If you like soft, chewy cookies, these thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies are for you. Brown sugar and higher oven temperature is the secret to thick, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies every time.
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With all the baking I do, I know that there are a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there. This one, in particular, makes super soft, chewy, thick cookies that are exactly what I look for in a cookie.
The ingredients are similar compared to all of the other recipes, but the secret to achieving the perfect combination of thick, soft, and chewy is in the type of sugar used in this recipe and the perfect cookie baking temperature.
The end result is what I consider the perfect thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie. I definitely belong to the soft and chewy crowd and if you do too, you’re going to love this recipe!
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Why You’ll Love These Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Perfect Trifecta: This cookie recipe brings together what I consider the ideal finished cookie form — soft, thick, and chewy. It’s a classic favorite cookie type for pretty much all cookie fans.
- Pantry Ingredients: Since I keep these ingredients stocked in my fridge and pantry at all times, this is an easy cookie recipe to throw together even at the last minute. If needed, switch out the type of chips used and change up or leave out the nuts entirely.
- Easy Recipe: I love basic recipes because after you make them a couple of times you can practically do it in your sleep! These cookies come together so quickly, and you can have the first round of finished cookies ready to munch in less than 30 minutes.
🍪 When in doubt about what treat to take to a gathering, I’m always confident that homemade chocolate chip cookies will please the masses!
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Pecans
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve made chocolate chip cookies before, the steps in this recipe will look familiar.
Step 1: Before you get started, take out the butter and let it come up to room temperature.
Pro Tip: To bring your butter to room temperature faster, slice it into tablespoons and put it in your bowl to warm up while you’re measuring your other ingredients.
Step 2: As in most recipes, you’ll start by combining the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Then, I like to use my stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar together. This should take about 2 minutes. You’ll know the creaming is done when the butter is light and fluffy.
If you don’t have a paddle attachment or a stand mixer, you can get the job done with a hand mixer or by hand, it will just take a little longer and a little more elbow grease.
Step 4: Combine everything together and fold in the chocolate chips. You can also add nuts here if you like. I like pecans, but walnuts would also be great.
Step 5: At this point, you can chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. This helps keep the cookies from spreading out as much when you bake them, but it’s not required for perfectly chewy cookies.
Step 6: When you’re ready to bake, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet. I love using this #40 disher to scoop perfectly sized cookies. Each cookie is about 1.5 tablespoons of dough.
Step 7: Bake until the cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center, 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.
Take the cookies out of the oven 1 or 2 minutes before the cookies are cooked, as they will continue to cook on the baking pans.
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely before serving.
Recipe FAQs
No, brown sugar is an absolute must for this recipe! Brown sugar has a higher moisture content than granulated sugar, which helps keep your homemade cookies thick and chewy rather than thin and crispy. Plus, the brown sugar helps these cookies brown up faster. That means that even with our shorter cooking time, the cookies gain their signature toasted brown color on top.
Absolutely! Both the dough and baked cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag.
This usually happens when the butter is too soft. Try chilling the dough for 20-30 minutes before baking, and make sure your baking sheets are cool between batches.
Expert Tips
- Room Temp: Room temperature ingredients are crucial – set out your butter and eggs at least an hour before baking.
- Tender Cookies: Don’t overmix once you add the flour – this keeps your cookies tender and prevents them from becoming tough.
- Perfect Size: Use a cookie scoop if you have one – it ensures even sizing and perfectly round cookies.
- How Long To Bake Cookies: The 1-2 minute early removal from the oven is crucial for achieving that perfect chewy texture. Trust the process, even if they look slightly underdone!
Storing Chocolate Chip Cookies
Store your chocolate chip cookies in a Ziploc bag at room temperature.
Like most cookies, thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies stay fresh longer if frozen. If you’re not planning to inhale all the cookies within a day or two, let the cookies cool fully before storing them in a sealed container in the freezer. They’ll keep for several months.
I like to let them defrost on the counter for a few hours, or overnight, before serving.
My Other Favorite Chewy Cookie Recipes to Try
Chocolate chip aren’t the only recipe for thick and chewy cookies! Try these other popular cookie recipes:
- Fudgy Chocolate Sixlet Cookies are always a winner on Valentine’s Day, but I love them all year long.
- Chocolate Marshmallow Surprise Cookies are fudgy and brownie-like with a gooey and soft marshmallow on top. And don’t forget the chocolate icing!
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies take the choc chip cookies up a notch, adding a special twist to make them taste especially delicious.
More Amazing Cookie Recipes to Try
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Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar, on medium speed, until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture; mix just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using. (Optional: cover dough and chill 20 – 30 minutes.)
- Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto baking pans. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center, 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.
- Take the cookies out of the oven 1 or 2 minutes before the cookies are cooked, as they will continue to cook on the baking pans.
- Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely before serving.
Video
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients are crucial – set out your butter and eggs at least an hour before baking.
- Don’t overmix once you add the flour – this keeps your cookies tender and prevents them from becoming tough.
- Use a cookie scoop if you have one – it ensures even sizing and perfectly round cookies.
- The 1-2 minute early removal from the oven is crucial for achieving that perfect chewy texture. Trust the process, even if they look slightly underdone!
Bailey
I just used a different recipe (a favorite) for chocolate chip cookies, but used this recipe and added walnuts and fresh cranberries- Outstanding! What the angels eat, I know it. So delicate, so…very yummy. Will buy more eggs tomorrow because I have to make the chocolate chip cookies again with this recipe. Thank you, thank you! More than worth breaking a diet for!
Diane Behr
I haven’t made a perfect chocolate chip cookie like this ever! Perfect! I will never use another chocolate chip cookie recipe again. Thanks for sharing!
Barbara Schieving
Now that’s a rave review – thanks Diane!!!
A Rare Rose
I baked the first pan as directed – 400 degrees. I have a gas oven. The bottoms were too dark. I lined aluminum cookie sheets with parchment paper. So next pan I tried 350 degrees. Had to bake longer and they were nicely browned on the bottom but the tops were a little pale. Next pan was the best at 375 degees. Maybe my oven runs hotter than most but for me 375 worked the best.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing your experience. You can also try moving your rack up higher in the oven to avoid too much browning on the bottom of cookies.
Bruce
These cookies are delicious and very easy to make. I weighed each cookie so they would be the same size–I used 35g+- and cooked them at 400F for aprox. 7 min at 400F.
They are wonderfully soft and chewy! This will be my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe going forward.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Bruce! So smart to weigh the dough.
Lizzy
These cookies look so good i really can’t wait to try them out. I have looked at so many of your recipes and they all look so delicious. Thank you for sharing all your recipes.
🙂 Lizzy
2 Sisters Recipes
OK, you had me with the cinnamon roll cake, now we are drooling over these cookies! Have a Great Day!!
Jennifer Collins
Looking for a oatmeal recipe that doesn’t have shortening.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Jennifer – this is my absolute favorite oatmeal cookie recipe https://www.barbarabakes.com/cherry-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-toffee-cookies/ and these are a close second https://www.barbarabakes.com/white-chocolate-cranberry-oatmeal/ Enjoy!
Stephanie
Hi Barbara! These look so perfect. How long do you suggest creaming the sugar and butter together for?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Stephanie – it really depends on how soft your butter is, but 2 to 3 minutes generally. Enjoy!
Craig Waterman
K
I have not tried them yet but this weekend seems perfect. My problem is that I have to make small cookies I need them to cook at 350 for no more that 10 min for a special ingredient. Do you think this would even try and waste all the product? Thanks I can smell them cooking already.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Craig – yes, they’ll still be great at the lower temperature.
Helen
These cookies were soooo good. I had to almost double the baking time as they were not cooked after 10 minutes. The 2nd batch I raised the temp to 400F and baked for 12 min and they were perfect. I have calibrated my oven so I know the temp is correct. I also made them smaller (1 Tbsp size) so they would cook all the way through. Thanks.
Tracy
What size scoop did you use for these cookies? I want to use a scoop marked 18-8, I think it is a tablespoon. Would you bake for the same amount of time? Want to make them smaller for cookie table at my daughter’s wedding.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tracy – the scoop I almost always use for cookies is a #40 http://amzn.to/2h9gPYt which holds approximately 1.5 tablespoons of dough. If you make them smaller, you will want to reduce the cook time a minute or two. I love the idea of a cookie table. Best wishes to the bride and groom!