Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies — These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are studded with chocolate chips and are the perfect texture. My secret ingredient? Cornstarch! It produces the most incredible cookies, trust me!
Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes, right? I’ve got everything from from traditional to cream cheese to pumpkin. But this soft chocolate chip cookie recipe is different in one major way because you don’t need to use a mixer and they’re made in one bowl.
Not having to drag out my heavy mixer combined with fewer dirty dishes and equipment to wash makes me much more inclined to bake. All you need for these easy, super soft cookies that are loaded with chocolate is one mixing bowl, a whisk, and a spoon. Gotta love it.
I adapted my Turtles Candies Chocolate Chip Cookies, and while I browned the butter for those cookies, I went the super easy route with these and melted the butter in the microwave. The cookies are big, bakery-style cookies. They’re wonderfully chewy from the melted butter, soft from the cornstarch, and loaded with texture from the chocolate chips.
I loved that I was in and out of the kitchen in minutes getting these prepped and ready to chill. You need to chill the dough so the cookies bake up thick and full. They’re worth planning ahead for.
What’s in These Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies?
The ingredients you’ll need for these soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are fairly standard (the magic happens in the way these cookies are made!). For this easy cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
First melt the butter in the microwave, then stir in the egg (wait a minute or two to allow the butter time to cool off a bit first). Add in the rest of the ingredients, finishing with the chocolate chips. Stir until combined, being careful not to over work the flour.
Scoop out the cookie dough and form balls, them place on tray and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Once chilled, bake the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking tray until the edges are golden and set. You do NOT want to over bake these cookies, or they won’t be as soft and pillowy. The cookies will continue to cook in the center as they come to room temperature, so don’t fret if your cookies look slightly glossy in the center.
Can I Make My Cookies Smaller?
Absolutely! I used a 1/4-cup scoop to make my soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, but you can definitely make yours smaller. Just note that you’ll need to adjust the bake time accordingly (smaller cookies need less time in the oven).
Can I Sub Coconut Oil for the Butter?
I haven’t tried that myself, so I can’t say for sure if coconut oil would work in place of the butter. If you’re looking for a coconut oil chocolate chip cookie recipe, I recommend making my coconut oil cookies — I’ve tested those many times and know they work every time!
Tips for Making Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
First and foremost, you HAVE to chill the dough! The melted butter in this recipe makes these cookies chewy, but if you don’t chill the dough before baking it the melted butter will cause the cookies to spread a lot in the oven. You’ll lose the lovely soft texture entirely!
When forming the cookie dough balls, I like to strategically place a few chocolate chips on top to accentuate how chocolate-y these cookies are. You don’t have to add extra chocolate for this, you can just pull a few chips from the bottom of the ball of dough and place them on top.
Lastly, feel free to use other kinds of chocolate chips in these cookies. Milk chocolate or bittersweet chips would taste delicious in these cookies, or you could use a blend. I bet butterscotch chips would also taste incredible here!
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
- Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies – My gold standard Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for over two years!
- Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies {Copycat} — Learn all the SECRETS to making the famous Mrs. Fields cookies at home! The recipe is easy, spot-on, and they taste just like the real thing!
- Hershey’s Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – An old-time recipe that’s a keeper!! Chocolaty, buttery, soft cookie perfection! If you need a recipe so your cookies stay ultra soft for days, this is the one!
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – 3 favorite cookies combined into 1 so you don’t have to choose!! Easy, no-mixer recipe, and always a hit!
- Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft chocolate chip cookies packed with chocolate chips and crunchy pretzels!! Salty-and-sweet all in one!
- The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate, and they turn out perfectly every time! Totally irresistible!
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Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
- To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it.
- Add the eggs, sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add flour, cornstarch (keeps cookies soft) baking soda, salt, and stir to combine. Dough may seem crumbly yet oily, this is okay.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 11 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten about halfway. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips that are likely at the bottom of the mixing bowl and don’t want to incorporate onto the top of each mound of dough, and add more as necessary for a nice visual pop of chocolate.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I use a half-sheet pan and bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 12 to 14 minutes (if your cookies are smaller than mine, reduce baking time) or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Even More Homemade Cookie Recipes:
Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sticks – No butter used in these fast and easy cookie sticks that can’t spread because they’re baked in a pan!
Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups – Prone to cookies that spread? It’s impossible with these! Thick, soft & chewy cookies baked in a muffin pan that are so rich from the browned butter!
Loaded Peanut Butter Cookie Pie — This cookie pie is slightly crisp around the edges and buttery soft and chewy in the center. There’s lots of texture from the sprinkles, the crunchy Reese’s Pieces shells, and it’s exploding with bigtime peanut butter flavor.
I know you have another recipe with vanilla pudding instead of cornstarch. I like this one better because it uses less butter, how can I add the pudding in this recipe?
I know you have another recipe with vanilla pudding instead of cornstarch. I like this one better because it uses less butter, how can I add the pudding in this recipe?
You would have to experiment with the various ingredients and ratios. Each recipe is developed based individually and you would need to test and trial various changes you make and see what that does overall but it’s impossible for me to say oh just add x amount of pudding mix here without personally testing it out.
great
I realized after posting my previous comment that it was for the cream cheese choc chip soft batch cookies! Duh, brain fog & wasn’t paying attention but none the less both recipes with & without cream cheese are superior in my book. Would give 10 stars if I could, they’re that delicious! Thanks Averie!
I realized after posting my previous comment that it was for the cream cheese choc chip soft batch cookies! Duh, brain fog & wasn’t paying attention but none the less both recipes with & without cream cheese are superior in my book. Would give 10 stars if I could, they’re that delicious! Thanks Averie!
Seeing both of your comments now and glad you love love love the cookies (the cream cheese ones) https://www.averiecooks.com/softbatch-cream-cheese-chocolate-chip-cookies/ I am glad to hear you’d give them 10 stars if you could!
Have mercy! These cookies are deliciously dangerous! These are the ultimate choc chip cookies ever! I made them 2 days ago for the first time & doubled the recipe. Followed recipe to a T except I only used 9 oz bag of Hershey’s milk choc chips and 1 cup finely chopped almonds (preference) and these are the absolute best soft batch cookies ever, so soft & chewy. The addition of cornstarch & chilling the dough is definitely the key. It’s time consuming but oh so worth the effort! I’m making another double batch today, they’re so good! Can’t believe it took me so long to discover this gem & it will be the only choc chip cookies I’ll be making in the future. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
Have mercy! These cookies are deliciously dangerous! These are the ultimate choc chip cookies ever! I made them 2 days ago for the first time & doubled the recipe. Followed recipe to a T except I only used 9 oz bag of Hershey’s milk choc chips and 1 cup finely chopped almonds (preference) and these are the absolute best soft batch cookies ever, so soft & chewy. The addition of cornstarch & chilling the dough is definitely the key. It’s time consuming but oh so worth the effort! I’m making another double batch today, they’re so good! Can’t believe it took me so long to discover this gem & it will be the only choc chip cookies I’ll be making in the future. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
I made this recipe! Everyone loved it. The taste, the look, everything. Honestly, out of all the recipes I have tried, this is the best one. I do wish that there was a way to make an extraordinary chocolate chip cookie without all the butter and sugar, but it wouldn’t really be a cookie anymore. Thank you for this lovely recipe!
I made this recipe! Everyone loved it. The taste, the look, everything. Honestly, out of all the recipes I have tried, this is the best one. I do wish that there was a way to make an extraordinary chocolate chip cookie without all the butter and sugar, but it wouldn’t really be a cookie anymore. Thank you for this lovely recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad everyone loved the cookies!
The absolute best chocolate Chip cookies I have ever had, and to make them is divine
I was in desperate need of some comfort food this week, what with everything that’s going on right now. I froze the cookie dough after I shaped it into balls and have been baking off a single cookie at a time whenever a craving strikes. OH MY WORD these are the BEST chocolate chip cookies! I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand so I chopped up some chocolate bars instead and these babies turned out perfectly. Amazing recipe, and I appreciate how detailed your instructions are!
I was in desperate need of some comfort food this week, what with everything that’s going on right now. I froze the cookie dough after I shaped it into balls and have been baking off a single cookie at a time whenever a craving strikes. OH MY WORD these are the BEST chocolate chip cookies! I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand so I chopped up some chocolate bars instead and these babies turned out perfectly. Amazing recipe, and I appreciate how detailed your instructions are!
Thanks for the 5 star review Claire and I am glad this recipe came in handy for you and that you said they’re the BEST chocolate chip cookies, thank you!
I am BEYOND impressed at your willpower. One cookie at a time? Wow. I do about 3 when I am being ‘good’. If it was just going to be one, I just eat the raw dough, no shame in admitting that :)
Love this recipe. I appreciate the one-bowl streamlined process. Recently came home from a 10 day trip craving these cookies. Perfect, easy recipe to make at 3 am while struggling with jet lag. No mixer required, so didn’t wake up my family!
Love this recipe. I appreciate the one-bowl streamlined process. Recently came home from a 10 day trip craving these cookies. Perfect, easy recipe to make at 3 am while struggling with jet lag. No mixer required, so didn’t wake up my family!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love this recipe!
We made these cookies, followed recipe exactly. They are good, but not soft whatsoever. Just as firm as regular Tollhouse recipe.
I can only give these chocolate chip cookie recipe 3 stars. It is very dry, crumbly, and thick. The cookies don’t spread out very well. My granddaughter had a very difficult time helping me bake them due to the batter’s thickness. I probably won’t be making these again. I am hoping other recipes from the author will work better for me.