If you love a generously sized cookie, these bakery-style thick chocolate chip cookies are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and leave you wanting more!
If you’re familiar with the big, thick chocolate chip cookies from Levain Bakery here in New York, then you’re going to adore these cookies! These are no two-bite cookies. No, these bakery-style chocolate chip cookies are several bites’ worth of deliciousness. With their perfectly crisp edges and soft, chewy centers, they deliver the ultimate cookie experience.
Why You’ll Love These Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ultimate chewy texture. The combination of melted butter, brown sugar, and cornstarch gives these cookies an unbeatable chewy texture that stays soft for days.
- Rich flavor. With a mix of semisweet and dark chocolate chips, plus toasted nuts, every bite is packed with rich, chocolatey goodness and a delightful crunch.
- Easy to make. Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make this recipe perfect for bakers of all levels. You can even mix this cookie dough by hand if you want to leave your hand mixer or stand mixer unplugged.
- Versatile. Customize these cookies by swapping in your favorite nuts or chocolate varieties, or even adding a sprinkle of sea salt on top for a gourmet touch.
What Makes These Cookies Thick and Chewy?
What makes these cookies so wonderfully thick and chewy is a combination of key techniques and ingredients. The addition of cornstarch to the dough helps create a soft and tender texture, while using melted butter gives the cookies a chewier consistency. Chilling the dough before baking is crucial, as it solidifies the fat, preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. Finally, baking at a higher temperature allows the cookies to set quickly, preserving their thick, bakery-style appearance.
What You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- All-purpose flour – Measure by weight or use the spoon and sweep method.
- Cornstarch – This helps give the cookies their soft texture.
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter – Be sure to let the butter cool slightly after melting it.
- Brown sugar – I like light brown sugar here, but you can use dark brown sugar if you prefer a stronger molasses flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature before mixing. I recommend baking with large eggs.
- Vanilla extract – Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
- Nuts – Pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts – whatever you prefer! For the best flavor, toast the nuts first. Learn more: How to Toast Nuts
- Semisweet chocolate chunks – I like to use big chocolate chunks for these cookies, but regular chocolate chips will work, too. Be sure to use good quality chocolate for the best flavor.
- Dark chocolate chips – I love to mix in some dark chocolate chips, too, for a more nuanced flavor profile. Feel free to substitute more semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
How to Make Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Stir together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Then mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. (You can use an electric mixer or mix by hand.)
- Finish mixing. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and then stir in the nuts and chocolate chips. Refrigerate for an hour.
- Portion. Divide the dough into 1/4-cup portions, and roll into balls. Chill again for 30 minutes.
- Bake. Place the chilled cookie dough balls on lined baking sheets, and bake one pan at a time for 12 to 14 minutes at 400°F.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them directly to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Success
- Measure flour accurately. This is always important, but especially so here to give these cookies their soft, chewy texture. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale, but you can approximate that accuracy by using the spoon and sweep method. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Melt and cool the butter. Using melted butter helps make the cookies chewier. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the sugar to prevent the eggs from cooking.
- Use room temperature eggs. Using room temperature eggs helps them incorporate more easily into the dough, ensuring an even texture.
- Don’t skip the chilling time. Chilling the dough is crucial for thick cookies as it solidifies the fat in the dough, preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Use a cookie scoop. Not only will this make portioning the dough easier, but it will also ensure your cookies are all the same size for uniform baking.
- Don’t over-bake. Cookies continue to bake on the hot pan after being removed from the oven. Removing them when they are just golden in color and just set in the center ensures a chewy texture once they cool.
Variations
- Nut-free. Omit the nuts for a classic chocolate chip cookie. You can increase the amount of chocolate chips or substitute a different mix-in, like dried fruit or another variety of baking chips.
- Milk chocolate. If you aren’t a fan of dark chocolate, substitute milk chocolate chips.
- Triple chocolate. Use a combination of milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and dark chocolate chips for a rich, triple chocolate experience.
- Sweet and salty. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt to the tops of the cookies before baking.
- Make them even bigger! Divide the dough into 1/3-cup portions for enormous, bakery-style cookies. The larger cookies may need an extra minute or two of baking time.
How to Store
Place the cooled cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature. They’ll be at their best within 3 or 4 days. If you like, you can warm them slightly in the microwave or a low-temperature oven before serving.
Can These Cookies Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze the cookies either before or after baking them. Choose whichever method works best for you.
To freeze before baking: Form the dough into balls as directed and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the freezer until frozen solid (about 3-4 hours), and then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Properly stored, the dough should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, follow the recipe’s directions, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
To freeze after baking: Place the cooled cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container. They should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
These thick chocolate chip cookies are packed with rich chocolate chunks and toasted nuts for a chewy, satisfying treat. Perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, they're sure to become a new favorite!
Ingredients
- 3 & 1/3 cups (400g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 & 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 & 1/4 cups (250g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups coarsely chopped toasted nuts
- 1 & 2/3 cups (283g) semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
- 1 cup (170g) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture just until combined or a few small streaks of flour remain in the dough.
- Stir in the nuts and both kinds of chocolate chips.
- Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 1/4-cup portions, and roll into balls. Cover and chill again for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared pans, leaving a few inches between the cookies. Bake one pan at a time 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.
- Cool the cookies on the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then transfer them from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely or serve them warm.
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3-4 days.
Recipe adapted from BHG.
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