I Asked Pro Bakers How To Get The Chewiest Chocolate Chip Cookies (It’s Surprisingly Simple)

Everyone has an opinion on what makes the best chocolate chip cookie, but only one opinion is right. Some people prefer a thin and crispy chocolate chip cookie, while others want a cookie that’s fluffy with a cake-like texture.

The actual best chocolate chip cookie has an incredibly chewy center surrounded by a crisp edge. This contrast in textures makes every bite perfect. How do you achieve this? There’s one trick that professional bakers use to make chewy chocolate chip cookies, and it won’t cost you a thing.

The Baking Pros I Asked

How To Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

The last step in your baking process will make all the difference. According to pastry chef Sonja Oliveri, it’s best to let your cookies bake until just set, then let them rest on the baking sheet. This is how to take advantage of a process known as carryover baking. “That is the process where food continues to cook from the inside using residual heat of the product and the baking sheet after removing it from the oven,” she says.

Chef Romain Fournel says he and his team also use this method. “We remove the cookies when they are just set—golden on the edges, soft in the center. The baking continues gently from the heat of the tray. This carryover baking keeps the heart of the cookie tender and chewy, while avoiding dryness or overbaking.”

Rothkopf Bates uses this method as well, noting that if you wait to take your cookies out of the oven when they look golden brown, you’ll end up with crispy cookies. “Remember, it works in the other direction, too,” she says. “If you accidentally let your cookies get too dark, quickly move them off the baking sheet to a cooling rack to stop the cooking process.”

Here’s an insider secret: You can use this tip for any type of cookies! That includes chewy oatmeal cookies, molasses cookies, and snickerdoodles.

More Tips for the Chewiest Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Use melted butter: Rothkopf Bates suggests using melted butter instead of softened butter. Simply melt butter in the microwave or on the stovetop, and then begin mixing it with the granulated sugar or a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar.
• Incorporate honey: A clever one-ingredient upgrade from Rothkopf Bates is to use honey for added moisture and to enhance the buttery caramel notes of your cookies. “When I’m creating a recipe and want a chewy cookie that will stay moist for a long time, I will replace three tablespoons of white sugar in my recipe with two tablespoons of runny honey,” she says.
• Turn to brown sugar: Many chocolate chip recipes call for only granulated sugar or a mixture of granulated sugar and light and dark brown sugar. All three pro bakers I talked to encourage you to play with that ratio, increasing the amount of brown sugar. Fournel says it also adds moisture and a depth of flavor.
• Scoop the dough: How do bakeries achieve the ideal texture with giant cookies? Oliveri says to use an ice cream scoop so each portion of dough is sphere-shaped. “That will bake the sides faster, keeping the middle of the cookie nice and moist.”