Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 oz (1/4 block) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch (our secret for softness!)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I love a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate!)
Instructions
- Cream Butter, Cream Cheese & Sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, the extra egg yolk, and the vanilla extract until just combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until a soft, thick dough forms. (Do not over-mix!)
- Fold in Chips: Gently stir in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
- CHILL THE DOUGH (Do Not Skip!): The dough will be soft. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30-60 minutes. This is the key to thick, chewy cookies that don’t spread flat!
- Prep: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop & Bake: Scoop the chilled dough using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop and place the balls 2-3 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
- Bake (Don’t Over-bake!): Bake for 9-11 minutes. The cookies should look puffy and underdone in the very center, with the edges just barely starting to turn a light, golden brown.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the hot baking sheet for 5-10 minutes (this is when they “set”!), then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- The Cream Cheese Secret!: My #1 tip for soft chocolate chip cookies! Just 2 oz of softened cream cheese guarantees a rich, tender, moist cookie that stays soft for days!
- Do NOT Over-bake!: This is the most important rule! To keep them soft and gooey, pull them from the oven when the center is still puffy and soft. They will finish setting up on the hot pan.
- The “Quick Chill”: That 30-60 minute chill is not optional! It’s the secret that keeps your cookies thick and chewy instead of spreading flat.
- Freeze the Dough!: This is my favorite “lifesaver” tip! Scoop the dough balls, “flash freeze” them on a pan, then store them in a freezer bag. You can bake them right from frozen, just add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time!
- Grandma’s Trick: To keep your baked cookies extra-soft, store them in an airtight container with half a slice of plain sandwich bread!
- Prep Time: 15
- Chill Time: 30-60
- Cook Time: 9-11
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American