Chewy chocolate cookies have claimed the top spot as the most popular recipe. The secret? Melted butter, a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar, cornstarch, and an extra egg yolk, all combine to create the chewiest texture imaginable. If you are yearning for a big, thick, bakery-style cookie with a soft and chewy center, this recipe is your go-to!
Chocolate chip cookie recipes abound, with everyone having their favorite. But for me, this one takes the cake—or cookie, as it were. A quick look at the hundreds of glowing reviews in the comments section reveals that many others agree! If you asked me which recipe to keep tucked away in your apron pocket, this would be it. (Along with a classic cut-out sugar cookie and a flaky pie crust recipe, of course!) Just browse through the posts in our Facebook group—these cookies are adored by all. But be warned: they vanish quickly.
Chewy Chocolate Cookies are my best
– The chewiest of chewy and the softest of soft.
It’s extra thick, just like my favorite peanut butter cookies!
– Bakery-style BIG.
– Overflowing with chocolate.
I meticulously tested this cookie recipe over and over to ensure they were perfect. These Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies still hold a special place in my heart (and stomach), but today’s version takes the chewiness to a new level.
Key Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
The dough is built from the usual suspects: flour, leavening agents, salt, sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla. But it’s the ratios and the temperature of these ingredients that make this recipe stand out.
– **Melted butter**: Using melted butter creates the chewiest cookies. While it can make the cookies greasy, I’ve balanced that with just the right flour. Plus, melted butter means no need for a mixer—just like with my pumpkin chocolate cookies and M&M cookie bars.
– **More brown sugar than white sugar**: The moisture in brown sugar guarantees an extra soft and chewy cookie. White sugar is still necessary, though—it’s drier and helps the cookies spread just a bit, which is a good thing.
– **Cornstarch**: This ingredient gives the cookies that ultra-soft texture we all crave. It also helps keep them thick, a trick I use in my shortbread cookies as well.
– **Egg yolk**: An extra egg yolk ensures a super chewy texture, adding richness and binding the dough together. You’ll need one egg plus an extra yolk, both at room temperature (check the recipe notes for a quick way to bring eggs to room temp).
The dough will be soft, and the chocolate chips might resist sticking due to the melted butter. Keep stirring—it will come together. Because of the butter and extra yolk, the dough might not look like typical cookie dough, but trust the process.
Major Success Tips
1. **Chill the dough**: Chilling the dough is crucial! Unless you want flat, spread-out cookies, chilling is non-negotiable. It allows the ingredients to meld and, most importantly, results in thicker cookies. Cover and chill the dough for at least 2–3 hours, or up to 3–4 days.
After chilling, the dough will be quite firm, so let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly before shaping. (No time to chill? Try making my soft & chewy chocolate chip cookie bars instead!)
2. **Roll the dough balls extra tall**: Once chilled, scoop out 3 tablespoons of dough for XL cookies, or about 2 heaping tablespoons (50g) for medium/large cookies. Make sure the dough balls are taller rather than wide—this trick creates thick, textured cookies with wrinkly tops. The dough should resemble lumpy columns more than smooth balls.
**Another Success Tip**: The dough might be slightly crumbly when you take it out of the fridge. Warm hands will help shape it and keep it intact.
### Tools I Recommend for This Recipe
After extensive testing, these are the baking tools I trust and recommend:
– Baking sheets
– Silicone baking mats or parchment paper
– Medium cookie scoop
– Cooling racks
Can I Freeze This Cookie Dough?
Absolutely! After chilling, you can roll the dough into balls and freeze them in a large zip-top bag. Bake straight from the freezer, adding an extra minute to the baking time. This way, you can satisfy that chewy chocolate chip cookie craving whenever it strikes—a craving that’s hard to ignore!
In Short, Here Are the Secrets to Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:
– Cornstarch helps produce 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 tall and lumpy gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness—a trick I also use for cake batter chocolate chip cookies.
– Using melted butter (and slightly more flour) increases chewiness.
– Chilling the dough results in thicker cookies, almost as thick as peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or their gluten-free counterparts, flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
Description
These super soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies have earned their place as the most popular recipe on my website for good reason. With melted butter, more brown sugar than white, cornstarch, and an extra egg yolk, they deliver the absolute chewiest texture. The dough is slick and requires chilling before shaping the cookies. Be sure to review the recipe notes before you begin.
Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- – 2 and 1/4 cups 280g all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- – 1 teaspoon baking soda
- – 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch*
- – 1/2 teaspoon salt
- – 3/4 cup 170g / 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted & cooled for 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
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk, then the vanilla extract. The mixture will be thin. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon or rubber spatula until combined. The dough will be soft, thick, and appear greasy. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips might resist sticking due to the melted butter, but keep at it—they’ll eventually mix in.
- Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours or up to 3 days. For best results, chill overnight to minimize spreading.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
- Preheat the 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, measure out 3 scant tablespoons (about 2 ounces or 60g) of dough for XL cookies, or 2 heaping tablespoons (about 1.75 ounces or 50g) for medium/large cookies. Roll into a ball, ensuring the shape is taller rather than wide, like a cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Repeat with remaining dough, placing 8–9 balls on each baking sheet.
- Bake for 12–13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. (XL cookies may take closer to 14 minutes.) The centers will appear very soft but will set as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, pressing a few extra chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies if desired. After 10 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies stay fresh and covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.