The Ultimate Recipe for Big, Thick, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Panera Style!)
Prepare yourself for what might just become your all-time favorite cookie recipe! These aren’t just any chocolate chip cookies; they are gloriously big, wonderfully thick, and perfectly chewy, reminiscent of the beloved bakery-style treats you find at places like Panera. Forget thin, crispy cookies – we’re diving into the world of rich, soft-centered, deeply satisfying chocolate chip perfection. Once you try this recipe, you’ll understand why these chewy chocolate chip cookies consistently rank high on my personal list of irresistible desserts.
Imagine this: a craving for a warm, freshly baked cookie hits, but you don’t want to bake an entire batch. With this brilliant method, you don’t have to! My secret weapon? A freezer stocked with perfectly portioned cookie dough balls. All it takes is a quick preheat of the oven, a simple transfer of a few frozen dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and within minutes, you’ll be enjoying warm, gooey, homemade chocolate chip cookies. This convenience makes it dangerously easy to have fresh cookies whenever the mood strikes, ensuring you always have a delightful treat within arm’s reach for yourself, your family, or unexpected guests.
A pro-tip from personal experience: before you fill and freeze your bags of delicious cookie dough, be sure to clearly write the baking instructions right on the bag! This simple step will save you from future guesswork and ensure your perfect chewy chocolate chip cookies are always baked to golden-brown perfection.
These big, fat, thick, chewy chocolate chip cookies truly capture the essence of those bakery-style gems, particularly the kind you might find at Panera. Their substantial size and delightful chewiness make them a deeply satisfying indulgence. And let’s be honest, who can resist the allure of a warm chocolate chip cookie, fresh from the oven, with molten chocolate chips?
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crafting the best chewy chocolate chip cookies starts with selecting the right ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving that signature thick, soft, and satisfying texture, loaded with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why:
- Unsalted butter: Always opt for unsalted butter when baking. This gives you complete control over the total salt content in your cookies, allowing you to fine-tune the flavor balance. Ensure it’s at room temperature for optimal creaming.
- Shortening: The secret to truly thick and soft cookies that hold their shape. Combining shortening with butter creates an unbeatable texture – butter for rich flavor, shortening for structure and tenderness that prevents excessive spreading.
- Dark brown sugar: This provides a deeper, more molasses-rich flavor and contributes significantly to the chewy texture. The high moisture content in brown sugar keeps cookies soft and moist. You can use light brown sugar if dark is unavailable, but expect a slightly milder flavor and potentially a less pronounced chew.
- Granulated sugar: Works in harmony with brown sugar to add sweetness and a touch of crispness to the edges, creating a delightful contrast with the soft, gooey interior.
- Eggs: Use large eggs, and perhaps most importantly, ensure they are at room temperature. Room temperature eggs emulsify better with the fats and sugars, leading to a smoother, more uniform dough and a better rise in your cookies.
- Vanilla extract: Don’t skimp on quality here! A good pure vanilla extract makes a noticeable difference in the overall flavor profile of your homemade chocolate chip cookies. It enhances the sweetness and adds a warm, aromatic depth that is simply essential.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of our cookie. For accurate measurements and consistent results, always use the ‘aerate (fluff), spoon, and sweep’ method. Fluff the flour in its container, gently spoon it into your dry measuring cup until overflowing, then level it off with a straight edge. This prevents over-packing, which can lead to dry, dense cookies.
- Cornstarch and baking soda: These two ingredients are critical for achieving the desired thickness and chewiness. Cornstarch helps keep the cookies tender and prevents them from spreading too much, while baking soda reacts with the brown sugar to create a soft, airy crumb and contributes to their signature chew.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is essential to balance the sweetness and bring out the rich flavors of the chocolate and butter. Without it, cookies can taste flat and one-dimensional.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: While I prefer mini chocolate chips for an even distribution of chocolate in every bite, feel free to use regular-sized chips for larger pockets of melted chocolate. You can also experiment with milk chocolate chips for a sweeter profile, dark chocolate chips for a more intense cocoa flavor, or even white chocolate chips for a different twist. A mix of different types of chocolate can also be incredibly delicious!
Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Perfect Big, Thick, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Follow these detailed steps to create irresistibly thick, soft, and chewy chocolate chip cookies that will rival any professional bakery. The key is in the technique, from creaming the butter to chilling the dough – each step ensures a superior final product. Patience and precision will lead to the most amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies!
- Cream the Fats and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter, shortening, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream these ingredients together on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is crucial as it incorporates air, which contributes to the cookies’ soft, tender texture.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Then, stir in the pure vanilla extract. Continue mixing until everything is just combined and smooth, being careful not to overmix the batter at this stage.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the properly measured all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Whisking ensures these dry ingredients are thoroughly and evenly distributed, which is crucial for consistent cookie texture and proper leavening.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough once the flour is added, as this can overdevelop the gluten, resulting in tough, dry cookies. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of flour remain visible.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in your chosen semi-sweet chocolate chips (whether mini or regular, or even a delightful mix!) with a spatula or wooden spoon until they are evenly distributed throughout the rich, delectable cookie dough. This ensures every bite is packed with chocolatey goodness.
- Portion and Shape the Dough: Using a 1/4 cup measuring scoop for generous, bakery-sized cookies, scoop out individual portions of the dough. Gently roll each portion into a ball, then slightly flatten it with the palm of your hand. This helps create those signature thick, chewy chocolate chip cookies that spread minimally during baking. Continue this process until all the dough is portioned. You should yield approximately 24 substantial cookies from this recipe.
- Chill the Dough (Crucial Step!): Arrange the formed cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between them. Place the entire sheet into the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours. This chilling period is absolutely vital for developing deeper flavor, allowing the fats to solidify, and preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking, thus ensuring they stay wonderfully thick and chewy. For ultimate convenience, you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months – perfect for having fresh cookies on demand!
- Prepare for Baking: When you’re ready to bake your frozen cookie dough, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with fresh parchment paper. Parchment paper prevents sticking, ensures even baking, and makes for incredibly easy cleanup.
- Bake to Perfection: Place the frozen cookie dough balls directly onto the prepared baking sheet, ensuring you leave ample space between them to allow for some spreading. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft and appear underbaked. Remember that oven temperatures can vary, so keep a close eye on your cookies during the last few minutes of baking to achieve your desired doneness.
- Cool and Enjoy: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking pan for about 3 minutes. This critical step allows them to set slightly and continue cooking gently from residual heat before transferring. Then, carefully transfer the warm, thick chocolate chip cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. While they are tempting straight from the oven, allowing them to cool slightly helps them achieve their ultimate chewy texture and makes them easier to handle.
Congratulations! You’ve just created a batch of incredibly thick, large, soft, and perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookies. Get ready to indulge in the best homemade treat you’ve ever made!
This recipe yields 24 wonderfully generous, chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here are some common questions to help you master the art of baking these delightful chewy chocolate chip cookies, ensuring perfect results every time:
Chilling the cookie dough is a crucial step for achieving thick, chewy, and flavorful chocolate chip cookies. During the chilling process, the fats (butter and shortening) in the dough solidify. This means that when the cookies go into the hot oven, the fats take longer to melt, which significantly prevents the cookies from spreading too rapidly and becoming thin and flat. Additionally, chilling allows the flour to fully hydrate and the flavors to meld and intensify, resulting in a richer, more complex taste and a superior chewy texture. For bakery-style thick chocolate chip cookies, don’t skip this essential step!
Proper storage ensures your delicious chocolate chip cookies stay fresh and chewy for as long as possible. Once baked and completely cooled, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container or a zip-top bag at room temperature for about 3-4 days. To maintain their ultimate freshness and extend their shelf life, you can also freeze baked and cooled cookies for up to 3 months. Simply place them in a freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper if stacking. Thaw them at room temperature or gently warm them in the microwave for a delightful “fresh-out-of-the-oven” experience.
Absolutely! Freezing cookie dough is one of the best ways to ensure you always have fresh, warm cookies ready at a moment’s notice, without the need to prepare a new batch. After portioning the dough into balls as described in step 6 of the recipe, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flash freeze them for 2 hours until firm. Once solid, transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. Be sure to label the bag with the description (e.g., “Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough”) and the baking instructions (oven temperature and time). The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, making it incredibly convenient for future baking sessions.
Baking from frozen dough is incredibly simple and yields fantastic results, maintaining all the delicious chewiness and thickness. When you’re ready for fresh cookies, there’s no need to thaw the dough! Just preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the desired number of frozen, formed cookie dough balls directly onto the prepared sheet, ensuring they are spaced apart. Bake as instructed in the recipe – usually for a minute or two longer than unfrozen dough – until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set but still beautifully soft. This method ensures you can enjoy a warm, homemade cookie any time without the fuss.
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Explore More Delicious Cookie Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed mastering these Panera-style chewy chocolate chip cookies, you’re in for a treat! We have a wide array of other fantastic cookie recipes that are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. From classic comforts to exciting new flavors, there’s a perfect cookie waiting for everyone. Expand your baking repertoire with some of our other popular selections:
- Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies:A timeless classic with that perfect criss-cross pattern and irresistible, nutty peanut butter flavor.
- Fudgy Brownie Cookies:Get the best of both worlds with these rich, intensely chocolatey cookies that taste just like a brownie in a convenient cookie form.
- Almond Joy Cookies:Indulge in the tropical flavors of sweet coconut, crunchy almonds, and decadent chocolate, all perfectly combined in a delightful cookie.
- Best Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies:Soft, tender, and coated in a warm cinnamon sugar mixture – these snickerdoodles truly live up to their “best chewy” title.
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Italian Butterball Cookies:Delicate, buttery, and generously dusted with powdered sugar, these tender cookies are perfect for holidays or any special occasion.
We hope these recipes inspire you to get baking and fill your home with the wonderful aroma of fresh, homemade cookies. Happy baking!
Ultimate Panera-Style Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 oz mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (or regular-sized)
Instructions
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Cream the softened butter, shortening, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale, about 2-3 minutes. This incorporates air for a soft texture.
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Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the pure vanilla extract until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
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Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added.
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Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips with a spatula until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
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Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop out dough and form it into a ball, then slightly flatten each ball. Continue until all dough is portioned (approx. 24 cookies).
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Place the formed cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 3 months for later baking. This chilling step is crucial for thick, chewy cookies.
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When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place the frozen cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving ample space between them. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
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Let cookies cool on the baking pan for about 3 minutes to set, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for the best chewy texture. Enjoy your perfect chewy chocolate chip cookies!
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from The Pinning Mama