These are the best soft and chewy classic chocolate chip cookies. They are super soft, fluffy, and thick with a subtle caramel flavor. Warm from the oven, they will melt in your mouth. This is a simple recipe with exceptional results!
Oh my goodness… these cookies! This thick and fluffy chocolate chip cookie recipe is amazing.
I’ve tried countless cookie recipes, which has led me to a a very important conclusion. I love ALL cookies. Although I‘ll eat almost every kind of cookie (and edible cookie dough, another weakness of mine), I still have my idea of the perfect cookie: chewy, thick, and slightly underbaked with a hint of a caramel flavor.
Chewy peanut butter cookies and my small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe are also my idea of perfect cookies, but let’s focus on these cookies for now. Perfection is the right word to describe them. They are simply to die for!
What makes these cookies so thick and fluffy?
Brown sugar: Brown sugar makes these cookies ultra moist, soft and increases chewiness. White sugar makes cookies crispier. Therefore, I like using more brown sugar than white sugar in my recipe – it’s all about the right ratio of white to brown sugar.
Melted butter: Melted butter rather than solid butter increases chewiness.
Egg yolks: Instead of using just whole eggs, we add an egg yolk. Trust me – it’s necessary. The egg yolk increases chewiness as well!
How to make the best thick chocolate chip cookies
- Melt the butter. Wait a few minutes until it’s cooled slightly.
- Add the sugars. whisk with the melted butter until well combined.
- Combine the eggs. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Fold in the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula just until combined. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, being careful not to overmix the dough.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips and nuts, if using.
You may notice once you have finished making the dough, how soft it is. The color is perfect, the texture is perfect and there’s nothing that stands in your way to eat that entire bowl of cookie dough.
Optional tip: Want your cookies SUPER soft? Try adding 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to the dry ingredients.
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Chilling and baking fluffy chocolate chip cookie dough
Now it’s chilling time. I highly recommend not skipping this step because the dough is so soft, if you bake it without chilling it first, the cookies will spread and you’ll end up with flat, crunchier cookies.
- Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least an hour (preferably 2, if you can wait that long. I know it’s hard, trust me!)
- Alternatively, you can preroll your cookie dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Place the sheet pan directly in the fridge to chill for at least thirty minutes. Then, you can bake the cookies directly from the fridge.
While chilling, the flour absorbs the liquids, which leads to thicker cookies. While the edges get crispy, the center is still underbaked and stays soft.
Baking thick and fluffy chocolate chip cookies
It took my cookies 11 minutes to be baked perfectly, but keep in mind that every oven is different and that I like my cookies super soft. The edges of the cookies will begin to brown but the center will still look soft and underbaked. The longer you bake, the crispier the cookies will be. Underbaking slightly is a secret for cookies softness.
Tips for perfect, super soft chocolate chip cookies – fluffy and thick!
- Don’t over mix your cookie dough. This will cause the flour the develop more gluten that we want, which will result in tougher, more dense cookies.
- Chill your cookie dough before baking. Don’t skip this step! It helps create perfectly round, thick, and chewy cookies. If you chill the dough overnight, the flavor will have a stronger caramel flavor to it.
- Underbake your cookies. The secret to perfect cookies? Underbaking them. Pull them from the oven ad soon as the edges look slightly browned.
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More of my favorite chocolate chip cookies recipes
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies: For when you have a craving for a warm and gooey cookie on the fly.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: There’s nothing like the combo of creamy peanut butter and chocolate chips!
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Brown butter adds an amazing nutty, caramel flavor to these chewy cookies.
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies: When you want extra large chocolate chip cookies.
- Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies: The addition of tahini not only adds a wonderful flavor, but produces exceptionally moist chocolate chip cookies.
- Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chocolate Chip: That’s right – 2 cookies in one!
Soft, Chewy, and Incredibly Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chewy chocolate chip cookies are to die for. Moist, thick, and oozing with melty chocolate chips, you won't be able to eat just one!
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1.5 sticks/170g) butter, melted (warm, not hot)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 – 1 ¼ cups (170g-200g) chocolate chips
- ¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
Instructions
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In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, place the melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Whisk until well combined. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
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Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably 6 hours or overnight (you can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days).
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Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C degrees. Line pans with parchment paper.
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If the cookie dough is hard to handle, leave it on the counter for a few minutes.
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Drop rounded balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet, the size of 3 tablespoons each. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies just begin to brown at the edges and center is still soft. Cookies will appear undone but will continue to bake on the warm baking sheet. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe is adapted from The cook’s illustrated Baking Book
