Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Everyone has an opinion about chocolate chip cookies. These are for the thick-and-chewy camp: tall, soft in the middle, crisp and golden at the edges, with big puddles of chocolate. They are the kind of cookie you find in a good bakery case.

The method is easier than the classic creamed-butter recipe on the back of the bag. You melt the butter, stir everything together in one bowl with a spatula, and chill the dough. No mixer needed.

The most important thing to learn is when to take them out of the oven. A cookie that looks done in the oven is overbaked on the counter. The visual cues are in the steps below.

Why this recipe works

• Melted butter makes a denser, chewier cookie than creamed butter, which whips in air and makes them cakey.
• More brown sugar than white adds moisture and a caramel flavor, and keeps the centers soft for days.
• An extra egg yolk adds richness and chew without making the dough runny.
• A spoonful of cornstarch keeps the centers tender and helps the cookies stay thick.
• Chilling firms the butter so the cookies spread slowly and bake up tall, and it deepens the flavor.

Ingredient notes

Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or better, weigh it. Scooping straight from the bag packs in up to 25 percent more flour and gives you dry, puffy cookies.

A mix of chocolate chips and a chopped chocolate bar gives you both even studs of chocolate and those big melted pools. Semisweet or bittersweet (60 to 70 percent cacao) both work well.

Let the melted butter cool for about 5 minutes before adding the sugar and eggs. If it is too hot, it can start to cook the eggs and make the dough greasy.

How to tell when chocolate chip cookies are done

Pull the cookies when the edges are set and light golden brown but the centers still look puffy, pale and a little wet. They will look underbaked. They are not. Cookies keep cooking on the hot sheet for 5 minutes after they come out, and that carryover heat sets the middle to perfectly soft.

If you like a crisper cookie, give them 1 to 2 minutes more, until the whole top is lightly golden.

Troubleshooting

• Cookies spread flat: the dough was too warm, the butter was too hot when mixed, or the flour was under-measured. Chill longer and weigh the flour.
• Cookies are cakey: too much flour, or the butter was creamed instead of melted.
• Cookies are hard the next day: they were overbaked. Take them out sooner and store them airtight with a slice of bread.
• Want rounder cookies: right after they come out, set a large round cutter or glass over each cookie and swirl it to nudge the edges into a neat circle.

How to store chocolate chip cookies

• Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. A slice of sandwich bread in the container keeps them soft.
• Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Warm briefly in a 300°F oven to refresh.
• Freeze scooped dough balls on a sheet, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.

Variations to try

• Brown butter: brown the butter until nutty and deep golden, then cool 10 minutes before using.
• Nuts: fold in 1 cup of toasted chopped walnuts or pecans with the chocolate.
• Smaller cookies: scoop 1 1/2-tablespoon balls and bake 9 to 10 minutes for about 36 cookies.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I need to chill chocolate chip cookie dough?

Chilling firms the butter so the cookies spread more slowly and bake up thick, and it gives the flour time to absorb moisture, which deepens the flavor and improves the chew. Unchilled dough made with melted butter spreads thin.

Melted or softened butter for chocolate chip cookies?

Melted butter gives a denser, chewier cookie. Softened butter creamed with sugar whips in air, which makes a lighter, more cake-like cookie. For thick and chewy, use melted butter and chill the dough.

Why are my cookies flat?

The usual causes are dough that was not chilled, butter that was too hot when mixed, or too little flour. Chill the dough at least an hour and weigh the flour at 280 grams.

Can I make the dough ahead?

Yes. The dough keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and actually tastes better after a day. Scooped dough balls freeze for 3 months and can be baked straight from the freezer.