These buttery Easy & Chewy Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies are filled with melty pools of chocolate chips and dusted with sugar. Decadently soft and gooey in the center with slightly crispy edges, these drop style sugar cookies are perfect for the holiday season and a great addition to your dessert or holiday table. Made with only 9 basic ingredients, this easy recipe is a nice twist on the classic Southern sugar cookie!!
If you love the combination of sweet, buttery soft classic sugar cookies and chocolate chips then this cookie is for you!! This simple chocolate chip sugar cookie recipe is made with melted butter and brown sugar giving it a deliciously buttery soft texture. They have soft and chewy centers, are slightly doughy in the middle (depending on how long you bake them) with perfectly crisp edges. No dry, bland sugar cookies here!! They wash down perfectly with a tall glass of milk or if you're anything like me, your morning cup of coffee.
These drop style sugar cookies are close to the traditional sugar cookies from your childhood with a few upgrades. In this post, I'll teach you how to achieve bakery style quality cookies without all the hard work. With my simple tips and tricks below, you'll learn how to bake the perfect chewy cookie every time. All you need to do is mix, chill, scoop, bake, then sink your teeth into sweet, sugar coated melted chocolate goodness!!
Looking for more chocolate inspiration? Try my Moist Oreo Pound Cake, Easy Triple Chocolate Muffins, Double Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake or Old Fashioned Coca Cola Cake!!
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Why You'll Love These Easy & Chewy Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
- Soft & chewy - These buttery sugar cookies stay soft and chewy in the middle with perfect crisp edges.
- Easy to make - This basic sugar cookie recipe is super easy to make and only requires 9 basic ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
- No roll sugar cookies - This simple chocolate chip sugar cookies recipe features a drop style cookie, no rolling, frosting, or fancy cut outs here!!
- Perfect for the holidays - Impress your guests with the best chocolate chip sugar cookies!! They are the perfect Christmas cookie for holiday parties or cookie exchanges!!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make these Easy & Chewy Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies:
Here are a few notes on the ingredients used to make this Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies Recipe:
- Unsalted Butter - Unsalted melted butter helps to create the chewiest cookie. It is important to allow the butter to cool prior to adding the sugars. Using hot butter will cause the sugars to melt and create a greasy cookie.
- Light Brown Sugar - To achieve that perfect chewy texture, it is important to add more moisture to the cookie dough. Brown sugar has more moisture than granulated sugar, giving the cookie more chew. I only used a small amount of brown sugar. Using too much will cause the cookies to spread.
- Granulated Sugar - Granulated sugar is drier than brown sugar and allows the cookies to spread slightly. It is also used to coat the cookie dough balls before baking.
- Egg / Egg Yolk - Using an egg and an extra egg yolk provides moisture, fat, richness, and helps to bind the dough. The egg yolk also ensures a tender cookie that is extra soft and gooey.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips - I used regular sized chocolate chips here but mini chocolate chips would also work!!
- Baking Soda - This sugar cookie recipe is made without baking powder. When testing, I found that using baking powder caused the cookies to really hold their shape and not spread. We want a little spread here!!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
I love these delicious cookies as is but feel free to get creative and make them your own!! Here are a few substitutions and variations to consider:
- Add nuts. Increase the texture factor by adding toasted walnuts or pecans to the dough when adding the chocolate chips.
- Add candy. For a fun twist, incorporate M&M's, toffee pieces, crushed peppermint, or peppermint bark.
- Use different chocolate . Switch up the chocolate and add a combination of milk and dark chocolate or a combination of milk and semi-sweet chocolate. Using all milk chocolate might make these cookies a little too sweet.
- Use a different extract. If baking for the holidays, peppermint extract would be a great addition to pair with chocolate chips. Additionally, you can use lemon extract to create a lemon sugar cookie and add white chocolate chips!!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you happen to try any from the list above of add your own spin with new ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below.
VC Top Tip: I tested these cookies using different baking times to determine the texture at each stage. They can be baked from a range of 12 to 14 minutes depending on the texture you like best. For soft and gooey cookies, bake the cookies for 12 minutes. For firmer, crispier cookies, bake for a max of 14 minutes. They are done when the edges are barely golden brown and the centers have puffed up.
VC Top Tip: If your kitchen is warm and your cookie dough balls become wet and sticky, place them in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden.
How to Make Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Chips - Step by Step Instructions
This chewy chocolate chip sugar cookie recipe is easy to make, requires only a few steps, and basic ingredients. These simple step by step instructions will ensure you bake the perfect chewy cookie every time:
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Cut butter into 1 inch slices and melt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Step 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and kosher salt.
Step 3: Mix together the melted butter and sugars. On medium speed, beat the melted butter and both sugars together until thick and creamy.
Step 4: Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mixed until fully combined.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and mix on low speed until just combined.
Step 6: Fold in chocolate chips and chill. Add in the chocolate chips and using a rubber spatula, fold them in until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step 7: Roll dough balls and coat in sugar. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Scoop dough by 2 ½ tablespoons. Roll dough into tall cookie dough balls then roll in sugar to coat.
Step 8: Bake!! Place balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 12 - 14 minutes.
Step 9: Cool. Remove cookies from oven and firmly tap the baking tray on a heat proof surface. Top cookies with extra chocolate chips. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Expert Baking Tips
- Properly measure your flour. For best results, I recommend weighing your flour. If you do not have a food scale, start by first fluffing your flour. Next, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off using the back of a butterknife. Avoid directly scooping into the flour with a measuring cup. This will add more flour into the recipe resulting in dry and crumbly cookies.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Be sure to bring your eggs to room temperature prior to using. Room temperature eggs trap air and ensures the cookies are a light texture.
- Reshaping the cookie. Rolling the dough into tall cookie balls creates the perfect thick and chewy center and crisp edges. As the cookie bakes, the bottom of the cookie bakes first and becomes the outer crisp edges. Then, the top of the cookie ball becomes the thick, chewy center.
- Don't over mix. After adding the flour only mix until you see a few streaks left. Then, add the chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough in just a few strokes. Make sure to also scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl as you are folding to ensure all of the flour is incorporated. Stop mixing when you no longer see the last streaks of flour. Over-mixing causes more gluten development resulting in tough cookies.
- Underbake the cookies. These chocolate chip sugar cookies taste best when they are slightly underbaked. The extra time on the baking sheet allows the cookies to cook a little while longer.
- Bang the pan. The pan banging technique was discovered and perfected by Sarah Kieffer. Banging the pan helps the cookies to deflate and spread. This creates beautiful cracks and ripples throughout the cookie resulting in the perfect chew.
Recipe FAQs
Yes!! The dough can be made, rolled into balls, and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes, the dough has to be chilled for 2 hours prior to baking. Chilling the dough improves texture, allows the flavors to marinate so the dough becomes more flavorful, and makes the cookies more soft and plush. Also, chilling allows the butter to solidify causing the cookies to spread less resulting in thicker cookies. The flour is also able to reabsorb moisture. Furthermore, chilled dough takes longer to spread therefore the middle of cookies will be be barely baked.
Typically sugar cookie dough is made without brown sugar. For this recipe however, I used a little brown sugar to achieve a chewy texture.
To help the sugar cookies flatten after baking, gently tapping the pan on the counter will help them deflate and in the process help give them a chewy texture!!
Adding too much flour, over-mixing, and over-baking can cause your sugar cookies to become dry. Investing in an oven thermometer to ensure you are baking at the correct temperature, using a food scale to measure your flour, and only mixing your ingredients until just combined are all ways to prevent your cookies from drying out.
These simple chocolate chip sugar cookies are best stored in an airtight container for up to five days. However, if left out, the cookies will be exposed to air causing them to dry out faster.
Storage
To store, place the cooled, baked cookies in an airtight container for up to five days.
Freezing
To freeze the unbaked cookie dough, simply roll the cookie dough into tall balls and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Then, place them into a freezer safe bag and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the cookie dough balls to sit out at room temperature as the oven preheats. Add a minute or two of baking time if needed.
More Cookie Recipes
It brings me so much joy when you make one of my recipes!! If you try this recipe and love it much as I do, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below. And don't forget to tag me to share your creation with me!! You can find me on Instagram @vintage_confections.
📖 Recipe
Easy & Chewy Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ (344 g) cups All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 (227 g) cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 ¼ (250 g) cup Granulated sugar plus ¼ cup (50g) for rolling
- ¼ (55g) cup Light brown sugar packed
- 1 large Egg
- 1 large Egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 2 (12 oz) cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cut butter into 1 inch slices and melt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow the butter to cool for 20 minutes while you prepare the dry ingredients. Alternatively, you can melt the butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals.1 (227 g) cup Unsalted butter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 ¾ (344 g) cups All purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- In the stand mixer bowl with the melted butter, beat the melted butter and both sugars with the paddle attachment until thick and creamy, about 1 minute.(Alternatively you can do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer).1 ¼ (250 g) cup Granulated sugar, ¼ (55g) cup Light brown sugar
- Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mixed until fully combined, scraping the sides of the bowl. About 1 minute.1 large Egg, 1 large Egg yolk, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just combined. After adding the second addition of flour, mix until you only see a few streaks. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and add in the chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.2 (12 oz) cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and scoop the dough by 2 ½ tablespoons. Roll dough into tall cookie dough balls. If you have a kitchen scale, the dough balls should weigh 1.7 oz or 47 g. Roll balls in sugar to coat. If your kitchen is warm and your cookie dough balls become wet and sticky, place them in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden. Place 4 balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about two inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 12 - 14 minutes depending on the texture of cookie you like. 12 minutes will yield a soft, gooey cookie while 14 minutes will give you a firmer cookie (don't worry it will still be soft). The cookies are ready when they are a light golden brown on the edge but pale and slightly wet in the middle. The cookies are better when they are slightly underbaked and will harden as they cool.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and firmly tap the baking sheet ( about 5 times) on a heatproof surface to deflate the cookies. Top cookies with extra chocolate chips if desired. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. They will be very soft so be sure to allow them to cool completely. I know its hard!! Enjoy!!
Timothy
these look delicious!!