Why you’ll love it: These are the best chewy chocolate chip cookies, and they’re so easy to make! This cookie recipe will quickly become a go-to in your kitchen.
How long it takes: 55 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: stand mixer or hand mixer, oven, cookie sheets
Servings: 24
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Pin ItChewy or Crispy?
When it comes to cookies, which side are you on? Are you team chewy or team crispy?
I’m solidly on team chewy, while my mom is 100% team crispy. Take, for example, oatmeal cookies. My preference is always “old fashioned” soft iced oatmeal cookies but my mom reaches for her crispy coconut oatmeal cookies recipe every time she makes oatmeal cookies.
These chocolate chip cookies definitely fall into the chewy category. They’re thin, tender and chewy, with just the perfect amount of crispiness around the edges. If you like crispy chocolate chip cookies, be sure to check out my whole wheat chocolate chip cookies. They’re more on the crispy side, with chewy centers, and yes, my mom’s first choice.
Tips for Chewy Cookies
There are three tricks for baking soft chewy cookies.
- Add cornstarch. This “secret” ingredient makes cookies soft and chewy. It works wonders! (Don’t ask me why it works, I just know that it does.)
- Use more brown sugar. My cookie recipe doesn’t have more sugar, just a higher ratio of brown sugar than granulated white sugar. Because brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar (that’s why it sticks together when you pack it into your measuring cup), using more brown sugar means that your cookies will have more moisture, meaning they’ll be softer and chewier.
- Don’t overbake your cookies. Take them out of the oven before they brown too much. The longer they are in the oven, the crispier they will get. Remember that the cookies will continue to bake a little bit as they cool on the baking sheet.
Tried and True Recipe
These chocolate chip cookies are a take on my popular M&M cookies (read the reviews, people love those so much!). I’ve made the M&M cookies a kajillion times. However, you can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate chip cookie! They’re my husband’s favorite, and the kids love them too. (If we could have peanut butter in our house, I would 100% be putting Reese’s pieces in them!)
“My family gobbled these up! My daughter and I made them exactly as the recipe stated and they were enjoyed right out of the oven and throughout the day.”
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: For a bakery-style cookie, use all purpose flour. We’ve also tested this recipe with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, and it turns out well, but we haven’t tested it with other alternative flours.
- Cornstarch, Baking Soda & Salt: Cornstarch is the secret ingredient that makes these chocolate chip cookies ultra-chewy and irresistible. Don’t skip it! (P.S. It’s flavorless so it won’t add a weird flavor to your cookies.) You’ll find it in the baking aisle along with baking soda.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: The combo indicated in this recipe will also help you get the chewiest cookies. Be sure to pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup.
- Butter, Egg, Pure Vanilla Extract: Use butter, not margarine. The butter should be at room temperature, and ideally, the egg, too.
- Chocolate Chips: Save a few to put on the top of each ball of cookie dough for a pretty bakery appearance.
How to Make Them
Mix dry ingredients. In a bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer (you can also use a hand mixer), cream together butter and both types of sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Keeping the mixer on low, add egg and vanilla. Return mixer to medium and mix until incorporated. Scrape sides if needed.
Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Keep your mixer on low and add the dry ingredient mixture gradually until dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
Chill dough, form balls, bake. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat, and set aside.
Form balls using a generous tablespoon of dough (I use my small scoop).
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are just barely golden. Let cookies for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cool the cookies. Cool the cookies completely before storing them in an airtight container. It’s important that they are completely cooled before storing them. If the cookies are still warm when you put them into a sealed container, condensation will form and the cookies may get moldy.
Room temperature: Chewy chocolate chip cookies will keep for at least a week at room temperature (if they last that long!).
Freeze: If you prefer, freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (more for topping, if desired)
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes).¾ cup packed brown sugar, ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened, ½ cup granulated sugar
- With the mixer on low, add egg and vanilla. Return mixer to medium and mix until incorporated. Scrape sides if needed.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- With the mixer on low, add dry ingredient mixture gradually until dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350ºF, and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat, and set aside.
- Form balls from generous 1 tablespoon of dough. I use my small scoop. Arrange balls on prepared baking sheet with space between to allow for spreading (see note).
- Bake cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are just barely golden. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for about five minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Bakery-style cookies: If desired, place 2 to 3 chocolate chips on top of each ball of dough before baking for a pretty appearance.
- Storage: Cool the cookies completely before storing in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least a week at room temperature, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Variations: You can substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour for 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Feel free to use different varieties of baking chips, such as Reese’s Pieces, milk chocolate chips, or M&Ms.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
HI,
I am lactose intolerant so I can’t use butter.
Why does using margarine make a difference?
What if I use Ghee? Would that work? I would love to make chewy chocolate chip cookies.
I haven’t tested these cookies with margarine or ghee so I can’t be sure. My guess is that they would turn out alright, but taste may be affected. Let me know if you try them!
Did you use light or dark brown sugar? It makes a difference in the flavor and texture of the cookie and is it packed brown sugar or not?
I typically use light brown sugar, and yes, always packed.
Please include “Rachel Cooks” somewhere in the top portion of the recipe. I save your recipes on my computer by hitting the “print” button, then copying to Word, deleting some material so the recipe fits on one page.
I always need to add “recipe from RachelCooks”.
Thanks for the feedback! If you hit print, it should show “Rachel Cooks” on there. Are you not seeing that?