Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thick & Chewy)

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies are thick, chewy, with soft-baked centers, buttery edges, and filled with milk chocolate chips! I share all my secrets for the perfect chocolate chip cookie with you. Lots of tips including how to shape the cookie dough balls for baking (makes all the difference), and some special ingredients like an extra egg yolk and more brown sugar than white sugar. You’ll love these cookies!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I know people may roll their eyes when they see a recipe labeled ‘perfect’, but I promise you that these chocolate chip cookies really are so incredibly perfect. From the perfect buttery thick & chewy texture, special ingredients like an extra egg yolk and melted butter, to the size of the cookies, and the way you shape the cookie dough balls for baking that makes all the difference. 

They are big cookies (1/4 cup of cookie dough each!), they have soft-baked centers and they have buttery chewy, slightly crispy edges. 

My family loves all kinds of chocolate chip cookies like this Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie that is made in a tart pan, No Egg Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies, classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, and my personal favorite Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Ingredients Needed

• Melted Butter – We went to melt the butter but still have it be cooled to at least room temperature. Microwave the unwrapped butter for about 40 seconds. At the end of the cook time, you will end up with half melted butter + half soft chunks of butter. Take a fork and stir it until everything is melted and smooth. Let it sit on the counter for about 3-5 minutes before proceeding. 
• Light Brown Sugar – We want more brown sugar in these cookies because that’s what will provide a soft chewy texture. 
• Granulated Sugar
• Large Egg
• Large Egg Yolk – Discard the whites and just use the yolk. This gives the cookies a rich taste and more moisture. 
• Vanilla Extract – For best taste use pure vanilla extract for baking. 
• All-Purpose Flour – I use unbleached all-purpose flour for all my recipes.
• Baking Soda
• Kosher Salt – This is my preferred salt for most of my baking and cooking. It elevates the flavors, especially in sweets like cookies, without making everything taste salty. 
• Milk Chocolate Chips – I love using Ghirardelli brand or Guittard brand of milk chocolate chips. 

How to Make Thick Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Learn how to make these perfect chocolate chip cookies with all my tips and helpful bits of information. Be sure and read to the bottom of the post where there is a printable recipe card and a pin it button so you can save this cookie recipe for later. 

• Prep : Line two cookie sheets (12″x18″) with parchment paper, silpat liner, or spray with cooking spray. I highly recommend using parchment paper because it helps cookies bake more evenly and prevents the bottoms from getting to browned. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
• Cream Butter + Sugars : Add the melted & cooled butter, along with both sugars, into a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat until light in color and fluffy looking. This should be at least 1-2 minutes of beating at medium speed. 
• Eggs + Vanilla : Beat in the large egg, egg yolk, and pure vanilla extract just until combined. No need to mix it further, stop right after it’s combined. 
• Dry Ingredients : Add all the dry ingredients into the bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix by hand, or beat on low speed (no higher), just until it’s all combined and there are no flour streaks or pockets remaining in the dough. 
• Chocolate : Stir in the milk chocolate chips.
• Bake : Using a 1/4 cup measurer, scoop out some cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Rip the ball of dough in half and then place one side (rough side down on the cookie sheet) and then place the other half on top of it (rough side up). Smoosh the two halves together in the middle. Repeat with remaining dough. You can fit 6-9 cookies on the cookie sheet. Bake for 12-16 minutes. Edges will be slightly browned & the tops will be golden browned. Don’t leave them in the oven for too long because the cookies will continue cooking slightly more as they’re cooling on the warm cookie sheet. 

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQ’s

• Why The Shape of the Cookie Doughs Balls Matter

  • How you shape the cookie dough balls for baking makes all the difference. Take the extra few minutes because it’s what will make these cookies have those thick and soft centers, with chewy buttery edges. 
  • It’s very simple! Measure out 1/4 cup of dough and roll it into a ball. Hold the ball with both hands, one hand on each side, and gently pull apart to form two halves. Place one half, rough side down, onto the cookie sheet. Place the other half, rough side up, on top of the bottom half. Use your fingers and gently smoosh the balls together where they meet in the center. As the cookies bake, the top one falls into the bottom half and creates this really thick texture and shape. 

• Can I Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies?

  • Yes, of course! You can freeze these cookies either baked or unbaked.
  • If freezing baked cookies, let them cool to room temperature and then double wrap each one in tin foil. Place the wrapped cookies into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let the cookies thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before eating. Warm it up in the microwave for a warm cookie. 
  • If freezing the unbaked dough balls, I recommend making the dough balls as directed in the recipe, and then placing them on a cookie sheet. Freeze the cookie sheet for about 1 hour. Then take the frozen dough balls and place them into a gallon size freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. You want to freeze the dough balls first so that they won’t stick together in the bag. When ready to make the cookies place the frozen dough balls onto the cookie sheet. I like to let the cookies thaw slightly before baking them. Add a few additional minutes, as needed, until the cookies are done. 

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Leftover chocolate chip cookies store well, in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. 
  • I prefer eating these cookies within 24 hours of making them. Better taste and fresher!

• What Chocolate Chips Are Best for Chocolate Chip Cookies?

  • This is usually different for everyone but I am team Milk Chocolate! Especially in this recipe, that has been tested and created using milk chocolate chip, I highly recommend sticking with that. Of course, you can use whatever you prefer; dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips. Or try doing half milk + half semi-sweet as that is a popular combination for chocolate chip cookies. 
  • I do recommend using a quality milk chocolate chip like Ghiradlli brand or Guittard brand. They are larger chips and they are so smooth and taste the best!

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success making these cookies in your own kitchen ♥

• Follow The Dough Ball Method : The secret to these cookies is how you shape the dough balls before baking. It’s really easy and yields a super thick cookie with the soft centers and chewy, slightly crispy edges. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and scoop out the dough. You will have enough dough to get about 12 large cookies. Once you have the 1/4 cup of cookie dough roll it into a ball, and then with your hands on both sides of the dough ball, pull apart to break the ball into two halves. You will end up with two smaller dough pieces with a smooth round side and a rougher side where you pulled it apart. Take one dough piece and put on the cookie sheet with the rough side down. Take the other piece and place on top of the other dough ball with the rough side up. Use your fingers to smoosh the balls together where they meet. Your dough balls will be taller than normal and that is exactly what you want. 
• Don’t Overbake : Cookies should look slightly underdone when you take them out of the oven. Edges and the tops of the cookies should be a light golden brown color while the middle might still look somewhat pale. As the cookies cool on the warm baking sheet, they will cook slightly more and set up. 
• Reduce Sugars : I have had several readers tell me that they reduce the sugars and it turns out well. I have never done this so I can’t vouch for that recommendation, but obviously you could experiment and see what you like. 
• Use Milk Chocolate Chips : This recipe has been tested and created, and made hundreds of times, with milk chocolate chips. I do think they taste the best so I highly recommend using them. 
• Melted Butter : Make sure that you are not adding scalding hot melted butter into the mixing bowl. The cookies won’t turn out right! Follow the method in the recipe card below. 

More Chocolate Chip Recipes You’ll Love

• Chocolate Chip Brownies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Baked Oatmeal
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Layered Pudding Dessert
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Brownie Bars