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!
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 – learn more about that here. 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 that 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 about that 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 that, and how to bake from frozen, here.
Science of Cookie Baking
Download my FREE Cookie Customization Guide for quick and easy ways to alter the texture of your favorite cookie recipes. Whether you like soft cookies like this recipe, or prefer cakey, crispy, or chewy, this handy visual guide will show you what tweaks to make to get the texture of your dreams!
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- See ALL of my chocolate chip cookie recipes here!
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 recently updated with new photos, weight measurements, and more recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I am in love with this recipe! My dad who isn’t fond of sweets loved it and even complimented me by saying, “your cookies are tasting better”. Obviously, those two ingredients really made a difference! Will definitely make these again. Thank you for blessing us with this recipe!
These cookies came out soft and tasted good. They also aren’t the type of cookie to get hard once cooled. I did think there was something missing. Which is primarily my fault, I’m sure browning the butter would have gave me what I i felt was missing.
These are the perfect cookie for a imple and yummy cookie.
I do second her recommendation on letting the dough “marinate” in he fridge for some time.
I’m looking forward to more challenges!
These are so yummy and soft. Easy to make and the kids and hubby loved them. Definitely a recipe keeper.
A good cookie! It’s a little more work with the addition of cream cheese, but very tasty!
Gooey chewy or is it chewy gooey? Either way they are great.
I make a lot of different chocolate chip cookie recipes, and my kids said this one is their favorite!
I baked my cookies straight out of the fridge and used a tablespoon instead of two. They were thick and soft, and they had a nice, light color despite being well done. Good recipe!
These cookies are easy to make and are lovely and soft. Just felt the cookie was missing a bit of flavour. Maybe I should have chilled it for longer than 8 hours to let the flavour develop. Either way it is still a very good cookie that I am sure everyone will enjoy.
I liked the recipe but to be honest I like my go to recipe better. I prefer soft in the middle and just a bit crispy on the edges. This recipe was just a little too soft for me.
I was surprised how thick and soft these cookies actually came out! My chocolate chip cookies usually bake pretty flat, like puddles in the oven, but Tessa’s little tips and hints were a huge help. This recipe is my new favorite.
I love this recipe! I made it for the August baking challenge. It was an easy to follow recipe and delicious! I took them in to work and EVERYONE devoured them. They loved them!
Fabulous recipe! Best cookies ever. Thank you so much, dear Tessa❣️