If you like soft, chewy cookies, these thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies are for you. Brown sugar and higher oven temperature is the secret to thick, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies every time.

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With all the baking I do, I know that there are a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there. This one, in particular, makes super soft, chewy, thick cookies that are exactly what I look for in a cookie.
The ingredients are similar compared to all of the other recipes, but the secret to achieving the perfect combination of thick, soft, and chewy is in the type of sugar used in this recipe and the perfect cookie baking temperature.
The end result is what I consider the perfect thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie. I definitely belong to the soft and chewy crowd and if you do too, you’re going to love this recipe!
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Why You’ll Love These Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Perfect Trifecta: This cookie recipe brings together what I consider the ideal finished cookie form — soft, thick, and chewy. It’s a classic favorite cookie type for pretty much all cookie fans.
- Pantry Ingredients: Since I keep these ingredients stocked in my fridge and pantry at all times, this is an easy cookie recipe to throw together even at the last minute. If needed, switch out the type of chips used and change up or leave out the nuts entirely.
- Easy Recipe: I love basic recipes because after you make them a couple of times you can practically do it in your sleep! These cookies come together so quickly, and you can have the first round of finished cookies ready to munch in less than 30 minutes.
🍪 When in doubt about what treat to take to a gathering, I’m always confident that homemade chocolate chip cookies will please the masses!
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Pecans
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve made chocolate chip cookies before, the steps in this recipe will look familiar.
Step 1: Before you get started, take out the butter and let it come up to room temperature.
Pro Tip: To bring your butter to room temperature faster, slice it into tablespoons and put it in your bowl to warm up while you’re measuring your other ingredients.
Step 2: As in most recipes, you’ll start by combining the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Then, I like to use my stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar together. This should take about 2 minutes. You’ll know the creaming is done when the butter is light and fluffy.
If you don’t have a paddle attachment or a stand mixer, you can get the job done with a hand mixer or by hand, it will just take a little longer and a little more elbow grease.

Step 4: Combine everything together and fold in the chocolate chips. You can also add nuts here if you like. I like pecans, but walnuts would also be great.
Step 5: At this point, you can chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. This helps keep the cookies from spreading out as much when you bake them, but it’s not required for perfectly chewy cookies.

Step 6: When you’re ready to bake, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet. I love using this #40 disher to scoop perfectly sized cookies. Each cookie is about 1.5 tablespoons of dough.
Step 7: Bake until the cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center, 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.
Take the cookies out of the oven 1 or 2 minutes before the cookies are cooked, as they will continue to cook on the baking pans.
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely before serving.
Recipe FAQs
No, brown sugar is an absolute must for this recipe! Brown sugar has a higher moisture content than granulated sugar, which helps keep your homemade cookies thick and chewy rather than thin and crispy. Plus, the brown sugar helps these cookies brown up faster. That means that even with our shorter cooking time, the cookies gain their signature toasted brown color on top.
Absolutely! Both the dough and baked cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag.
This usually happens when the butter is too soft. Try chilling the dough for 20-30 minutes before baking, and make sure your baking sheets are cool between batches.
Expert Tips
- Room Temp: Room temperature ingredients are crucial – set out your butter and eggs at least an hour before baking.
- Tender Cookies: Don’t overmix once you add the flour – this keeps your cookies tender and prevents them from becoming tough.
- Perfect Size: Use a cookie scoop if you have one – it ensures even sizing and perfectly round cookies.
- How Long To Bake Cookies: The 1-2 minute early removal from the oven is crucial for achieving that perfect chewy texture. Trust the process, even if they look slightly underdone!

Storing Chocolate Chip Cookies
Store your chocolate chip cookies in a Ziploc bag at room temperature.
Like most cookies, thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies stay fresh longer if frozen. If you’re not planning to inhale all the cookies within a day or two, let the cookies cool fully before storing them in a sealed container in the freezer. They’ll keep for several months.
I like to let them defrost on the counter for a few hours, or overnight, before serving.
My Other Favorite Chewy Cookie Recipes to Try
Chocolate chip aren’t the only recipe for thick and chewy cookies! Try these other popular cookie recipes:
- Fudgy Chocolate Sixlet Cookies are always a winner on Valentine’s Day, but I love them all year long.
- Chocolate Marshmallow Surprise Cookies are fudgy and brownie-like with a gooey and soft marshmallow on top. And don’t forget the chocolate icing!
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies take the choc chip cookies up a notch, adding a special twist to make them taste especially delicious.

More Amazing Cookie Recipes to Try
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Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar, on medium speed, until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture; mix just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using. (Optional: cover dough and chill 20 – 30 minutes.)
- Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto baking pans. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center, 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.
- Take the cookies out of the oven 1 or 2 minutes before the cookies are cooked, as they will continue to cook on the baking pans.
- Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely before serving.
Video
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients are crucial – set out your butter and eggs at least an hour before baking.
- Don’t overmix once you add the flour – this keeps your cookies tender and prevents them from becoming tough.
- Use a cookie scoop if you have one – it ensures even sizing and perfectly round cookies.
- The 1-2 minute early removal from the oven is crucial for achieving that perfect chewy texture. Trust the process, even if they look slightly underdone!











Lauren from Lauren's Latest
These are right up my alley! YUM.
Kathy - Cooking On the Side
I definitely prefer the thick and chewy kind – I can’t wait to try baking at 400, thanks for the great tip!
Maris (In Good Taste)
Exactly the way I love chocolate chip cookies.
Lisa @ Sweet as Sugar Cookies
I can’t wait to try these cookies. They’re on my to-do list now.
Cookin' Canuck
Those look fantastic, Barbara! I missed that article in the Trib, so glad you printed the recipe here.
Julia @ Mélanger
Like you, always happy to try a new CCC recipe. Looks like a winner! 🙂
Maria
Soft and chewy for me! These look great!
Claire K Creations
This will sound strange but I like thick and chewy in winter with a nice warm drink and thin and crispy when the weather is warmer with cold milk. Yum!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc
omg these look amazing! I have bookmarked them
Ana Powell
I would like a couple with my tea right now.
Great work ♥
kim sisto robinson
How did you know that Chocolate CHip Cookies are one of my all-time-favorite things in the ENTIRE world??
I shall try these to make my butt bigger 🙂 Thanks, Barbara.
Debbie
I like chocolate chip cookies either way. Usually the homemade ones I love soft and chewy but I also love Pepperidge Farms hard ones that are pretty good! You cannot beat a good cookie whether it’s hard or soft and chewy!
Bonnie
Soft and chewy with dark chocolate or semi-sweet chips. Love these! They are perfect. I can almost taste one now.
Rosa
Chewy cookies are my favorite. Those must be irresistible.
Cheers,
Rosa
kelley
I love to read the science behind things especially when it comes to baking. Chocolate chip cookies are a household favorite, and I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Kim
I really enjoyed reading this post, Barbara! I’ve given a lot of thought into what makes cookies soft and chewy (lots of brown sugar, etc.) but never the temp to which they are cooked. Very interesting. They look delicious.
Cristie
I’m a sucker for soft and chewy cookies. I just did a test run in a gas oven and it made a marked difference from an electric sitting right next to it. It’s not just the ingredients but what you cook it in!
Brian @ A Thought For Food
I know that I’d just devour a plate of these… and a big glass of milk. They look perfect!
Sanjeeta kk
The cookie looks so cute and plump in the first picture. Though I like my cookies crisp, would love to try the fat ones with chewy texture 🙂
tiffany ~food finery
soft and chewy EVERY time! i am the girls who let’s her cereal sit for 15 minutes before eating it though 🙂 i like soft food! mmmmmmm these look yum!