Thick, soft, bendy centers with lightly golden edges and pockets of melty chocolate.
These soft chocolate chip cookies are thick, buttery, and loaded with melty chocolate. The centers stay soft and bendy for days, the edges bake up just golden, and the dough comes together with simple pantry ingredients, no mixer required.
Why you'll want it now, Warm, bakery-style cookies with gooey chocolate and centers that stay soft for days.
Why this recipe works
Melted butter plus an extra egg yolk makes a rich, chewy dough. Leaning on brown sugar over white keeps the cookies soft and moist, while a short chill firms the dough so the cookies bake up thick instead of thin and crisp. Pulling them while the centers still look underdone is the whole secret to a soft chocolate chip cookie.
Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp / 55 g)
Kitchen scale
Cooling rack
How to make it
In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds.
Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until the batter looks thick and a little shiny.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Switch to a spatula and stir just until no dry streaks remain, don't overmix.
Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be soft; cover and chill for 30 minutes so it firms up and bakes thick.
Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls (about 55 g each), rolling them tall rather than wide, and space them about 2 inches apart. Weighing each ball keeps the cookies even and bakes them at the same rate.
Bake 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look soft and slightly underdone.
Let the cookies sit on the hot pan for 5 minutes to finish setting, then move them to a cooling rack.
Pour a glass of milk and grab one while they're still warm, that's the whole point.
How you'll know it's ready
The edges are set and lightly golden, but the centers still look soft, puffy, and a touch underbaked. They finish setting on the hot pan, if you wait for the centers to look fully done in the oven, they'll be dry.
Convection oven? (and if you don't have one)
Baking in a standard oven at 350°F? You're all set, that's exactly what this recipe is written for, and it's the best way to get soft, thick cookies. If you have a convection oven, the fan bakes hotter and faster and can dry cookies out, so lower the temperature to 325°F, keep the same time, and start checking a couple minutes early. Either way, pull them when the centers still look soft and underdone, they finish setting on the hot pan.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spreading too thin? Your dough was too warm, chill it longer, and make sure the melted butter cooled before mixing.
Cookies came out cakey? You likely added too much flour. Spoon flour into the cup and level it off, or weigh it (210 g).
Dry or crumbly? They were overbaked. Pull them when the centers still look soft; they set as they cool.
Want them extra thick? Roll the dough balls tall, and press a few extra chips on top right after baking.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Tuck a slice of sandwich bread in the container to keep them soft. They also warm beautifully, 10 seconds in the microwave brings back the melty chocolate.
Make ahead
Scoop the dough into balls and freeze on a tray, then bag them. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.
Variations
Brown butter: brown the butter first, then cool it slightly for a deeper, toffee-like flavor.
Chocolate chunks: swap the chips for chopped chocolate for melty puddles and thin edges.
Sea salt: sprinkle flaky salt on top right after baking.
Double chocolate: replace 1/4 cup (30 g) flour with cocoa powder.
Birthday cake: add 1/3 cup (60 g) rainbow sprinkles with the chips.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make chocolate chip cookies soft and keep them that way?
Use mostly brown sugar, don't overbake, and store them airtight with a slice of bread. The bread keeps the cookies soft without changing the flavor.
Why are my chocolate chip cookies flat?
Usually warm dough or too little flour. Chill the dough for 30 minutes and measure your flour by weight (210 g) for thick cookies.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. Chill it up to 3 days, or freeze scooped dough balls and bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, just reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon so the cookies don't taste too salty.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 1 cookie (55 g)
Calories230
Total Fat12 g
Saturated Fat7 g
Cholesterol35 mg
Sodium120 mg
Total Carbohydrate30 g
Dietary Fiber1 g
Total Sugars18 g
Protein3 g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients used and may vary depending on brands and exact measurements.
Recipe from softsweetdough.com · Soft, sweet desserts worth every bite.
