Decadent milk chocolate chip cookies are my kids’ favorite after-school treat. If they’re not still warm from the oven, they heat one for about 10 seconds in the microwave to get that soft, chewy, melty-chocolate goodness we all love in an excellent cookie.
Next time try my Butter Crunch Cookies — they’re wonderfully soft with toffee bits and a great example of an easy cookie recipe.
These chunky chocolate chip cookies are a classic everyone enjoys.
What makes this recipe so yummy
- This recipe yields thick, chewy cookies with a soft center and slightly crisp edges — exactly what you want in a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie.
- The cookies are already chunky, but you can scale them up to make giant cookies; just add a minute or two to the bake time for larger portions.
- I bake a lot around the holidays — these are similar in spirit to other favorites like Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies and Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies.
- Thick chocolate chip cookies are perfect for sharing and make lovely gifts.
Groceries you’ll need: Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This overview covers the main steps. See the recipe card below for full details and exact measurements.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Step 1: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
- Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream room-temperature butter with both sugars until light and fluffy (about 3–4 minutes).
- Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated.
- Step 4: Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Step 5: With the mixer on medium, add the dry ingredients ½ cup at a time until just combined.
- Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chunks with a few quick mixer rotations or a wooden spoon so they are evenly distributed.
- Step 7: Use a 2″ cookie scoop to portion dough onto a parchment-lined sheet, leaving about 2″ between scoops.
- Step 8: Bake 12 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Hint: Smooth rough edges on each dough scoop before baking. Because these cookies use baking powder, they stay thick and won’t flatten much — smooth dough gives a neater, more polished cookie.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Salted butter: If using salted butter, omit the added salt in the dry ingredients.
- Chocolate: Swap chocolate chunks for semi-sweet, milk, dark, or white chips depending on your preference.
- Almond extract: Use sparingly or omit if you prefer a simpler vanilla-forward flavor.
- Giant cookies: Make larger scoops for oversized cookies and increase baking time by a couple of minutes.
- Crunchier cookies: Reduce brown sugar and increase granulated sugar, or add a touch of baking soda for more crunch.
- Chewier cookies: Add an extra egg yolk to the dough.
These adaptations make it easy to customize the texture and flavor to your taste.
Necessary gear: Equipment
A stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes this recipe easiest, but a hand mixer or mixing by hand works too. You’ll also need baking sheets, parchment paper, and a cookie scoop or spoon.
How to store leftovers
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For longer storage, wrap individually, place in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to six months.
Mel’s kitchen notes
Make a big batch of dough and portion into scoops, then flash-freeze them on a tray. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a resealable freezer bag so you can bake fresh cookies straight from the freezer — you may need an extra minute or two of bake time.
More recipes you’ll love
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M&M Chocolate Oat Bars
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Butter Crunch Cookies
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Cranberry Orange Almond Shortbread Cookies
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Snickers Brownies Recipe
- Tiktok Jam Heart Cookies
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
- Copycat Crumbl Twix Cookies
- Old Fashioned Tea Cakes
- Nutella Brownie Cookies
If you’ve tried these Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies or any other recipe on my site, please leave a comment to tell me how they turned out — I love hearing from readers!
If you enjoy the recipe, please consider rating it 5 stars.
Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies
ANNOUNCEMENT
Watch Me Compete on Food Network’s 100 Cooks – airing June 7th @ 9/8c
Video
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 1-½ Cups Light Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- 2 Cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chunks
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
-
Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together and set aside.
-
Cream the butter with the brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy.
-
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
-
Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts until combined.
-
Add the flour mixture ½ cup at a time until just combined.
-
Fold in the chocolate chunks with a few quick mixer rotations or by hand.
-
Scoop dough with a 2″ cookie scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2″ between cookies.
-
Bake 12–14 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
Use softened, not melted, butter to keep the dough thick and chunky.
This is a reliable, go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe that holds up well over time.
If measuring flour by cup, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off to avoid packing in too much flour, which can dry out the cookies.
Nutrition
|
Calories: 432 kcal
|
Carbohydrates: 81 g
|
Protein: 6 g
|
Fat: 12 g
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