How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite cookies is a classic chocolate chip cookie. Buttery chewy cookie studded with melty semi sweet chocolate. You cannot ask for a more perfect confection in my opinion. These chewy chocolate chip cookies have been my go to for years. I get asked quite frequently to bring these treats along to parties and functions because they are just so dang gone good. Even my husband, who is not a fan of sweets, appreciates these cookies as a once in a while treat.

This particular recipe was adapted from my mom’s 1980’s Betty Crocker Cookbook. That book is hands down my favorite cookbook. I remember being a kid and flipping through its pages looking at all the wonderful things to make. My sister and I used to attempt to make donuts from one of the recipes found in those pages. If I remember right, they were pretty yummy too. The cookbook was even more special because it was so well loved. Its flour crusted pages creased at our most favorite recipes like waffles and these chocolate chip cookies.

I can see my momma bent over this cookbook in the kitchen I grew up in like it was just yesterday. Her waffle iron heating as she made us waffles on Saturday morning. Flour dusting her hands as she made our breakfast and the sound of Saved By The Bell in the background. My momma still has that cookbook with the binding now torn away. While we have to be more gentle with the book now than in the past, it is still a favorite to browse when the kids and I are over to visit.

Now for the Cookies

Now let’s talk a little more about these chocolate chip cookies. Have you ever had a chocolate chip cookie that was dry and almost cloyingly sweet? Well that is NOT this cookie. These cookies are soft and chewy and have just enough salt to balance out the sweet sugariness of the cookie dough. The slightly bitter chocolate also adds another depth of flavor and texture that takes these cookies to next level delicious.

My kids love these cookies so much that they have become a favorite birthday treat instead of the traditional birthday cake. My boys just recently turned five and when I asked them what they wanted as their birthday sweet, they resoundingly answered with “Cookies!!!” When we refer to cookies, it is nearly always in reference to these chewy chocolate chip cookies. Since it was their fifth birthday, they got giant chocolate chip cookies as big as their heads. They ate on them for three days!

While the recipe originated from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, over the years I have tweaked it here and there to give me the cookie that my family loves now. So let’s get started with making these cookies.

Butter verses Shortening

The dough of this cookie, like I said before has a nice salty note that makes a super well-balanced cookie. To start out you will use a combination of butter and shortening. This gives the cookies that buttery flavor while making sure you don’t end up with a cookie that is flatter than a flitter as my daddy would say. Butter has a very low melting point, so if you only used butter, you would end up with a flat crispy cookie. If flat and crispy is what you are looking for, this isn’t the cookie for you. You also want to make sure that your butter is softened but not so much so that it is almost to the melting point. You want it to have some integrity to stand up to the heat.

You can also use lard as a substitute for the shortening and the recipe will still turn out great.

Which Sugar?

Next up is the sugar. Again a combination to make for the perfect cookie. A 50/50 split of brown sugar to white sugar. The brown sugar helps to keep moisture into the cookie while also giving a chewier texture than white, but if you use only brown sugar, it will be like the butter situation all over again, flatter than a flitter.

After you get these together, you will cream them slightly. I have found that the longer you cream the butter, shorting and sugars together, the fluffier the cookie is and the drier it is. So with that being said, I only cream them together until they are combined, then I add the eggs and vanilla.

Adding the Dry Ingredients

After the creamed mixture, eggs and vanilla comes together, mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda by hand with a wooden spoon. By hand mixing, it prevents the cookies from getting tough and keeps them nice and chewy.

Then stir in the chocolate chips, place on a cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls, and you are ready to bake at 375 for six to seven minutes. I take my cookies out while they still look slightly undercooked, and just browned around the edges. This makes for an extra ooey gooey cookie.

Once the timer is up, you need to remove the cookies from the pan almost immediately to prevent any overcooking. Place them on a cooling rack and cool completely before storing. I enjoy these cookies while they are still warm with a glass of milk. The chocolate is so decadent and delicious. These are truly a special treat that are so easy to make.

Storing Your Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies will last a little over a week if stored properly in an airtight container. I recommend adding a slice of white bread to the container to help keep the cookies from drying out. The bread has moisture in it which it imparts to the cookies. When the cookies are gone, you can share the dried bread with your chickens!

Other Stir Ins

This Chocolate Chip Cookie base is great to add in additional stir ins. You could add M&Ms, nuts (I especially like pecans), white chocolate chips, or chopped up candy bars. The possibilities are endless really! Get creative with what you have on hand and enjoy the deliciousness.

Some Tips to Keep in Mind

I do not recommend making the dough and then refrigerating it to bake the next day, unless you plan to allow it to come slightly to room temperature. Why? The butter will solidify and will make big puffy cookies that tend to be a little dryer. It is important to keep the dough at the right temperature. Not too warm so the butter doesn’t melt, but not so cold that it makes puffy cookies. The day I make the cookie dough I will place the dough in the fridge between batches baking to keep it at the right temperature.

Freeze what you don’t use! I know I just told you to not to refrigerate it, but this cookie dough does freeze well if you don’t want to bake a big batch. Just take some plastic wrap and create a log with your dough. Wrap it up tight and freeze. To bake, take it out of the freezer and allow the portion you want to come to room temperature, then cut into cookie rounds and bake at 375 for six to seven minutes! What a delicious and quick treat!!!

I hope you all have enjoyed this post and find some time this weekend to make these delicious chewy chocolate chip cookies. If you really love chocolate chip cookies, you should also try our Chocolate Chip Pie Recipe! Do you have any favorite recipes or cookbook memories from your childhood? Leave us a comment and check us out on Instagram and Pinterest!

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