Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thick, Crispy & Gooey)
Recreate giant bakery-style chocolate chip cookies at home—golden, crispy edges with soft, gooey centers and loads of melty chocolate. No chill time required: just mix, stack tall scoops, and bake for café-quality cookies in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Core Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp salt
Add-Ins
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks use high-quality
- flaky sea salt optional, for sprinkling after baking
Instructions
- Preheat & prep: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter & sugars: In a large bowl, beat cold cubed butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy, 2–3 minutes.
- Add eggs & vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: On low speed, mix in flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined; dough will be thick.
- Fold in chocolate: Stir in chocolate chips/chunks until evenly distributed.
- Shape tall scoops: Scoop about 1/4 cup dough per cookie; stack or double-stack pieces to create tall mounds. Do not flatten.
- Bake: Place 3 inches apart on sheets. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are golden and centers look slightly underbaked. Cool on pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Sprinkle flaky sea salt if using.
Notes
Pro tips: Use cold butter for thick cookies; keep dough tall (don’t press down); let cookies rest on the tray to finish setting; use chopped chocolate bars for melty pockets. For even less spread, chill scooped dough 20–30 minutes.
Variations: White chocolate–macadamia; dark chocolate with a pinch of espresso powder; holiday add-ins like crushed peppermint or toffee; mini marshmallows for a s’mores vibe.
Storage: Store airtight at room temperature up to 4 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. Freeze portioned dough balls and bake from frozen, adding ~2 minutes.