Quick Info
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus 1–24 hours chill)
- Bake Time: 13–16 minutes per tray
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (active + chill; longer if chilling overnight)
- Yield: 12 jumbo cookies (¼-cup scoop) or 18 large (3-tbsp scoop)
- Course: Dessert / Cookies
- Cuisine: American bakery-style
- Skill Level: Easy–Moderate
- Special Equipment: Hand or stand mixer, two rimmed baking sheets, parchment, 3–4 tbsp cookie scoop, kitchen scale (helpful), large round cutter for “scooting”
Introduction
When my kids see me pull out the big scoop, they know what’s coming: Giant Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies with soft, bendy centers and crackly, caramelized edges. I first baked them this way after a road trip pit stop where we split one comically large cookie in the parking lot and declared it “dinner.” Back home, I reverse-engineered the texture—chewy middles, glistening pools of chocolate, just enough height—and now these are our celebration cookies.
The secret to this thick & chewy style is a trio of tiny tricks: a touch of cornstarch to keep the crumb tender, a mix of brown and white sugars for caramel chew, and a short chill so the dough bakes up lofty instead of flat. Use chopped chocolate for dramatic puddles or your favorite chips—either way, you’ll get bakery vibes from a home oven.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 20 minutes (brown it for toffee notes; cool to room temp)
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp (260 g) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1½–2 cups (255–340 g) chocolate, chips or chopped bars (semi-sweet or mix of milk/dark)
- Flaky sea salt, for topping (optional but excellent)
Optional / Variations
- Brown-Butter Upgrade: Brown the butter until amber and nutty; cool fully before mixing.
- Bakery Mix-Ins: ½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts; ½ cup toffee bits; or a handful of mini marshmallows pressed on top before baking for a s’mores vibe.
- Espresso Boost: 1 tsp instant espresso powder whisked into the dry ingredients for deeper chocolate flavor.
- Gluten-Free: Swap in a 1:1 GF baking blend; add 10–15 minutes chill time for structure.
- Dairy-Free: Plant-based butter sticks + dairy-free chips work well.
- White-Chocolate Macadamia: Replace half the chocolate with chopped macadamias and use ½ tsp almond extract with the vanilla.
Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the Dry Mix (Tender, Not Cakey)
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until even. The cornstarch keeps the center plush while the cookies stay thick.
Step 2: Mix the Butter & Sugars (Chewy Base)
In a large bowl (or stand mixer with paddle), beat melted–cooled butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium for 1–2 minutes until glossy and slightly thick. You’re dissolving some sugar for chew without whipping in too much air (which would make them puffy and cakey).
Step 3: Add Egg, Yolk & Vanilla
Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla just until smooth, scraping the bowl. The extra yolk adds richness and helps that bend-in-the-middle texture we all love.
Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients
On low, mix in the dry mix until only a few flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix—tender cookies need a light hand.
Step 5: Fold in Chocolate (Save a Few for Topping)
Switch to a spatula and fold in chocolate until just distributed. Reserve a small handful to press on top of the dough balls for that bakery look with chocolate “pools.”
Step 6: Scoop JUMBO & Chill
Line a tray with parchment. Scoop ¼-cup mounds (about 60 g) for jumbo cookies, or 3-tbsp mounds for large. Roll lightly into tall balls and place on the tray. Press a few extra chocolate pieces on top. Chill 1 hour (or up to 24 hours) until firm—this keeps them thick, with caramelized rims and gooey centers.
In a rush? Freeze 15–20 minutes. Overnight chill = deepest flavor.
Step 7: Bake to Thick & Chewy
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Space dough balls 3–4 inches apart (these are big!). Bake 13–16 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until edges are set and the centers look slightly underdone and pale. They firm as they cool—pull earlier for gooier centers, later for a bit more set.
Step 8: Scoot, Sprinkle, & Set
Right out of the oven, use a large round cutter (or the rim of a wide glass) to scoot each cookie into a perfect circle—this concentrates the chewy middle and gives gorgeous rippled edges. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt if you like sweet-salty magic. Cool on the sheet 8–10 minutes, then move to a rack.
Step 9: Serve Warm (or Re-Warm Later)
Warm cookies are peak cookie—expect oohs over the melty pools of chocolate. Cooled cookies spring back beautifully with 8–10 seconds in the microwave.
Tips & Variations
- Weigh for Accuracy: If you can, use a scale—it’s the single best way to guarantee thick results. Flour here is 260 g total.
- Brown Butter Notes: If browning the butter, you’ll lose some water; add 1–2 tsp milk with the egg to compensate and keep the dough scoopable.
- Height Matters: Scooping tall dough mounds (not squat) encourages thick centers.
- Chocolate Choices: Chopped bar chocolate melts into glossy puddles; chips hold their shape. A 50/50 mix gives the best texture.
- Pan & Temp: Use parchment (not silicone mats) for better spread control and crisper rims. If your oven runs hot, check at 12 minutes.
- Ultra-Jumbo Bakery Size: Make ⅓-cup scoops (about 85–95 g) and bake 15–18 minutes. You’ll get 8–10 colossal cookies—shareable and dramatic.
- Stay-Soft Storage: Slip a slice of fresh sandwich bread into the cookie tin; replace daily.
- Freeze-Ahead Dough Balls: Scoop, chill until firm, then freeze up to 2 months in a zip bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F, adding 1–2 minutes.
- Altitude Help: At high altitude, add 1 tbsp flour and reduce sugar by 1 tbsp; check early.
- Allergy-Friendly: For egg-free, replace egg + yolk with ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce + 1 tsp oil (slightly cakier but still soft).
- Holiday Twists: Peppermint chips + crushed candy canes; or add orange zest (½ tsp) for a chocolate-orange bakery moment.
Nutrition
(Per jumbo cookie, 1/12 batch; estimates.)
- Calories: 300
- Protein: 3 g
- Carbs: 37 g
- Fat: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Sugar: 22 g
Final Thoughts
These Giant Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are pure bake-shop joy with home-kitchen ease. The short chill, the extra yolk, and that cornstarch-kissed crumb give you thick, chewy cookies that stay soft for days (if they last that long). Around here, someone always calls dibs on the “most chocolatey” one and another insists on the corner cookie—never mind that cookies don’t have corners. Bake them for birthday goodie bags, neighbor deliveries, or Tuesday nights when you want the house to smell like butter and vanilla.
Save this for giant chocolate chip cookies, thick & chewy cookies, bakery-style cookies, best chocolate chip cookies, and cookie dough to freeze on Pinterest. From my chocolate-smudged, giggle-filled kitchen to yours—happy baking and even happier nibbling!
