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Hi Bold Bakers!
People have very specific cookie tastes. Some people like crispy chocolate chip cookies that have a nice crunch, others like a chewy chocolate chip, and then some want a thick, soft cookie but no gooey center.
I’m no stranger to whipping up recipes to please all Chocolate Chip Cookie camps, and this one goes out to those soft chocolate chip cookie fans — also known as cakey chocolate chip cookies!
The texture is everything with this recipe. These cookies aren’t chewy, there’s no gooey center, and they’re not crispy. They are soft, moist, thick, and the perfect companion to a glass of ice-cold milk.
What Are Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Don’t get cakey or soft chocolate chip cookies confused with chewy. While I think chewy chocolate chip cookies are amazing, these cake-like cookies aren’t a recipe to sleep on!
This homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe yields a chocolatey cookie that turns out incredibly soft, almost like you’re biting into a perfectly baked cake, filled with wonderful chocolate chip pockets. We use more flour and leavening in this recipe so the cookies can bake a lot like a cake — with a rise.
What You Need To Make Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
How To Make Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ready to make the softest chocolate chip cookies ever? Here’s how you make cakey chocolate chip cookies (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, melt the butter. Then, whisk in the brown and white sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until they are combined before adding the next. After all the eggs have been added, stir in the vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add this mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is just combined, and a few streaks of flour remain. Then, fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, scoop dough into 26 balls. Briefly roll the balls in the palm of your hand and place them 3 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
- Baking for roughly 11-12 minutes until the centers are puffed, and the edges are set.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- You can make this dough up to 5 days in advance and store it in your refrigerator. The longer you let your cookie dough age, the better flavor and texture it will have!
- You want to use good quality chocolate. I like to use bittersweet chocolate to balance the sugars.
- When it comes to baking, you almost always want to be sure your ingredients, including the butter and eggs, are at room temperature. This yields even mixing and better texture.
- Scoop the dough and freeze it flat on a tray. Once frozen, pack them up and have cookies ready to be baked fresh whenever you want!
- If you don’t eat eggs, replace them with flax eggs. Check out my 7 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes & How to Use Them guide.
How Do I Store Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies?
You can store any leftover chocolate chip cookies you have in an airtight container for up to 3 days. As I mentioned in my tips above, you can also freeze the scoop and freeze the dough and have fresh baked cookies whenever you want!
Don’t Miss More Cookie Recipes
- Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Internet’s Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crazy Cookie Dough: One Base Dough, Endless Flavor Possibilities
- 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) butter
- ¾ cup (4 ½ oz/128g) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (4oz/115g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ⅓ cups (11 ½/330g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ⅓ (8oz/225g) bittersweet chocolate (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl melt the butter. Whisk in the brown and white sugar.
- Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until combined after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and mix in until just combined and a few streaks of flour remain. Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, scoop dough in 26 balls. Briefly roll into balls in the palm of your hand and place 3 inches apart on a prepared pan.
- Bake for roughly 11-12 minutes or until centers are puffed and edges are set.
- Enjoy warm fresh from the oven! Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
This recipe looks amazing! Would it be best to use salted or unsalted butter?
Love these cookies they’re like cakes. So soft in the centre with crispy edges. I need to roll them more into a ball shape next time i think that will improve the shape but the taste is incredible! Thanks for the recipe
Gemma, these are amazing! Your cookies (and brownies) have become a constant feature at my son’s cricket matches. All your recipes have always been a hit but these cookies in particular are the children’s favourite! If I wanted to turn them into double chocolate chip cookies, what would be the amount of cocoa powder that I would need to add? Thank you!
First pan out of the oven! Tastes is great! However I had to use more flour, as it was still very runny and it poured and no way could it be rolled into a tighter ball!
I have been weighing flour instead of using a cup to measure it. Works perfectly every time.
So easy to make. They’re delicious.
Hey, Gemma. Out of habit, I’ve gone through the normal creaming process with the butter and sugar. I notice this recipe says to melt the butter. Is this specific for the outcome of this particular cookie? I would also like to request a video spoken in Irish, if possible, haha. Thanks!
My Kids said best cookies ever !!????thank you ❤️
Hello Gemma,
Since I’m a vegetarian, can I substitute eggs with bananas or is apple sauce a better substitute?
It’s all in the title… I’m addicted to these cookies! 🙂
They are so soft and tasty, I want to make more!!