Why This Recipe Stands Out
- Just 8 pantry staple ingredients are all you’ll need.
- With no butter melting or dough chilling required, these cookies couldn’t be any easier to make.
- Every bite bursts with warm chocolatey goodness.
- Chewy chocolate cookies are the best for packed lunches, holiday parties, or giving away as gifts.
- Although they disappear almost immediately, these cookies are incredibly soft and chewy and stay that way almost forever
Simple Ingredients
Courtesy of Amy Dong
Basic items are all you’ll need for this recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour—To make your cookies gluten-free, swap it out with a 1:1 gluten-free flour alternative.
- Baking Soda—This is crucial to achieving tender chewy perfection.
- Salt—Used to enhance the natural flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
- Salted Butter—Creamed and mixed into the dough for a rich taste.
- Sugar—After countless tests, we found that brown sugar works best to lock in moisture and keep your cookies soft.
- Eggs—You’ll need one egg and a separate egg yolk to add structure and extra chewiness.
- Vanilla Extract—If you can, opt for 100 percent pure vanilla extract to deepen the flavor of the cookies.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate—Use chocolate chips or morsels in the dough and sprinkled on top for a classic taste.
Optional Mix-Ins
If you want to add even more flavor and texture to this recipe, you can easily include extra ingredients in the dough. For instance, try incorporating:- Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts
- M&Ms
- Small candy pieces
- Pieces of chocolate bars
- Dried fruit
Tools You’ll Need
There is no fancy equipment needed for these cookies. However, there are a few tools we recommend for successful cookie-making of any kind. They include:- Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheets
- Hand Whisk
- Stand Mixer (Or a hand mixer, but they require more work)
- Cookie Spatula
- Cookie Scoop
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Courtesy of Amy Dong
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sliced/cold butter with paddle attachment on medium speed. Add brown sugar and continue beating until smooth, 1 min. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until fully incorporated.
Courtesy of Amy Dong
3. Combine flour mixture and butter mixture on low speed; don’t over mix. Add chocolate chips and mix on low speed just to incorporate. Use rubber spatula to fully scrape down sides/paddle.
Courtesy of Amy Dong
4. Form a large dough ball with hands. If dough is somehow too sticky, cover and chill a bit until dough is manageable, 15-30 minutes. Form 1 1/4 inch dough balls and place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Bake 8-9 minutes or edges are turning golden and cookies are somewhat puffy. Cookies will still seem under-baked, but will set nicely upon cooling.
Courtesy of Amy Dong
The Secret to Chewy Cookies
- Brown Sugar and Egg Yolk: When it comes to cookie making, the key to a chewy texture is largely in the ingredients used. For instance, white sugar has less moisture than brown which would dry out the dough; thus, we use all brown sugar only. In addition, adding one extra egg yolk, without the egg white, increases the moisture content – the extra fat creates a chewier texture.
- Don’t Over-Mix: The second largest contributor is the technique used to create and bake the cookies. To begin, you’ll want to mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Over-mixing will activate the gluten, creating a tough texture.
- Beat Cold Butter Well: Use cold butter, not softened butter – you’ll beat that cold butter all by itself for a whole 2 minutes before adding anything else. Then, you’ll want to make sure your dough is slightly chilled and easy to work with. This helps the fat distribute evenly as it bakes, creating tender layers in the cookies.
- Slightly Under-bake: Removing the cookies from the oven just as they turn golden brown allows them to finish baking as they cool and ensures they do not overcook and dry out. Over-baked cookies are a big culprit for dry cookies that lack a chewy texture.
- Separate the edges. If your cookies accidentally spread into one another while in the oven, use a rubber spatula to gently push the edges of each cookie back to the center while they’re still hot.
Courtesy of Amy Dong
How to Store and Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies
Baked Cookies: It’s almost impossible not to devour these cookies right away. However, if you happen to have leftovers, they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, freeze your baked chewy chocolate chip cookies for up to 3 months.Cooke Dough: If you want to prepare the dough in advance, store it covered in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Or, roll it into balls, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
