These crispy chewy chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the outsides, chewy on the insides, and loaded with ooey gooey pools of dark chocolate, then finished with flaky sea salt.
I have a lot of cookie recipes on this website, but these crispy + chewy chocolate chip cookies are always a favorite.
Why this recipe works
- Using equal parts brown and white sugar creates the perfect texture - crisp edges and chewy middles
- Chopped dark chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips means you can use better quality chocolate and the different sized pieces adds more interest to the cookies
- Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) give added crunch and a nutty flavor
- Banging the pan a few times during the cooking process flattens the cookies out to help with the crispy-chewy texture and gives them a rippled appearance (a technique created by Sarah Kieffer).
- A smaller batch, making just 16 cookies but can be doubled to increase the yield
- Dough can be frozen in balls for freshly baked homemade cookies whenever you want!
Essential Ingredients
- Chocolate - For the best cookies, use the best quality chocolate you can find. I typically use Ghiradelli 60% bars because that’s what I usually have on hand. Semi-sweet or a mix works just as well.
- Sea Salt - Maldon is the best salt for sprinkling on cookies, in my opinion. But fleur de sel, sel gris or any other flaky sea salt will work great.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder - Make sure they are fresh! Check the expiration dates - if they're old, they might not be active and your cookies wont rise.
Step by Step instructions
- Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then beat until just incorporated, about 1-2 minutes more.
- Slowly add the flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate chunks and pecans until evenly distributed. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
- Press them down slightly with your fingers, then top each one with a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Bake for approximately 9-12 minutes, or until they're just golden on the outside but the middles still look doughy. Less baking time will result in chewier cookies, while more baking time will result in crispier cookies.
- Allow them to cool for a few minutes on the pan, then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack. Serve while they're still warm.
Tips for Success
- When chopping the chocolate, aim for some big chunks and some finely chopped pieces for the best flavor and textural variation.
- Make sure you take the time to really cream the butter and sugar before proceeding. It should look like fluffy buttercream.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cups rather than scooping it, and use a butter knife to level out the top. This ensures the most accurate amount of flour is used.
- If you'd like to substitute chocolate chips, use 1 cup.
- Don't over-mix the batter or it could make the cookies tough.
- While pan banging is not essential, taking this extra step gives the cookies a rippled appearance and better texture. It creates thinner cookies with gooey, chewy middles and a crisp exterior.
- After about 7 minutes of baking, take the pan and firmly bang it on the oven rack, then resume baking for 2 minutes and do it again, then bake for another 2-3 minutes or until done.
Faq about Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes! It's best to freeze the dough in balls and then bake them off right from the freezer whenever you want. Add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Can these cookies be made gluten free?
Yes! Just be sure to substitute a 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour blend. My favorite is Cup4Cup brand. For a totally grain free cookie, check out my Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
Can I use chocolate chips?
Absolutely. Just substitute 1 cup of chocolate chips in place of the chocolate chunks.
Can these be made nut free?
Of course. Simply omit the nuts or feel free to add in a few extra chocolate chips.
Related Recipes
Did you make this recipe and LOVE it? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and/or comment to help other readers. I absolutely love hearing from you and do my best to answer all questions and comments. I love seeing when you make my recipes, so please tag me @ColeyCooks on Instagram and I will repost!
PrintCrispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These crispy + chewy chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the outsides, chewy on the insides, and loaded with ooey gooey pools of dark chocolate, then finished with flaky sea salt.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes plus chill time
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 6 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon (optional)
Instructions
- Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then beat until just incorporated, about 1-2 minutes more.
- Slowly add the flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate chunks and pecans until evenly distributed. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
- Press them down slightly with your fingers, then top each one with a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Bake for approximately 9-12 minutes, or until they're just golden on the outside but the middles still look doughy. Less baking time will result in chewier cookies, while more baking time will result in crispier cookies.
- Allow them to cool for a few minutes on the pan, then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack. Serve while they're still warm.
Notes
- This step is optional, but I find the cookies come out even better after the dough has chilled. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours, or up to 48 (overnight is best) before baking.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. These cookies are best when fresh so I recommend freezing the dough in balls and baking them straight from frozen when ready. Add 2-3 minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 231
- Sugar: 16.4 g
- Sodium: 182.3 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.4 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 27.5 mg
Keywords: chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chunk cookies, easy, christmas, kids, dessert, snack, chocolate, cookies
Shaina
My favorite kind of cookies!! I seriously cannot resist a warm home made cookie right out of the oven. My weakness!
Kerry
What brand of chocolate bar do you typically use?
Coley
Ghiradelli is my go-to brand, because it's good quality and available at my local grocery store. Use your favorite!
Sherry
The ingredients calls for one egg, but the directions say to add one egg at a time. How many eggs should I use??
Coley
Hey Sherry! So sorry for the confusion. Originally I had a larger recipe and missed that part when I changed it to the smaller batch. Good eye! You only need one egg for this recipe - only two if you double it. 🙂 Hope you enjoy them!
Heather
I Just made these and they turned out wonderful! Definitely more chewy and flavorful because I refrigerated the dough overnight. Thanks Nicole!!
Dawn
I love the cookies, however my cookies don't come out big and flat, like how I want. They came out thick, what am I doing wrong? They tasted great!
★★★★
Coley
Make sure your flour is well aerated so that you're not adding packed cups to the recipe - too much flour can cause this! It's best to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level out the top with a knife rather than scooping. This should help - let me know if it does!
Nic
This is my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. My family adores these, they are the BEST!!
★★★★★
Coley
So happy you liked them!
Adam
Just baked these and they came out perfect! Just the way I like them, crispy and slightly chewy in the middle.
★★★★★
Coley
So glad you enjoyed them, Adam! Thanks for the comment
Nadine
These are THE BEST cookies E.V.E.R!!! Follow the recipe exactly & you’ll end up with the perfect choc’chip cookie!!!
Thank you sooooo- much! A definite keeper recipe!!! 🙌🙂
★★★★★
Coley
So glad you enjoyed them!
Dushyanthi
These came out perfect!!! Have made dozens of cookie recipes and these are my new fave—more so than the pan banging cookies! Beato of both worlds —crispy edges, soft middles.
Thanks so much ❤️
★★★★★
Coley
So happy to hear that!