Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

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If you like your cookies big and thick, then you will love these Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies that have a thick golden crust and soft gooey insides. They bake up nice and tall and are so satisfying to eat. This recipe is similar to my Levain Bakery Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, except it is more golden and spread slightly wider. This recipe is designed to produce similar delicious results with minimal effort for when you're short on time or need cookies STAT! If you love making chocolate chip cookies, you must not miss my most popular Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies.

giant chocolate chip cookies stacked with bite showing gooey center

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Easy to make - the recipe is simple and I actually find the best results come from when you mix it by hand with a wide spatula.
Big bakery-style chocolate chip cookies - as the name suggests, these giant cookies are huge like ones you'd buy at a New York bakery. They're about 4 ounces or 113 grams each which is about twice as much as my favorite recipe for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Vanilla butterscotch flavor - these cookies have a rich buttery brown sugar flavor that is not overly sweet with underlying notes of natural vanilla.
Golden crusty outside, soft gooey inside - these bake up beautifully golden all over with a thick crusty exterior shell that is so satisfying to break into. Beneath the crunchy surface is a soft gooey cookie dough-like center.
Dark chocolate chips - lots of dark chocolate is studded throughout and if you want that melty look, be sure to use couverture chocolate. These are my go-to semisweet chocolate chips. This is optional but I also like using mini dark chocolate chips to that give tiny pockets of chocolate that spread further throughout the dough so you get little bursts of chocolate in every bite.
No chill recipe - chilling the dough is often encouraged (as I recommend for my Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies) because it improves flavor and texture for thicker and chewier cookies, however it's not even necessary for this recipe. If you do chill the dough, they will be even thicker and with a richer butterscotch flavor.

top view of giant chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper

INGREDIENTS FOR GIANT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Butter - there is no substitute for butter in chocolate chip cookies in my opinion. It is the foundation of the rich butterscotch flavor.
Granulated sugar - this recipe uses a combination of simple white granulated sugar and brown sugar. White sugar helps create the crunchy caramelized edges. I wouldn't recommend reducing the sugar because it will compromise the chewy texture.
Brown sugar - I highly recommend dark brown sugar for this recipe as it has twice as much molasses as light brown sugar and will make a big difference to the flavor. It will also make the dough more acidic which means it will react more thoroughly with the baking soda so that you won't be left with a soapy taste (a defect I find common in many chocolate chip cookie recipes)
Egg - you'll need one whole egg for this recipe. It is the right amount of moisture and protein to give these cookies their signature golden crust and soft insides.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to making delicious chocolate cookies. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Salt - don't leave out the salt! It really elevates the rich buttery caramel flavors! It also enhances the chocolate taste and balances the sweetness.
All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour makes the best chocolate chip cookies in my opinion.
Dark chocolate chips - you can use a chopped up chocolate bar or chips. For convenience and quality, I recommend these delicious semisweet chocolate chips.

giant chocolate chip cookie broken in half on parchment next to coffee mug

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR GIANT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

STEP 1). Blend dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
STEP 2). Blend wet ingredients. Combine soft butter with both sugars and vanilla extract in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix by hand using the "creaming method" with a wide rubber spatula to smear the butter and sugar together and mix vigorously until smooth, pale and fluffy. You can also use a handheld mixer. If you use a stand mixer, secure the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated.
STEP 3). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and fold it in.
STEP 4). Mix in chocolate. Add chocolate chips and chopped walnuts and fold them in until evenly distributed.
STEP 5). Bake. Use a 2-oz cookie scoop to portion dough so you get 4 oz portions. You will need two scoops per cookie. Press two portions together and roll them up into a rough ball. You should get 6 cookies out of this dough. Alternatively you can divide the dough into 6 portions. Place them onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 3 inches apart and bake for 3 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F and bake for another 10-12 minutes until deeply golden all over and still slightly soft in the middle.
STEP 6). Cool. Transfer baking tray to a rack and let cool for 3 minutes before transferring to the rack to finish cooling.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Be patient making the brown butter. It can very quickly go from this light brown to burnt, so make sure you take it off the heat as soon as it turns golden.
Stir constantly while cooking the butter. If you do not stir, the milk solids will catch on the bottom of the pan and burn.
Let brown butter cool before using it. Once you make brown butter, it is VERY hot since it is pure boiling fat. If you use it right away in the recipe, it will not blend smoothly with the other ingredients and the cookie dough will be greasy.
Don't skimp on the salt. Salt really helps enhance the flavor of brown butter.

Do you need to chill cookie dough?

You do not need to chill the cookie dough for this particular chocolate chip cookie recipe, although you can if you prefer to. Since there is so much dough per cookie and it is baked at a high initial temperature, they will be thick regardless of chilling. The beautiful browning means that they will be flavorful even despite no chill time. Nonetheless, you can chill the dough if you prefer to bake at a later time and they will be even thicker with a more pronounced butterscotch taste.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I use salted butter for giant chocolate chip cookies?

I wrote this recipe with unsalted butter so you can control the salt that you add, however I often use salted butter because it really adds richness in a different way. It gives the butter a deeper, almost cultured dairy flavor. If you choose to use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half to ¼ teaspoon.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

This recipe works without having to chill the cookie dough. You can bake these cookies right away and you will still get a golden exterior and soft chewy centers.

What is the secret to chewy cookies?

There is no one secret, but there are many techniques and ingredients that contribute to the chewy texture of cookies. Firstly, brown sugar contains molasses which is a liquid sugar that traps moisture and keeps the cookies soft and chewy. To make cookies stay soft and chewy it is important to NOT over-bake them, then store them in an airtight container.

How do I make crispy cookies?

If you prefer crispier cookies, simply bake them for 2-3 minutes longer at the lower temperature.

Here is the chocolate I recommend for making Chocolate Chip Cookies:

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

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Video

Christina Marsigliese

These are big, thick Chocolate Chip Cookies that have a thick golden crust and soft gooey insides like ones you'd get at a bakery in New York City. They bake up nice and tall and are so satisfying to eat, especially with a cup of coffee.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings 6 cookies

Ingredients

6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butter
½ cup (110g) packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoon (25g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
1 large egg at room temperature
1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (85g) best quality semisweet chocolate chips
(45g) mini dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup (35g) chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
Combine soft butter with both sugars and vanilla extract in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix by hand using the "creaming method" with a wide rubber spatula to smear the butter and sugar together and mix vigorously until smooth, pale and fluffy. You can also use a handheld mixer. If you use a stand mixer, secure the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and fold it in. Add chocolate chips and chopped walnuts and fold them in until evenly distributed.
Use a 2-oz cookie scoop to portion dough so you get 4 oz portions. You will need two scoops per cookie. Press two portions together and roll them up into a rough ball. You should get 6 cookies out of this dough. Alternatively you can divide the dough into 6 portions. Place them onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 3 inches apart and bake for 3 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F and bake for another 10-12 minutes until deeply golden all over and still slightly soft in the middle.
Transfer baking tray to a rack and let cool for 3 minutes before transferring to the rack to finish cooling.