I have tested a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years and this is the one I keep coming back to. Not cakey (although I do love that), not crispy, not thin and flat, but chewy in the very best way, with golden edges, a slightly soft center that finishes setting as it cools, and enough chocolate in every single bite that you do not feel like you were shorted. This is the one I make when I want to impress, when I need to bring something to someone, or when I just want a really good cookie.
There are a few decisions that make this recipe work the way it does. First, browned butter. Taking the extra five minutes to brown the butter before creaming it with the sugars adds a nutty, almost caramel-like depth of flavor that you cannot get from regular melted or softened butter. It is the kind of difference that people taste and cannot identify but absolutely notice. Second, more brown sugar than white. Brown sugar is what gives you that chewiness and the deeper, molasses flavor that makes a cookie taste complex.
Third, and this one I really mean — chill the dough. Even thirty minutes makes a difference. The flavor develops, the fat solidifies, and the cookies spread more slowly in the oven which means you end up with a thicker, chewier result. Overnight is even better. I know it is hard to wait, but it is absolutely worth it!!
Use a mix of chocolate chips and roughly chopped chocolate if you can for the best pockets of melted chocolate throughout, but if you only have one type that is completely okay too. A sprinkle of flaky salt on top before baking is optional but I always do it. The salt against the sweet chocolate is one of those combinations that just makes everything better — you know what I mean!
These are THE cookie, and I hope they become your go-to. Tag me @herbyeats when you bake them, I want to see your deliciousness come to life!
The BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Light-colored saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale (optional, for gram measurements)
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- 2 tbsp cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks / 225g unsalted butter
- 1 cup 200g light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup 100g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups 280g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz 225g good quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until it smells nutty and has golden-brown bits on the bottom, about 6–8 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Whisk both sugars into the browned butter until combined. Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until slightly thickened and ribbon-like.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold until just combined. Fold in chopped chocolate.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is better.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop dough into balls (about 2 tbsp each) onto parchment-lined sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Top with flaky salt.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until edges are set and golden but centers still look underdone.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes. They will firm up as they cool.