These soft and chewy chocolate cookies have an intense chocolate flavor and almost brownie-like texture. They’re one of my all-time faves!

bite taken out of chocolate cookie

Our family has been making these cookies for as long as I can remember. We use them to make ice cream sandwiches, sometimes they’re topped with marshmallows and melted chocolate, but most often they’re enjoyed just as you see here— with a simple sprinkling of salt or sugar.

Not only are they soft and chewy, but they’re also dense and intensely chocolaty. These cookies will satisfy that chocolate craving, and then some! We love them so much, and I promise they’ll become one of your favorites too.

Chewy chocolate cookie ingredients

Ingredients you’ll need

You probably already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen!

  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Flaky salt or coarse sugar, for sprinkling
mixed cookie dough, portioning it into pan

So easy to make, no chilling required!

These soft and chewy chocolate cookies are just your basic drop cookies—

  1. Cream butter and sugar
  2. Add eggs and vanilla
  3. Add dry ingredients
  4. Portion and bake

And there’s no need to chill the dough before baking, so you can have fresh baked cookies in as little as 20 minutes!

baked chocolate cookies on sheet pan
  • Butter should be soft enough that a pressed finger will leave an indent, but not soft enough that your finger can press all the way through. If it’s shiny or melty at all, the butter is too warm and your cookies may spread.
  • Be sure to measure flour correctly! All of my recipes are tested using the spoon and level method (more info through that link).
  • These pre-cut parchment sheets are perfect for cookie baking.
  • I like to use a cookie scoop for portion out dough so that all cookies will be the same size. I like to use either a medium #40 (1.5 Tbsp) or large #20 (3 Tbsp) scoops. Baking time will need to be adjusted if you use the larger scoop.
  • If cookies come out slightly misshapen, use a spatula to press them back into a circle right after they come out of the oven. See more of my tips for how to bake pretty cookies.
  • Cookie dough freezes really well. I like to keep a stash in the freezer for fresh-baked cookies on demand.
  • These cookies will keep at room temperature for about a week, but are best within a few days of baking.
chewy chocolate cookies on wire rack

More chocolate cookies to try

Recipe was originally published in 2014.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Cookies recipe

bite taken out of chocolate cookie
4.76 from 270 reviews

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Servings: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 19 minutes
Soft and chewy chocolate cookies are dense and intensely chocolaty.
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Ingredients
 

  • ¾ cup (170 grams) salted or unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cup (300 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour (see Notes about measuring correctly)
  • ⅔ cup (60 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (see Notes)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Coarse sugar or salt , for sprinkling (optional)

Equipment

teal kitchen mixer
Electric mixer
medium cookie scoop
Medium Cookie Scoop
Sheet pans
Baking sheet pan

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the mixer and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed to make sure it's mixed evenly.
  • Scoop by the rounded tablespoon (I use a medium #40 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop) onto the prepared sheet pan.
  • Bake until edges are crisp and the tops just barely appear set (no longer wet), about 9 minutes. Baking times may vary based on your oven and cookie size!
  • Immediately sprinkle with coarse sugar or salt while cookies are still hot. If they're misshapen, use a spatula to push them back into a circle. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days (if they last that long!).

Video

Notes

  • Measure flour correctly! Several readers have had issues with the cookies not spreading, being too thick, or needing to add a little water to the dough to get it to come together. This is most likely an issue with adding TOO MUCH FLOUR because of not measuring it correctly. If possible, use a kitchen scale, or use the “spoon and level” method when using measuring cups (more info through that link).
  • If using Dutch-process cocoa powder, change 1 tsp baking soda to 1 tsp baking powder. (Traditional unsweetened natural cocoa powder is acidic and will react with the baking soda, but Dutch-process cocoa powder is not acidic and so you will need to use baking powder instead to get the same rise.)
Calories: 192kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 102mg, Potassium: 97mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 201IU, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise Sandberg
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