This bakery style chocolate chip cookie recipe is thick, chewy and packed full of chocolate. It also has tips and tricks on how to make the best chocolate chip cookies look and taste like professional bakery cookies! (Jump directly to the recipe.)
I’ve written before about bakery style chocolate chip cookies but it’s an older recipe, one that really needs to be revisited. I’ve been making them ever since the article by David Leite in the New York Times came out and honestly, I’ve tweaked the recipe again and again trying to make them as great a possible. I’m still in love with the original recipe that I posted here years ago, but after teaching two classes at the San Francisco Cooking School on the topic of chocolate chip cookies, as well as teaching two workshops at the Pinterest headquarters at their annual KnitCon on the topic, I figure it was time to revisit the recipe.
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen me do some Instagram Stories from Knitcon. If you don’t know what Knitcon, you’re not alone. It’s an internal conference that occurs every year for Pinterest employees and it has nothing to do with knitting. In fact, this year, there wasn’t a single knitting workshop! Instead it’s a two-day conference where employees present topics and workshops on topics that interest them and that have nothing to do with their own work. Session range from how to solve a Rubik’s cube (I really wanted to attend this class but it didn’t work out) to henna tattoos to group improve.
Two years ago I taught at Knitcon on a session about the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie. I was one of maybe three non-Pinterest employees teaching classes there and after teaching to a packed room, I learned about black holes, listened David Chang talk about ramen and learned the art of self-defense and how to make someone pass out in 10 seconds (I felt very Sidney Bristow learning that technique). This year, I learned about horror movies film making, listened to an Olympic gymnast talk about her life philosophy of being a gold medalist and how it got her through ovarian cancer, and attempted to do latte art (spoiler alert, I only barely was able to make something decent looking).
Pinterest seems like an amazing company to work for and I was thrilled that they invited me back to teach the same workshop. Bakery style chocolate chip cookies are my absolutely favorite chocolate chip cookie but in the workshop I talked about how everyone has their own favorite chocolate chip cookie style. From crispy and thin to thick and chewy, no nuts to chock full of nuts, there’s a chocolate chip cookie recipe for everyone. Here’s my current favorite version of that bakery style cookie. I’ve added plenty of tips to make it the best and most perfect cookie out there. But if you’re into thin and crispy cookies, check out my recipe for that too.
PS. While I was at Pinterest I was also able to get some awesome insight on best practices for the platform for 2018. Look for a blog post about that later this week!
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter 285 g or 2 1/2 sticks, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar 275 g
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoon white sugar 225 g
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour 490 g
- 1 1/2 cups chopped 1/4-inch chunk semi-sweet chocolate 225 g
- 1 1/2 cups chopped 1/4-inch chunk bittersweet chocolate 225 g
- Flaky salt for sprinkling on top like Maldon or Sel Gris
Instructions
- Place the butter, both sugars, salt and vanilla in a bowl. Cream together with a hand mixer until a paste forms and you can’t see any more butter chunks. It should be the consistency of peanut butter. Do not over cream the butter, you don’t want it light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the first one is incorporated before adding the next one. Add the baking powder and baking soda and mix to incorporate.
- Add the flour and slowly mix until absorbed. Add the chocolate chunks and mix slowly until the chocolate is evenly distributed. Scoop the dough out onto plastic wrap and press down until it is about 1-inch thick all the way around. It will seem like a lot of dough. Wrap well and store in the refrigerator for minimum of 36 hours up to 72 hours.
- Once the dough has rested, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with silicon baking mat or parchment paper. Break off and roll a 1 1/2-inch round ball (2 1/2 ounces or 75 g if you are weighing them). You want them slightly larger than a golf ball. Press the dough slightly down on the cookie sheet and then pick up the dough and “round it” in your hands to make them into a perfect thick disk, about 1-inch thick. This will make help bake the dough into round cookies.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, making sure to place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart (I usually fit 6 per baking sheet). Stick a few chunks of chocolate into the ball on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the inside is just set and slightly underdone.
- Let the cookies rest on the pan for 5 to 10 minutes to continue to cook from the carry over heat. While the cookies rest, place more chunks of chocolate onto the cookie where there are empty spots. The heat from the cookie will melt the chocolate into the cookie. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Jill Silverman Hough says
Great minds, Irvin! I’m posting a cookie recipe with salt on top in the next few days, too. I LOVE the difference it makes, don’t you? Hope you’re having a happy spring!
Alexa | DOORSTEP ORGANICS says
What a classy cookie. Drools all through out the read. This dessert is exactly for me. Anyhow, thank you for sharing.
domenicacooks says
Irvin, I hopped over from IG after seeing these in your feed. I appreciate your well-written, detailed recipe. I never thought to press in chunks of chocolate after the cookie’s been baked. What a good tip. And I admire your continued quest for THE perfect chocolate-chip cookie. Does it exist? Who knows, but these look like they come close. I’m going to make a batch and send them to my kid in college who, I’m sure, would much prefer these over biscotti.
Kate says
These look so good! Curious about the chocolate chunks – they’re listed twice in the ingredients. Does this mean you use the first amount to mix in, and the second is set aside for sticking in the cookie tops? Thanks!
Irvin says
I actually I use two different chocolates in my cookie to give a little complexity! I talk about that at the end of the recipe in the recipe notes.
rosie says
look so beautiful and interesting! I really like it Thanks for sharing with us!
wuxiaworld says
wow! Bakery style chocolate chip cookies look so interesting! Can’t wait to try it!
Mae says
Hi! I love your recipe ? it’s just the best cookie for me..I do have a question though.. If I need the cookies in less than a day.. Am I still going to get the same taste?
Would appreciate your reply.. Thank you ?
usps tracking says
Chocolate cake is delicious.
BW says
Hi there! I made these cookies as written – they were delicious, but I have a few questions:
1) how much of the chocolate chunks should be left out for adding to the top of the cookies, versus what you add to the dough initially?
2) I made golf ball sized cookies and this recipe made 40 cookies, not 24!
My cookies came out a bit flatter/thinner than what your photos show, so maybe I need to add more dough to each ball next time?
Thanks
-BW
Norton setup says
I love this recipe. It is amazing and healthy and also easy to make. I must try this. Thanks for sharing.
Amela says
Amazing the best cookie recipe I have tried! Honestly it tastes just like Starbucks chocolate chip cookie!! Thank you for the recipe ?
kissmanga says
I would like to thank you for your nicely written post
Jenny Fojas says
What type of chocolate chunk did you use? Like the chocolate bar**
vin lookup says
The chocolate chip cookie recipe you make is delicious and novel. I will save the recipe to learn how to make this cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Elizabeth says
I made these chocolate chip cookies but used half vegetable shortening and half butter. Use a cookie scoop to portion out even uniform cookies. Also used Scharfenberger chocolate bars for the chocolate. These cookies looked and tasted better than bakery store cookies. I even impressed myself! Great recipe!!!!
Jackie says
Hi
If I wanted to add walnuts, how much should I add.
Irvin says
Hi there! I would try reducing the chocolate to 1 cup of each chocolate and then add in additional 1 cup of chopped walnuts! Test it out and then adjust the amount of chocolate and walnuts to your taste. But that’s a good starting point. Come back and let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
S McCoy says
How long will these cookies stay fresh after baking? I’m planning on shipping them with some other cookies and want to see if they will hold up for several days if stored properly. Thanks so much!