Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies are my ideal take on the classic American cookie. They’re studded with chocolate chips, crisp on the edges and have a perfect soft chewy center, even when baked from frozen.

It took me a long time to get this recipe here on The Flour Handprint for a few reasons. Frist of all, everyone and their mom has a chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I’m throwing this out into one of the most competitive races out there. 

BUT, since I started this blog to share lots of yummy food, how could I not share them? I’ve been perfecting these for years. They’re so tender, chewy, soft in the middle, even the next day. With just the right amount of crunch on the outside and loaded with chocolate chips, it’s my ideal cookie at last.

Plus this makes a large batch, meaning plenty for the freezer as an easy dessert any night of the week.

What Makes These Cookies Thick and Chewy

As with most baking, getting those ideal results is all about the ingredients. For thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies, it was balancing fluffiness, even baking, and that ‘chew’ without them being sticky and unpleasant. 

I highly recommend sticking to my ratios and ingredient list for this recipe. Using more brown sugar to white sugar keeps them chewy, and creaming rather than melting the butter aerates the dough enough to keep them fluffy and evenly baked, even with the largest cookie scoop I have.

Gather these ingredients to make them just right:

• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Brown Sugar
• White sugar (Granulated or Cane)
• Eggs
• Butter, unsalted
• Vanilla – learn how and why you should make homemade vanilla!

How to Make Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Perfect

Alright foodies, for the step by step instructions, head down to my recipe card, but first, read my tips for making sure these turn out thick and chewy and delicious every single time. 

• Make sure the butter is softened before you start. You should be able to press your finger down on it easily, but it shouldn’t be melting.
• Thoroughly cream the sugar and butter. This is what creates air and that’s very important for evenly baking the large size of these cookies.
• The eggs are best at room temperature – pop them in a bowl of hot water while you prep, and they’ll be perfect!
• Don’t overmix! If using a stand mixer, add the flour and mix on LOW until ⅔ of the flour is incorporated, then finish it by hand with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Yes this can be a workout, but that just means you can eat more cookies. 
• Be generous with the chocolate chips. Nobody likes that bottom of the bowl, sad bit of dough that’s left without chocolate, load them up! If you like the ‘magazine style’ look, place a few in the top of the cookies after you scoop them onto the tray. 
• Preheat your oven properly. Starting them in too cold of an oven can cause uneven cooking. 
• Use a silicone mat for best results on bottom browning evenly.
• Let the pan cool before adding a second batch. Placing dough onto a hot pan can cause uneven cooking. 
• Pull them from the oven when the edges are just starting to turn golden, then let them rest on the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack.

How to Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies For Easy Baking

If you’ve been here before, you know I’m a big advocate for freezing things. It’s a main strategy that lets me cook from scratch for my family, without losing my mind. 

For these, they freeze and bake wonderfully even when frozen solid, which is why I made this recipe for such a large batch. 

Scoop the dough onto a freezer safe baking sheet and gently flatten them down a little. Freeze for 2 hours, then transfer them to a freezer safe silicone bag. When the craving strikes, pull out as many as you like and pop them on a baking sheet for 17 minutes in a 350°F preheated oven.

FAQ’s

What makes these cookies thick and chewy? These cookies are thick and chewy because they have a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar.

Can I make chocolate chip cookies smaller? Of course you can make your cookies smaller. I used a large 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, but to use a smaller one, simply cut the bake time in half and check every minute after that.

Can this recipe be doubled or tripled? This can absolutely be doubled or tripled. This recipe makes 25 good sized cookies, I often double and freeze a whole bunch.

If you’ve found your way to my recipe through the millions of wonderful versions of chocolate chip cookies out there, I hope my thick and chewy rendition makes you as happy as it does me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, and in the meantime, Happy Eating!

Check out my other cookie recipes!

• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
• Classic Shortbread Cookies
• Spiced Shortbread Cookies
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
• Crisco Sugar Cookies
• Slice and Bake Pumpkin Cookies