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.
I’m baking them with a 1.5 Tbls cookie scoop and in a 325 convection oven..can you help me with the baking time please.
These are really good but your browned butter toffee chocolate chip cookies are the real ultimate cookie.
Hi Tessa, Thanks so much for all this fabulous information regarding the various ingredients. I found it so interesting and helpful. I converted the recipe to grams (for Australia) and made the cookies exactly as per the recipe but I found that they spread … a lot, and were quite thin (and I was kind of hoping for thick and chewy). Can you give me any suggestions as to how to remedy this for next time? My thoughts were – add more flour (but how much?) or beat the butter and sugar for less time .. I did the exact 2 mins, but used my Thermomix which is quite a bit more powerful that a standard mixer. I love the taste of these cookies but they are so thin the textural element is a bit lost. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 🙂
This should help you out: https://handletheheat.com/ultimate-cookie-troubleshooting-guide/
Hi, I loved these cookies! I have a question the first time I made the cookies they had an incredible butterscotch/caramel flavor in the dough! But since then every time I have made them this flavor in the dough is missing! Could you PLEASE advise as I will be making them some for some friends 🙂 (Is it ok to use light brown sugar and I use organic strong bread flour – only one I could find and I use real vanilla essence)
PS love your blog 🙂 x
Hi! Unfortunately only you know what you did differently from the first time you made these cookies! It could be that they chilled longer or that you used different ingredients. Dark brown sugar will give you a more butterscotch/caramel flavor though 🙂
Can I add nuts to the recipe??
Sure!
I have been constantly trying to make the perfect chocolate chip cookies for a long time now and today I did – all thanks to you!
I couldn’t find any bread flour so I just used all-purpose for the whole recipe and I added some MnMs with the chunks of Cadbury chocolate. They were a huge hit! Perfect texture, chewiness, size and softness. Thank you so much. My cookie cravings have found peace.
Hi! I live in Germany and have a lot of problems when I try to make American stuff. I’ve tried different chocolate chip cookie recipes but none worked out as I wanted it. Now I’m going to try out this recipe. I’ve already bought the required flour types. But now I’ve read that there are also differences between our baking powder and American baking powder. American baking powder is double-acting? Could you please help me out I don’t know if I should use German baking powder or substitue it with homemade one ( cream of tartar and baking soda)
Hmm interesting question. Yes, the majority of American baking powder is double acting which means it is activated once it touches the moisture of the dough and again, and more powerfully, when it is heated by the oven. Single acting baking powder is ONLY activated once it touches the moisture of the dough, which means that after the chilling period of the dough called for in this specific recipe that the baking powder will basically have lost all its leavening power and will be useless. So yes, if you can use double acting baking powder that would be best! Good luck!
Just found your site and Really love it. I did want to say I have been making Chocolate Chip cookies for years following the recipe on the Nestles Toll House bag, but for some reason, probably out of brown sugar, I switched it with the same amount of Powdered sugar and they come out really nice and soft and puffy and no brown edges etc.
I will certainly check out more of your site.
I’m not one to post comments, but this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tasted! They are named appropriately! One thousand thank you’s from my family to you! I had a few nuts left from various recipes, so they found a home in the batter. Macadamia, walnuts and pecans added a nice touch.
So happy to hear that Michelle!
This recipe is great! My husband says it’s better than his mom’s – which is quite a compliment! I want to make this – but as a cookie cake – for my daughter’s birthday (Feb 14). Is this possible? I’ve scanned all the comments and don’t see an answer for my question. Thanks!
Hi Tessa! I’m craving for chocolate chip cookies and I stumble upon your blog. I’m about to make a batch just for my small family. Can I use half of the ingredients instead? And how long can I freeze the dough? Please answer back. Thank you. 🙂
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I have tried different recipes over the years, and nothing compares to the taste and texture of these. My children and their families have sung these cookies’ praises and begged for more. Great, I am 70 years old and have finally learned how to make chocolate cip cookies.