Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
These classic Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with pools of melty chocolate. Whip up irresistible bakery-quality cookies right in your own kitchen!
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Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies are the ultimate irresistible sweet treat. Classic, rich, buttery cookie dough is loaded with dark and semi-sweet chocolate pieces. These cookies have the perfect balance of slightly crisp edges and soft, chewy centers, with pockets of melty chocolate in each bite. Create indulgent bakery-style cookies right at home that are sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Why You’ll Love These Bakery-Style Cookies
- Soft & Chewy – The ideal combo of textures for a classic chocolate chip cookie. Brown sugar gives these cookies moisture and chewiness while cornstarch helps keep them soft and tender.
- Big & Thick – Generous 2-ounce scoops of cookie dough create thick, oversized cookies. Chilling the dough for several hours keeps these cookies from spreading too much.
- Ultra Chocolaty – A mix of chopped dark chocolate and semi-sweet chips creates a variety of textures to ensure you get melty chocolate pieces in every bite.
- The Finishing Touches – Extra chocolate pieces pressed into the tops of the cookies while they’re hot and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt will add a picture-perfect finish to your bakery-style cookies.
How to Make Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mix
The dough comes together quickly and can be mixed using either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric handheld mixer. First, butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar are creamed together. An egg and vanilla extract are mixed in followed by the dry ingredients which include flour, cornstarch, leaveners, and salt. Then a combo of chopped chocolate and chocolate chips are stirred in by hand.
Portion
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough. I like to use a large 2-ounce size scoop (also known as size #16) which is about ¼ cup of dough. Place the scoops of dough onto a piece of parchment paper to prep them for the fridge.
Chill
The dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. If you scoop the dough onto a baking sheet, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store the scoops of cookie dough in an airtight container in the fridge.
Bake
Once the dough has chilled, it’s time to bake. Place the chilled scoops of cookie dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with each cookie spaced at least 2” apart to account for spreading. For a half-sheet pan, I only bake up to 6 cookies at a time so they have plenty of room to spread without running into each other. The cookies bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, until brown around the edges and just set in the middle.
Top & Enjoy
When the cookies come out of the oven, top with additional chocolate pieces and chips (if desired). This isn’t necessary, but it gives the cookies a bakery-quality look. Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt for a nice sweet and salty balance. Enjoy the cookies warm or allow them to cool to room temperature for a chewier texture.
Favorite Tools
Tips for the Best Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use high-quality chocolate. Good quality chocolate will make a big difference in your cookies. I like to use the Ghirardelli 60% cacao bar or the Trader Joe’s “Pound Plus” 72% cacao variety for the dark chocolate bar. For the semi-sweet chips, I recommend using Guittard or Ghirardelli. These are higher quality but still pretty easy to find at most grocery stores.
- Chill the Dough. This cookie dough works (and tastes) best when it has a chance to chill before baking. This allows the flour to fully absorb and the flavors to meld together for an even better-tasting cookie. This will also ensure that the cookies bake up nice and thick. I recommend chilling the dough for at least 2 hours but overnight is best.
- Don’t Overbake. One of the keys to soft bakery-style chocolate chip cookies is baking them just until set and not leaving them in the oven too long. For the perfectly gooey texture, bake the cookies just until they brown around the edges. They should be set but look ever so slightly wet in the center. I found that about 13 minutes in my oven is the perfect amount of time.
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
Chocolate Chip Cookie FAQs
What is the best way to store the baked cookies?
The chocolate chip cookies should be stored in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze the baked cookies?
These cookies freeze great after baking! Arrange the finished, cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze them for at least an hour. This prevents the cookies from breaking and helps them not stick together when stacking them. Once the cookies are firm, layer them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw the cookies, allow the bag or container of cookies to sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours or overnight, before serving.
Can I use all chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?
Yes, if you prefer chocolate chips and or just don’t have a chocolate bar, you can substitute the full chocolate amount (8 ounces) for all chocolate chips instead. This will give you a more traditional chocolate chip cookie.
Would a different type of chocolate work?
You can use whatever your favorite variety of chocolate is – from milk to semi-sweet, or any variety of dark. I found that my ideal choice is a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate so the cookies aren’t overly sweet. The chopped dark chocolate adds melty pools throughout the dough while the semi-sweet chips add a chunkier texture. Milk chocolate will make the cookies especially sweet, while a more bitter dark chocolate will offset the sweetness quite a bit. Try different varieties and combos of chocolate to find what you like best!
How do you get perfectly round cookies?
Cookies don’t typically bake perfectly round but the trick is to simply reshape them when they are hot out of the oven. To get that nice round shape, use a small spatula to gently press in any of the sides that look a little wonky as soon as they come out of the oven. You can alternatively use a round glass or biscuit cutter slightly bigger than the cookies to scoot the edges into a perfectly round shape.
Can I make the cookies smaller?
You can use a smaller scoop to make these cookies any size you’d like. I find that the 2-ounce scoop produces the thickness I prefer so if you use a smaller scoop, keep in mind that they may not be as thick and you may need to reduce the baking time as well.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
This cookie dough freezes great and the best part is that you can bake it right out of the freezer. These are great to have on hand for unexpected company or just when a craving hits!
- Once the dough has chilled in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight (as the recipe instructs), freeze the scoops on a sheet pan for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- Transfer the frozen cookies to a zip-top or airtight container and store them in the freezer until ready to bake.
- Bake the cookies right from frozen at the normal temperature (350°F) and add a few minutes to the baking time. I find that this gives the cookies the perfect caramelized exterior.
- If you prefer a less caramelized cookie, lower the oven temp by 10 degrees (to 340°F) and add a few minutes to the baking time. This will allow the center of the cookies to bake without the outside browning as quickly.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Caramel Cone Crunch Cookies
- Mint Oreo Cookies
- Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Monster Cookies
- White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (164g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (235g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 – 4 ounce (113g) dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped plus more topping
- ⅔ cup (4oz or 113g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- flaky sea salt for finishing, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined and fluffy. Scrape the bowl well, then add the egg and vanilla with the mixer on low speed. Mix until well combined.
- Scrape the bowl again and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until the ingredients are combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate and chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined pan using a 2-ounce cookie scoop (about ¼ cup). Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, remove it from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before baking. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared pans, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Top the cookies with additional chopped chocolate pieces and chips while they’re hot. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Finish with flaky sea salt if desired and enjoy!
