I waited for a long time before I posted my Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. There are so many cookies out there that I didn’t want to add to the choc chip cookie noise unless I had a really good reason.
These chewy centre, crisp edged, generously chocolate chipped cookies are a REALLY good reason. I actually posted this recipe originally back in 2018 but I thought it worth updating now with way more information so that you can make these cookies perfectly too.
Update: Some readers have mentioned confusion over the texture of these cookies. First and foremost, these are NOT a soft cookie. They have a crunchy exterior with just the centre remaining chewy. I recommend baking one first to get the right time for your oven too. These cookies are fashioned after the type where I live (in Aus all cookies, or as we call them, biscuits, are crunchy all the way through – no soft bits) but I lessen the baking time so that the centre doesn’t quite get crunchy.
If you’re after soft and chewy cookies, you should definitely try these Caramilk Cookies and these Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies too.
So what makes the ultimate chocolate chip cookies?
The idea of what a perfect chocolate chip cookie is varies from person to person and country to country. Some like them soft all over, others like them completely crunchy. How many chocolate chips should they have? Should they be chewy or cakey? Thick or thin? These ones are eggless and the texture is more like the crunchy cookies I grew up with but with a chewy centre and they taste seriously amazing!
- Simple ingredients – good flavour doesn’t need to be complicated
- Crisp edges that are just the tiniest bit golden which adds flavour
- Loaded with dark chocolate chips – there will look like too many in the dough but, once baked the ratio is perfect
- Big – just like my chocolate chunk cookies, these cookies are palm-sized and chunky too
- Super buttery – because … butter
- No resting time and easy to make because patience is not my thing
- Freezable – before or after baking, making them available at a moments notice
- Reliable – this recipe works every time and everyone always loves them
What ingredients do you need
Along with regular suspects of flour, sugar and butter there are a few ingredients that really make these cookies shine.
- Brown sugar in addition to white, keeps the cookies chewy and moist
- Baking soda results in those crisp edges
- Dark chocolate chips and lots of ‘em. They give a much richer flavour than milk choc chips which add more sweetness than flavour.
- Corn flour / Cornstarch helps to keep the cookies soft and tender in the middle. The combination of flour and cornflour in this recipe is essentially a homemade cake flour so, if you have cake flour on hand, feel free to use it in place of both.
But what’s missing? Egg.
I actually make these chocolate chip cookies without eggs and not for any other reason than they just don’t need it but it’s helpful for those with an egg allergy too. The base dough recipe is adapted from my Buttery Sultana Cookies with slight changes to get a perfect choc chip cookie texture and flavour.
How to make thick chocolate chip cookies
This is the ultimate chocolate chip cookies recipe for me and the one I go-to every single time.
- (Image 1) Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and pale
- (Images 2 & 3) Add half the dry ingredients, followed by a touch of milk, and the remaining dry ingredients.
- (Images 4 & 5) Mix through the chocolate chips until clumping
- (Image 6) Sit them 2-3 inches apart on baking trays – I fit 6 per tray.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes
Tips and Tricks
Here’s how to make this recipe perfect
- Weigh your ingredients: I can’t stress this enough, especially with a recipe that has less moisture (since there are no eggs), you must weigh your ingredients if you want the best result. Scooping straight from the container will always result in more flour than you need.
- A stand mixer works best for really getting the butter and sugar creamed together.
- Mix until the dough forms big clumps. It’s a thick, drier dough, not sticky but will clump well. Don’t be tempted to add too much milk – you want the dough to just hold together.
- It looks like a lot of chocolate chips but hang in there, once baked it will be perfect
- Use a medium ice cream scoop to give me slightly larger than golf balls size mounds of dough.
- Don’t press the dough together too firmly – just enough for them to hold shape.
- Don’t press them down. They will spread out quite a bit in the oven, then drop a little on cooling, creating a nice thick cookie.
I’ve also used this very same dough to make these Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars and these Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
Optional: Add some salt
There’s something about adding salt to sweet treats – not to the point of turning them savoury but just to add an edginess to them. Like salted caramel of which I’m a massive fan. My Salted Caramel Fudge is one of the most popular recipes on the blog and then there’s the decadent Baked Salted Caramel Cheesecake so I know many of you feel the same.
Salted chocolate has that same edge to it and you can take these cookies to the next level by adding a sprinkling of sea salt flakes on top of each one before baking.
Make ahead & storage
You can bake these chunky chocolate chip cookies and store them in a cool place for around a week. The fridge is fine but let them come to room temp before eating them. You can even store these baked or unbaked in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze the unbaked dough
- Whole – wrap it well in plastic wrap and then in an zip lock bag or air tight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
- Portioned – portion up the cookies and sit the balls of dough on a baking tray. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip lock bag and then into a airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge or on the countertop until they come to room temp prior to baking.
- To freeze baked cookies, store them in a zip lock bag or plastic wrap, then into an airtight container.
The airtight container is just a second barrier to the cookies absorbing any freezer smells.
I swear by these crisp-edge, thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies. Loaded with chocolate and butter flavour, you and your family will love them too.
More cookie recipes you’ll love
Video
Ingredients
- 260 g plain (all purp) flour (2 cups / 9.2oz)
- 90 g cornflour (cornstarch) (⅔ cup / 3.2oz)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda (bicarb soda)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 150 g light brown sugar (¾ cup / 5.3oz)
- 100 g white granulated sugar (½cup / 3.5oz)
- 170 g unsalted butter, room temp (1 ½ sticks / 6oz)
- 2 tablespoons milk (8 teaspoons - notes)
- 1 ¾ cups dark chocolate chips (350g)
- Extra sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F /160C fan forced. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
- Sift together the flour, cornflour, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until lightened and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add half the flour mix. Beat until just combined. Add the milk and remainder of the flour and mix until it just starts to come together.
- Finally, reserve ¼ cup of chocolate chips and add the rest to the dough. Give it another beat until mixed through and the dough is clumping. It will be quite dry and a little crumbly but if you press it together in your hand it will clump and hold a shape.
- Use a medium ice cream scoop to scoop the cookie dough (see notes) and transfer to the baking trays. Space the cookies about 2-3 inches apart. (or lightly roll balls slightly larger than a golf ball)
- Sprinkle a little flaked sea salt over the top of each one and dot the reserved chocolate chips over them. Press down slightly on the top.
- Bake for around 12-14 minutes, turning the trays halfway through until just starting to get golden on the edges.
- Allow them to cool on the trays for a few minutes before using a spatula to help to transfer them to a cooling rack. Once cool, they will firm up and be crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle
Notes
- I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (4 teaspoons worldwide)
- The combination of flour and corn flour is like cake flour and makes for a more tender cookie. Feel free to swap both out and use 350g / 12.5oz of cake flour instead.
- For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- Mix until the dough forms big clumps. It’s a thick, drier dough, not sticky but will clump well. Don't be tempted to add too much milk - you want the dough to just hold together.
- It looks like a lot of chocolate chips but hang in there, once baked it will be perfect
- Don’t press the dough together too firmly - just enough for them to hold shape.
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24 Comments on “Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies [+ Video]”
Hi Marie, the recipe clearly says they should be chewy in the middle but they were certainly not😔. They were as hard as a rock, I hope you do better next time Marie. There’s always room to improve if you have a growth mindset. 🙏💯
Btw, I actually quite liked them. 👊🤭
Hi Kregaseater. Firstly, is this actually how you speak to people? Anyway, onto the recipe – yes, it does say they should have a chewy middle and it stands true. If they were hard as rock, then you have either made or baked them incorrectly. But don’t worry, you’ll do better next time – there’s always room to improve if you have a growth mindset. I’m so happy that after your backhanded compliment, you liked them though. Have a great weekend 😉🙌
Your feedback and culinary expertise are truly invaluable. I bow down to your superior palate and baking skills. I eagerly anticipate your next recipe and eagerly await your guidance on achieving the perfect chewy center. Until then, I shall continue to strive for improvement under your watchful eye. Bon appétit! 🍪😄
😂
If you’re after a soft and chewy cookie try these https://www.sugarsaltmagic.com/marshmallow-chocolate-chip-cookies/. These are made completely differently so they have that truly soft and chewy texture as opposed to crunchy outside and chewy in the middle. I also was thinking about the baking pans – a darker coloured baking pan will produce a more crunchy cookie than a lighter one.
If your looking for regular choc chip cookies I suggest a different recipe with eggs. I think they were too crunchy and crumbly for my liking.
Hi Susan. Bear in mind, where I’m from, this is a regular choc chip cookie – in fact, here, they’re just crunchy all the way through without a chewy centre at all. If you’re after a soft chocolate chip cookie, try these Caramilk Cookies (you can use any chocolate chips you like). I’ll adjust the way this is written so readers don’t mistake them for a soft cookie.
Hi Marie,
Thanks for your reply. That’s interesting, where are you from? I’ll be sure to give those Caramilk cookies a try.
Yes that’s a good idea to edit it because it states in your blog that the cookies are crunchy with a chewy centre 🤔
Hi Susan. I’m in Australia. These cookies should have a chewy centre though, so if yours didn’t they may just be overbaked. I’ve removed the word “soft” from the post, so as not to confuse anyone.
Hi Marie,
Hmmm I’m a little confused now. In your first reply you said ‘They’re just crunchy all the way through without a chewy centre at all’ but later you mentioned that they should be chewy and I may have baked them a little too long. I think the description might still be a bit misleading.
I’ve done a bit of research and this website mentions that cookies without eggs are dense and crumbly intothecookiejar.com/can-you-make-cookies-without-eggs.
It’s still a great recipe if your looking for a crunchy cookie!! 😀
Hi Susan. I’m sorry, I didn’t explain myself very well 😂. What I meant to say is the cookies here in Australia, are crunchy all the way through. That’s just the norm here. My particular recipe, is made to be crunchy outside and chewy in the centre but that will depend on baking time. So not soft, no, but they should be chewy in the centre. Also, I was thinking overnight, the baking pan will affect how crunchy they are. Darker pans tend to produce a crunchier cookie when baked for the same time as a cookie on a light coloured pan. I plan to post a little test of this using both this cookie recipe and my soft choc chip cookie recipe to show the different results.
It’s not true that all cookies without eggs are dense and crumbly as there are so many other ingredients that affect a cookies texture. Even the technique will affect the texture. Every recipe will be different. For instance, I use cornflour (US cornstarch) in these cookies for a more tender result. I also suggest in the notes section not to pack them too firmly – this means they have more air and stops them from being dense. Cookies without eggs do tend to be crunchier though, because there is a lower moisture and fat content.
Thankyou for your response it was very thorough and helpful. I look forward to making more of your recipes 🙂
These look amazing, I am planning to make them. I live at 6900 feet elevation, should I make any adjustment for high elevation? Thanks!
Hello Sue. I don’t personally have experience baking at high elevation however I found this great resource from Wilton.
Hi Marie, I haven’t tried these yet but I just want to point out that I really appreciate that you list ingredients in grams, cups and ounces. You also list temperatures in C and F, and regular and fan-forced. These little details are much appreciated! Also, if I reduce the sugar level in this or any other cookie recipe, do you think I need to adjust any other ingredient quantities? I find most online recipes too sweet so I often cut out 20-25 percent of the sugar. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Cheers,
James
Hello James, thank you and you’re welcome 🙂 There is no other ingredient I would increase to compensate for less sugar, however, please note I have tested them and landed on the amount in the recipe being the right ratios. I can’t vouch for the recipe working or tasting as good if you alter the ingredient quantities. That aside, happy baking 🙂
Marie honestly not my best bake, the moisture was a bit too crumbly for my comfort, they were tasty but I was nervous about the texture. I added a bit more milk for easier rolling., because when I pressed on them even a bit they just crumbled. So the last part when you say press down a bit and add more cc the cookie ‘dough’ fell apart so I pressed it down in my palm… please advice on the crumbly part. I love all your baked. You are one of my favourite bloggers.
Hello Ruth, thank you first of all for the kind words. Ok, so yes, this dough is quite crumbly. The longer you mix it or knead it the more it will stick together though, so I would suggest just mix it a little longer and it should come together. The softness of your butter to begin with will also make a difference. It’s ok to add a little milk but you shouldn’t need more than a couple of extra teaspoons, then give it a really good mix until it starts forming bigger clumps. By press down, I mean just very lightly, almost just to flatten the top but you can even skip this step too and they will just be chunkier cookies 🙂
I’ve cut down the sugar for this recipe but it still tasted delicious!
My 4 year old absolutely loved it! 🙂
Thats great Charlyn, so glad you loved them 🙂
I noticed that no eggs added in the recipe. Why? 🙂
Hi Claudine, it’s not unusual for cookie recipes not to contain eggs. Here particularly, they are not required for structure or lift as they might be in a cake and adding egg would make the dough too wet so the cookies would not hold their shape. ?
These look like picture prefect chocolate chip cookies! I prefer dark chocolate in my cookies too. You can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes, I’m excited to try this one!
Thank so much Christina. I’d love to hear what you think once you’ve tried them
Thanks Christina, let me know what you think