Name: Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup salted butter softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup light brown sugar packed; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz)

If you’re craving that perfect bite of soft, chewy, and utterly delightful cookies, then you’re in for a treat. This Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe is exactly what you need for those cozy moments when you want a familiar, indulgent dessert bursting with melty chocolate in every bite.

The image shows a round metal cooling rack with thin wires arranged in a grid, holding seven golden brown chocolate chip cookies. Each cookie has a slightly rough texture with many dark brown chocolate chips melted on top, spread evenly across the light golden surface. The cookies sit directly on the rose gold-colored wire rack that is placed on a white marbled surface, creating a clean and bright background. The cookie in the front is in clear focus, showing a soft texture and slightly raised edges, while the cookies in the back blur gently. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come back to this recipe—it’s that reliable comfort food that reminds me of home. There’s something so satisfying about biting into a cookie with those lightly crisp edges and the soft, chewy center loaded with chocolate chunks. It’s like a warm hug from your oven!

Perfect texture balance: Soft, chewy centers with just the right amount of crisp at the edges.
Rich flavor: The combo of brown sugar and vanilla creates a deep, delicious sweetness.
Loaded with chocolate: Plenty of chocolate chunks give you melty bursts in every bite.
Easy to customize: Swap ingredients for your favorites or dietary needs without losing that cookie magic.

Ingredients & Why They Work

Before you gather everything, let me share a quick tip: quality ingredients really shine here. Using softened butter and fine sea salt, for example, makes a subtle but important difference in flavor and texture. Here’s a quick breakdown of the essentials you'll need and why I use each.

Flat lay of a small block of salted butter, a small white bowl of granulated sugar, a small white bowl of packed light brown sugar, two large whole brown eggs with clean shells, a small white bowl of pure vanilla extract, a small white bowl of all-purpose flour, a small white bowl of baking soda, a small white bowl of baking powder, a small white bowl of coarse sea salt crystals, a small white bowl filled with dark chocolate chips, all arranged symmetrically on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Salted Butter: Adds richness and moisture, helping achieve that soft-chewy texture.
Granulated Sugar: Gives sweetness and helps create those crispy edges you love.
Light Brown Sugar: Brings a deeper, molasses-like flavor and chewiness to the cookies.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor with warm, aromatic notes.
Large Eggs: Bind everything together and add structure while keeping the dough tender.
All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the dough, it balances the cookie’s density perfectly.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Work in tandem to give your cookies just the right lift and balance in texture.
Sea Salt: Not just for flavor, sea salt intensifies sweetness and rounds out the taste.
Chocolate Chips: Melty, melty chocolate in every bite — choose your favorite type or mix for variety.

📝

Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

One of the best parts about this Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe is how easy it is to tailor it to your taste and dietary needs. Whether you want to mix up the type of chocolate or try a healthier swap, these cookies welcome your personal touch!

Variation: I love swapping traditional chocolate chips for chunks of my favorite dark chocolate bar. It melts beautifully and gives pockets of rich, gooey chocolate in every bite.
Dairy-Free Version: Using coconut oil or vegan butter instead of regular butter works perfectly. I once made these with coconut oil — still deliciously chewy but with a subtle coconut undertone that was a hit with friends.
Gluten-Free Twist: I’ve tested this recipe using gluten-free all-purpose flour, and it holds up wonderfully, keeping that signature soft-chewy texture everyone craves.
Seasonal Flair: Adding chopped nuts or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top before baking can elevate the cookies and add a bit of crunch and complexity. Walnuts and pecans work beautifully here.
Freeze & Bake Later: I like to roll the dough into balls and freeze them for up to two months. It’s so convenient to bake fresh cookies anytime I want without doing all the prep from scratch.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

The image shows a close-up of a chocolate chip cookie broken in half on a white marbled surface. The cookie has a light golden-brown color with a soft texture, and is filled with large, dark chocolate chunks that are slightly melted, visible on both the top and inside layers. Behind the broken cookie, two whole cookies with similar textures and chocolate chunk placement are out of focus. Small chocolate pieces are scattered around the main cookie, adding detail to the scene. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Step 1: Preheat and Prepare Your Baking Sheets

The very first step is to preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This ensures the oven is perfectly hot once your dough is ready to bake. I always line three baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup a breeze. Getting your setup ready early helps the process flow smoothly.

Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients

Grab a medium bowl and sift or whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. This blends your raising agents evenly throughout the flour and keeps the salt from clustering. Set this mixture aside while you work on the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugars Until Smooth

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup of softened salted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup packed light brown sugar. I use an electric mixer for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and well combined. This step is key for that rich, tender cookie texture.

Step 4: Add Eggs and Vanilla

Next, beat in 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. Keep mixing until the batter becomes light and fluffy—about 1 minute. You’ll notice the batter looks a bit paler and airier now, which adds to the cookie’s tender crumb.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, just until there are no visible spots of flour left. Don’t overmix here; overworking the dough can make cookies tough. The dough should be thick but soft enough to scoop easily.

Step 6: Fold in the Chocolate Chips

Finally, gently fold in 2 cups (12 oz) of chocolate chips or chunks. This is where the magic happens—those melty pockets of chocolate. Make sure they’re evenly distributed so every cookie has its fair share of sweet indulgence.

Step 7: Portion, Shape, and Place on Baking Sheets

Using about 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll the dough into balls and place them evenly spaced on your parchment-lined baking sheets. The size is up to you, but I find 2 tablespoons yields perfectly chewy, generous cookies that bake evenly.

Step 8: Bake Until Edges Are Lightly Browned

Bake at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 10 minutes. Keep a close eye—when the edges just start to turn a light golden brown, it's time to pull them out. The centers will look a bit doughy, but that’s exactly how you want them for a soft, chewy texture after cooling.

Step 9: Let Cookies Cool on the Sheet

Allow your cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This resting period helps the cookies firm up so they don’t fall apart when you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. It’s one of those small steps that makes a big difference for perfectly textured cookies.

Top Tip

Mastering the perfect Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe means paying attention to a few key details. These tips will help you achieve cookies with soft, chewy centers and beautifully crisp edges every time.

Don’t Overbake: One of the biggest challenges I faced was overbaking. Remember, the cookies should look slightly doughy in the center when you take them out of the oven. That’s the secret to that soft, chewy texture everyone loves.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Softened butter and eggs really help the dough come together evenly, giving you consistent texture and flavor with every batch. Cold ingredients can make mixing harder and affect baking time.
Evenly Space Dough Balls: Placing your dough balls evenly on the baking sheet allows the cookies to spread out beautifully without running into each other, creating those perfectly round edges and crispy borders.
Freeze Dough for Freshness: If you want freshly baked cookies anytime, freezing dough balls in a single layer is a game changer. You can bake them straight from frozen, just adjust your oven temp and time as recommended.

How to Serve Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

A clear glass bowl filled with light beige cookie dough mixed with many dark brown chocolate chips. The dough looks thick and crumbly with visible chocolate chips spread evenly throughout. The bowl is placed on a white marbled surface, and some dough sticks slightly to the side of the bowl. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Garnishes

Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on the warm cookies just after baking to amp up the chocolate flavor. For a festive touch, dust them lightly with powdered sugar or add a few extra chocolate chunks on top before baking to make them look extra indulgent.

Side Dishes

These Chocolate Chunk Cookies are perfect paired with a cold glass of milk—classic and comforting. For a grown-up twist, serve alongside a cup of robust coffee or a rich hot chocolate. They also make a lovely dessert companion to a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent treat.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store your baked chocolate chunk cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and delicious for up to 5 days—perfect for savoring throughout the week without losing their soft and chewy charm.

Freezing

If you want to keep your cookies even longer, freezing is your friend! Portion the dough into balls and freeze them in a single layer inside an airtight container for up to 2 months. Baked cookies can also be frozen in a sealed container and thawed at room temperature whenever a cookie craving hits.

Reheating

To bring frozen baked cookies back to life, simply let them thaw at room temperature or warm them gently in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. If you’re baking dough straight from the freezer, place the dough balls on parchment, bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, and enjoy fresh-baked goodness.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I substitute the butter with something else in this Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe?

Absolutely! You can swap salted butter for unsalted butter, coconut oil, vegan butter, or even browned butter if you want an extra nutty flavor. Just keep in mind that the texture might slightly vary depending on the substitute you use.

How do I make these cookies egg-free?

Egg substitutes like flaxseed meal mixed with water, applesauce, or commercial egg replacers can be used. For best results, follow a specialized eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe that adapts ingredient ratios accordingly.

Why do my cookies spread too much or too little?

Cookie spread can be influenced by ingredient temperatures, flour measurement, and chilling time. Using softened (not melted) butter, measuring flour properly by spooning it into the cup, and baking dough at room temperature helps achieve ideal spread.

How do I store and bake frozen cookie dough?

Freeze dough balls in a single layer. When ready to bake, either thaw at room temperature for about an hour and bake at 375°F as usual, or bake from frozen by placing dough on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven (while it preheats) for 15 minutes.

Final Thoughts

There’s just something so comforting and joyful about pulling a tray of warm, chocolate-studded cookies from the oven. This Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe strikes that perfect balance of soft and chewy with a touch of crispness that’s pure cookie magic. Whether you’re sharing them with family, gifting them to friends, or sneaking a few yourself, these cookies are sure to become a beloved classic in your kitchen. Happy baking!