This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies! These cookies are nice and golden on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Loaded up with tons of melted chocolate. The best part is the size. These cookies are thick and hearty!
My favorite thing about cookies, is possibly the dough. Which means these Texas sized cookies that remain soft and gooey in the center even when baked are my favorite thing ever! These cookies check all the boxes!
- Thick!
- Chewy
- Buttery
- Soft and gooey
- Loaded with chocolate
How do you make thick cookies?
There’s several tricks and tips involved in this recipe that help to create the ultimate thick chocolate chip cookie.
- Use more Brown Sugar: We’re using mostly brown sugar instead of white. The light brown sugar creates a thicker, softer, and chewier cookie than using mostly white sugar.
- Baking Powder: We’re also using baking powder in these cookies instead of baking soda. Baking soda can help create crisper cookies, but we’re going for thick and soft.
- How you handle the dough: After we make the chocolate chip cookie dough, we’re also going to be careful about how we handle it. Don’t squish the dough!
Handle the dough gently
To make the cookies, gently separate the dough into 6 pieces, but don’t form the dough into a ball shape. Most cookie recipes have you compress the dough and form a ball, or form it higher to help with the shape while baking.
But with this dough, we want to loosely form it into a shape, but don’t compress it. We want to keep the dough light and airy.
Important Tips
- The best dough will form if you use a hand mixer or stand mixer. This will allow you to throughly cream the butter and sugars.
- If using a mixer, the dough might seem a bit crumbly. Moist, but not completely sticking together in a solid mound. This is ok. It’s due to the amount of flour in the recipe. This is another thing that makes the cookies so thick. Use your hands to mix the chocolate chips in all the way and you will see the dough come together.
- Again, don’t squish the dough together. Keep it nice and airy. Form it just enough to make the cookie shape.
Can I make these cookies smaller?
This recipe is designed to create LARGE Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies. The best I can describe would be close to Levain Bakery. The recipe is designed to make 6 cookies.
However! This same dough can be used to make smaller size cookies, and they will still puff up thick when baking as long as you follow the instructions. Keep in mind that does change the serving size and nutrition information provided.
Other cookie recipes:
- Brown Butter Toffee Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Cookies
- Banana Split Cookies
- Cowboy Cookies
Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup chopped pecans can be omitted
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the butter and sugars. Using a hand or stand mixer cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.
- Add in the large egg, vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. The dough might seem to be in crumbles as mentioned above.
- Pour in the chocolate chips and pecans (if using) and use your hands to mix them in. This will bring the dough together. Be gentle though. We don’t want to compact the dough too much. We want to keep it as airy as possible.
- Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Gently form into cookie form. Place on the baking sheet.
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 during this time.
- Bake the cookies for about 16-18 minutes. The outside will be golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to continue cooling. The cookies need to cool prior to serving. They are best at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe initially posted on May 23, 2018. Updated on March 6, 2020 with new images and new video. Only recipe change was a reduction in the amount of vanilla extract. Original photo of recipe below! My chocolate chips melted so much better in that batch!
I so badly want this recipe to work but my dough always comes out so dry! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong! I’ve tried it about 5 times 🙁 otherwise the potential is there and the flavor is amazing!
Hi Molly! Its possible the measuring of flour may be off. Depending on how you measure your ingredients. If you feel the dough is dry, even after working it slightly with your hands, try adding a bit more butter to help moisten it up. OR start with a bit less flour next time. Sometimes the dough looks dry, but working it with my hands will bring it together nicely.
I’d like to make these double chocolate chip cookies with cocoa powder. I was wondering if I should decrease the amount of flour by half a cup and just substitute in cocoa powder. If you have a recommendation please let me know.
If you like flat, crispy, greasy cookies, do NOT make these! They are incredibly thick, chewy on the inside, with just the perfect amount of crunch on the bottom. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
For reference, I made 10 cookies using the recipe (mostly) as written, with pecan omitted and an extra 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Baked for 16minutes. Literally perfect! Thank you!
Hi can i use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar? And can i add 1 egg yolk for this recipe?
Yes, you can use dark brown sugar. As for the egg yolk, I haven’t made this recipe with an extra yolk so I can’t say how that would change the cookies.
These cookies are so delicious! The video was so helpful and the directions so easy that my kids helped make them. We had a great time and the gigantic cookies were very rewarding at the end of the process. Thank you for sharing this recipe and tutorial!
I have made this recipe twice now, hoping for a better result. Unfortunately, while the texture is perfect and the size is great, all I can taste is flour. And chocolate. But the flour is really over powering. Considering trying it again with only 1 cup. I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong, but the taste is just off.
Can you give measurements in metrics for UK followers pls?
Can you use salted butter?? Will it make a difference?
You can use salted butter, but I would reduce the amount of salt you’re adding to the recipe.
Way to floury, not enough brown sugar caramelly goodness, not enough vanilla
Haha! Some people tell me too much vanilla, then it’s not enough. This is why I measure vanilla by feeling!
Can I use brown sugar instead? Will it change the thickness of the cookie if I do?
BEST Chocolate Chip cookie recipe ever! I love biting into this thick, chunky and delicious cookie!