Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! This chocolate chip cookie recipe is made with only brown sugar and makes cookies that are the perfect blend of soft and chewy!
These Chewy Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to make!
They’re great spur-of-the-moment cookies because there is no need to soften the butter ahead of time. The dough comes together in a matter of minutes, and no chilling is required.
If you like a thicker cookie, you can refrigerate it for 30 minutes or so before baking, but no need to chill it if you don’t want to.
And the use of all brown sugar gives these cookies a deeper, richer flavor and makes for chewy cookies. So, the next time a cookie craving strikes, bake up a batch of these cookies!
What makes these cookies chewy?
- Melted butter: Using melted butter helps the cookies to come together quickly, and it also increases the chewiness.
- Brown sugar: Using only brown sugar helps to make them chewier.
- Extra egg yolk: The fat in the yolk helps to increase chewiness.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. If you’re using unsalted butter, increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
- If you want to brown the butter, you will need to use more butter because browning butter causes it to cook down. Otherwise, you will be left with a drier dough. You could also try my brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work. Dark brown sugar will give you richer, more toffee-like flavor.
- This recipe uses only brown sugar, no white sugar, in order to make the cookies chewier.
- Flour: Correctly measuring the ingredients is key! I suggest weighing the ingredients. If you aren’t going to weigh the flour, then you need to aerate it (sifting or fluffing) and then lightly spoon into the measuring cup and leveling. If you don’t want to sift or weigh the flour, please use less flour. Packing in too much flour will cause the cookies not to spread.
- Chocolate: You can substitute 4 ounces finely chopped semisweet baking chocolate for chocolate chips. This will give you a flatter cookie that spreads more.
- Feel free to use a different type of chocolate chip – semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips will work. Chocolate chunks can also be used.
How to make chewy chocolate chip cookies
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. or in a microwave-safe bowl. The butter should be just melted. If you want to brown the butter, please see the note above in “Ingredient notes and substitutions”.
Step 2: Add brown sugar to a large bowl.
Step 3: Stir to combine butter and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add egg and egg yolk; stir to combine. Stir in vanilla extract.
Step 5: Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Please see the comments about flour in the “Ingredient notes and substitutions” section.
Step 6: Stir in chocolate chips or chunks.
Step 7: Using a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon), drop scoops of dough 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
Step 8: Bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The centers should still look soft and slightly underbaked. That will help to keep the cookies soft.
Step 9: Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Tips!
- Mixing: I suggest stirring this recipe together by hand rather than using a hand or stand mixer.
- Baking: It’s important to slightly underbake the cookies. This will give you a softer, chewier cookie.
- Oven temperature: If you’d like the cookies to spread more or brown less, decrease the oven temperature by 25F to 350F.
- Flat cookies: If your cookies are coming out too flat, cover and chill the dough for 30-60 minutes. Also, some people have had better luck using 3 cups of flour (360g).
- Topping: The cookies are great as-is, but if you like more salty/sweet flavor, sprinkle the cookies with a bit of sea salt or finishing salt.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I recommend flash freezing the dough in scoops by placing scoops of the dough onto a baking sheet. Once the dough is frozen through, transfer the frozen balls of cookie dough to a freezer-safe container, and store in the freezer.
You can! Bake the cookies as-directed. Let the cookies cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack. Place the cookies in a freezer-safe container, and freeze.
Storage
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored.
More easy cookie recipes!
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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour Please see the note below about measuring the flour.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt or scant 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 10 ounce package chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. The butter should be just melted. If you want to brown the butter, please see the note below.1 cup butter
- Add brown sugar, and mix in.1 ½ cups brown sugar
- Let stand 5 minutes.
- Add egg and egg yolk; stir to combine.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined. Please see the comments about flour in the recipe notes.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Stir in chocolate chips.10 ounce package chocolate chips
- Using a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon), drop scoops of dough 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The centers should still look soft and slightly underbaked. That will help to keep the cookies soft.
- Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Recipe change note: I recently decreased the amount of flour called for in the recipe due to product changes. The previous amount of flour called for was 3 cups or 360 grams.
- Butter: If you want to brown the butter, you will need to use more butter because browning butter causes it to cook down. Otherwise, you will be left with a drier dough.
- Flour: Correctly measuring the ingredients is key! I highly suggest weighing the ingredients. If you don’t weigh the flour, you’ll need to aerate the flour (sifting or fluffing) and then lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and level. If you don’t want to sift or weigh the flour, please use less flour. Packing in too much flour will cause the cookies not to spread.
- Can substitute 4 ounces finely chopped semisweet baking chocolate for chocolate chips.
- I suggest stirring this recipe together by hand rather than using a hand or stand mixer.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
- Love chocolate? Try the chocolate chocolate chip version of this cookie!
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 1/26/16.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
rai says
holy moly
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
KT says
Highly recommend this receipe. Best Chocolate Chip Cookies I have made. Had to adjust my oven, it gets too hot. Added walnuts to half of batch.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Wendy York says
Turned out amazing. How long does the dough last in the fridge?
Kate Dean says
Thank you! The dough is best used within about 48 hours. I think by day 3 that the dough isn’t as good.
Micah says
These are a new household favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! So easy to throw together! Since it creates so many cookies, I want to freeze some of the dough for future quick cookies. What would you recommend the oven temperature and bake time be changed to?
Kate Dean says
Thank you! Absolutely! I freeze the dough in scoops, and I bake from frozen at the same temperature. I lower the oven rack to the lower middle position add about 3-4 minutes. You may need to adjust the oven temperature, though, if you find that they’re getting done on the outside before they bake through. Baking 1 test cookie is a great way to see where your oven temperature needs to be before you bake the entire batch. I hope that helps!
Kathy says
This is the best, easiest, no-fail chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made. I added chopped walnuts to the dough and then salt flakes at the end and they were simply amazing. The directions are detailed and the tips are helpful–pay attention to them to get the best results.
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m glad that you found it helpful!
Florence L. says
Excellent cookies. I accidentally over-baked mine and they were still enjoyable, with great flavor.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Carly Melton says
This is my favorite recipe I’ve ever tried and I’ve been baking for years!! Absolutely amazing, thank you!! I did brown the butter and added walnuts. Thank you!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Dani says
Super yummy although will probably modify for next time for my own preferances. These cookies were a tad too sweet for me, even though I removed 1 tbs of sugar, but next time I’ll try decreasing the sugar a few more tablespoons. I also put 1 cup of choc chips and it seemed to be more than enough. I browned the butter and don’t think I added enough butter back (only added one or two more tbs of butter) and my dough was slightly crumbly. I added a tiny bit of milk to add moisture and it seemed to help. Also cooked for about 12 mins each batch, probably because they were a bit dry? I’m also baking in Colorado so I didn’t think doing 2.5 cups of flour would make them too dry. Overall really yummy though, and my family liked them too! :)
Kate Dean says
Hi! Here are a couple of tips that I hope help for next time. Using dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate chips is an easy way to help cut some of the sweetness without affecting the cookie texture. When I brown the butter, I find that I need about 3-4 tablespoons additional butter. For softer cookies, it’s best to slightly underbake the cookies (the centers should look a little underdone but the edges will be set). They continue to bake just a bit after they come out of the oven, so that slight underbaking helps to keep them softer and chewier.
grant aka cookie enthusiast says
these cookies look soooo goood
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Maggie says
You say to weigh the flour but the ingredients list doesn’t give a weight.
Kate Dean says
If you click on “metric” immediately above the listed ingredients, that will give you the weights. Unfortunately, if I list them next to the ingredients, they don’t scale, and that has caused confusion for people.
Harald says
Too sweet and lack taste for my liking and I already cut down the sugar by 15%. Could use nuts like macadamia, almonds.
Kate Dean says
You can certainly add chopped nuts if you prefer. That’s an easy change.
Celia says
Like genuinely can’t say enough good things. I’ve been making them once a month for over a year now
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying the cookies!
Meli says
Hi!! I love this recipe I’ve done it multiple times, they come out super delicious. Today and last night I’ve tried doing this recipe and my batter has turned out too watery after putting in all my ingredients, I added flour it helped a bit but the cookies didn’t turn out the same. I tried it today and my batter came out again too watery. I need help!! any suggestions on what I should be doing differently??? Please help
Kate Dean says
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. What brand of butter are you using?
Meli says
Hiii, sorry im replying late. I think I used Imperial. The first time I made them I used a different brand but I don’t know the name.
Chris says
Might be the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had and real easy to make and minimal mess. Follow it to a T and use a digital scale to measure out the grams like she says. I halved her recipe and made 14 perfect cookies. I only used the one egg and not the extra yolk. I baked at 380 for about 12 minutes.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Jaimee says
Perfect- quick and easy to make, right amount of chewiness!
10min at 180C
Let dough stand for a few minutes once mixed for easier scooping
My new favourite thank you!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m so glad!
Erin says
Can’t find the amount of each ingredient.
Kate Dean says
Hi! The recipe is about 3/4 of the way down the page. If you can’t find it, you can click “jump to recipe” at the top, and it will scroll you right down to it.
Maddie says
OMG. I absolutely love how these turned out <3!! Instead of chocolate chips, I added caramel, and LET ME TELL YOU, they were sooooo good! My whole family loved them (even my mom, who usually doesn't like sweetness), and I will definitely be making them again. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m glad that the cookies were a hit!
Mel says
Very good recipe, my cookies always turn out horrible but this one is amazing!
I used a chocolate bar and converted the measurements. Apparently it’s 280g of chocolate but oh my it is far too much!! If you’re using a bar, I suggest using 150g max otherwise it’s more chocolate than cookie.
Kate Dean says
Thank you for the tip!
Loree says
Wow! I was at first skeptical about this recipe but I’d have to say, it’s the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I did brown the butter, and modified it for my diabetic husband with a brown sugar blend and no sugar added chocolate chips. But you couldn’t even tell. Rich and delicious! Thank you. This recipe is saved!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Gale Satrom says
The easiest and most delish chocolate chip cookie! You got toll house beat by far those never turned out for me it was a waste!
I recently baked at 400degrees for crispy edges but the overnight no really crispy edges but delish cookies!!