These giant chocolate chip cookies are thick, soft, chewy, and loaded with plenty of melted chocolate. They have lightly crisp edges, a golden-brown exterior, and a soft, rich center that stays deliciously chewy after cooling. The secret to getting cookies this thick is using a well-balanced dough, chilling it before baking, and shaping the dough into tall, generous portions instead of flattening them. They are perfect for a bakery-style dessert, weekend baking, parties, or whenever you want an extra-special chocolate chip cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (255 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170 g) milk or dark chocolate chunks
- Extra chocolate chips or chunks for topping
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
1. Prepare the Dough
Start by placing the softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together for about 2–3 minutes, until the mixture becomes creamy, smooth, and slightly fluffy.
Don’t use melted butter for this recipe. Softened butter gives the cookies enough structure to stay thick while baking.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix until everything is fully combined.
2. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Mixing the dry ingredients separately helps distribute the leavening agents and salt evenly throughout the dough.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed or use a wooden spoon until the ingredients are just combined.
Be careful not to overmix. Once you no longer see dry flour, stop mixing.
3. Add the Chocolate
Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chocolate chunks to the dough.
Gently fold them through with a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure the chocolate is evenly distributed so every cookie has plenty of chocolate throughout.
For cookies that look like the ones in the photo, save some larger chocolate chunks and chocolate chips for placing on top of the dough balls before baking.
4. Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30–60 minutes.
For an even thicker and more flavorful cookie, you can chill the dough for several hours or overnight.
Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven. It also gives the flour time to absorb moisture, resulting in a thicker, chewier texture.
5. Shape the Giant Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
For giant bakery-style cookies, divide the dough into approximately 8–10 large portions. Each portion should be around 100–120 grams if you want very large cookies.
Roll each portion gently into a ball, but don’t make the balls perfectly smooth. For a thick, rustic bakery appearance, keep the dough slightly textured.
You can also divide each portion into two pieces, place them together with the rough sides facing upward, and gently press them together. This creates a taller, more textured cookie.
Place only 4–5 cookies on each baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them.
Press several extra chocolate chips and chocolate chunks onto the tops of each dough ball.
6. Bake
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 12–16 minutes.
Because these are very large cookies, the exact baking time will depend on their size.
The edges should be golden brown and set, while the centers should still look slightly soft.
Don’t wait until the centers look completely firm. The cookies will continue cooking from the residual heat after they come out of the oven.
For a softer, gooier center, remove them slightly earlier. For a firmer cookie, bake for another 1–2 minutes.
7. Add Finishing Touches
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, you can gently press a few additional chocolate chunks into the tops.
If desired, sprinkle each cookie with a tiny amount of flaky sea salt.
Allow the cookies to cool directly on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. This gives them time to firm up while keeping the centers soft.
After 10 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack.
8. How to Get Perfectly Round Cookies
If your cookies spread unevenly while baking, you can make them perfectly round while they’re still hot.
Immediately after removing them from the oven, place a large round cookie cutter or a bowl slightly larger than the cookie around it. Gently move it in a circular motion around the cookie.
This will bring the edges into a neat round shape without flattening the center.
Tips for Extra-Thick Cookies
Use softened butter, not melted butter. Melted butter makes the dough spread much more easily.
Chill the dough. This is one of the most important steps for getting thick cookies.
Don’t flatten the dough balls. Shape them tall and thick before baking.
Use plenty of chocolate. A combination of chocolate chips and larger chunks gives you both texture and beautiful melted chocolate pockets.
Don’t overbake. The centers should look slightly underdone when you remove the cookies from the oven. They will continue setting as they cool.
Use parchment paper. It prevents sticking and helps the cookies bake evenly.
Bake in batches. Avoid crowding the baking sheet because the cookies need room to spread.
Storage
Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days.
To bring back that fresh-baked texture, microwave one cookie for approximately 10–15 seconds before serving. The chocolate will become soft and melty again.
You can also freeze the baked cookies. Place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months.
For even fresher cookies, freeze the unbaked dough balls instead. Place them on a tray and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
These giant chocolate chip cookies are best enjoyed slightly warm, when the centers are soft and chewy and the chocolate is still melted. Serve them with a cold glass of milk, coffee, or vanilla ice cream for an irresistible homemade dessert.
