Southern Living’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Southern Living’s BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies passed the test of my discriminating family with flying colors! Chewy and delicious!
We’re tried a LOT of chocolate chip cookies throughout the years. These thick, delicious Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies always make for a happy crew.
Why You Must Make these Chocolate Chunk Cookies Cookies
- Chocolate chunks give you big pockets of chocolate in your cookies!
- The dark brown sugar provides extra moisture keeping these cookies soft.
- It’s based on a tried and true recipe from Southern Living.
The hubby considers himself an aficionado when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. He has sampled them across the country in every mall or bakery that happens to have any on display. Sans nuts, of course. And the higher the chocolate to dough ratio, the better.
Nestle Toll House cookies were the original gold standard when it comes to chocolate chip cookies; they must be chewy and buttery. When this recipe from Southern Living popped into my inbox, I knew I had to test a batch. These Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies were a huge hit.
Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
The family loves BIG cookies so I used my 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to dish these out. Plus, when I splurge and use premium chocolate wafers (these are Guittard’s semisweet version), my gang is thrilled. You can often find these at higher-end markets, or Williams-Sonoma and Sur la Table at a better price than Amazon.
Slightly under-baking keeps them chewy, as we all prefer chewy over crisp at my house. I hope you’ll test these out and see if they are the BEST chewy chocolate chip cookies you’ve tasted. If not, let me know your favorite recipe. If a thinner, yet still chewy cookie is your thing, check out these Thin and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. And Jacques Torres’ Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies have uprooted Nestles’ as the true family favorite cookie. But they do require a long refrigeration time before baking, and make a huge amount of cookies!
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- To make chewy cookies, you must look at the recipe ingredients, the process, and the baking time.
- For extra richness and chewiness, add an extra egg yolk.
- PRO-Tip: Look for a recipe using brown sugar or even dark brown sugar which provides extra moisture due to the addition of molasses.
- For better flavor, use butter instead of shortening.
- PRO-Tip: Do not over mix or use a mixer to mix your cookie dough. A mixer can aerate the dough and create a cake-like consistency. It will also over-activate the gluten, making slightly “tougher” cookies.
- Over baking will make a crisp instead of a chewy cookie.
More Chocolate Cookie Recipes:
- Layered Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dried Berries
- Killer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Chocolate Toffee Cookies
- Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pizza Cookie AKA Pizookies
- More Cookie Recipes
This post was originally shared in December 2013. Photos and text were updated in 2019.
Southern Living's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Southern Living's thick and chewy cookies with loads of chocolate!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate discs (or chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until creamy. This can also be easily done by hand.
- Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until blended. Mix in chocolate by hand just until combined.
- Using a 2 tablespoon capacity cookie scoop, place cookie dough balls on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Notes
Adapted from Southern Living.
To make dark brown sugar, add 1 tablespoon of molasses to a cup of regular brown sugar. Mix well and measure out the amount needed.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 132Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 1g
54 Comments on “Southern Living’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Easy to see how these are crowd pleasing! For me, the chewier the chocolate chip cookie, the better. I’m in! And they’re a great size, too! 🙂 ~Valentina
Just in time recipe for those back to school days. The size of those chocolate chips are HUGE. The more chocolatey and the more chewier the better with our family as well.
These are going to be so good and I guess I’ll have to share. I also have to find the Guittard wafers.
I want one. And I want it now.
Amalia
xo
these cookies looks absolutely wonderful Lizzy!!
Hi Liz. I love a good chocolate chip cookie and this recipe sounds wonderful. Southern Living recipes are usually proven winners. Checking out the other recipes in that line-up.
Liz, these look so gorgeous! We’re obsessed with chocolate chip cookies too! Pinning these gems for later!! xo
I’m absolutely drooling over these cookies! I must give them a try. They look and sound fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
Love the idea of using chocolate discs! Such a delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Your chocolate chip cookies look awesome Liz, and yes, I love chewy cookies…thanks for sharing the recipe. I hope you are having a fabulous week!
mmmmm choc chip cookies are THEEE BEEEST
Chocolate chip cookies are universally timeless! I will be doing a choc chip post soon as well. Yours look amazing as per usual. Thanks, Liz.
Love these! I only wish I’d seen them last night when I was making chocolate chip cookies at 10 at night. Mine were ok, but a little cakey. Yours has less flour in it as a ratio, so I’m trying yours next!
Best, best, best!!! Simply adore these 😀
Cheers
CCU
We have similar taste in cookies I think! Chewy, lots of chocolate chunks, and underbaked in the middle. These sound perfect. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!
I think these are the best among all cookies. Love it.
I adore chocolate chip cookies… so I a totally on board with these beauties!! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!! Feast. Laugh. Enjoy!!!
Chocolate Chip Cookies happen to be my favorite cookie as well. I tell these cookies are buttery and soft just by looking at them! 😀
Mmmm I cannot wait to give this a try. I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Lizzy!
BIG HUGS,
Tammy<3
chocolate chunk cookies are my favorite! yum!
There’s nothing better than a good chocolate chip cookie and these look delish!
What’s not to love chocolate cookies! They look fabulous!
Hmmmmmm I bet you are! Must try these. Happy baking Liz xox
These look so good Liz! And I like the idea of using chocolate discs instead of the typical chips! Thank you for sharing this sweetness! I hope you have a blessed Christmas!
I just got back from vacation and see that I have missed A LOT of yummy baked goods! Sure wish I had a plate of these cookies on my table right now! These do look like the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and New Years!
If Mr. Bill says these are the best, then I’m in all the way. I think I might have to make these this afternoon.
Chocolate chip cookie are my all time favorite. The other week I was craving them so badly in Disney but they all looked awful and cost $4. Since then I have made my own and eating them non-stop. It has been marvelous! I will be trying these soon.
You do know that chocolate chip cookies w/ ice cold milk will be my “last meal, “right?
I will test these and let you know!
Xxxx
These do look like great cookies. I love your snowman! And yes, we’re all watching Christmas movies down here too xx
Liz your cookies look just amazing!! I kind of have a bad thing for chocolate chip cookies and I can’t wait to try your recipe! 🙂 Happy Holidays to you!!
I love cc cookies! Though I am very happy with alton brown’s chewy cc chip and I always say I’ll stick with what I know is good-well, I always try another cc cookie recipe, because-well-you just never know!
There’s always room for a chocolate chip cookie. These look delish! I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!
I love this whole post – movies and food connections. What a great idea. We’re a chocolate chip family also.
Yay for giant, chewy cookies! And The Santa Clause. Merry Christmas, Liz!
Nothing beats a chocolate chip cookie! Merry Christmas, Liz!
These cookies look fantastic! I’ve been making SO many cookies lately, but even so, I would love to make these!
We’ve baked a lot of cookies this holiday season, but not yet chocolate chips. But that’s on tap! These look wonderful. And big cookies can be so much fun! Good stuff – thanks.
This is one of my favorite Christmas movies, and why not have some of these delicious cookies while watching it! YUM!! Happy Holidays Liz!
Couldn’t agree more with you, Liz: the higher the ratio of chocolate, the better. Santa would love these at the chimney, I’m sure. Have a wonderful Christmas, Liz, and wishing you a fun and relaxing holiday. Thanks for all of your sweet support and lovely comments and hope to see you again in Paris again soon. All the best,
Jill
OK, now I MUST try this Southern Living CCC recipe!!! I love the one from the NY Times and Alice Currah’s. . both are delicious. . will definitely be trying this one soon! Wishing you and your family a very merry christmas, Liz!!! 🙂
Best choco chip cookie? I am definitely trying these. I thought my quest had ended but here you go making me try another recipe! LOL. My you all read the gamut of all holiday movies. How fun. I don’t think a one was left out. Happy holidays,
Choc chip wins out every time at our house!
I’m in the same camp as your husband Liz! I like my chocolate chip cookies, big, chewy and more chocolate than cookie! I think yours would definitely be a winner and I love those guittard wafers.
I often struggle with chocolate chip cookies, I will use a recipe and they will turn out perfect and not spread out too much. And then I will go to using that same recipe next time and they spread out too much. Not sure what I do differently. We have the same requirements for our chocolate chip cookies in this house so I need to try your recipe and see if I have better luck.
Chewy chocolate chip cookies are the standard at our house too, Liz. And the bigger and the more chocolate, the better. Our favorite chocolate chip recipe is from Joy of Cooking and has hidden oatmeal but I will definitely give your new recipe a try.
I love your snowman cookie jar! He’s just adorable!
Holy cannoli do those look good!
My sweet goodness these cookies look amazing. I’m pretty promiscuous when it comes to cookies, but I always come back to chocolate chip;-). Happy Holidays Liz!
I, also, find it very difficult to pass on chocolate chip cookies. Especially ones that are as packed with chocolate chips as these! M-M-M!!
These cookies look delish! Wishing I had one this morning to go along with my cup of coffee. Merry Christmas to you and your family Liz! Love that you are part of our #SundaySupper family!
Love those giant chocolate chips and big, chewy cookies too!
My hubby’s favorite cookies are chocolate chip and I am always on the look out for new recipes. Yours look delicious Liz and can’t wait to try this 🙂 Pinning and hope you have a wonderful holiday week with your family:)
I have to chuckle Liz, of all the fancy cookies and treats out there at the holidays my sons still prefer good ole chocolate chip cookies! Happy Baking and Merry Christmas:@)
I’m not quibbling either, Liz. Your cookies do look like they’d win any chocolate chip cookie contest any day! Thank you for sharing the recipe… It is a wonderful Christmas gift you’ve given fellow bloggers =)
If you say so, I’ve no doubt they are the best Liz! A lot of chocolate is always welcome, I agree. Have an amazing holiday week with your family Liz!
I love chewy cookies too, these look fabulous! Must track down some chocolate discs for my cookie baking :).