Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

A close-up of thick, chewy chocolate chip cookies made with a real ice cream scoop for bakery-style height. These cookies feature golden edges, soft centers, and rich pockets of melted chocolate. Perfect for small-batch baking or family treats.

I make a half batch because it gives me just enough cookies for the week, without having trays of dough sitting around. You only need one bowl, a mixer, and a real ice cream scoop — this is the secret to those thick, round tops.

Why This Recipe Works

These cookies come out thick, soft, and fully bakery style because of three simple steps:

1. Room-temperature butter (not melted)

Your butter should be soft, but still cool — around 70°F (21°C). If your kitchen is warm and the butter turns shiny or greasy, it’s too warm. Warm butter collapses in the oven and makes flat cookies.

2. A 2-hour rest

The dough needs time to chill so the flour hydrates, the sugars dissolve, and the dough firms up. This gives a caramel-rich flavor and less spreading.

3. A real ice cream scoop

A packed ice cream scoop gives you round, tall cookies with thick edges. The scoop also presses the dough just enough to create height while keeping the center soft.

What You’ll Need

Nothing fancy — everything is probably already in your kitchen.

• Mixer (stand or hand mixer)
• 1½ tablespoon ice cream scoop
• Parchment paper
• Cooling rack

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (room-temp, 70°F / 21°C)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

How to Make Them

1. Cream the butter & sugars

Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Scrape the bowl.

2. Add vanilla & egg

Add vanilla and the egg. Beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture looks creamy and smooth.
Scrape the bowl again.

3. Add the dry ingredients

Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix on low until everything is just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Chill the dough (2 hours)

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm.
Don’t skip this — it prevents the cookies from flattening.

5. Prepare for baking

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Scoop

Use a real ice cream scoop to form your cookie dough. Pack the dough firmly into the scoop and place on the tray.
Space 2 inches apart.

7. Bake

Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look pale and soft.
Let cool for a few minutes on the sheet

Storage

Room Temperature:
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add a slice of bread inside the container to keep them soft.

Refrigerator:
Not needed for baked cookies, but dough can be kept chilled for 48 hours before baking.

Freezer (Dough):
Scoop the dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Bake straight from frozen — just add 1–2 extra minutes.

Freezer (Baked Cookies):
Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the oven for 2–3 minutes.

Substitutions

Chocolate chips:
Semi-sweet chips work best, but you can swap in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or chopped chocolate chunks for bigger melty pools.

Butter:
Unsalted butter is ideal. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon.

Flour:
All-purpose flour only — no cake flour or bread flour for this recipe, as it changes the texture.

Variations

Bakery-style: Add an extra sprinkle of chocolate chips on top before baking.

Salted: Add a pinch of flaky sea salt right when they come out of the oven.

Crunchy: Mix in a handful of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans).

If you loved these chewy chocolate chip cookies, you’ll also enjoy my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, they’re soft, rich, and packed with chocolate chips!