These HUGE, thick chocolate chip cookies are the kind you’d find front and center in a bakery case. My recipe takes just 15 minutes to prep before chilling and yields an incredible, gourmet chocolate chip cookie. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Bakery-Inspired Chocolate Chip Cookies
We’ve made giant and mini chocolate chip cookies, thin & crispy chocolate chip cookies, and even my best chocolate chip cookies… but these thick chocolate chip cookies are a first! Another gourmet-style cookie, these super thick and fat cookies are tender, soft, melt-in-your mouth, and oh-so-chocolatey.
They’re the sort you’d spy behind bakery glass and just wouldn’t be able to resist ordering one… or a dozen.
But before we get started, it’s so important that I note that while they are thick, these cookies are NOT cakey (dry, cakey cookies are unwelcome here!).
In order to achieve this tricky balance of melt-in-your-mouth-ness AND pillowy thickness, it’s very important you don’t accidentally overmeasure your flour, or your cookies could actually end up cakey. I recommend using a kitchen scale to be safe, but if you don’t have one of those (you should really get one), check out my post on how to (properly) measure flour!
What You Need
Most of these ingredients will be pretty familiar, but let’s chat about a few that can be customized to your liking:
- Brown sugar. You can use either light or dark brown sugar, or do what I do and use equal parts of each. Personally, I find that using all dark brown sugar yields a cookie that’s just a bit too rich.
- Cake flour. For someone who doesn’t stand for cakey cookies, I’ve found cake flour has made its way into an awful lot of my cookie recipes, recently. From my blueberry muffin cookies and coffee cake cookies to my Lofthouse cookies, I’ve found that, while not a typical cookie ingredient, cake flour contributes to the thick, tender texture we’re going for here. It creates a fine crumb that really does melt in your mouth. You can substitute all-purpose flour (instructions below), but the texture won’t be the same.
- Vanilla extract. I love using my homemade vanilla extract in these cookies. By the way… if you start making a batch of homemade vanilla now, it will be ready just in time for holiday baking 😉
- Chocolate. Chocolate chips work great (opt for semisweet), but I really enjoy using 8-10 oz of chopped dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate bars. The bars just melt nicer and leave varying sizes of chocolate throughout the dough.
- Cornstarch. Okay, this one isn’t customizable or negotiable, but it is highly important and therefore worth mentioning! Cornstarch helps with the thickness of these cookies (it prevents them from spreading too much) and their melt-in-your-mouth (I have repeated this phrase so often only because it is so relevant, I promise) tenderness. Don’t skip it!
SAM’S TIP: Add the dry ingredients gradually! If you add the flour all at once, you will have a tough time mixing everything together and your dough will be dryer and more difficult to work with than necessary (and this is already a stiff dough).
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream together the softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and stir well to combine.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet ingredients.
- Fold in the chocolate until thoroughly incorporated, then cover the dough and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Scoop ⅓-cup sized scoops onto a parchment lined baking sheets, spacing at least 2″ apart.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes at 375F or until the edges look slightly golden brown. The centers will still be a bit underdone and fragile when you remove them from the oven, so let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before enjoying.
SAM’S TIP: I use an ice cream scoop for this dough since we are going for huge chocolate chip cookies. You can always drop the dough right on the baking sheet, but I like to roll mine into smooth balls to make them more uniform first.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t let these cookies cool completely on their baking sheets, they will likely fall apart on you (they are super fragile while warm). This isn’t a bad thing, but it can be unexpected if you are were planning to enjoy the cookies right after baking!
Yes! This dough can stay tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dough might be a bit hard to scoop at first, so you can let it sit at room temperature for a bit to soften back up.
Unfortunately I don’t have a great substitute. I know sometimes bakers use tapioca starch and arrowroot powder instead, but I’m not sure how they would work here. If you do try either of these, please let me know how it goes for you!
Love these cookies? Try my thick peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies next!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Big Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar firmly packed (use light, dark, or a blend of the two)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups (450 g) cake flour (see note)
- 2 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cup (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips see note
Recommended Equipment
- Ice cream scoop
Instructions
- Combine butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to beat until light and well-creamed.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.4 cups (450 g) cake flour, 2 Tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until completely combined.
- Add chocolate chips and use a spatula to fold in until well distributed.2 cup (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Cover bowl and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- Once dough has chilled, uncover and scoop into ⅓-cup sized scoops (I use an ice cream scoop). Drop onto prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2” apart, and bake for 13-14 minutes, until edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown. Allow cookies to cool before removing from the baking sheet, cookies will be fragile and prone to breaking while warm and will appear under-baked in the center if they’re broken into before they’re cooled completely.
Notes
Flour
I recommend cake flour for best results. However, you may substitute all-purpose flour (cookies will be less tender). Use 3 ⅔ cup (450g) all-purpose flour. DO NOT use 4 cups of all-purpose flour and please DO NOT make a cake flour substitute where you remove some of the flour and replace it with an equal amount of cornstarch. You’ll end up using too much flour! The commenters who complained of too dry cookies made these mistakes, don’t be one of them!Chocolate
I like to use a blend of mini and regular-sized chocolate chips or I’ll chop up 8 oz of semisweet chocolate and use that instead.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cookies may also be frozen after baking and cooling. Wrap tightly and frreeze up to several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Nicole
Hi Sam! These were really tasty! I’m curious if these would work with browned butter and if the recipe would need to be modified at all.
Sam
Hi Nicole! It could work, but browning your butter will reduce the liquid in the recipe so you may need to adjust the flour as well. Just something to keep an eye out for. 🙂
Derek
I have made so many different chocolate chip cookie recipes, but now I am looking for a thicker, more solid cookie. This one IS NOT IT! I was hesitant with amount of flour, I should have listened to my instincts. I measured everything precisely by weight, the cookie dough was super floury and a little grainy. The cookies looked excellent, but upon tasting, all of my suspicions were right…. WAY TOO MUCH FLOUR. I might give this recipe another whirl with less flour.
Sam
Derek, just wanted to confirm that you used cake flour, used the weight listed in the recipe card and did not use your own conversion for weight? The last person who ran into this issue with the recipe later emailed me that he had used his own conversion for weight and because of this had used double the flour listed in the recipe, so I just want to be sure.
Nancy
Hi Sam, thanks for this delicious cookie recipe. Just wondering if I make them smaller for a cookie tray how long should I bake them? I am looking for a cookie recipe that doesn’t spread too much. This would be my go-to recipe if I can make them smaller. Thanks again
Sam
Hi Nancy! I haven’t baked them smaller so I can’t say for sure how long it would take. I would just keep an eye on them as they bake. 🙂
Trisha
They are amazing!! Great recipe!! Sooo yummy!! Highly recommended 👌
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Trisha! 🙂
Christina
Hi Sam! I’ve been a long-time advocate for your “worst” chocolate chip cookies (and pretty much anything you post) but wanted to switch it up. I especially love the use of maple syrup in the worst version, but curious as to why you don’t use it in other versions of your chocolate chip cookies. Does it make it difficult to make larger cookies or just a preference thing?
Sam
Hi Christina! I’m so glad you enjoy the worst chocolate chip cookies so much! On these cookies in particular, the goal is to have a thicker cookie and the maple syrup thins the cookies out and makes them a bit sweeter. It really depends on the intended outcome of the cookie. 🙂
Heather
These were just ok, they were missing something but I can’t figure out what. Followed instructions to a T.
Sam
I’m sorry to hear this, Heather! Did you make any substitutions or omissions? These should be a really flavorful cookie. 🙁
jodi
Made these cookies as directed and they are divine!
I personally don’t like a cookie dough type center, so on the next batch, I baked them for a few minutes longer to my preference.
They are still soft, and delicious, (NOT DRY at all). They are such a chocolatey flavorful cookie! Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jodi! 🙂
Laura
These were amazing!! Tried them for the first time today – used plain flour and they still turned out great!! These will be my go to cookie recipe from now one!
T
Any idea how to make this a chocolate cookie?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We haven’t experimented with a chocolate version of this recipe, but we do have several other chocolate cookies you can choose from like our ultimate chocolate cookies, double chocolate chip cookies, or double chocolate chunk cookies 😊
Olivia
Can I use brown butter for these cookies?
Sam
Hi Olivia! It could work, but browning your butter will reduce the liquid in the recipe so you may need to adjust the flour as well. Just something to keep an eye out for. 🙂
clara
i did the recipe just as it was written and it had to much flour
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Clara! Did you weigh your flour? Did you make any other alterations?
Michelle Sandidge
the cookies have great flavor and are thick. I am having a problem with them not spreading at all. staying in a hockey puck form almost. the dough got really dry (even though I added dry to wet slowly). could it be that I used all purpose flour? I did follow the suggestion to decrease the flour. Will try with cake flour next time I get some at the store.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Michelle! Are you weighing your flour? It sounds like there may be too much flour in the dough 😞
mali
love the recipe 10/10😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😊❤️
Karen Grantz
I just make these cookies. I have been looking for a receipe for thick chocolate chip cookies. THESE ARE AWESOME. I followed the receipe exactly and they turned out great. Thank you.
Nina
searched around for a recipe for a thicker chewy cookie. they’re in the oven now so i’m not sure how they’ll turn out. But my dough came out incredibly dry? i had to hand knead it at some point because it was too much for my mixer. maybe my eggs were too small? but i followed and watched the video. it’s not a terrible thing considering the dough still tasted amazing. I’m also using a huge ice cream scoop (for giant cookies!)
i cooked them for about 1-2 minutes longer at 200C.
update: They’re out the oven and look superb! i’m worried about if they’re undercooked but i don’t think that’s ever an issue with chocochip cookies lol