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Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies – These thick, chewy, and soft chocolate chip cookies are everything a cookie should be—crispy edges, gooey centers, and loaded with melty chocolate chips. Cookie perfection in every bite!
If you’re chasing the ultimate chocolate chip cookie, this thick, chewy, and soft version is it. With just the right balance of golden edges and soft, gooey centers, these cookies are everything you love about a bakery-style treat. But you can make them right at home in no time.
These cookies are rich, indulgent, and loaded with melty chocolate chips, making them the perfect go-to for satisfying any sweet tooth. There are a few keys to making the perfect thick, soft and chewy cookie. But they are still simple and easy just like cookie recipes should be.
The key to making soft chocolate chip cookies? Cornstarch. There is something it does in the batter that just leaves them soft, they bake up thicker and they are perfectly chewy. The key to making thick cookies? Chilling the dough, plenty of flour and chocolate! The cookies need structure to stay thick.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in baking
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Chocolate Chips – you can use any variety that you like, mini chocolate chips mean more chocolate in each bite though!
How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream. Using an electric mixer cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes, and you might need to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Beat. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat the mixture until the egg is fully incorporated.
- Dry Ingredients. Next add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. You can mix until it is just barely combined. You want the white flour streaks to just disappear, but not to over mix or the cookies will lose their soft texture.
- Chocolate. Add in the chocolate chips and use a spatula to incorporate them.
- Scoop. Scoop balls of dough, how big you make your cookies is entirely up to you. I like to use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, but you can make them smaller or larger.
- Chill. Arrange the balls of dough onto a baking sheet, they can be touching, you aren’t baking them on the baking sheet. And chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- Bake. Preheat the oven, arrange balls of dough on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers appear just barely set.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to cool before removing.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Mix-Ins. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate, milk chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, white chocolate and more are all equally delicious. You can top with M&M’s to make them festive. Use a combo of chocolate….literally anything you want works!
- Base Recipe. You can use this as a base recipe for just about anything. Skillet Cookie is delicious with this cookie recipe. Or you can bake them into bars if you don’t want to shape a bunch of individual cookies. S’mores Cookie Bars start with this recipe as do Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars. Lots of possibilities.
- Chilling Dough. This is an annoying step, I get it. You can absolutely skip it and bake the cookies right away. But for the best results you really do want to chill the dough. This allows the butter to solidify some, the flavors to combine, and you just get a better taste and texture.
- Chocolate Chips. I love using mini chocolate chips in cookies. You get more chocolate in each bite!
Storage
After your cookies have cooled you can store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezing
Chocolate Chip Cookies are super easy to freeze. Just store in an airtight container for a few months. Take one out whenever a craving strikes and it will thaw on the counter quickly.
Freezing Dough – Once you have scooped the balls of dough onto a baking sheet and can place the baking sheet into the freezer for a couple of hours. Once the balls of dough are frozen you can transfer to a freezer safe storage container. They will last in the freezer for up to 6 months. Then you can bake fresh cookies whenever you want! Just add a minute to the baking time.
More Must Make Cookie Recipes
- Cookie Dough Cookies
- Chocolate Snowball Cookies
- Cake Batter Cookies
- Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Strawberry Cookies
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a stand mixer cream butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix until everything is combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.3/4 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Mix in the egg and vanilla and blend until the egg is fully incorporated.1 whole large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt and mix until everything is just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- Scoop golf ball size balls of dough onto a baking sheet. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. The longer you chill the thicker and more developed the taste will be of the cookies.
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edge are just golden brown. The center will appear dry but still a little underdone.
- Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Is it necessary to line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat, or spray with a baking spray like Pam? Thanks!
Please excuse me if this is a stupid question . This will be my first time baking anything as I lost my wife a year ago and she did it ALL and so much more , dear God I miss her so ! Anyway she did not have a stand alone mixer ? Can I use the old fashioned hand mixer I pray ? By the way Erin , I am using your recipes to learn how to cook as I refuse to eat garbage out ! I have loved everyone I have tried ! The friends I have left are SHOCKED when I tell them what I am eating and more so that I cooked it ! God Bless You and thank you for what you do it REALLY HELPS someone like me ! Mark
I am so sorry it has taken me so long to respond, but yes you can absolutely use a hand mixer. I am so glad that my recipes are helping you and you enjoy them. Messages like this totally make this job worth it!
Is the brown sugar packed? Thank you!!
Yes, brown sugar, unless otherwise noted in a recipe is always packed. Enjoy!
Is it possible to update recipe to include packed. Because not saying packd essentially says its not or it would have said so. I’m not a novice baker. Love Love this recipe!!
Brown sugar is measured packed in every recipe out there – you can read this article https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/bake/how-to-measure-sugar/
So if you see a recipe say “packed” it is redundant, because that is just how it is measured. Hope that helps you with this recipe and others that you try!
Suggestion on a gluten free version, for the best flour to use? Theses sound awesome, I would love to make them for myself,
A gluten free all-purpose flour like the Cup 4 Cup brand works great
Wonderful, I happen to keep this specific flour on hand for my favorite muffins and quick breads. Gluten free baking can be challenging and trial and error’s in my experience. I appreciate your suggestion and quick response. I am excited to make these and follow up on my results!
Can I add cocoa powder to the recipe and make them a double chocolate chip cookie?
Yes, I would just cut down on the flour a little bit to compensate or they will be dry.