Picture a tray of golden, crinkly-edged cookies emerging from the oven—centers pale and pillowy, pockets of melted chocolate pooling like satin, the air perfumed with warm butter, caramel-y brown sugar, and a whisper of vanilla.
Imagine that first bite: soft, tender crumb yielding to gooey chips and a hint of sea salt that makes the chocolate sing.
These are the cookies I reach for when comfort needs to be simple and sure—on busy weeknights, for last-minute classroom treats, or as a sweet finish to slow Sunday suppers.
Once, a rainy afternoon derailed our plans, and this recipe turned the house cozy in under an hour—smiles restored, moods lifted, and a plate of softness shared around the table.
You’ll love how the cornstarch, extra yolk, and quick chill deliver bakery-style texture without fuss, and the mix of chips and chopped chocolate guarantees melty pockets in every bite.
Ready? Let’s cook!
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses pantry staples you likely already have on hand
- Bakes up ultra-soft with perfectly chewy centers
- Chills briefly to prevent spreading and keep thickness
- Delivers melty pools of chocolate in every bite
- Stays fresh and soft for days in storage
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened — use real butter for best flavor
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed — fresh, moist sugar creams better
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar — superfine dissolves evenly
- 1 large egg room temperature — brings dough together smoothly
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature — adds extra chew and richness
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract — pure vanilla, not imitation
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled — measure carefully to avoid dryness
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch — keeps the cookies ultra-soft
- 1 teaspoon baking soda — guarantees proper lift and spread
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt — balances sweetness
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips — choose 50–60% cacao chips
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate optional — creates melty pools
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts optional — toast for deeper nutty flavor
- 2 tablespoons milk optional, as needed — add only if dough seems dry
Step-by-Step Method
Cream the Butter and Sugars
Beat softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Use a hand or stand mixer on medium speed. Scrape the bowl as needed to guarantee even mixing. Proper creaming traps air, creating soft, tender cookies with a slightly puffy center.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients
Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a separate bowl. Break up any lumps. Distribute leavening evenly so cookies rise uniformly. Cornstarch adds softness, while baking soda provides lift and spread. Keep this mixture ready to add all at once.
Blend in Eggs and Vanilla
Add the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla to the creamed mixture. Beat until smooth, glossy, and fully combined. The extra yolk enhances chew and richness. Avoid overmixing to prevent toughness. Scrape the bowl to incorporate any butter or sugar stuck on the sides.
Combine Wet and Dry
Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix on low just until no flour streaks remain. Stop as soon as it comes together. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk only if the dough feels dry or crumbly. Maintain a soft, scoopable dough without overworking gluten.
Fold in the Mix-Ins
Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped dark chocolate with a rubber spatula. Add toasted walnuts if using. Disperse the mix-ins evenly without smashing the dough. Mixing by hand helps prevent overworking and keeps pockets of chocolate intact.
Chill to Set the Dough
Cover the bowl and chill for 30 minutes to firm slightly. Prevent excess spreading and improve flavor. If your kitchen is warm, scoop dough balls first, then chill them on a parchment-lined sheet for faster turnaround. Keep dough cold between batches.
Preheat and Prep Pans
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) while the dough chills. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare a cooling rack. Organize tools for efficient baking. Work with one sheet at a time for consistent heat and even browning.
Scoop and Space Evenly
Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough. Place mounds about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Aim for uniform size to promote even baking. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top if desired. Return any waiting dough to the fridge.
Bake Until Just Set
Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes. Pull cookies when edges are set and centers look pale and slightly underbaked. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft. Rotate the pan once if needed for even color. Watch closely near the end.
Tap, Cool, and Finish
Tap the hot baking sheet gently on the counter to deflate for extra chewiness. Cool cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes to set structure. Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Store airtight with a slice of bread to maintain softness. Rewarm briefly to serve.
Ingredient Swaps
- Butter: Use equal amount of vegan butter or refined coconut oil (adds slight coconut note). For budget, use salted butter and reduce added salt to a pinch.
- Eggs: Replace 1 egg + 1 yolk with 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce + 1 tablespoon neutral oil, or 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water).
- Flour: Swap all-purpose with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend; add 1 extra tablespoon milk if dough seems dry.
- Sugars: Light brown sugar can be made by mixing 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses. Use dark brown sugar for deeper caramel notes.
- Chocolate: Use any mix of chips, chunks, or regional bars; dairy-free chips for vegan, or chopped milk chocolate for sweeter cookies.
- Nuts: Substitute walnuts with pecans, hazelnuts, or omit entirely.
- Cornstarch: Replace with potato starch or tapioca starch in equal measure.
You Must Know
Doneness • If edges are set but centers look pale, puffy, and wobble slightly, pull the tray; they’ll carryover-set in 8–10 minutes on the sheet for maximum softness.
Troubleshoot • When dough crumbles or won’t clump, dribble in 1–2 teaspoons milk at a time until it holds a ball and leaves light tracks; too-dry dough won’t spread and bakes up cakey.
Avoid • If cookies spread into thin puddles by minute 6–7, the dough was too warm; chill portioned balls 20–30 minutes until firm to the touch and bake one cold sheet at a time.
Scale • For bakery-size, portion 3 tablespoons (about 55–60 g) and extend time to 12–14 minutes; for minis, 1 tablespoon (about 18–20 g) at 7–8 minutes. Keep 2 inches spacing and watch for the same pale, set-center cue.
Flavor Boost • For deeper caramel notes, brown the butter to a toasted hazelnut aroma, cool to 80–90°F before proceeding, and hold back 1 tablespoon flour if the dough feels stiff; finish with 1–2 pinches flaky salt per sheet right before the oven.
Serving Tips
- Serve warm with cold milk or vanilla ice cream for contrast.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt and drizzle warm caramel before serving.
- Create ice cream sandwiches using slightly underbaked cookies.
- Plate with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream.
- Pair with coffee, hot cocoa, or chai for cozy sipping.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Store cookies airtight at room temp 3–4 days.
In the fridge, they keep up to 1 week.
Dough can be made ahead and chilled 2–3 days.
Scoop balls for convenience.
Both baked cookies and dough balls freeze well up to 2 months.
Bake frozen dough +1–2 minutes, or thaw overnight.
Reheating
For gentle reheating, microwave cookies ****8–12 seconds wrapped in a damp paper towel.
Or warm in a 300°F oven 3–5 minutes.
Stovetop: covered skillet on low heat 2–3 minutes.
Grandma’s Bake-Sale Staple
Tin-lid clatter and the sweet hush of butter—these soft chocolate chip cookies taste like every church-basement bake sale I grew up with, only fresher and gooier.
I chase that memory on purpose: edges barely set, centers plush, chocolate melting into shiny pools.
Brown sugar keeps them caramelly, cornstarch turns the crumb tender, and that extra yolk gives a custardy chew I can’t quit.
I scoop small mounds, like the aunties did, then tap the hot sheet so the cookies settle into ripples.
A whisper of flaky salt recalls the way paper plates made sweet stick to fingertips.
You’ll smell vanilla first, then toasted chips, then butter blooming.
Stack them still warm, pass them hand to hand, and watch nostalgia dissolve on every bite.
Final Thoughts
Ready to bake a batch? Give these soft, gooey cookies a try as written, then tweak them with your favorite mix-ins—extra dark chocolate, a sprinkle of flaky salt, or toasted walnuts—to make them your own!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Adjust for High-Altitude Baking With This Recipe?
Add 1–2 tablespoons flour, reduce sugar by 1 tablespoon, decrease baking soda slightly, and add 1–2 teaspoons extra milk. Bake hotter (365°F) and shorter. I watch edges set, centers pale, aromas bloom, then pull.
Can I Make the Dough Gluten-Free Without Grainy Texture?
Yes—you can. I swap in a quality 1:1 gluten-free blend plus 1 teaspoon psyllium husk. I whisk well, chill longer, and underbake slightly. The cookies emerge tender, plush, and melty, without that sandy crunch.
What’s the Best Way to Freeze Unbaked Dough Balls?
Freeze scooped dough on a parchment-lined sheet until firm, then stash in zip bags with air pressed out. I label, date, and bake from frozen at 350°F, adding a minute—hearing edges whisper, smelling butter bloom.
How Do I Prevent Cookies From Spreading in a Hot Kitchen?
Chill scooped dough hard, preheat fully, and use cool metal sheets. I work fast, keep butter just softened, and weigh flour. I slide trays between fridge and oven—dough firm, oven hot—so cookies land thick, edges whisper-crisp.
Which Chocolate Percentage Melts Into Pools Best?
Go for 60–72% dark; it melts into luscious pools. I mix it with semi-sweet chips. I hear faint snaps, smell cocoa blooming, and watch glossy puddles settle, then sprinkle flaky salt so each bite shimmers, warm and velvety.
The Best Sugar Cookies Ever
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowl
- 1 hand mixer or stand mixer
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Whisk
- 2 Baking sheet
- 2 Parchment paper
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Cookie scoop 1.5 tablespoons
- 1 Measuring cups set
- 1 Measuring spoons set
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped, optional
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts chopped, optional
- 2 tablespoon milk optional, as needed
Instructions
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl beat softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low just until combined, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons milk only if the dough seems dry.
- Fold in chocolate chips and chopped chocolate (and walnuts if using) with a spatula.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes to firm slightly.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) while the dough chills.
- Scoop 1.5-tablespoon mounds of dough onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set and centers look slightly underbaked.
- Tap the baking sheet gently on the counter right out of the oven to deflate for extra chewiness.
- Cool cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
