Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: This cookie has big butterscotch flavor and the small amount of cream cheese in the dough adds an almost indiscernible tang that takes these cookies over the top.
Texture: Ultra soft and perfectly tender.
Ease: Super easy!
Pros: Perfect for when you’re craving that super soft texture in a cookie.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? I’ve been making this recipe for years!
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This is the only recipe you’ll ever need for SOFT Chocolate Chip Cookies.
The kind of cookies that are ultra tender but still hold their shape and are loaded with tons of ooey gooey chocolate chips.
If you haven’t noticed, I’m obsessed with chocolate chip cookies.
But sometimes I crave different textures. Sometimes I want them to be super soft chocolate chip cookies. Other times, I crave thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies.
Don’t get me wrong, practically any homemade chocolate chip cookie is good with me. It’s just every once in a while, you have a texture craving that must be satisfied.
Which texture of cookies do you prefer? Does your family love soft-batch cookies? Chewy? Crispy? Some combination of it all?! Let me know in the comments below!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make SOFT Chocolate Chip Cookies
There are a few key ingredients to ensure your cookies are ultra-tender and soft.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is hygroscopic, which means it takes in and retains moisture (better than granulated sugar). Adding moisture to your cookie dough can help make it softer and chewier, and stay soft for longer. That’s why I use much more brown sugar than granulated sugar in this recipe. Learn how to DIY your own brown sugar and how to keep it soft in your pantry here.
Cornstarch
Cookies with cornstarch are ultra soft and often slightly gooey and paler in color. It can also aid in lift and height, as it is a thickening agent. Just be sure not to add too much extra cornstarch, otherwise, your cookies will develop an almost glue-like pudding consistency. I find in this recipe, 2 teaspoons is the Goldilocks measurement.
Cream Cheese
Not only does cream cheese add richness and flavor, but it also tenderizes the cookies so they’re super soft, even slightly chewy, without being cakey due to the fat content. I know it’s a bit of a hassle to add in cream cheese here but believe me, it’s these small details that take your cookies from good to GREAT. Be sure to use full-fat brick cream cheese, not cream cheese for spreading on bagels.
How to Bake SOFT Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Be sure your oven isn’t running too hot. If your oven does run hot, you may want to reduce the temperature slightly to avoid overly browning these cookies.
- Remove these from the oven just before they actually look done baking. The residual heat will continue to cook them and they will solidify as they begin to cool.
- Avoid using a dark-colored baking pan. Learn more about the best (and worst!) baking pans here.
How to Bake THICK Cookies
The key to making sure your cookies bake up nice and thick instead of flattening into those little sad puddles:
- Make sure your butter isn’t too warm. Make sure your butter is at a COOL room temperature, about 67°F, before creaming with the sugar. Learn more butter temperature (and why it matters!) here.
- Next, make sure your balls of cookie dough aren’t warm when they enter the oven – otherwise, the dough will melt too much.
- If you experience issues with your cookies spreading too much, try popping the tray of shaped dough into the freezer while the oven preheats.
- If you live in a very humid climate, try adding a couple extra tablespoons of flour to the dough to combat that added moisture.
How to Store Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze your cookie dough balls. Learn more about freezing cookie dough, and baking from frozen, here.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- See ALL of my cookie recipes here!
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Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (349 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs, at cool room temperature
- 2 cups (340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- If baking right away, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- If time permits: wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but no more than 72 hours. This allows the dough to “marinate” and for the final cookies to become softer, thicker, and more flavorful. Let dough sit at room temperature until it is just soft enough to scoop.
- Using a medium (1 1/2-tablespoon size) spring-loaded scoop, drop balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until barely golden brown. Don’t overbake – the cookies will continue to cook from residual heat. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
This recipe was originally published in 2013 and was recently updated with new photos, weight measurements, and more recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Hello i tried your recipe and loved it but i have a question my cookies became soo big and dome like it did not look like regular cookies is it from the amount of flour?
Oh no! I’m sorry your cookies didn’t turn out. Yes, cookies that don’t spread at all usually have too much flour in the dough. I’d recommend measuring with a digital scale: https://handletheheat.com/how-to-measure-flour/
Interesting. Over two decades, I’ve tried about every combination of chocolate chip cookie ingredients and method. While these are very good and definitely chewy, I wouldn’t call them soft. The bottom was crunchier than I expected, and the top was borderline underdone (which my household prefers). I portioned the dough into 20 cookies, refrigerated overnight, and baked them at 350 (verified with a thermometer) for 13 minutes on the middle rack, using a silicone liner on a commercial rimmed baking sheet. The extra couple minutes was to account for the larger cookies. I checked each minute after 10 minutes, and even at 13 minutes, I worried they were a little too raw (again, not a bad thing at our house). Next time, I’m going to try baking on an insulated cookie sheet to see if it changes the texture at all.
Hi Heather, I’m sorry your cookies burned on the bottom! I’d highly recommend baking cookies on ungreased sheets of parchment paper lined on baking sheets – this will prevent them from browning too quickly on the bottom. Hope you give these cookies another try!
Making this recipe currently and very excited to see the outcome. Just curious about storage. I’m sure sealed container at room temperature but wasn’t sure because the addition of cream cheese in the cookies. Thank you!
Loved it!
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies. I thought I had the best recipe and I’ve used it for years, resolving never to try any other recipe ever again, as all others have been a disappointment. But, I tried Tessa’s Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies (after I heard about them) and now I have a very popular foolproof recipe. I am a good main meals cook, but a lousy baker – however with this Ultimate Cookie handbook, I am, for the first time, baking. And I’m successful at it, because this book doesn’t just contain recipes, but is educating me on how I can always get the best result. I may be in my 60’s but Im finally making my debut amongst family and friends as a great baker! Who’d have thought it? I’m working my way through recipe after recipe. Thank you Tessa, I treasure this book
I watched you video on measuring – the volume and weights do not seem to be equivalent measurements.
Please advise as to which is correct.
Thank you
I’ve made this recipe and it easily became my favorite home made cookies <3 it was soft and chewy and just all round yummy
How much dark cocoa powder do i need to add to turn this into a double chocolate chip cookie ?
PERFECTION!! These cookies stayed moist, soft and gooey even a day after making them! My husband kept marveling about how perfectly round they were and how they were the best cookies I have EVER made!!
I loved making this recipe. The best soft chocolate chip cookie recipe I have used and I have tried many. Thank you
Sorry Tess I wasn’t too clear on my earlier email.
meant what brand of fine sea salt do you use or recommend?
Thank you.
Hi Tess
I am so happy to have stumbled in tour website just a few days ago! I am excited to participate in the August baking challenge.
One question – what fine sea salt do you use?
I’ve always used Kosher salt. After reading your educational tip about salt it made a lot of sense.
Thank you.
I had to stop baking as they JUST began to brown, unlike I’ve ever done before. They were a BIG hit. I believe the 2 hours of refrigeration before and also between batches was crucial. (I did a batch when the dough had been left out just 15 minutes, and they were flat.)