Chocolate Chunk Cookies — These chocolate chunk cookies are made with both chocolate chunks AND chips. These are hands down the BEST chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made!
Table of Contents
Best Ever Cookies … with Chocolate Chunks!
I’ve been on the quest to find the perfect end-all be-all chocolate chip cookie recipe. And this recipe is as close as I’ve come.
These chunky chocolate chip cookies are so soft, similar to Keebler Soft-Batch Cookies, minus the store-bought taste. And they bake up with the perfect height; not too thick or overly domed and not too thin like flat pancakes.
I stuffed these cookies to the max with both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. As the cookies bake, the chips retain their shape more than the chunks, which turn into oozing luxurious puddles.
What Makes These Chocolate Chunk Cookies “The Best?”
If you’re looking for an easy, straightforward, chocolate chunk cookie recipe that yields fantastic results, I encourage you to give this one a try. These cookies are as close to my definition of The Perfect Cookie as I’ve come and here are the highlights why I love the recipe:
- No two-day waiting period between making the dough and baking the cookies — and dough chilling is optional.
- No egg plus yolk situation to contend with so nothing is wasted.
- The overall batch size is manageable, about two dozen.
- Each cookie is decent-sized, but not ginormous.
- The cookies get softer, not harder or drier, the next day and continue to stay soft for up to a week.
- The holy grail of cookie qualities are present — thick, puffy, soft, and chewy.
And let’s not forget, there are two kinds of chocolate in every bite! The more the merrier.
Ingredients in Chocolate Chunk Cookies
To make this chocolate chunk cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Bread flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Bittersweet chocolate
How to Make Chocolate Chunk Cookies
The double chocolate chunk cookies come together quickly, although you do have to chill the dough before baking it (no way around it, sorry!). Let’s review how the cookies loaded with chocolate chunks are prepared:
- Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients.
- Add the chocolate chunks and chips last, then scoop the dough into balls.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for about 2 hours before baking them.
- Bake until barely golden brown around the edges, even if slightly undercooked in the center.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
How Long Should You Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies?
I recommend baking 8 to 9 minutes, and not more than 10 minutes, period. I found given the size of my dough mounds, my oven, and my taste preferences, 9 minutes is the magic number for me. Even though the centers will seem underdone at 8 or 9 minutes, as the cookies cool out of the oven, they firm up.
If you wait to pull the cookies until they look done, as they cool they will set up far too firm and crumbly and won’t stay soft and chewy. Don’t overbake.
Cookie Baking FAQs
I used two types of flour in these chocolate chunk cookies, both bread and all-purpose flour. The original recipe just calls for all-purpose but because bread flour adds extra chewiness and since my dream cookie is one with a high degree of chewiness, I utilized a combination of bread flour and all-purpose.
If you don’t have bread flour, solely using all-purpose is fine. Your cookies may not be quite as chewy nor as thick, since bread flour also lends increased structure to baked goods, but they’ll still be plenty good.
Unbaked cookie dough may be refrigerated for up to 5 days prior to baking it, or frozen for up to 3 months
The chewiness comes from the bread flour in this particular recipe (see above for my answer to that FAQ).
To create a soft cookie, you need to use larger amounts of dough. I used about 2.25 ounces dough per cookie. I weighed each mound of dough, but if you don’t have a scale or don’t want to be bothered, that translates to two heaping tablespoons of dough, and with the chocolate pieces dangling off, possibly 3 tablespoons.
I learned when I made those cookies that a larger mass of dough allows the cookie center to remain soft and tender since it never gets the chance to dry out or overbake while the edges crisp up.
I chilled the cookie dough before baking it and always advocate doing so because as dough chills, the flavors marry and cold dough spreads less during baking, resulting in puffier and thicker cookies.
Brown sugar helps cookies stay softer and gives them a richer flavor profile since brown sugar has more depth of flavor than granulated sugar does. Ironically, cookies made with more brown than granulated sugar become softer over time as they absorb atmospheric moisture, rather than drying out.
Where this chocolate chunk cookie recipe veers way off the path compared to any other cookie recipe I’ve ever tried is that it uses cornstarch, and just two mere teaspoons, but enough to work its softening magic. Cornstarch is not only a softening agent, but it’s also a thickening agent. Just as it thickens gravy or soup, it helps to create thick and puffy cookies.
Nope! You may use one or the other, if desired. I was going to make the cookies exclusively using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I enjoy having a variety of textures and flavors in my cookies, especially when those textures and flavors are of the chocolate variety. I opted to use both semi-sweet chocolate chips and bittersweet chocolate chunks, courtesy of a Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus bar.
Recipe Variations to Try
It’s easy to customize this recipe for chocolate chip chunk cookies! You may add up to 12 ounces (roughly 2 cups, but no more) of mix-ins, such as:
- Chopped nuts
- White chocolate chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Diced candy bar pieces
- Dried fruit
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Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed (I use light)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour*, See Notes
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 6 ounces 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 6 ounces bittersweet or dark baking chocolate, chopped into bite-sized chunks (I use Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus bar)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flours, corn starch, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the chocolate chips and chunks, and either fold in by hand or beat for a few seconds on low speed.
- Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, form heaping mounds weighing 2 1/4-ounces each (weighed on a scale, which is approximately a scant 1/4-cup measure. Dough mounds will look large for their weight because there’s lots of chocolate pieces adding bulk).
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart; I bake 8 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges, even if slightly undercooked in the center, noting the tops will not be browned and will be pale. Do not cook longer than ten minutes as cookies will darken and firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked for 8 minutes, rotated once midway through baking, and have chewy edges with soft pillowy centers).
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- *Edited to add May 2013 – I prefer these cookies using exclusively all-purpose flour and have stopped baking them with a combination of all-purpose and bread flour. I am leaving the recipe up as I wrote it back in 2012, but note that I prefer all-purpose because the cookies are softer, more tender, and more moist.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
You can check out all of my chocolate chip cookie recipes HERE.
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I made these today (exactly as written, following your edited suggestion of using only all-purpose flour), and they turned out just as described and pictured! This is the first chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried that actually turned out as soft and chewy as claimed (or maybe I just didn’t overbake them for once, but these were still definitely on another level of chewiness). My personal perfect cookie is something more on the thin and crisp side, but I was really curious to see the effect of using cornstarch. They tasted great, and everyone I shared them with loved them. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Glad you loved them and had great results and that others enjoyed them too! Thanks for coming back with a detailed comment telling me about your experience with the recipe!
Hi Averie! Can I just say that you are a cook(ie) goddess. I don’t know exactly why I struggled so much in all my other attempts to make good cookies. But they always ended up just bland or smushed into each other. I have a batch chilling in the fridge right now and am very confident that I will love them very much. It seems like I have finally found the perfect recipe.
I did have to convert all the measurements to British, so hopefully it will work out. I am of course planning to try some more of your recipes in the future as they look just amazing.
Thank you so much. My future children are sure to love them. And all of my jealous University housemates.
What a sweet, fun, and great comment! So happy to hear that you feel like THESE are the cookies you’ve been searching for – I know that feeling! Glad that they’re enough to make everyone jealous and wanting some of your cookies! Please keep me posted how they turn out and what everyone says!
I am not sad to say that this is my third time coming back to this recipe. I love it, the cookies always turn out amazing and great. A little more brown on top – but that was my fault for leaving them in longer. But they are a massive hit. Thank you so much for being so wise and detailed with your recipe!! It has guided me on the path of wonderful cookies everytime. I am excited to try some more of your recipes! Many Many thanks!!!!
I am so glad to hear you’ve had repeated success with these and continue to love them. Thanks for trying the recipe & LMK if you try others!
The NYT recipe is a meh for me—and def way too fussy for any mom interested in making cookies for the family not getting a degree in chemical reactions in cooking!
Def interested in trying these.
One thing I do is I have modified an old YANKEE MAG recipe–I think they won a cookie contest or something—Choc Chip recipe. Higher brown sugar etc AND what absolutely MAKES the cookie for us is the addition of 1/4 CUP pure maple syrup. (Not “pancake syrup” only the real stuff will do!) This adds–something–to the recipe and also affects how they keep which is very well thank you! Just add this in at room temp to the butter/egg mix. the batter will look a bit funky but it will be FINE once the flour etc is added. I also add quite a bit of vanilla as we can’t seem to get enough! (I have also tried the Ghiar recipe WITH the maple and it was MUCH better and that is a pretty good one to start with!)
Another fave for us is the only cookie I use shortening for–altho I have subbed in with success about half butter–is an old Southern Living Sugar Cookie recipe. The simplest easiest and easiest to add things to and on! Makes a ton of really surprisingly GOOD cookies that have that same chewy but smooth texture. And the recipe makes a LOT so good for bake sales or parties.
AS soon as it is not a bazillion degrees around here we will try these!
Love love love your detailed comment and info! I agree with you on the NYT recipe. Just meh. After all that fussy work, steps, measuring on a scale, I expect them to basically be the best thing in the entire world. And they’re just meh to me as well. The first day is great but they don’t have shelf-life. And who needs 18 jumbo cookies on the same day!
1/4 cup PURE maple, not pancake syrup – got it. That sounds wonderful! I need to give it a try! In my cookbook, I have a couple cookie recipes that I called for maple syrup in.
And then also the Southern Living Recipe sounds like a keeper. I finally came up with this recipe after trying and trying for a sugar cookie I liked https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/07/softbatch-funfetti-sugar-cookies.html
If you have any other recipes or try any of mine, please come back and LMK! You sound like you are as picky about your cookies as I am – and have tried tons as well :)
So I just made the dough for these cookies, and I made each mound of dough exactly 2.25 oz by measuring them on a scale. I was only able to make 17 mounds. I’m wondering if I didn’t put the full amount of flour in. I don’t think that’s what happened though. By about 2 dozen medium cookies, did you mean 17 cookies? I’m thinking you meant closer to 24…
Well, I’ll see tomorrow if I made a mistake with the flour measurement since they’re chilling in the fridge now. Hopefully they still turn out great :) I put one cup of bread flour in because I had it left over from making Jacques Torres’s cookies. I need to use it all up. I hate waste.
It’s hard to say where the slight discrepancy was from 17 to say 20 cookies. I don’t necessarily weigh each and every mound of dough. If I made 10 cookies that were 2.15 oz or 2.05 oz rather than 2.25, over a whole batch, that would account for 3 or so extra cookies. Or maybe my chips were lighter or heavier than yours, or my chunks were bigger than yours, or flour was different brands/weights, etc. I would not worry about it! As long as your dough came together and they’re chilling, then you will have 17 lovely cookies tomorrow :) LMK how you like them!
Okay. Sounds good to me. I’ll let you know how they turn out :) Thanks.
I baked them today. They turned out great! They taste delicious! I had to increase the oven temperature and baking time because my oven is weird. I definitely need to buy an oven thermometer to see what setting my oven to 350 really means. It’s definitely way off. It would be nice to bake something without all this trial and error, but at least the cookies still turned out great :)
Yay I am so glad to hear they turned out great and yes, get an cheapie oven thermometer and it will save you so much guesswork. Glad you loved the cookies – thanks for LMK!
These cookies look so delicious. I am in the process of making them now I just put them in the fridge to chill aboit an hour ago so I can’t wait for them to be done so I can start baking them. I have always been a fan of chocolate chip cookies and these by far are the best looking ones I have ever seen. I have never use cornstarch in cookies before so I’m excited to see how they turn out. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
LMK how they turn out!
You are a cookie goddess!!! Just made the chunk chocolate chip cookie and it came out glorious! No exaggeration. All the pointers are great heads up and I do see the difference. I never knew something so simple could make a big difference. Thank you so much for sharing all these great cookie recipes. Thoroughly enjoyed these cookies.
I just sent you the WRONG comment reply to this comment intended for a gal who just made a different cookie. But I am so glad the tips, pointers, and everything helped you bake up a fab batch of cookies! Thanks for trying them! :)
I made these tonight. I left 1/4 cup bread flour and used King Arthur White Wheat (that’s all I have). Needed cookies for teachers. Love them! They are divine! Used TJ 72% along with a mix of milk chocolate and semi sweet chips.
Thank you Averie for all your hard work. My family is very happy.
Love the cookbook!
Thanks for the awesome comment & for LMK you tried these and that they’re divine for you! Yay! Love that! And your mixture of 72%, milk and semisweet sounds perfect. And good to know they turned out just fine using mostly KA white wheat!
Your pictures of these cookies make me sure that I will make these. I’ve made a similar recipe from Sally’s website with great results. I now love using chocolate chunks and mini chips in the same cookie.
Yes Sally and I both used the same recipe that was adapted from the Food Network Canada site. I originally used bread flour but am back to using AP flour with them. Love the results, every time!
Averie, I’m so glad you like these cookies. They are most definitely my most favorite recipe. Thanks for sharing them with your readers!
And thanks to you for finding them from Anna Olson on the Food Network Canada site! A place I would have never thought to look for amazing cookies. But between you, blogs, and Pinterest, I am grateful for the recipe and have made them in umpteen version and ways since this original post and have the recipe memorized by heart! It’s an awesome dough base!
I have made the “best ever” chocolate chip cookie recipe about 5 times and let me tell you… It truly is THE BEST. These cookies are puffy, slightly browned, chewey, FULL OF CHOCOLATE, and my coworkers even said they’re “what heaven would taste like.” I had searched and searched for this recipe for a year and I have truly found it. I tend to use Ghiradelli chocolate chips (semi & bittersweet) in my recipe and the results are impeccable. Thank you for this recipe!
Marissa thank you for the glowing report and the fact that your coworkers say “what heaven would taste like” is just so fabulous! I am so thrilled that you love the cookies, and that you get great results every time! Thanks for coming back to tell me about it :)
I really love your blog; the great recipes, writing style, comprehensive instructions as well as the in-depth discussion of the “why’s and hows” of each recipe. I read and reread this recipe write-up along with your comments and comparison with the NYT CC Cookies, which I’ve made several times with great success. However, I have to agree that they are very good the 1st and 2nd day but they quickly became dry and crumbly; and the recipe is indeed pretty “fussy” and it is the stiffest cookie dough I’d ever made.
Well, yesterday morning I made your Chocolate Chip & Chunk Cookie dough and chilled it until last night, when I baked 9 cookies (2-1/4 oz each). Took them out when they still looked under baked but after trying one today I’m a very satisfied cookie baker/eater. I love the soft, yet slightly chewy texture, the deeply rich flavor and I really love the fact that it wasn’t a “fussy” dough to make in the least. And you are so right, they don’t have that “cake mix” smell and flavor due to the absence of the cake flour. The cornstarch really works wonderfully!
Your recipe is now my #1 “go-to” Chocolate Chip Cookie! Folks, if you’re on the fence about trying these cookies, I strongly urge you to go for it. The worst thing that could happen is that you could end up with a plate of really good chocolate chip cookies!
P.S. – I was wanting to see if they really held up well for 3 to 4 days but I guess I won’t know til I make my next batch cause these didn’t make to the end of day 2! Thanks Averie!
Thanks for the detailed comment & feedback, Ron! Love it and so happy you’re super satisfied with this recipe and that this is now your #1 go-to recipe for CCCs!
And yes, compared to the NYT cookies and these, between fussyness level, the day 2 crumbly issues, the cake flour/cakey issues – this recipe is the CLEAR winner for me and glad it is for you, too!
I’ve since slightly adapted this and am using ALL all-purpose flour and no bread flour in these Snickers and M&M cookies and love love love them.
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/05/soft-and-chewy-snickers-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/soft-and-chewy-mms-cookies/
Can these be made in a 9×13 pan for cookie bars?
I’m sure they could but I haven’t tried them that way.
This dough base is made for baking in a pan; add choc chips rather than PB cups if you’d like https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/04/peanut-butter-cup-cookie-dough-crumble-bars.html
Or this is a PB cookie dough base, rather than a plain version https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/03/peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookie-bars.html
And see this page first! https://www.averiecooks.com/category/dessert/bars