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Thick chocolate chip cookies mean real height, chewy centers, crisp edges, and layers of melted chocolate. This easy 35-minute method is built for consistency, so your cookies come out right every time!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Jump to RecipePrep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Freezer Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 33 minutes
Servings
25 cookies
Difficulty
Easy
Calories *
297 kcal per serving
Technique
Mix dough, roll immediately, chill or freeze, then bake until golden and matte.
Flavor Profile
Rich, buttery cookies with deep molasses notes and melty semisweet chocolate.
* Based on nutrition panel
I finally got thick cookies that stayed thick after baking! Rolling the dough right away and freezing it made all the difference. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lauren
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- Cold, pliable butter controls spread. You get structure without sacrificing tenderness.
- Dark brown sugar adds moisture. That molasses keeps the centers chewy even when fully baked.
- Proper mixing prevents gluten overload. This keeps the texture soft instead of cakey.
- Freezing locks in shape. Baking from cold dough gives you that bakery-style height similar to my bakery style chocolate chip cookies!
Table of Contents
I’ve made thousands of cookies professionally, including at les filles bakery cafe, and these are the ones I come back to over and over. They’re reliable, scalable to any batch size, and they don’t rely on tricks like underbaking to feel chewy.
If you love experimenting with cookie textures, you might also enjoy New York Times chocolate chip cookies or go even richer with double chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Provides the right structure for thick cookies. Too little and they spread, too much and they get dry. Some bakers add cornstarch for softness, but this method builds chew through technique instead.
- Baking soda & baking powder: The baking soda reacts with the molasses in brown sugar for lift, while baking powder adds a bit of extra structure.
- Kosher salt: Balances sweetness and enhances chocolate flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with crisp edges.
- Dark brown sugar: The key to chewiness and deep flavor. Light brown sugar works, but the flavor won’t be as rich.
- Unsalted butter: Use it cold but pliable. This is one of the most important steps.
- Eggs: Add structure, richness, and moisture.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances both the chocolate and molasses notes.
- Chocolate chips: Semisweet is ideal for balance, but you can experiment with chocolate chunks or blends.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations for Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Make a skillet version: Press the dough into a pan and bake, then top with vanilla bean ice cream and hot fudge sauce for a shareable dessert.
- Add richness: Try versions like cream cheese chocolate chip cookies or brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
- Switch up the mix-ins: Add candies, nuts, or swirls inspired by nutella cookies.
- Go peanut butter: Try a mashup with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies or serve alongside old fashioned peanut butter cookies.
- Build a cookie spread: Add variety with cowboy cookie recipe or a giant pizookie.
Professional Tips
- Keep butter cold but workable. If it’s too soft, your cookies will spread. The real secret to thick cookies is controlling butter temperature and dough temperature.
- Stop mixing as soon as ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing = tough cookies.
- Roll dough immediately after mixing. Waiting too long dries it out.
- Bake from frozen for the thickest cookies.
- Look for a matte top and golden edges to know they’re done.
How to Make Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use these instructions to make perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookies every time! Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined and lump-free. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugars. Beat butter on medium-high until cold but pliable, about 1–2 minutes. Add both sugars and mix until a paste forms, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl well.
Step 3: Add eggs and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing fully between each addition (about 30 seconds each). Add vanilla with the second egg.
Step 4: Incorporate dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in 4–5 additions. Mix just until incorporated, about 1–2 minutes total.
Step 5: Add chocolate chips. Mix in chocolate chips until evenly distributed, about 20–30 seconds.
Step 6: Roll cookie dough balls. Portion into 1½-inch balls (about 70g each). Roll immediately while the dough is still at room temperature. Chill or freeze for at least 1 hour. This refrigeration step is key for structure!
Step 7: Preheat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (or 325°F convection) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 8: Bake cookies. Place dough 2 inches apart and bake 10–12 minutes until golden and matte on the outside with a soft center inside. Rotate halfway through baking.
Step 9: Cool completely. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
If baking from frozen, they may need an extra minute of baking time.
Recipe FAQs
To get chocolate chip cookies that stay thick, control three key factors: butter temperature, dough temperature, and flour ratio. Use butter that is soft but still cool to the touch so it creams without becoming airy. Mix just until combined to avoid excess spread, then chill or freeze the dough before baking. Baking cold dough at the right temperature allows the edges to set before the center spreads, creating tall, structured cookies.
Yes. Chilling or freezing is essential for achieving thick cookies that don’t spread.
They’re great with creme anglaise or ice cream for sandwiches.
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If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups chocolate chips ⅔
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter until pliable, then add sugars and mix until a paste forms.
- Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla.
- Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Roll into 70g balls and chill or freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the baking sheets.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until golden and matte.
- Cool for 5 minutes on a pan, then transfer to a rack.
Video
Notes
- Yield – 25 cookies
- Technique – Barely cream butter and sugar for best texture.
- Variations – Add nuts, candies, or chunks.
- Storage – Store 3 days at room temp or freeze up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this chewy, bakery-style cookie recipe. If you’re still in a chocolate desserts mood, try chocolate biscotti next!
How do you get them to stay thick like in the photos? What is the secret? Ive made this recipe 3 times exactly and they always spread out and flatten.
Hi Onyx! The secret is in the butter and mixing. The biggest secret to thick, chewy cookies is cold yet pliable butter! Be careful not to over-cream, roll the dough right after mixing (before chilling), and make sure your oven temp is accurate. Those three things usually solve the spreading issue. Give it another shot and happy baking!
DELICIOUS
Hi Isabelle! I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for coming back to rate and comment, always makes my day!
This was the best recipe ever..
Hi Tamie! I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for circling back to let us know!
Can I refrigerate the cookie dough and then scoop into balls?
Hi Christopher! The cookie dough needs to be rolled while at room temperature. Pre-chilling the dough will cause the cookie dough to dry out, making it very hard to roll and affecting the final product. I’d recommend rolling the dough into balls right after mixing, then refrigerating or freezing them. Happy baking!
These are the BEST! Easy to follow directions. I think mine baked for about 16 minutes after being refrigerated for almost 2 hours. I only baked 4, the rest are going into the freezer for when a craving hits!
Hi Susan! Yay! I’m so glad you loved them! It makes me so happy that the directions worked well for you, and smart move saving the rest for future cravings. Honestly, nothing beats cookies-on-demand.
I’m making these cookies now and they’re perfect! I’m an impatient by nature and when the dough came out so beautifully I decided to try the first dozen without chilling and they did not disappoint!
Not sure if I got lucky going the no chill route or if it’s because I whipped the heck out of the butter and sugars but this recipe is a keeper! I love my chocolate chip cookies with a little extra saltiness and the 2 tsp of salt in this recipe is perfection! I used a medium sized cookie scoop and each batch made 5 dozen.
Hi Noelle! I’m so thrilled you’re loving the cookies, and wow, 5 dozen?! Thanks for baking and sharing!
Hello!
I baked these yesterday from frozen at 350°, but I had to pull them out at about 15 minutes since the edges were starting to brown a little too much. I let them cool for a long while on the cookie sheet, but the centres were still a little too gooey. (They were all 70g balls.)
If I’d like them more set in the middle without the edges browning too much, should I turn my oven down to 325°?
I figured out that I had to bake these at 325° in order to get them to set and not be raw in the middle, without burning the bottoms.
Alas, 3 adults here at home all agree that these cookies did not do it for us. They aren’t *bad*, but we found them to be bland and certainly missing something in terms of flavour, which I found rather puzzling. The texture also leaves a bit to be desired.
We all MUCH prefer the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe also found on this site!
Hi Pris, That is surprising! These are the cookies I made at Restaurant Marc Forgione, and are still served to this day, and they sell out every night. I’m sorry they didn’t do it for you and your guests, but I am happy you enjoy my pb chocolate chip cookie recipe. That is one of my favorites, as well! ~Lindsey
Hi Pris! Sorry I missed this comment! Thanks for the detailed note, you’re spot on that the recipe calls for 350°F in a conventional oven and 325°F if using convection. If your edges are browning too quickly but the centers aren’t setting, it might be worth trying: moving your rack up one level, switching to a lighter-colored baking sheet,
or slightly lowering the temp to 340°F to give the centers more time without over-browning the edges. Your temperature might run hotter than it’s reading, they’re all a little different. Happy you gave it a try and happy baking!
Can I leave them in the freezer and cook them at a later date?
Hi Reagan! You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months and have some ready to bake cookies for any day of the week!