What Makes These Cookies So Chewy & Perfect
These chewy chocolate chip cookies are thick, soft in the middle, lightly crisp on the edges, and loaded with melty chocolate. The chew comes from the right balance of butter, sugar, egg yolk, and chilling time no weird ingredients, just simple pantry staples done properly.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- True bakery-style chew: Soft center + set edges without being cakey.
- No mixer needed: One bowl + a whisk/spatula.
- No spreading disasters: Structured dough + chill = perfect rounds.
- Customizable: Works with chunks, chips, or mix-ins.
- Make-ahead friendly: Dough balls freeze beautifully.
Keywords naturally covered: chewy chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie recipe chewy, best chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Ingredients
For about 18–22 cookies (using ~2 Tbsp dough per cookie):
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 150 g (¾ cup packed) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg (room temp)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temp)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 220 g (1¾ cups + 2 Tbsp) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 170–200 g (1–1¼ cups) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
- Optional: 50 g (¼ cup) dark chocolate chunks for extra gooey pockets
- Optional: Flaky sea salt for topping
Substitutions & Variations
- Brown sugar: For extra chew, you can use up to ⅔ cup brown + ⅓ cup white (keep total sugar ~250 g).
- Butter: Salted butter works; just reduce added salt slightly.
- Chocolate: Use a mix of semisweet, dark, or milk chips/chunks. Chopped chocolate = more gooey pools.
- No baking soda? Use this recipe instead: chocolate chip cookies without baking soda (separate post / internal link).
- Add-ins: ½ cup chopped nuts, toffee bits, or coconut (but don’t overload or they’ll lose chew).
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep butter:
Melt the butter, then let it cool until just slightly warm, not hot. - Mix wet ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and slightly thick, about 30–45 seconds.
Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until glossy and well combined. - Combine dry ingredients:
In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. - Form the dough:
Add dry ingredients to wet and fold gently with a spatula until only a few flour streaks remain.
Fold in chocolate chips/chunks just until evenly distributed.
Dough should be soft but not runny. If it looks very loose, add 1–2 Tbsp flour. - Chill the dough (important for chew):
Cover and chill for at least 45–60 minutes, up to 24 hours.
Longer chill = deeper flavor and thicker, chewier cookies. - Preheat & shape:
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Scoop about 2 Tbsp of dough per cookie. Roll into balls, then make them slightly taller than wide.
Press a few extra chocolate chips on top for a bakery look. - Bake:
Bake for 9–12 minutes, depending on size.
Edges should be set and lightly golden; centers should still look soft and slightly underbaked. - Set & finish:
Let cookies cool on the tray for 8–10 minutes (they’ll firm up and stay chewy).
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using.
Tips for Perfect Chewy Cookies (Read This!)
- Don’t overbake. Take them out when the middle still looks soft. Overbaking = hard, dry cookies.
- Chill the dough. Even 45 minutes makes a big difference in thickness + chew.
- Weigh your flour. Too much flour = cakey. Aim for 220 g.
- Use more brown sugar than white. Brown sugar = moisture + chew.
- Leave space. These spread a bit; don’t crowd the pan.
- One tray at a time for best, even results.
How to Serve
- Slightly warm with a glass of milk.
- As ice cream sandwiches (chewy texture holds shape).
- On holiday cookie platters mixed with double chocolate, soft, gooey, and Christmas-style cookies.
Storage & Freezing
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container up to 4–5 days.
- To keep them soft: Add a small piece of bread or a slice of apple (change every 1–2 days).
- Freeze baked cookies: Up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze dough balls:
- Scoop, freeze on a tray, then store in a bag.
- Bake from frozen at 350°F (180°C), adding 1–2 minutes.
FAQ (for users + FAQ Schema)
Q1: How do I make my chocolate chip cookies extra chewy?
Use more brown sugar than white, add an extra egg yolk, chill the dough, and slightly underbake.
Q2: Why did my cookies come out flat?
Butter too warm, no chilling, or not enough flour. Chill the dough and measure flour accurately.
Q3: Can I make these cookies without chilling?
Yes, but they’ll spread more and be less thick. For true chewy bakery-style, chilling is recommended.
Q4: Can I halve or double the recipe?
Yes. Halving works fine; for doubling, chill well and bake in batches.
Q5: Which chocolate is best for chewy cookies?
A mix of chips and chopped dark chocolate gives the best texture and melty pockets.
Simple Nutrition (Per Cookie, Approx.)
For 1 cookie (out of 20):
~210 kcal • 3 g protein • 10 g fat • 27 g carbs • values approximate.
Conclusion + CTA
If you’re searching for a reliable chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe with crisp edges, soft centers, and big chocolate flavor, this one is built to rank and built to impress. Pair it with your top cookie recipes roundup and link to your gooey, soft, fluffy, and double chocolate variations to keep users and Google circulating inside your cookie hub.

