Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: Big butterscotch flavor without being too sweet. These cookies taste how you imagine a chocolate chip cookie should taste!
Texture: The best part! These babies are big, thick, super chewy yet soft on the inside, and crisp at the edges. Perfection!
Ease: Very easy, though I do use two different flours and there is a chilling period so patience is involved. You can make a double batch, shape the dough into balls, chill for a day or two, then freeze the balls. Bake when the cookie cravings come!
Pros: My all-time favorite cookie recipe.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? A thousand times yes, I’ve made this recipe countless times and have extra dough stashed in the freezer at all times.

How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you remember my Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies Part 1 and Part 2? That is where I discovered ALLthe secrets to making my version of the best chocolate chip cookie.

Why This is the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1. This recipe utilizes half bread flour, which lends chewiness to the cookies.
2. It also uses a good amount of brown sugar, which lends that butterscotch flavor and thick and soft texture.
3. The extra egg yolk in this recipe also helps keep these cookies soft yet chewy and adds richness in flavor.
4. You can think of the 24 – 72 hour chilling period as a “marinating” period. The flavors intensify and the texture will become thicker and chewier. It’s pretty amazing.

Do I Really Need to Use Bread Flour?

You don’t absolutely HAVE to use bread flour, but it adds a ton of chewy texture to these cookies that’s worth the extra trip to the store. If you can’t get bread flour, then use all AP flour in its place.

Do I Really Need to Chill the Dough?

• The last key element is the 24 to 72 hour chilling period which is a huge pain in the butt, I know, but it is so completely worth it.
• The flavor and texture improve SO much as the dough chills!
• If you’re absolutely strapped for time, you can bake off some cookies as soon as the dough is done. But I’d definitely encourage you to try chilling and see all the wonders it works on your dough.
• Make the dough and scoop into balls using a cookie scoop. Place in an airtight container and place in the fridge for 24-72 hours. Bake straight from the fridge when ready. Learn more about chilling cookie dough here.
• The colder the dough, the thicker the cookies!

Can you Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies?

I love cookies straight from the oven. I always keep pre-scooped balls of chocolate chip cookie dough in a resealable bag in my freezer so I can bake cookies off and have them warm from the oven in a matter of minutes whenever I want. Here are moretips for freezing cookie dough.

How to Keep Cookies Soft

• Most cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. Be sure they are completely cooled before storing.
• To keep your baked chocolate chip cookies soft, you can add an apple wedge, piece of bread, or a tortilla on the top and bottom of the cookies to the container a day or two after baking them, or whenever you find the texture starting to harden.
• The moisture from the bread or apple will migrate to your cookies, making them soft and chewy again.
• A tortilla is a new favorite of mine because it takes up much less room than a slice of bread, and doesn’t transfer any flavors or aromas like an apple wedge, and takes up almost no room!

How to Refresh Stored Cookies

If desired, reheat and refresh the cookies in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes. Your toaster oven should work just fine. This improves the texture, and there’s nothing like a warm chocolate chip cookie!