Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Big butterscotch flavor without being too sweet. These cookies taste how you imagine a Chocolate Chip Cookie should taste!
Texture: The best part! Big, thick, super chewy yet soft on the inside, and crisp at the edges. Perfection.
Ease: Very easy, though I do use two different flours, and there is a chilling period, so some patience is needed – but I promise, they’re worth the wait!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: My all-time favorite cookie recipe. I have extra dough stashed in the freezer at all times.
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I’m super excited to share with you my Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re my version of the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie!
If you’re anything like the hundreds of people who have taste-tested and tried this recipe, you’re going to love it! (Just read some of the comments below!)
You may be asking yourself what makes this recipe “ultimate?” Well, these cookies have HUGE butterscotch flavor, which is exactly what I adore in a Chocolate Chip Cookie. Beyond the flavor is the texture, which is nothing short of incredible.
What Makes Cookies Chewy, Crisp, or Cakey?
My free guide reveals the ingredients and tweaks that matter.
These cookies have my version of the ultimate texture combination: thick, super chewy, soft, and a little gooey in the middle, crisp and slightly crunchy at the edges, with gooey chocolate chips throughout. Does anything get better than that? I don’t think so.
I would want these cookies to be a part of my last meal on earth, that’s how much I love them!
This is a perfect recipe to learn some of the basics of the science of baking, because with cookies, it’s so easy to see how different tweaks impact the final result! Learn more about that just below.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why This is the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- This recipe utilizes half bread flour, which lends chewiness to the cookies.
- It also uses a good amount of brown sugar, which lends that butterscotch flavor and a thick, soft texture.
- The extra egg yolk in this recipe also helps keep these cookies soft yet chewy and adds richness in flavor.
- You can think of the 24 – 72 hour chilling period as a “marinating” period. The flavors intensify and the texture will become thicker and chewier. It’s pretty amazing and I promise it’s worth the wait.
Do I Really Need to Use Bread Flour?
You don’t absolutely HAVE to use bread flour, but it adds a ton of chewy texture to these cookies that’s worth the extra trip to the store. If you can’t get bread flour, then use all AP flour in its place.
Do I Really Need to Chill the Dough?
The last key element is the 24 to 72 hour chilling period which is a huge pain in the butt, I know, but it is so completely worth it.
Why? The flavor and texture improve SO much as the dough chills!
If you’re absolutely strapped for time, you can bake off some cookies right away – but I’d definitely encourage you to try chilling and see all the wonders it works on your dough.
How to Chill the Dough
Make the dough and scoop into balls using a cookie scoop. Place in an airtight container and place in the fridge for 24-72 hours. Bake straight from the fridge when ready. Learn more about chilling cookie dough here. The colder the dough, the thicker the cookies!
Can You Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies?
I love cookies straight from the oven, so I always keep pre-scooped balls of Chocolate Chip Cookie dough in a resealable bag in my freezer so I can bake cookies off and have them warm from the oven in a matter of minutes whenever I want. Here are more tips for freezing cookie dough.
How to Store Cookies & Keep Them Soft
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. Be sure they are completely cooled before storing.
To keep your baked Chocolate Chip Cookies soft, you can add a tortilla on the top and bottom of the cookies to the container a day or two after baking them, or whenever you find the texture starting to harden. The moisture will migrate to your cookies, making them soft and chewy again.
How to Refresh Stored Cookies
If desired, reheat and refresh the cookies in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes. Your toaster oven should work just fine. This improves the texture, and there’s nothing like a warm Chocolate Chip Cookie!
Step-by-Step Video
If you want to watch me demonstrate how to make this recipe LIVE, with all of my scientific explanations, tips, and tricks, check out this live Facebook video I did a while back!
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies – my most popular recipe!
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Soft Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Giant Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies
- See ALL of my cookie recipes + tips on the SCIENCE of cookie baking here!
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour*
- 1 1/4 cups (159 grams) bread flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at cool room temperature
- 2 cups (340 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- If baking right away, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a large spring-loaded cookie scoop, divide the dough into 3-tablespoon sized balls.
- If time permits, wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours. This allows the dough to “marinate” and makes the cookies thicker, chewier, and more flavorful.
- When ready to bake, place dough balls on prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
- Although I prefer cookies fresh from the oven, these can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. See pink tip box above the recipe for storage tips.
Recipe Notes
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
This recipe was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated with more baking tips and new photos. Photos by Constance Higley.
Recipe looks great will try today, but I just had to comment…. finally, a baking article with photos of a well-used baking pan!
This is the recipe I used already with two exceptions. Brown and granulated sugar 3/4 cup each. Cut vanilla to 1 tsp and add 2 tsp vanilla butternut. Try the vanilla butter and I’m sure you will agree that this is the new ultimate cookie. I did try bread flower and it made the cookies even better. I love your recipes. Keep them coming!
Absolutely love this recipe it’s my go to. One quick question though if I wanted to make it into a cookie cake like the bigs cookies that Mrs. fields sales do you know what the temp the oven should be and how long I should bake it
Love love love the recipe….even though I found I had salted butter and wheat flour!
The bread flour and egg yolk really help.
Guess I’ll have to try it with ALL the correct ingredients next….I’m sure my husband won’t mind
Oops….another question:
How does using salted vs. Unsalted butter make a difference? Fluffiness?
Hi, Deb! Doubling the ingredients directly will work, no special adjustments needed. And here’s my article explaining the unsalted vs salted butter: https://handletheheat.com/salted-vs-unsalted-butter/
Hi Tessa,
I’ve always experimented with recipes and combos of ingredients.
Thanks so much for the cookie info!! I will make these today and tomorrow
Fresh out of the oven, wish I could add a picture for you! I cheated a bit and only chilled for about 6 hours. I just simply ran out of Tim every to get them started. They are perfect texture. I ha don’t to fiddle with the time a bit and one pan is over cooked but still taste amazing! Thank you!
Hi Tessa!
I would love to try your recipe! May I know how long are the shelf life of these cookies? Will they last for more than 2weeks if they are wrapped in plastic and giveaway boxes?
Do you have any experience with making the cookies with less sugar or maybe Coconut sugar instead? Also can these be made with spelt flour?
Hi Tilly! Have you seen my Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies part 3? I experiment with some healthier baking swaps (though not the specific ones you mentioned): https://handletheheat.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-chocolate-chip-cookies-part-3/
I haven’t tried spelt flour particularly, but half whole wheat flour works well! Anytime I’ve reduced the sugar I get a drier texture so I haven’t had much luck there.
These cookies are AMAZING! Absolutely love the butterscotch/ buttery-toffee flavor. I always bake with extra brown sugar and less granulated sugar, but the substitution of some bread flour with the AP flour gives the best texture. This will be my go to cookie recipe from here on out. Thanks for sharing all your research. You are awesome!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Jessica! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
After making a disastrous batch of cookies I decided to try your recipe !!!!!!! What can I say simply delisious !!!!!! Kids looooved them Hubby loved them…. This will def be my go to recipe from now on! Thank you for sharing and thank you for the super easy instruction and video! Keep the great recipes coming!
So happy to hear that, Vicky!! Thanks so much for your sweet comment 🙂
Hello! These sound like they are amazing! However, I am a “crunchy” cookie lover. Would I simply just bake them a little longer to achieve that, or adjust an ingredient?
Thank you, and can’t wait to try the recipe!