Everyone has their own chocolate chip cookie preference. Some like them thin and crispy, some prefer them to be soft and chewy. For the latter, our chewy chocolate chip cookies were made with you in mind.
We use two secret ingredients to make the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookies: more brown sugar than white sugar, and a packet of vanilla pudding mix. Once everything is mixed and baked, we’re left with a batch of incredibly tender, chewy cookies that everyone, no matter their chocolate chip cookie preference, will love.
What makes chocolate chip cookies chewy?
The amount of brown sugar and the addition of vanilla pudding mix give these chewy chocolate chip cookies their texture. Brown sugar contains molasses, which keeps baked goods moist, so using more brown sugar than white sugar makes the cookies softer and chewier. We also use pudding mix in this chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe to add additional softness and chew.
Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Butter: Make sure your butter is softened before starting this recipe! If you forgot, learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar is one of the main ingredients that makes these chocolate chip cookies chewy.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: Instant vanilla pudding mix is another secret ingredient for chewy chocolate chip cookies.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients together so the cookies don’t fall apart when they’re done baking.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the best flour for cookies. It’s not too tough like bread flour yet not too delicate like cake flour. A cookie’s texture usually falls somewhere in the middle.
- Chocolate chips: Don’t skimp on a good chip! See what our Test Kitchen experts deemed the best chocolate chips in their taste tests.
- Walnuts: Walnuts add a pleasant nutty taste and crunchy texture in these cookies.
Directions
Step 1: Create the dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the pudding mix and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat well.
Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts (the dough will be stiff).
Step 2: Portion and bake the cookies
Drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks, and let cool to room temperature.
Editor’s Tip: Placing the balls of cookie dough 2 to 3 inches apart from each other is one of our many cookie tips. This prevents the cookies from baking into each other as they spread.
Recipe Variations
- Make them more chocolatey: Substitute the vanilla pudding mix for a 3.9-ounce package of instant chocolate pudding mix. Who can say no to more chocolate?
- Swap out the nuts: Not a fan of walnuts? Swap them out for pecans, or omit the walnuts completely.
- Grate in orange zest: Orange and chocolate are a winning combo! Grate orange zest into the dough for a subtle-yet-bright citrus flavor.
- Use different baking chips: Semisweet chips are classic, but feel free to swap them out for dark, milk, white, mini or even peanut butter or butterscotch baking chips.
How to Store Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
To store, let the cookies come to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container, where they can sit on the counter for up to four days.
The biggest draw to these cookies is that they’re tender and chewy—let’s keep them that way! Place a slice of bread in the container along with the cookies. The cookies will slowly absorb the fresh bread’s moisture, so they can stay just as chewy as the day you baked them.
Can you freeze chewy chocolate chip cookies?
Yes, it’s easy to freeze cookies. You’ll want to let the cookies cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container. They can be kept in the freezer for up to three months.
Chewy Chocolate Chips Cookies Tips
Why do my cookies turn out cakey?
Your cookies may have turned out cakey if you added too much flour or too much baking soda, or if you overbeat the eggs into the dough, introducing too much air.
Can you freeze chewy chocolate chip cookie dough?
Yes, you can freeze this cookie dough. Scoop out the cookie dough, and line them up on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer, uncovered, until the cookie dough balls are hard, about one hour. Place the cookie dough balls in a freezer-safe resealable bag, and store in the freezer for up to three months.
Bake them straight from the freezer following the basic chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe’s instructions above, but add an additional minute or two.
