Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Tons of butterscotch flavors, the perfect amount of sweetness, and plenty of chocolate chips.
Texture: Perfection. Crisp and chewy on the edges and ooey-gooey inside. These cookies warm out of the oven with a cold glass of milk may be one of my favorite things in life.
Ease: Even easier than most Chocolate Chip Cookies because this one uses cold butter. No waiting for butter to soften!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Utterly delicious giant cookies.
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My last meal on earth would include these Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies because they are that over-the-top good.
Some desserts I have to be in the mood to eat. When it comes to Chocolate Chip Cookies, however, I could always have one (or two … or three).
My favorite kind of Chocolate Chip Cookies are crisp at the edge, and chewy yet melty and gooey in the middle.
Cookie dough is great, but my greatest weakness has to be cookies just out of the oven. I mean, is there any aroma more intoxicating?
This recipe was partially inspired by Levain Bakery. I had the opportunity to visit recently, and while the cookies were absolutely gorgeous, I found them to be too much.
That’s something I never thought I’d say. But you could only have a few bites before you felt such a heaviness sitting in your stomach. I think it’s because the center of those cookies is so underdone and gooey. I actually enjoyed their cookies much more the next day, strangely enough.
So this is my dream version of a huge, big, Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie that’s over the top but still edible and enjoyable to the last bite, both while they’re still warm and gooey, and for days later!
Check out the Sprinkle of Science box below for my recipe tips and answers to common questions!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Perfect Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use Cold Butter for Thick, Chewy Cookies
- I know, this seems to go against everything you’ve learned about the temperature butter should be when creaming.
- If you’ve read Tip #1 in my 3 Reasons Your Cookies Flop article, then you’ll know the calamity that warm butter can cause your cookies.
- Overly warm butter all but ensures your cookies will spread out too thin and sad.
- This recipe was developed to use cold butter to ensure that the cookies stay ultra-thick and tall and don’t flatten.
Can I Use a Hand Mixer for This Recipe?
Because of the cold butter in this recipe, it’s best to use a stand mixer and not a hand mixer for this recipe. I don’t recommend mixing by hand.
Chocolate Chips + Chocolate Chunks = Maximum Gooeyness!
- I use both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks in this recipe to get the most gooey deliciousness possible.
- For the chocolate chunks, I recommend chopping the chocolate yourself. Pre-made chocolate chunks won’t get as gooey.
- You can also use baking wafers, discs, or feves such as these in place of the chunks.
Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder in Cookies
This recipe for Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies uses both baking powder and baking soda for the best of both worlds.
- Baking powder and baking soda are both chemical leaveners that work to create light textures in baked goods.
- Although baking powder actually contains baking soda, the two leaveners are very different.
- Baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable – just take a look at the impact the type of leavener used had on each of the cookies below!
- Find out more about the shocking differences between these two leaveners in my Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder article.
How to Shape Giant Cookie Dough Balls
- I used my biggest cookie scoop with a kitchen scale to get accurate portions of this dough.
- Each ball of dough is a whopping quarter pound! (or approximately 113 grams)
- Top each cookie dough ball with a few extra chocolate chunks for picture-perfect cookies.
Sea Salt: The Secret to Extra Tasty Cookies!
This is optional, but you can add a sprinkling of flaky finishing sea salt to the cookies right after pulling them out of the oven. This really brings out that butterscotch flavor. I love fleur de sel for this. This also makes the cookies even more mouthwatering visually!
How to Make These Cookies Ahead of Time
Get my full instructions on how to freeze cookie dough here. These cookies are particularly best the day they’re baked, in my opinion. For this reason, I prefer to freeze the balls of cookie dough. If baking from frozen, reduce the heat to 340°F and add a few minutes to the baking time.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour,
measured correctly - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks (227 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (255 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or wafers
- Flaky sea salt, for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add in the vanilla and beat until combined. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed until combined. Beat in the chocolate chips and half the chunks.
- Weigh out 1/4 cup (4 ounces or 113 gram) portions of dough and roll into an even ball. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing far apart. Bake 6 cookies per pan. Press chocolate chunks into the top of each ball of dough.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly browned at the edges and puffy. Bake longer for crispier, chewier cookies, bake less for ooey gooey cookies. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
- Cookies will deflate slightly as they cool. They are best the day they are baked but may be stored in an airtight container for 2 days.
This post was originally published in 2012 and updated recently with recipe improvements, baking tips, and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
This is seriously the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever made. The tips were extremely helpful and made all the difference I think.
Cookies were easy to make and not having to chill the dough was a bonus. Mine didn’t look exactly like Tessa’s but they were delicious. Crispy edges and chewy in the middle. Perfection! Will definitely make these again.
All sounds great but the flaky sea salt is not available in my area.
These are wonderful cookies! The coarse salt is a great addition. My non cookie loving husband said this is a recipe to make again!
I love these cookies! Made them last night when I was craving a nice chocolate chip cookie! I use Tessa’s recipes for anything I’m craving always comes out great!
These were easy to make and very delicious! I even added in some extra Heath chips I had from the toffee coffee muffins of hers I made! Great recipe!
The best recipe ever! Comes out perfect every time!
These cookies were amazing!! I would definitely make them again!
Delicious!
Very yummy. I used less chocolate and added walnuts perfection
Yummy cookie! I liked that I didn’t have to get the butter to room temp! Good flavor! Mine were not as thick as I thought they should be. Fun challenge!
These were amazing ! Easy to make and a real crowd pleaser – didn’t last at long !