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.
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
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- See ALL of my cookie recipes + tips on the SCIENCE of cookie baking here!
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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.
Notes
This recipe was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated with more baking tips and new photos. Photos by Constance Higley.
Tessa,
Last night I made this recipe. Omg. I love your chocolate chip cookie recipe. I will use his from now on. I made this recipe exactly the way you suggested. Only thing, after making this dough, I made six large cookies. Put the rest in refrigerator. I just couldn’t wait. This is my new chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have tried many. I would rate this recipe 19 stars!
Thank you! Have a Beautiful day
Can these be frozen once they are baked?
Hi Tessa!! How long can I keep the dough in the freezer?? Your recipes are amazing!!!!
Cheers from Argentina!
By far the best chocolate cookies ever! Thank you for sharing.
Can I use white chocolate chip and macadamia nut instead in this recipe to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?
If I freeze the dough, do I still need it to be 24 hours in the refrigerator then scoop it before freeze??
Thanks.
Yes, that works best for the full effects of the “marinating” period 🙂
Can i use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar?
I haven’t tried! Let us know if you do 🙂
Well, I didn’t hesitate to buy your handbook now that I know that you have an Ultimate Raisin recipe too. If it’s anywhere near as good as the chocolate chip cookie recipe, then that recipe alone is worth the book cost! I bragged about the cookies on Pinterest and had a number of the teachers at my high school claim that they are “scientists” and would have to sample to know if my statement was true. Well, the number of e-mails that I got about those cookies was unreal…I was all levels of popular at work that day. Thanks again Tessa!
I love this, Taira!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 🙂
Hello tessa!
I want to try this recipe, but it asks for bread flour and I’m not really sure what that is lol. I live in brazil and I don’t know if we have that at all. Would it change too much the quality of tge cookie if I used only the normal flour?
I have been on a quest…not unlike Indiana Jones on the Quest for the Holy Grail…a quest for over 25 years for chocolate chip cookie perfection. Every cookie I’ve made, no matter how others describe it or what the picture looks like, turns out round and cake-like…not my thing AT ALL! Well tonight I proudly walked downstairs and told my husband that I had FINALLY done it…I had found that which I was seeking…the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is crispy on the edges and has just the right bite and chew in the middle. I’m actually not sure that I can tell you how happy I am!
I have pinned your recipe half a dozen times and every time I looked at it I asked myself, “What difference will cake flour make? and an extra egg yolk? Don’t bother, you’ll just be disappointed.” Well, I’m so glad that I finally did it! Thank you for guiding me oh wise one!
So now, the question is, do you have a similar type outcome in an oatmeal raisin cookie? I have the same problem with those!
Oh my god, this is the best blog comment I’ve ever received!!! Love this!!! I’m so thrilled to hear how much you love the recipe.
As for oatmeal raisin cookie, I do have my “ultimate” version, but it’s inside my Ultimate Cookie Handbook: https://handletheheat.com/the-ultimate-cookie-handbook/
Thank you so much for this recipe! I use kosher salt instead of sea salt, and milk chocolate morsels instead of semi sweet. I love that they have almost a salty tang, and then the chocolate chips hit your tongue, and it’s the perfect little bite. My daughter requested these for her birthday treat at school, and all the teacher wanted the recipe. So delicious!!
Yay!! So pleased to hear that 🙂
Hi!! I´ve looked at all the cookie recipes you have and this one which is the best it´s also quite similar to the one I made this weekend!! just a question: For what purpose is the salt? only for the flavour or does it change the taste or the appearance of the cookie? thanks !!!!!!! Cami from Argentina