These are the best chocolate chip cookies. Thick, bakery style cookies with soft, chewy centers, golden brown, crispy edges, and tons of gooey chocolate chips. No chill time needed, and ready in just 20 minutes!
Hungry for cookies, but don't feel like scooping? Make Toll House Cookie Bars instead! Just in it for the cookie dough? Try Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls!
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❤️You're Going to Love These
- Thick, soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies
- Easy recipe, no chill time, and ready in just 20 minutes
- So many chocolate chips (3 cups!)
This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. They bake up soft and thick without chilling or cornstarch, and the center is gooey when warm and dense and fudgy when cooled. It's my go-to for holidays, gift giving, road trips, and everyday cookie emergencies.
It's the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.
🍪Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Unsalted room temperature butter. If you use salted butter, you can skip the salt.
- Brown sugar. I use dark brown sugar for the rich molasses flavor. Light brown sugar also works.
- Flour. Measure the flour carefully. Adding too much flour can make the cookies tough and dry. Stir the flour in the canister or bag, spoon it into a measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife.
- Chocolate chips. Use any kind of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks -- semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips. Or a chopped chocolate bar, or a combination of both.
🥣How to Make the Best Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars until fluffy, 1-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, then the vanilla until well combined.
Step 2: Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Add chocolate chips and mix on low to distribute throughout the cookie dough.
Step 3: Scoop dough into 3-tablespoon portions. Rip in half and place torn sides out for craggy tops. Place balls of cookie dough 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Add more chocolate chips on top, if desired.
Step 4: Bake at 375 for 9-10 minutes until the edges are light golden brown and the centers are puffy and appear underbaked. Cool on pan 5 minutes, then on wire baking rack. Enjoy warm or room temp, with a glass of cold milk, of course.
👉Helpful Hint: For soft, gooey centers, bake just until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underdone—they’ll set as they cool. The internal temp on a digital thermometer should be around 175–185°F for that perfect texture.
✅Top Tips
- I used a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) for evenly sized cookies. Adjust baking time slightly if you make them smaller or larger.
- For thicker cookies, shape the dough into "tall" mounds instead of perfect balls—this helps prevent spreading.
- Chilling the dough is optional. It makes the dough easier to handle and gives you cookies that are thicker, chewier, and more flavorful. Even 30 minutes helps!
🎁Storage
- Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
- To freeze baked cookies, layer them between sheets of wax paper in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag.
- To freeze chocolate chip cookie dough, scoop the dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before baking.
🗓️Make Ahead
You can prepare the cookie dough 3–5 days in advance. Store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for 15–30 minutes before baking so it’s easier to scoop. If the dough is very cold, the cookies may bake up thicker and not spread as much—flatten gently during or right after baking if needed. For following batches, shaping the dough into flatter puck-like discs before baking can help.
❓FAQ
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are most commonly used in classic chocolate chip cookies. For a deeper chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips for more sweetness. Or try a combination! You can also throw in some peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips for a unique flavor.
Use a blend of white and brown sugar (more brown for chewiness) and room‑temperature butter (not melted butter), and bake until edges are golden but centers still look soft and underdone. Cookies will set as they cool.
Spreading is affected by butter temperature, flour ratio, and how warm your baking sheet is.
Too-soft butter, too little flour, or straight-from-oven trays can result in flat cookies. Too much flour or chill can make cookies thicker. Adding a tablespoon of cornstarch with the flour can also make the cookies thicker and reduce spreading.
No. Chilling is not necessary with this recipe to prevent spreading, but it can help develop deeper flavor and better texture. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes, if you like. If the chilled cookie dough is too stiff to scoop, let it warm up a bit. If the first batch of cookies is too thick, you can either let the dough warm up again or gently flatten the cookie dough balls before baking.
Yes. Cornstarch keeps cookies thick, helps prevent spreading, and makes cookies soft and tender. If desired, add one tablespoon of cornstarch with the dry ingredients. If the first batch of cookies bakes up too thick, gently press them down immediately out of the oven, then form flatter cookie dough balls on the next batch.
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📖 Recipe
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Large cookie scoop about 3 tablespoons, or a #20 scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, dark or light
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups chocolate chips plus more for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and both sugars. Start on low speed until it starts to come together, then increase to medium speed until fluffy. Mix in the eggs, then the vanilla until completely combined.
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt (or whisk together in a separate bowl). Mix on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix on low to incorporate them throughout the dough. Do not overmix.
- Bake immediately or chill the dough for 30-60 minutes for thicker cookies.Scoop cookie dough into 3-tablespoon portions and form it into a "tall" mound. For thick cookies with craggy tops, rip the dough ball in half and place the two pieces together, torn side out. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. If desired, press a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie dough ball.
- Bake 9-10 minutes until the tops and edges are light golden brown and the centers are soft and appear underbaked. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then on a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- I used a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) for evenly sized cookies. Adjust baking time slightly if you make them smaller or larger.
- For thicker cookies, shape the dough into "tall" mounds instead of perfect balls—this helps prevent spreading.
- Chilling the dough is optional. It makes the dough easier to handle and gives you cookies that are thicker, chewier, and more flavorful. Even 30 minutes helps!
- For soft, gooey centers, bake just until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underdone—they’ll set as they cool. The internal temp on a digital thermometer should be around 175–185°F for that perfect texture.
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