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These Best Chocolate Chunk Cookies are thick, soft, and loaded with rich chocolate chunks. 💛 A bakery-style cookie anyone can make at home 🥛🍪
Easy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
If you love chocolate chunk cookies that are thick, soft, and full of melty chocolate, this is the one to bake. This easy cookie recipe gives you bakery-style chocolate chunk cookies without any fuss.
These cookies are the kind you make when you want something simple and comforting. They stay soft for days, which makes them great for sharing or gifting.
The edges are lightly crisp, the centers stay soft, and the chocolate pieces stay gooey in every bite. A sprinkle of flaky salt on top turns them into the best chocolate chunk cookies with sea salt ever.
The warm smell that fills the kitchen is half the joy of baking them. The dough is easy to work with and bakes evenly every time.
A quick warm up in the microwave brings back that fresh from the oven taste. They pair perfectly with a cold glass of milk or a cozy cup of coffee.
These gooey chocolate chunk cookies are simple to mix, quick to bake, and perfect for anyone who wants bakery style chocolate chunk cookies at home. Once you try them, you will understand why so many people call them the best chocolate chunk cookies with sea salt ever.
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⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You get bakery-style cookies at home with no special tools.
- The dough comes together fast for an easy cookie recipe.
- Flaky salt adds the perfect finish.
- The centers stay soft for truly gooey chocolate chunk cookies.
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
- all-purpose flour
- cornstarch
- baking soda
- fine sea salt
- unsalted butter, softened – substitute with margarine if needed
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract – peppermint, almond, strawberry, or coffee extract are good choices to switch up the flavor profile
- semi-sweet chocolate chunks – substitute with chocolate chips in any flavor
- Maldon flake sea salt – optional
✨ Variations
- Use milk chocolate or dark chocolate for a richer flavor.
- Add chopped nuts for crunchy bakery style chocolate chunk cookies.
- Add peppermint extract for a winter twist.
- Swap some chocolate chunks for toffee bits to make extra gooey chocolate chunk cookies.
🔥 Tips
- Chill the dough for thicker bakery-style cookies.
- Use high-quality chocolate chunks for the best cookies ever.
- Add a little extra flaky salt if you love cookies with sea salt.
- Remove the cookies from the oven when the centers look slightly soft for perfect gooey chocolate chunk cookies.
❓ FAQs
No, but chilling helps the cookies stay thicker.
It boosts the flavor and helps balance the sweetness.
Do not overbake. Pull the cookies when the centers still look soft. This gives you gooey cookies every time.
The butter may be too soft. Chill the dough to help the cookies bake thicker.
The edges should be lightly golden and the centers slightly soft.
Yes. Chill up to 48 hours for even better texture and the most flavorful cookies.
A hand mixer or even a sturdy spatula works fine with a little extra effort.
You can, but rotating the pans halfway through helps them bake more evenly.
Lining them makes cleanup easier and helps prevent sticking, but it is not required.
They were likely baked a little too long, so watch the edges closely next time.
🍽️ Other Recipes You May Enjoy
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Best Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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Equipment
- mixing bowls
- stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chunks, (11.5 ounces) divided
- Maldon flake sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.1 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Set aside 1/2 cup of chocolate chunks. Stir the remaining chunks into the dough.1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- Divide the dough into 18 portions, about 2.5 ounces each.
- Roll each portion into a ball and place on the baking sheets about 4 inches apart.
- Press the reserved chocolate chunks into the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes until the cookies are puffed, set in the center, and lightly golden on the edges.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.Maldon flake sea salt
Notes
🥡 STORAGE
- Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Keep cookies in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
♨️ REHEATING
- Microwave for 10 seconds for a warm cookie.
- Warm in a 350°F oven for about 3 minutes.
❄️ FREEZING
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
- Freeze dough balls on a baking sheet, then store in freezer bags.
💡 TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS
- Measure flour correctly to avoid dry cookies.
- Press extra chocolate on top for a bakery look.
- Rolling the dough into smooth balls helps the cookies bake evenly.
🍳 ALTERNATE COOKING METHODS
- Air fryer: Bake dough balls at 320°F for 6-8 minutes.
- Toaster oven: Bake at 350°F, but check early since they brown faster.
♻️ LEFTOVERS
- Crumble leftover cookies over ice cream.
- Use in parfaits or milkshakes.
📝 NOTES
- Try other extracts, such as peppermint, almond, strawberry, or coffee.
- Cornstarch keeps the cookies soft.
- Flaky salt adds a sweet-salty balance.
- Press a few extra chocolate chunks on top before baking for a bakery-style look.
- Add-ins like nuts, toffee, or flavored chips work well.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet so the centers set without overbaking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
