Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe — 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!!
Easy Hershey’s Cookies
If you’re looking for big, bakery-style, buttery cookies loaded with chocolate and that stay soft for days, this is the perfect recipe. They’re thick enough, but not too thick, with slightly chewy edges and super soft centers.
I’ve made tons of chocolate chip cookie recipes in my day, but I especially loved these cookies and the recipe is a keeper. The recipe comes from an old-time cookbook that I was digging through while looking for cookie inspiration.
What sets the Hershey’s chocolate chip cookie recipe apart from most is that it uses corn syrup in the dough. The corn syrup draws moisture into the cookies and it’s the secret weapon that keeps them soft for days.
What’s in Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies?
To make this Hershey’s chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Light corn syrup
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Hershey’s chocolate chips
How to Make Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup, egg, and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips last.
Scoop the dough into balls, then place on a plate and chill for at least 3 hours. Once chilled, bake the cookie dough balls until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center.
Do I Have to Use Corn Syrup?
Yes! There aren’t any substitutes and if it’s not something you bake with or have available, I recommend another recipe such as those linked in the Related Recipes below.
Do I Have to Chill the Dough?
YES! The original recipe doesn’t call for chilling the dough, but I always chill cookie dough and it’s one of my tips for cookie baking success. Between the two sticks of butter and the liquid corn syrup, I fear that without chilling the dough the cookies will spread into giant puddles on your baking sheet.
As it was, the cookies were more spread-prone than many and I’m glad I chilled my dough.
Tips for Making Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Note that this recipe calls for light corn syrup, as in light-colored corn syrup. Don’t use lite corn syrup (confusing, I know!).
I made bigger cookies than the original recipe indicates and baked longer because I love big chocolate chip cookies, but you can make them smaller and reduce the baking time if desired.
Hershey’s chocolate cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
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Hershey's Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks, I use unsalted)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup, light-colored, not lite
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces chocolate chips, I use semi-sweet, original recipe uses milk
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) add the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the corn syrup, egg, vanilla, and beat until well mixed; set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and stir to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until dough forms; don’t overmix.
- Add the chocolate chips and beat on low speed until just combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 20 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten very slightly. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking chocolate chips from the underside for a nice visual pop of chocolate.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 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 bake 6 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for about 12 to 13 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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More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
ALL OF MY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPES!
The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies — My favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Just one bite and I think you’ll agree!
The Best Soft and Chewy Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies — You’ll never miss the butter in these cookies that are so soft & loaded to the max with chocolate!
Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies – My gold standard Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for over two years!
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft chocolate chip cookies packed with chocolate chips and crunchy pretzels!! Salty-and-sweet all in one!
Soft and Chewy 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!
The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate, and they turn out perfectly every time! Totally irresistible!
Loaded Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate! Sinking your teeth into a thick, hearty cookie is the best!
The Best Soft and Chewy M&M’S Cookies — Big, bakery-style cookies you can make at home that are BETTER than the bakery’s! An easy recipe for the classic cookies everyone loves!
You are so right! Turned out delish! Thanks for your work and post!!!
You are so right! Turned out delish! Thanks for your work and post!!!
Currently baking… Accidentally added a bit more salt (I chose this recipe mid making). Froze lil cookie balls for 10 mins before baking because I have an impatient audience. Tate’s good, will make sure not to over bake!! My cookie balls are very small, like, a tablespoon each.
Hello! Can I use regular corn syrup instead of light syrup?
It’s light in color, rather than ‘lite’. So regular corn syrup in this case is light, so yes.
Best chipit recipe. I switched it up a bit and added salted caramel chips with the chocolate chips and yummy
The salted caramel chips sound amazing! Glad you think this is the best recipe!
These cookies look amazing! I live in Europe and I struggle with the cup measurements. Could you give me the ingredients measured in grams please (on different websites, the measurements differ !) I really want to try your recipes. This would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I have only made it with the measurements I used and can’t give specifics. I would visit the King Arthur Flour website. They have a very reliable conversion chart.
This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, hands down. I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now, and the cookies always come out so well with the dreamiest texture; not to mention that they’re always a huge hit at gatherings!
Your blog is my go-to spot when I need some cookie inspiration, and I’ve made 3 or 4 of your other chocolate chip cookie recipes. While they’re all *so* delicious, this one takes the cake for me!
Thanks for letting me know you’ve made a bunch of my cookie recipes but that this one is your hands down favorite! I agree the texture is dreamy!
Hi Averie! I just made these and the texture is wonderful! Chewy, flat and soft. I added chopped dried cherries to mine and some coffee powder for a little bit of bitterness. I chilled it for 3 hours and baked them on silpat (I definitely think that helps prevent with spread). I’m excited to see how the texture keeps as it ages! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! The cherries and coffee sound like a fun twist!
Thank you for your prompt response!
But I would like to know if it is paramount to refrigerate the dough?– Does the coldness of the butter give the soft and chewy affect when baking?
Thanks again!
Hey Averie,
I was wondering why you did not use corn starch or pudding mix to this recipe (more-so because the resultant cookie is to be a soft one).
Does this mean that if I want my batch of cookies to be soft, I do not HAVE TO use corn starch or pudding mix to get the same soft and chewy consistency after baked? Does the cookie’s softness only really depend upon how long I leave my dough to firm up in the refrigerator to garner softness and chewiness?
If you couldn’t tell, I’ve become super obsessed with making the perfect chewy and super soft chocolate chip cookie that just melts in your mouth and leaves only bliss in it’s wake. I haven’t yet achieved this high honor, but I’m hoping your recipe will do the trick! I have high hopes for your soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Thanks bunches!
Sarah.
This was an ‘old-fashioned’ recipe that I had wanted to try and came from an old cookbook and rather than start tinkering with it, I made it as-is. The result is a very soft cookie because of the corn syrup. In baking, sometimes there’s more than one way to get to your desired outcome!
can I replace the corn syrup?
In this recipe, the corn syrup is the unique ingredient that keeps these cookies super soft. I wouldn’t replace it nor omit it. If you don’t want to use it, check out the Related Recipes for many, many other chocolate chip cookie variations, none of which use corn syrup.
Hi Averie! Your recipes looks so amazing and delish! I’ve been glued in my monitor for the past 3 hours looking for the best chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe from your blog! I’ve been learning a lot and I love how you took your time to explain the science of cookies! THANK YOU :)
I’m from the Philippines and was wondering which recipe could keep moist and chewy and soft for days in advance? We have a somewhat hot and humid climate here. Reading through your blog, cornstarch / pudding mix/ cream cheese / corn syrup helps keep cookies stay chewy, moist and soft. Which of these do you prefer though? and do you think I can color them with gel food color?
Thank you in advance and your blog is really helpful!
love from the Philippines!
Sam
You just emailed me and I replied to you on email. Thanks!
Made these and while the texture was good (chewy), the cookies themselves were very flat and not “soft”. This occurred even when the dough was chilled. I probably wouldn’t make it again unless I could figure out a way to get a bit more height to them.
Here’s a link to my cookie baking success tips https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/02/the-best-soft-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
As far as them being flat and not soft, they are a flatter cookie. But they are soft. Sometimes baking by even 1-2 extra minutes can make cookies on the firmer side. The recipe is from an older cookbook and by design, the cookies are flatter. If you look in the Related Recipes that I linked to within the post there are at least 10+ other choc chip cookie recipes I have, most of which will be a bit thicker. Thanks for trying this recipe.
I did see all the other cookie recipes but landed on this one for the chewiness. Ultimately, I guess it depends on your definition of “soft”. In my mind chewy is a different property than soft. Soft cookies are puffy and more bread like. Semantics I know, but just my two cents. Again, I think the chewy aspect of these was great and was likely due to the corn syrup. It would be interesting to see if some modifications could be made to the recipe to get a bit more lift on the cookies, but keep that chewy texture.
The corn syrup is going to prevent the lift I think in this situation but there are more than a bazillion ways to make chocolate chip cookies and where there’s a will, there’s a way to figure out how to get what you want. Happy experimenting!
I can’t say that these cookies have stayed soft for days, since I don’t expect them to last that long, but I can verify that if you are looking for a good CC cookie recipe with a bakery-style softness, these fit the bill. :)
Thanks for trying these, Kris, and glad they’re disappearing quickly for you :)
I could definitely go for one of these babies right about now. Cookies are the best cure for the afternoon slump!
These cookies look massive and making me drool slightly. All I want to do right now is make a giant batch and watch the Jurassic Park trilogy all day but, I leave for work in an hour to smell Olive Garden bread sticks all night.
I could eat my weight in O.G. breadsticks…I mean, really, who can resist :)