Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Cooling rack
- Hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring Cup, ¼-Cup
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- medium mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- Silicone spatula
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the Butter Mixture
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar firmly packed
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
For the Dry Ingredients
- 2¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
For the Chocolate Filling
- 2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chunks
Instructions
Prepare the Butter Mixture
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the first egg.
- Beat until completely incorporated.
- Add the second egg.
- Beat again until smooth.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
- Place the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk until evenly combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
- Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Do not overmix the dough.
Add the Chocolate Filling
- Add the semisweet chocolate chunks.
- Fold them gently into the dough with a silicone spatula.
- Continue folding until the chocolate is evenly distributed.
- Shape and Bake the Cookies
- Scoop ¼-cup portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Leave at least 3 inches between the portions.
- Bake the cookies in batches for 15 minutes until the edges are golden and the centres remain soft.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer them carefully to a cooling rack.
- Let the cookies cool for another 15 minutes before serving.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serving Suggestions
Serve the cookies slightly warm with milk, coffee, hot chocolate, or vanilla ice cream. Sandwich a scoop of ice cream between two cookies for an indulgent dessert. Smaller pieces also make a rich addition to a dessert platter.Recipe Notes
Use butter that is softened but not melted. Properly softened butter traps air when creamed with the sugars, helping the cookies remain thick and tender. Leave enough space between the dough portions because these oversized cookies spread during baking.Variations
Replace some of the semisweet chocolate with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or chopped nuts. Add espresso powder, orange zest, cinnamon, or flaky sea salt. Divide the dough into smaller portions when standard-sized cookies are preferred and shorten the baking time accordingly.Storage
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Freeze baked cookies for up to two months. Portioned unbaked dough can also be frozen and baked directly from frozen with several additional minutes of cooking time.Wine Advice
A small glass of Banyuls complements the semisweet chocolate and buttery dough. A lightly sparkling Moscato d’Asti is a fresher alternative when serving the cookies with ice cream.Nutrition values
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About Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies combine crisp golden edges with thick, chewy centres and generous pieces of melted semisweet chocolate. These bakery-style chocolate cookies are inspired by the oversized treats served in premium bakeries and ice cream shops. Each portion uses approximately ¼ cup of dough, creating a substantial cookie that can be served alone or transformed into an ice cream sandwich.
The recipe uses both granulated and brown sugar. Granulated sugar supports spreading and crisp edges, while brown sugar contributes moisture, caramel flavour, and a softer centre. Balancing the two produces a cookie that remains tender without becoming cakey.
Preparing Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
Begin with properly softened butter. It should yield when pressed gently but should not look shiny, greasy, or partially melted. Butter that is too cold will not combine smoothly with the sugars, while melted butter can cause the cookies to spread excessively.
Cream the butter with both sugars until the mixture becomes lighter in colour and slightly fluffy. This process incorporates tiny pockets of air into the dough. Add the eggs individually and mix well after each addition so the fat and liquid remain evenly combined.
Vanilla enhances the butter, brown sugar, and chocolate without dominating them. Pure vanilla extract gives the cleanest flavour, although vanilla bean paste can be used in the same quantity.
Mixing the Bakery-Style Chocolate Cookies
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients. This distributes the baking soda evenly and reduces the chance of salty or bitter patches in the finished cookies.
Add the dry mixture gradually and stop mixing as soon as no visible flour remains. Excessive mixing develops more gluten, which can make the cookies firm and tough rather than tender and chewy.
Fold in the chocolate chunks by hand. Large chunks create noticeable pools of melted chocolate and provide the bakery-style appearance associated with oversized cookies. Semisweet chocolate balances the sweet dough, but dark or milk chocolate can be substituted.
Shaping and Baking the Dough
Measure ¼-cup portions so the cookies bake at approximately the same rate. Place only a few portions on each baking sheet and leave at least 3 inches between them. Crowding the sheet can cause the cookies to merge as they spread.
Bake until the edges are golden but the centres still appear slightly soft. The cookies continue cooking from residual heat while they rest on the baking sheet. Waiting 5 minutes before moving them prevents the soft centres from breaking.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack after they have firmed sufficiently. Air circulating beneath the rack prevents the bases from becoming damp and allows the texture to settle.
Serving Ideas and Variations
Serve the cookies warm with milk, coffee, or hot chocolate. For dessert, place vanilla ice cream between two cookies or crumble one over a sundae. They also pair well with our Chocolate White Chocolate Banana Bread on a generous chocolate dessert table.
Chopped walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, white chocolate, or dark chocolate can replace part of the semisweet chocolate. Espresso powder intensifies the cocoa flavour, while flaky sea salt provides contrast to the sweet dough.
Storage and Food Safety
Allow the cookies to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. Store them at room temperature for up to five days or freeze them for up to two months. Frozen dough portions can be baked without thawing, although they may require several additional minutes.
Raw cookie dough contains uncooked eggs and flour and should not be eaten. Follow current FDA safe food-handling guidance when preparing dough and storing eggs, flour, and baked goods.
With crisp edges, chewy centres, and plenty of melted chocolate, Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies deliver the texture and flavour expected from an oversized bakery treat.