Home > Desserts > Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies March 20, 2019 | 45 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are flavorful and sweet with soft interiors and slightly crisp edges. Plus, these cookies are easy to make — you’ll only need one bowl and a spoon — no hand or stand mixer required! Try our other famous cookie recipes next: Snickerdoodles, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, or White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies These are my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies! We make them at least once a week in my home, usually as a Sunday project before or after church. The boys all pitch in, and by pitch in, I mean they eat all the cookie dough. One of my boys prefers the dough to the cookie which is why I created this edible cookie dough for him. But the rest of us? We love these chewy chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven with a glass of milk. IMHO, there aren’t too many things better than that! How to make cookies chewy The more moisture in cookies, the chewier they will be. Ingredients, baking time, and baking temperature all come into play as we work to retain moisture in the dough. The size or mass of the cookies also contributes to their chewiness. Big cookie dough balls make softer and chewier cookies than smaller ones. The number one way to get chewy cookies? Don’t bake them too long! Remove the cookies as soon as the edges turn a light brown and the top center is pale. The cooked centers will remain soft and as they firm up, they’ll be soft and chewy. Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Maple syrup: A few years ago, my friend showed me a sugar cookie recipe that used agave nectar in the dough. It’s perfect for keeping the cookies soft, chewy, and full of flavor. So I started adding that to my favorite cookie recipe. One Sunday, we started making the cookies and I realized we didn’t have any more agave nectar. The only sticky sweetener we had was maple syrup, so I used that in its place…and they turned out even better! Now we add just a little bit of maple syrup to these cookies and it makes them the best! It adds a very subtle maple flavor, a slightly more intense sweetness, and keeps these cookies soft and wonderfully chewy. Brown sugar: This sugar has a higher moisture content than white sugar and thus, produces a chewier cookie than if you just used white sugar. Dark brown sugar has an even higher moisture content than light brown sugar and will create the ultimate chewy cookie. Dark brown sugar does lend a more toffee-like flavor. QUICK TIP All syrup is not the same! We recommend maple syrup in this recipe, which is made from the boiled-down sap of maple trees–and nothing else. Pancake syrup is a sugar blend with maple flavoring added, and that’s not what we want here. Be sure to read the package carefully and look for 100% maple syrup. Tips for these cookies Let the melted butter cool: Once the butter is melted, it needs to cool back to room temperature. This is extremely important. If the butter is hot, it will melt the sugars, which causes greasy cookies that spread. Chill the dough: Since we melted the butter, the dough needs time to chill. This allows the butter to re-solidify. Otherwise, these cookies spread into a pancake! The chilling time also gives the flavors and textures time to meld together and intensify. Measure carefully: The most important measurement is the flour. If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour you are likely packing in way too much flour which will yield cake-y and less flavorful cookies. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level the top with the back of a butter knife. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Troubleshooting Why are my chocolate chip cookies hard? Cookies may come out hard because they were baked too long or at too high a temperature. Make sure your oven is correctly calibrated and watch the cookies closely near the end of bake time. Your cookies could also be hard if you over-measured the flour or if other ingredients weren’t fresh. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh and your brown sugar isn’t too hard. Why are my cookies flat? Cookies often flatten because the dough did not chill long enough. Since there is melted butter in the batter, it needs a chance to firm up again. Also, if the butter was too hot when you added in other ingredients, the cookies will likely end up a bit flat and greasy. These cookies will also be flat if the flour was under-measured. One other factor that comes into play is if you live in a high-altitude area. How do you keep cookies soft after baking? After baking the cookies, let them cool completely on a wire rack (this will keep the bottoms from getting soggy from the steam). Once cooled, place cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature. For tips on how to revive cookies, check out these tips from Cooks Illustrated. Freezing cookies Instead of freezing baked cookies, try freezing the dough! Drop the cookie dough balls on a large sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls into an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake: You can bake the cookies straight from the freezer; just add 1-3 minutes onto the cooking time (or thaw the dough in the fridge and bake according to directions). More amazing desserts Crème Brûlée (reader favorite) Icebox Cake (made with Oreos) Carmelitas (chewy oatmeal chocolate caramel bars) Puppy Chow (peanut butter & chocolate snack mix) Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (with cream cheese frosting) FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 4.95 from 17 votes - Review this recipe Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are flavorful and sweet with soft interiors and slightly crispy edges. Plus these cookies are easy to make -- you'll only need one bowl and a spoon -- no hand or stand mixer required! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 4.95 from 17 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are flavorful and sweet with soft interiors and slightly crispy edges. Plus these cookies are easy to make -- you'll only need one bowl and a spoon -- no hand or stand mixer required! Course Dessert, Snack Cuisine American Keyword chewy chocolate chip cookies Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 9 minutes Chilling Time 1 hour Total Time 24 minutes Servings 16 -18 cookies Calories 253kcal Author Chelsea Ingredients▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (Note 1)▢ 1/3 cup white sugar▢ 1 large egg▢ 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract▢ 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder▢ 3/4 teaspoon sea salt (reduce if using table salt OR if sensitive to salt)▢ 1 and 3/4 cups white all-purpose flour▢ 1 and 1/4 cups good quality milk chocolate chips, separated (or use semi-sweet or dark chocolate -- whichever is your favorite)US - Metric USMetric InstructionsMELT BUTTER AND COOL: In a very large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Once melted, refrigerate for 5 minutes. It's important that the butter isn't hot when you add in the sugars or it will melt the sugar and make the cookies greasy.ADD WET INGREDIENTS: Once butter is cooled to room temperature, stir in the light brown sugar and white sugar. Briskly mix (with a whisk or wooden spoon) until smooth and integrated, about 1 minute. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Stir again until fully smooth.ADD DRY INGREDIENTS: Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add in the correctly measured (See Note 2) flour and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. Gently stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips until combined.CHILL DOUGH: Cover the bowl tightly and chill for 1 hour.PREHEAT OVEN: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a pan with parchment paper or use a nonstick liner.ROLL DOUGH BALLS: Roll balls of dough into tall cylindrical balls (see picture above for shape and size). Place 6-8 cookie balls on a sheet to give the cookies plenty of room to spread. Dough balls should be about 1.7 ounces (~2 and 1/2 tablespoons or 48 grams). Place the tray back in the fridge for 10 minutes (dough gets warmed being rolled into balls and handled!).BAKE: Bake for 9-14 minutes, erring on the side of under-baking, which keeps them soft and chewy (We like ours right at 12-13 minutes). The cookies will continue to bake slightly out of the oven, so take them out as soon as the edges start to lightly brown.MAKE 'EM PRETTY: Remove from the oven and press the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies (this ensures even placement of chocolate and also makes them look pretty). Allow to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.STORAGE: We like these cookies best on days1 and 2. They do last up to a week, but they begin to lose texture and flavor. To store: place in an airtight container and keep at room temperature. Wait until cookies are completely cooled before adding to the container. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Sugar: For a richer toffee-like flavor, use dark brown sugar. These cookies do spread a bit more and are a little less pretty with the dark brown sugar as compared to the light brown sugar; if you like toffee-flavored cookies, though, it's worth it. Note 2: Flour measurement: If you have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend weighing the flour to get 240 grams. How flour is measured can greatly vary from person to person, so weight is always going to be most accurate with a scale. Nutrition FactsCalories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 202IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below. Photos and text updated 3/20/19; recipe has not been changed.
These are the best cookies ever! thank you for the recipe! we also make the bakery m&m cookies all the time and love those!! Reply
Made these with my boys and wasn’t sure we’d get any baked because the dough was so good. Glad we did, because they were (somehow) even better baked!! Reply
Second time I made a cookie recipe from you and was not disappointed. I love that you explain why you do certain techniques. I used to be one of those people who throw everything in a bowl and pray for a good outcome but after your recipes I’ve seen how some extra time can go a long way in the texture and taste of a cookie. On to trying your oatmeal cookies next! Reply
Thank you so much for your comments Amanda! 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed these cookies and the peanut butter ones 🙂 I hope you love the oatmeal ones next!! Reply
My only complaint is how fast they went – my kids DEVOURED these cookies! Make extra for yourself 🙂 Reply
I made these cookies with my 5 year old grandson Reid. His first time baking and we loved this recipe. He was very proud to serve his cookies. Thanks Reply
Chelsea I am really enjoying your website and your recipes. Can I triple this recipe and still have a chewy cookie? I bake a lot at Christmas and use my cookies as gifts. I know 18 cookies won’t go very far. Thanks Reply
Made these yesterday and after I put the choc chips in I wasn’t sure how they would turn out. Turned out great, I did put the melted butter in the fridge to cool off. Great recipe can highly recommend Reply
First time I bake cookies on my own and they came out delicious! A little bit too sweet for my mum’s taste, can I try a batch with less sugar or will the cookies come out not the same? Reply
The three things I loved most about these cookies and this recipe. First, no need to remember to let butter come to room temp. Second, no need to bust out the electric mixer or stand mixer. Lastly, and most importantly, these are AWESOME! They are my new favorite recipe. Thanks! Reply
I’m sorry I don’t have experience baking at higher altitudes than where I’m at; hopefully this helps: https://www.wikihow.com/Adjust-a-Cookie-Recipe-for-High-Altitude Reply
It says in the recipe 1 and 1/4 cup of milk? But I don’t see where you have added it to your instructions Reply
Getting ready to make the chewy chocolate chip cookies. The recipe calls for 1& 1/4 cup milk. It never says to mix in mixture. I’m confused, do u mix the milk in the wet ingredients or just not use it. Reply
