Learn how to make perfectly thick and cakey chocolate chip cookies. With the right ingredients and chilling time, they will be so soft and delicate!

Thick and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies stacked up

OVERVIEW

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is a unique one. It’s delicate, pillowy-soft, and cakey. It reminds me of the best part of a muffin, the muffin top! 

When you’re looking for something a little different in a cookie recipe, this one pulls out all the stops to create the best chocolate chip cookies.

What makes a cookie thick and cakey?

Most chocolate chip cookie recipes include the same ingredient list but it’s the method that is most important to get the desired texture.

So what makes a cookie cakey instead of chewy or crunchy? There are a few distinctions in this recipe that make it what it is: thick and cakey.

  • Creaming the Butter and Sugar: We want to cream the butter and sugar just until well incorporated. Creaming too much will incorporate more air, increasing spread of the cookie.
  • Higher Ratio of Eggs: While my thin and crispy chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for only 1 egg, this one calls for 2. Eggs contain water that will evaporate and produce steam which will help our cookie rise. The protein in the eggs also help keep the shape of thick cookies.
  • Adding the Flour: The cookies will stay much fluffier if the glutens are not overdeveloped. This means when the flour is added it is mixed just until incorporated and no more. Mixing too much will result in a soft and chewy cookie.
  • Chilling Time: With the dough going into a moderate heat oven, chilled dough will allow the outside of the cookie to set before the fat and sugar melt and completely spread. This will keep our cookies nice and thick!
Softened butter that is being pushed on my a finger to show that is it soft
It’s important to use softened butter when creaming with sugar. It should be soft to the touch but not melted or greasy.

HOW TO MAKE THICK AND CAKEY COOKIES

The key to making a thick and cakey cookie is the chilling time. Chilling the dough will ensure that the cookies rise up thick in the oven and do not spread. They will remain soft and delicate with a cake-like texture.

STEP 1: CREAM THE BUTTER AND SUGAR

Creamed together brown sugar and browned butter until light and fluffy

Start with your butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in your stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, and beat at medium/high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You don’t want to add too much air by creaming too long. Scrape down the bowl.

STEP 2: ADD THE WET INGREDIENTS

Adding eggs to the mixer with creamed butter and sugar.

Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix in.

STEP 3: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS

Slowly stream in the baking soda, salt, and flour to the mixing bowl. Mix just until combined but do not over-mix! Over-mixing will result in chewy cookies.

STEP 4: ADD THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Chocolate Chip cookie dough made using the creaming method

Add the chocolate chips to the bowl and gently fold them in until evenly distributed.

STEP 5: Chill

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This will ensure that the cookies do not spread too much or become crispy. Do not skip this step!

STEP 6: SCOOP THE DOUGH

Scooped mounds of cookie dough onto a baking sheet

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop dough balls onto a cookie sheet into a tall mound. Scoop about 3 tablespoons per cookie. If desired, top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips.

STEP 7: Bake

Bake cookies until the edges are set. The cookies will remain pale and not brown very much. The middle will continue to set as it cools. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

A view of the inside of a Thick and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookie

FAQ

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?

Yes! If you only have salted butter on hand then you can use that. Use the same amount of salted butter as the recipe calls for unsalted but reduce the extra salt in the recipe by half.

What if I don’t have time to chill the dough?

You can still bake these cookies without chilling the dough however, the cookies may spread and become crispy and less cake-like than intended. They will still be delicious but will be a different texture.

PREP & STORAGE

Cookie dough is perfect for chilling and freezing for when you want to plan ahead!

HOW TO STORE DOUGH IN THE REFRIGERATOR

Chill the dough in an airtight container or wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Alternately, you can pre-scoop the dough balls onto a cookie sheet and then wrap the entire cookie sheet in plastic wrap.

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:

  • Let the cookie dough sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften enough to be able to scoop. Then scoop the dough balls and bake as directed. The dough should still be cold before putting in the oven. If it’s too soft, place back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes or more.
  • Pre-scooped dough balls can go straight into the oven from the refrigerator.

HOW TO STORE DOUGH IN THE FREEZER

Pour all of the cookie dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Wrap tightly and then place the disc into a plastic zipper bag.

Alternately, you can pre-scoop the dough balls onto a cookie sheet (dough balls can touch, don’t worry about spreading) and freeze. Once frozen, you can move the dough balls into a zipper bag. Because they were pre-frozen they will not stick together.

The dough can be frozen up to 3 months.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:

  • Remove the disc of cookie dough from the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Let the cookie dough sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften. Then scoop the dough balls and bake as directed. If the dough has softened too much, place back in the refrigerator until cold.
  • Frozen pre-scooped dough balls can be baked directly from the freezer. Add 2-3 minutes of baking time.

HOW TO STORE BAKED COOKIES

Baked cookies can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked cookies can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

3 different types of cookies shown: Thin & Crispy, Soft & Chewy, Thick & Cakey

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes!

Thick and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies stacked up
Yield: 24 Cookies

Thick and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 27 minutes

Learn how to make perfectly thick and cakey chocolate chip cookies. With the right ingredients and chilling time, they will be so soft and delicate!

Ingredients

  • 198 grams (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 50 grams (¼ cup) brown sugar, light or dark
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 270 grams (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 300 grams (2 cups) chocolate chips, dark, semi-sweet, or milk

Instructions

  1. Cream the room temperature butter (198 grams, 14 tablespoons), granulated sugar (150 grams, ¾ cup), and brown sugar (50 grams, ¼ cup) on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Cream until well incorporated, but not to incorporate air, about 1 minute.
  2. Reduce the speed and add the eggs 1 at a time (total of 2 large) and the vanilla extract (2 teaspoons). Increase the speed and mix until well combined.
  3. Slowly add the flour (270 grams, 2 ¼ cups), baking soda (½ teaspoon), and salt (1 teaspoon) to the butter mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl until thoroughly combined. Mix just until combined, do not overmix!
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips (300 grams, 2 cups).
  5. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. If desired, you can scoop the dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or baking mats and chill the dough mounds.
  6. Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
  7. Scoop mounds of dough (about 3 tablespoons, mounded tall) onto the prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  9. Remove cookies from baking sheet and move to a wire rack to cool completely.

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