for good reason. Melted butter, more brown sugar than white sugar, cornstarch, and an extra egg yolk guarantee the absolute chewiest chocolate chip cookie texture. The cookie dough is slick and requires chilling prior to shaping the cookies. Review recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, melted & cooled 5 minutes*
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract. The mixture will be thin. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, thick, and appear greasy. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them.
- Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours or up to 3 days. I highly recommend chilling the cookie dough overnight for less spreading.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Using a cookie scoop or Tablespoon measuring spoon, measure 3 scant Tablespoons (about 2 ounces, or 60g) of dough for XL cookies or 2 heaping Tablespoons (about 1.75 ounces, or 50g) of dough for medium/large cookies. Roll into a ball, making sure the shape is taller rather than wide—almost like a cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 8–9 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. (XL cookies can take closer to 14 minutes.) The centers will look very soft, but the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. This is optional and only for looks. After 10 minutes of cooling on the baking sheets, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 5. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Cornstarch: If you don’t have cornstarch, you can leave it out. The cookies are still very soft.
- Butter: Avoid letting the melted butter cool for too long otherwise your dough will be crumbly instead of soft (and your cookies will end up too puffy). You want it still a little warm. Salted butter can be used instead. Reduce salt in the cookie dough to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Egg & Egg Yolk: Room temperature egg + egg yolk are best. Typically, if a recipe calls for room temperature or melted butter, it’s good practice to use room temperature eggs as well. To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, simply place the whole eggs into a glass of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Can I add nuts or different add-ins? Yes, absolutely. As long as the total amount of add-ins is around 1 – 1 and 1/4 cups, you can add anything including chopped nuts, M&Ms, white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, chopped peanut butter cups, etc. I love them with 3/4 cup (135g) butterscotch morsels and 1/2 cup (100g) Reese’s Pieces. You could even add 1/2 cup (80g) sprinkles to make a sprinkle chocolate chip cookie.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Keywords: chocolate chip cookies
Oh they’re perfect. I can’t believe how chewy and delicious these turned out and I live at an apartment with a kind of inconsistent oven so I was worried they wouldn’t turn out correctly, but everything was perfect. I weighed everything and I think that was the best way to do this for me personally. Thank you for this great recipe.
★★★★★
How would I modify the recipe if I wanted to make it chocolate?
Hi Debi, we recommend these double chocolate chip cookies instead — same great chewy texture!
My cookies did not melt at all, instead they puffed up like as if they were biscuits. I don’t know what happened. I followed your recipe exactly as written. Could it be I did not add enough sugar? I wanted my cookies to be less sweet so I did not add the 1/2 of white sugar. Could this be it? I think it was.
Hi Jennifer, sugar plays an important role in the texture and structure of a cookie (in addition to taste), so the reduction could certainly be the cause of the results. We recommend following the recipe as written for best results!
I accidentally added too much flour but they still turned out great
The dough was very hard after taking out of the fridge but I saved it by adding a little avocado oil and putting in the microwave for a few seconds so I could incorporate. I love a chewy, large cookie, and I like that you don’t have to use a mixer. I’ll be making this again. Thank you!
★★★★★
This is my new favorite recipe. Love these cookies. Everything thing I have made has been fantastic …
★★★★★
I made one massive sheet pan of these cookies and then froze the rest in pre-rolled balls. Now, whenever I want one I can pop one in the oven for a little treat!
★★★★★
I used guittard chocolate chips and these came out exactly like Crumbl chocolate chip cookies! Very yummy.
★★★★★
These cookies are great, it works amazing with other toppings. I added some toasted pecans and they. are. so. good. Follow every step , read the notes, I swear they will be perfect. Family is wowed with the cookies, these want to make me cry with joy.
Don’t look as great as pictured but really good if you follow ALL the directions.
★★★★
I am 68 years old and have made tons of chocolate chip cookies over the years but was never thrilled with the consistency. They were always flat and crunchy. I have been searching for this cookie my whole life. I made them yesterday after leaving in the frig overnight. I followed the recipe exactly except for adding a cup of chopped pecans. OMG! They are still soft a day later. I will never use another recipe again. THANK YOU!
★★★★★
I did not love this receipe! THE COOKIES PUFFED UP AND LOOKED MORE LIKE A MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIE! I SMASHED THEM DOWN WITH A FORK AND BAKED THEM A COUPLE MINUTES MORE. THEY JUST DIDN’T TASTE VERY GOOD EITHER-LUCKY i WAS OUT OF CORN STARCH OR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN DRIER! I BELIEVE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BUTTER IN THIS RECEIPE. VERY DISSAPPOINTED.
I love all the cookie recipes I’ve tried thus far. I would like to know how I can safely double the recipes?
★★★★
Hi Jen, Thank you for trying these recipes! You can double the recipe so long as your mixer can handle the added volume. Much more than that, and we’d recommend separate batches for best results.
My dough turned out dry and crumbly. I added a 1/4 cup of Christmas M&M’s and reduced the chocolate chips to 1 cup. I chilled it for about 3 hours. I’m wondering if I let the melted bitter cool too long. I timed it for 5 minutes. I was still able to work with the dough, and the first batch is baking now. Hopefully they turn out okay. .
Hi Courtney, We wonder if your butter solidified too much after melting. If so, the dough will be crumbly. Make sure it’s still melted. And how did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Wonderful recipe! Didn’t change a thing. The best batch I’ve ever made, thank you!
★★★★★
Can I use salted butter as that’s all I have on hand . We are in the middle of a snow blizzard ..
Also, my combined ingredients are very thick unlike your video… am I doing something wrong
Hi Amy, if using salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1/8 teaspoon. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level or use a scale so that the flour isn’t over measured. That can make the batter thicker/drier than intended.
Hi sally, my cookies turned out delicious.
They were not flat and pretty like yours tho mine stayed really thick which is ok they tasted great but I’m just curious if you know why they may not have flattened out.
Hi Leah, When cookies don’t spread it’s often because there is too much flour in the dough soaking up the wet ingredients. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level or use a food scale for the most accurate measurements.
Sally, Sally, SALLY!!!!!! This recipe is outstanding! For me, a cookie no only has to taste great, but has to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye once baked. This cookie recipe meets all of my required criteria. Absolutely amazing. I tried it for the first time this week and I was overwhelmed with the results. BRAVA to you and thank you!
★★★★★
Best recipe. I make these all the time and everyone loves them!
★★★★★
I just made them and they are so delicious!! Thank you!
★★★★★
How would I do it if I want to use a cookie cutter?
Hi Victoria! This dough wouldn’t work well for cookie cutters. You could add mini chocolate chips to our favorite roll out sugar cookie dough, though!
Hello !! I buy all the ingredients but I buy baking powder instead of baking soda. Is there any difference?
Thank you:)
Hello! Baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable in baking recipes. You can read more about the difference between the two in this post!
So good! I have searched for a perfect CCC recipe for awhile, and this is it. Super chewy, I was surprised and delighted to find that cornstarch really helps. I recommend chilling for an hour and a half.
★★★★★
I questioned the temperature you bake these cookies in, but they turned out delicious. This recipe will be my go to when I want chocolate chip cookies!
★★★★★
Wonderful recipe! Wonderful chewy chocolate chip cookies with a golden soft crunch on the bottom. I chilled my dough overnight and it definitely adds to the flavor. This is now a staple in my kitchen!
★★★★★
My cookie dough came out crumbly. Any idea why? I double checked all my measurements and they were exact.
Hi Sara, How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I find this extremely oily and dense. I like a cookie with some crispness around the edge and bottom from tiny air pockets that form. It didn’t happen with these. The flavour is acceptable and they are soft enough. I found the recipe by searching for the “ best”but this doesn’t suit me well.
★★★
Hi Janet! Perhaps your cookies were a bit under-baked? For a crispy chocolate chip cookie, you may love our crispy chocolate chip cookies recipe as well.
How long to you chill the dough? It is not in the recipe
Thanks
Hi Bari, see step 3: Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours or up to 3 days. Enjoy!
I like to chill it for and hour and 45 minutes.
★★★★★
I’m bummed! We have searched high and low for the ultimate soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe for years! I tried this recipe exactly as it was (never saw cornstarch before in a cookie recipe). They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside right after we made them, but just a short time later, they are hard and crunchy. The taste is fine. But, I wouldn’t label this recipe as “chewy”.
★
Hi Deb! They should stay for for days, perhaps yours were a bit over-baked? Try a minute or two less in the oven next time.
Hi! Do you think it would be ok to add some chopped marachino cherries to this recipe to make them cherry chocolate chip cookies for Christmas? Love your blog!
Hi Lana, since maraschino cherries would add liquid to the dough, it would likely take some tweaking of the recipe to get best results. Instead, you might enjoy one of these cherry-based holiday cookies instead! White Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies, Cherry Almond Shortbread, Chocolate Cherry Blossoms, or Santa’s Whiskers.
Can you use brown butter?
You can use brown butter, yes, and the flavor is outstanding! But they can be a little more crumbly using brown butter — we suggest using our recipe for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
I have been using this recipe for years from your blog! It’s a staple in our house. They come out thick, chewy, soft. So delicious! I usually chill the dough overnight for best taste but I have done just 2-3 hours and it works too! These cookies are the best and I’m always asked for “my recipe” and I send them right to your blog!
★★★★★
Ok so overall this recipe is great. However the first batch I did it felt like it was a bit airy. So I did 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup white sugar and 1 cup of room temperature butter. The taste was great. Spot on for how I like them. However I made them a bit smaller but they got really thin. Should I try adding a 1/4 cup of flour?
Hi Robert, Increasing the butter and both sugars would certainly make for a thinner cookie dough that spreads too much. For the best results we suggest sticking to the recipe which has a better ratio of wet to dry ingredients. These should be dense and chewy cookies. If you cookies were airy as written it’s possible that you may have over beaten the wet ingredients or over measured the flour (be sure to spoon and level or weigh the flour).
Hi! Starting this recipe out today. Can I use cookie cutters for them instead of making balls? Or will that make them too hard?
Hi Lisa, this dough is not ideal for cookie cutters — they will not hold their shape. You could try these sugar cookies and add some mini chocolate chips to them.