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The butter and sugars should turn creamy and fluffy before anything else goes into the bowl. That little change in texture is easy to miss if you rush, but it gives these Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies a sturdy start before the flour and chocolate are folded in.

I like this dough because it makes thick cookies without complicated tricks: the dough gets a proper chill, and each portion is shaped into a tall mound before baking. The edges turn golden while the centers still look a touch soft, then the cookies settle as they cool. Break one open after it has cooled, and you get a tender middle with chocolate in every bite.

Why the Extra Egg Yolk Makes These Cookies Thick but Tender

The extra yolk is doing more than adding another egg to the bowl. A yolk brings fat and richness without the additional white, which contributes more water and protein. That balance helps the centers stay tender instead of turning bready as the cookies bake.

It works alongside the brown sugar, which brings moisture and a gentle molasses note, while the granulated sugar helps the edges bake up with a little crispness. The result isn’t a cakey cookie or a thin, crunchy one. It lands in the middle: a substantial cookie with a soft bite and enough structure to hold its height.

Room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the creamed butter and sugars than cold eggs do. Scrape the bowl as you add them so the mixture comes together evenly before the flour goes in. Once the flour is added, stop mixing as soon as the dry streaks disappear; working the dough longer can make the finished cookies tougher.

What the Flour, Butter, and Chocolate Each Bring to the Dough

• All-purpose flour — Spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top rather than scooping straight from the bag. That keeps the dough from picking up excess flour and baking dry. A cup-for-cup gluten-free baking blend is the most practical swap; choose one formulated to replace wheat flour and measure it the same way.
• Cornstarch — This helps give the crumb a soft, tender quality without adding another flavor. If you leave it out, the cookies will still bake, but they won’t have quite the same delicate bite. It’s worth keeping for the texture this dough is meant to have.
• Unsalted butter — Use butter that’s softened enough to beat smoothly, but not melted or greasy. Unsalted butter also lets the fine salt stay in control. Salted butter can vary in saltiness from brand to brand, so unsalted is the more dependable choice here.
• Light brown sugar — Packed brown sugar adds moisture and a mild caramel-like flavor. Dark brown sugar works in the same amount if that’s what you have, though its stronger molasses taste will come through more.
• Semisweet chocolate chips — Chips hold their shape better than chopped chocolate, so you get distinct chocolate pockets throughout the cookie. Chopped semisweet chocolate is an easy swap; it melts into more uneven streaks and pools, with some smaller bits dispersing through the dough.

Mixing, Chilling, and Baking Without Losing the Height

Start with an Even Flour Mixture

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and fine salt together in a medium bowl. Break up any small clumps so the leavening and salt don’t collect in one spot. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. If butter is stuck to the sides or base, pause and scrape the bowl before continuing.

Bring the Dough Together Gently

Beat in the room-temperature egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and mix on low only until no dry flour remains. A few seconds too long at this point can build more gluten than you want, so don’t keep beating once the dough looks uniform. Fold in the chocolate chips until they’re spread through the dough.

Chill, Then Shape Tall Portions

Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. While it chills, heat the oven to 375°F and line two 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 18 portions of about 3 tablespoons each, then shape each portion into a tall mound rather than flattening it. Arrange 9 mounds on each sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them.

Bake Until the Edges Turn Golden

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and rotating them front to back halfway through. Look for golden edges and centers that still appear slightly underbaked; the centers will continue to set as the cookies cool. If you wait for the centers to look fully firm in the oven, they’re more likely to lose their soft middle. Let them rest on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Three Easy Ways to Change the Chocolate or Flour

Questions That Come Up While Baking Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick chocolate chip cookies are chilled before baking, then baked until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked. A tall mound of dough helps give each cookie its thick shape and soft center.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 13 minutes mins

Chilling and cooling 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 43 minutes mins

Servings: 18 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 310

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2.25 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg large, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk large, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Equipment

• 1 hand mixer
• 2 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets

Method

 

1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until no dry flour remains.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
6. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. Heat the oven to 375°F.
8. Line two 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
9. Scoop the dough into 18 portions of about 3 tablespoons each.
10. Shape each portion into a tall mound.
11. Arrange 9 portions on each baking sheet with about 2 inches between them.
12. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked.
13. Halfway through baking, swap the sheets between racks and rotate them front to back.
14. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.
15. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For thick cookies, shape the dough into tall mounds before baking. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. For a dairy-free variation, use plant-based butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.