These cookies aren’t trying to reinvent anything. They’re trying to get one thing right.
They’re chewy through the center, lightly crisp at the edges, and soft enough to still matter tomorrow. Cornstarch does quiet, structural work. Melted butter keeps the dough supple. Brown sugar carries the chew. Nothing flashy. Nothing accidental.
This is a cookie built on understanding, not nostalgia.
Why This Recipe Works
Chewy cookies don’t happen because you underbake and hope. They happen because you control structure.
Cornstarch interferes just enough with gluten formation to keep the crumb tender. Melted butter hydrates flour evenly instead of aerating it. Brown sugar brings moisture and elasticity. A short rest lets everything settle before heat locks it in.
The result is a cookie that bends before it snaps—the kind you notice when you break it in half.
Technique Spotlight: Mixing Without Aerating
This dough is not made using the traditional creaming method. That matters.
The goal is to combine, not whip. Too much air changes the structure and pushes the cookies toward cakey. Whether you mix by hand or with a stand mixer, restraint is the point.
Mixing Method Options
Mixing by Hand (Preferred for Small Batches)
This is the most direct approach. Melted butter, sugars, eggs, then dry ingredients folded in gently. You feel when the dough comes together—and you stop.
It’s slower. It’s quieter. It keeps you honest.
Using a Stand Mixer (Approved, With Rules)
These cookies can absolutely be made in a stand mixer.
Use the paddle attachment and keep the mixer on low speed. The mixer should help you combine ingredients evenly, not introduce air.
- Melted butter and sugars are mixed just until cohesive
- Eggs are added and emulsified, not beaten
- Dry ingredients go in all at once and are mixed just until the flour disappears
Then you stop. No medium speed. No walking away.
The mixer is a tool, not a shortcut.
What Can Go Wrong
- Cookies don’t spread
Dough too cold or flour-heavy. Let it relax briefly before baking. - Cookies spread too much
Butter too warm or oven too hot. Chill longer and bake lower. - Dry cookies
They stayed in the oven too long. Pull them early and trust carryover heat.
Cookies don’t reward anxiety.
Variations (Use Judgment)
- Flaky salt right after baking
- Chopped chocolate instead of chips for uneven pockets
- A small portion of bread flour if you want more resistance in the bite
Change things deliberately—or don’t change them at all.
Storage & Make-Ahead
These cookies hold.
Baked, they stay soft for several days at room temperature. The dough can rest in the refrigerator for up to two days, or be portioned and frozen for later. Fresh cookies on demand is a good habit.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls or stand mixer with paddle
- Whisk and rubber spatula
- Digital scale
- Sheet pans
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop
- Cooling Rack
Nothing exotic. If you need more than this, something else has gone wrong.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Equipment
- Mixing bowls or stand mixer with paddle
- Whisk and rubber spatula
- ½ Sheet pans
Ingredients
Ingredients
Dry
- 280 g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet
- 170 g unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 165 g brown sugar packed
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 260 –300 g chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
Instructions
Mixing by Hand (Preferred for Single Batches)
- In a bowl, whisk 280 g flour, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk 170 g melted butter, 165 g brown sugar, and 150 g granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
- Whisk in 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract until fully emulsified.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold just until no dry flour remains.
- Fold in 260–300 g chocolate chips.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30–60 minutes.
Using a Stand Mixer (Paddle Attachment)
- Add 170 g melted butter, 165 g brown sugar, and 150 g granulated sugar to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Add 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix on low until emulsified.
- Add the flour mixture (280 g flour, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt) all at once. Mix on low just until the flour disappears.
- Add 260–300 g chocolate chips and mix briefly to distribute.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30–60 minutes.
- Do not use medium or high speed. Do not cream the butter and sugar.
Baking
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Scoop 45–55 g dough per cookie onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing well apart.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes, until edges are set and centers look pale and soft.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
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