Even soft chocolate chip cookie lovers will reach for these crispy chocolate chip cookies. Crackly and buttery, you’ll love the satisfying crunch you get in every bite. They’re so irresistible that it’s almost impossible to eat just one.
Crispy vs. Chewy: The Different Types of Chocolate Chip Cookies
All chocolate chip cookies – whether they’re soft, chewy, or crispy – are made from the same ingredients. It is the ratio of ingredients and a few simple modifications that create the textural differences. Let’s take a look at some of our chocolate chip cookie recipes and how the proportion of ingredients can make or break your cookie. (Literally!)
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies: Creamed butter, cornstarch, and a higher ratio of brown sugar to white work together to achieve this cookie’s perfect melt-in-your-mouth softness.
- Chewy chocolate chip cookies: Melted butter, an extra egg yolk, and more brown sugar than white sugar will help you bake a supremely chewy cookie. The melted butter is the secret to this dense, indulgent treat.
- Crispy-edged chocolate chip cookies from Sally’s Cookie Addiction cookbook (page 26): Milk plus a higher ratio of white sugar to brown help create the spread needed for a crispier cookie. The creamed butter and sugar create a soft and light center. These are the perfect blend of soft, chewy, and crispy. Definitely a favorite around here.
Tell Me About These Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Texture: For that pleasing buttery CRUNCH when you take a bite, let the cookies cool completely. The longer the cookies cool, the crispier they will be. I suggest using a cooling rack if you have one. It circulates air to the bottoms of cookies and, as a result, cools them quicker and more evenly.
- Flavor: Crispy chocolate chip cookie fans will love the rich, buttery flavor contrasted with sweet chocolate chips in every bite.
- Ease: This quick and easy recipe makes a lot of cookies in a short amount of time. Perfect for no-fuss bakers who want big flavor without a big mess.
- Time: Unlike many cookie doughs, chilling isn’t required (see Note), so this recipe comes together in minutes. Here are all of our cookie recipes without dough chilling.
Recipe Testing Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies: What Works & What Doesn’t
Chocolate chip cookies can turn out differently depending on a few different factors, particularly the proportion of ingredients. Every ingredient has a job to do. That’s cookie science! The good news is that as long as you know which type of cookie you want, you can learn how to make it successfully each and every time. Here are the secrets to making a crispy chocolate chip cookie:
- Melted butter. Creaming butter and sugar together, like you do for most cake recipes, aerates the cookie dough, creating a softer, fluffier cookie. Since we crave a crispy cookie here, we’re using melted butter instead. Melted butter = a chewy and dense center.
- Sugars. Since brown sugar is soft, we want to use more white sugar for a crispy cookie.
- Milk. Just like melted butter, milk helps the cookies spread in the oven which produces crispier edges.
- Honey. This natural sweetener crisps and melts in the oven, creating a crackly top on your cookie. If you don’t have honey, you can substitute light corn syrup instead.
- Egg yolk. One egg yolk adds richness and structure but leave out the egg white. Why? Egg whites fluff up when beaten or whisked. We want to avoid the fluff in this crispy cookie
- Smaller cookies, hotter oven. Roll the cookies smaller and bake at a higher temperature so the whole cookie crisps up perfectly.
To Chill or Not to Chill?
It’s entirely up to you – baker’s choice! The first time I made these cookies, I chilled the cookie dough for my usual 2 hours, and the cookies had a lovely crisp edge with a chewy center. They were delicious but tasted like my soft chocolate chip cookies. I wanted something different: a thinner cookie with an overall crunch so I continued testing the recipe. Here’s what I discovered:
- No chilling: For thin and mega-crispy cookies, skip chilling the dough entirely.
- Chill for 1 hour: For cookies that are a little thicker, have a little chew and a lot of crisp, chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Chill for 2+ hours: For thicker cookies with less crisp, chill the dough for 2 hours or longer.
I appreciate that this cookie recipe works all 3 ways.
More Cookie Recipes
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crisp Molasses Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: 32-36 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Crispy chocolate chip cookies with a satisfying crunch. With their crackly tops, crisp buttery edges, and overflow of chocolate chips– I have a feeling even soft chocolate chip cookie fans will get a kick out of these.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 Tablespoons (145g) unsalted butter, melted + slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey or light corn syrup
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- See step 4. If not chilling the cookie dough, preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and mix everything together until completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. (You can use a mixer for this step if needed.) Dough will be soft.
- For thin and crisp cookies, do not chill the cookie dough and proceed with step 5. For slightly thicker and crisp cookies, cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour then preheat the oven. For slightly thicker cookies with soft centers and crisp edges, cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours then preheat the oven.
- Roll cookie dough into balls, 1 scant Tablespoon of dough per cookie, and arrange 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until browned on top and around the sides.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies crisp up as they cool.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Cookies stay fresh lightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature, preheat the oven, then continue with step 5. Keep in mind that cookies are the thinnest and crispiest when baked right away. 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.
- Special Tools: Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silpat Baking Mat | Baking Sheet | Cooling Rack
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Keywords: crispy chocolate chip cookies
I really wanted to love these cookies but they were disappointing. Instead of crisp thin cookies I ended up with a batch of rounded lumps that are a bit tough and dry. I followed the recipe EXACTLY and don’t know why these were not as promised. I’m not a novice baker (have worked as a pastry chef) so I don’t think the problem can be attributed to “user error “. Sorry, Sally, but this recipe is a fail, at least for me.
This recipe didn’t work for me and I’m a very experienced baker. The dough was dryish and crumbly and didn’t spread at all when I baked it. I didn’t chill it. I expected a flatter, crispy cookie but had to resort to pressing each cookie with a spoon to flatten it somewhat. They certainly aren’t very appealing looking.
★★
Can I substitute coconut oil for the butter in this recirpe?
Hi Peg, I haven’t tested this cookie recipe with coconut oil but you can certainly give it a try.
I made this recipe and the cookies turned out great – honestly the best cookies I have ever made! I had never heard of a scant tablespoon before so ended up doing too much per cookie and they all spread into each other. I managed to save the situation by using a round cutter and putting it into the dough as soon as it came out of the oven. This made perfectly round cookies and once they cooled I could easily pull away the cookie and eat the scraps!
★★★★★
I’ve just tried this recipe, I didn’t get it as crispy as I would like, but I LOVE the flavor. And that little bit of honey added a different flavor that I quite like. This recipe is going permanently into my arsenal. Thanks!!!
★★★★
I made these cookies for my boyfriend, who loves crispy cookies (he really likes crispy/burnt anything!). My kids and I really love chewy/soft cookies so I’ve never tried this recipe until today. I used Nestle’s new espresso chips in them and they are so good! Crispy, crunchy but not hard as a rock! The espresso chips are phenomenal in these! My boyfriend is going to love them!
★★★★★
Wonderful. I LOVE crispy cookies, so I was happy to find this recipe. I used dark maple syrup (the kind they don’t generally sell in stores) and a touch of molasses instead of honey/ corn syrup. The taste was sublime. But perhaps for this reason, or because it was a humid summer day, the cookies weren’t as crispy as I like, so I put them in a warm oven (170 degrees) on the rack for half an hour and kept them in there to cool. They were completely crunchy, just how I like them. This is the only chocolate chip cookie I will make from now on.
★★★★★
This recipe is great! I was at first hesitant about putting these in the oven due to the fact that the dough didn’t seem to stick together very well, but the cookies came out very crispy, my favorite texture! Would definitely recommend this to a friend.
I love these cookies. I sell them that’s how good they are!
★★★★★
I love this recipe! Followed the recipe to a T and cookies turned out perfectly crisp and crunchy. I love how easy it is too, no mixer needed and cleanup is a breeze with just two bowls!
★★★★★
This a question. not a comment.
I’m wondering whether I can add chopped walnuts to this.
Sure can! I recommend about 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts.
Hi Sally. I made these cookies last Saturday and they were gone the same day. I didn’t have to worry about keeping them crispy. They’re like potato chips…you just can’t eat one. Big hit with the teenagers. Thank you for another great recipe.
★★★★★
My 7 year old daughter and I made these cookies last night and they were amazing. We both agree that they’re the best chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever had.
Secret ingredient = honey!
★★★★★
I made these tonight. After reading reviews i pressed down the dough balls before baking and they were perfect! Crispy yet soft. My new favorite chocolate chip cookie!
★★★★★
Hi sally, may i know what type of milk do u use? Is it full cream milk?
★★★★★
Usually whole milk. 🙂
These have great texture Sally! Very easy to make. I chilled the cookie dough. Great cookie recipe!
★★★★★
Just what I was hoping for! A nice, crisp cookie that can be made in minutes.
★★★★★
Very easy and good chocolate chip cookie. I wonder how it would be without the honey. Thanks
★★★★★
Absolutely delicious! Love the crisp and the hint of honey to them too!
Will definitely be making these again.
★★★★★
I made this recipe and didn’t freeze the dough but they didn’t come out crispy, they barely spread out and are chewy. Not sure what happened.
Hi Sally! I’ve made several different chocolate chip cookie recipes before, and something that’s been happening lately is that the bottoms/edges of the cookies brown quickly while the tops and centers of the cookies are still very light in color and doughy. I worry that cooking them longer will burn them, but I don’t want to serve raw cookies either… do you have any ideas on why this happens and how to fix it?
Hi Molly! The best way to fix that is to lower your oven temperature. Try lowering to 325F and baking for a couple extra minutes. The lower temperature will help cook the cookies a little more evenly.
I tried out this recipe and it turned out great! The cookies turned out different than I expected, but it was even better than I wanted. I refrigerated the cookies for an hour and baked them for 13 minutes because I made them slightly bigger. At first, I thought I over cooked them, but after they cooled and I tried them, I was very pleased. They have an amazing taste, and personally, I don’t like soft and chewy cookies, so these were very good. They taste almost like Chips Ahoy cookies, the really crunchy ones, except thicker. I have tried a lot of your recipes including your blueberry muffins and they are all great!
★★★★★
I saw your Dark chocolate cranberry almond cookies and would love to make this recipe, but I
I love crispy cookies not thick. Is is possible to add cranberries & almonds to this recipe and not mess it up?
Thank you for the info I your recipes
Hi Susan! You can replace the chocolate chips with cranberries and almonds, yes.
Hi Sally, I made these and the breakfast cookies today and they were both great! Thanks for sharing a crispy cookie recipe, my family loves cripsy chocolate chip cookies so when I saw the recipe I knew I had to make them. I will definitely make them again. Love that every single one of the recipes I make from your blog are winners 🙂
Sooo delicious! And adorably small! May have eaten two… or three. I love how all your recipes turn out exactly like the picture. Thanks for sharing!
I just made these and they are perfect! I did the chill for one hour method and they are just the right amount of crispy! Thanks for the great recipe!