Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies
These gooey chocolate chip cookies are the best cookie recipe ever! They have soft chewy edges and a gooey center. These cookies are loaded with melty chocolate throughout. They are great for Christmas, holidays, birthdays, and more!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These gooey chocolate chip cookies are perfection.
- They have the best flavor.
- The brown butter gives them a deeper flavor. They have a subtle caramel taste.
- This recipe is made with pantry staple ingredients.
- They are as gooey as these Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies!
- Both gluten free 1 to 1 flour and all purpose flour can be used.
- Chocolate chips and chocolate chunks both add to these cookies.
- They are great for any occasion.
- Check out these Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies for a thicker, more doughy cookie.
Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for gooey chocolate chip cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.
Brown butter gives these cookies the best flavor! Use 2 ½ sticks of butter, or 1 ¼ cups total. See section below for more about brown butter. If using regular melted butter, use 2 sticks (or 1 cup) butter. If you are dairy free, use dairy free butter or make these Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Both born sugar and granulated sugar add sweetness. Tightly pack brown sugar. I do not recommend using coconut sugar, maple sugar or a Keto sugar alternative.
Vanilla extract adds a delicious homemade flavor.
Two eggs help bind the dough together. For this specific recipe, I do not recommend flax eggs, chia eggs or Vegan egg replacement. For an egg free option, check out these Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Use either gluten free 1 to 1 flour or all purpose flour. Both options work well. I am gluten free, so I used King Arthur Flour gluten free 1 to 1 flour.
Baking soda helps these gooey chocolate chip cookies rise slightly.
Add in a pinch of sea salt if using unsalted butter.
Use both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks if possible. This creates the most chocolate flavor and varying textures.
Brown Butter
Brown butter is butter that has been cooked down until it turns golden brown. This is typically done on a stovetop. Brown butter has milk solids that are toasted. This creates a deep caramel flavor.
Browning butter requires a nonstick skillet, butter and whisk or spoon. The process involves cooking the butter in the skillet for 5 to 7 minutes. Cook on low medium heat.
Stir frequently to avoid burning.
While browning, some of the liquid evaporates. This creates less overall content than regular melted butter.
Once the butter has browned, it will turn a deep golden color. There will be little brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Be sure to include these! They are full of caramel butterscotch flavor.
Taste & Texture
These gooey chocolate chip cookies are buttery and sweet! The main flavors are brown butter, brown sugar and chocolate. The flavor is similar to classic cookies, but more caramel and buttery.
These cookies are definitely gooey! The edges are slightly chewy and the middles are soft.
How to Make
Step 1
First, brown butter. Add butter to a skillet over low medium heat. Continue stirring for about 5 to 7 minutes, until butter has turned a golden color.
Step 2
Then, pour butter into a bowl. Scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet into the bowl. Place this bowl in the freezer while you gather the other ingredients. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and sea salt. Set bowl aside.
Step 4
Remove brown butter from freezer. In a mixing bowl, add brown butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
Step 5
Then, add in vanilla extract and eggs. Stir to combine.
Step 6
Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir to combine.
Step 7
Fold in chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.
Step 8
Use ice cream scoop to scoop balls of dough onto lined baking pan. Then, place pan to chill for 1 hour in fridge.
Step 9
After 1 hour, remove pan from fridge. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake cookies for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are just barely golden.
Step 10
Finally, remove gooey chocolate chip cookies from oven. Allow them to cool on pan for 5 to 10 minutes before gently transferring to a cooling rack.
Expert Tips & Tricks for Gooey Cookies
There are several ways to get gooey chocolate chip cookies. These are the best tips and tricks.
Use a higher ratio of butter to flour. Cookies made with more butter are more gooey. The overall cookie dough is more moist than dry, thus creating gooey cookies.
In this recipe, 2 ½ sticks brown butter make these cookies gooey.
Use a slightly higher oven temperature. In this case, the cookies bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows the outside of the cookies to bake, while leaving the insides soft and gooey.
Do not over bake cookies. Bake until cookies are just slightly golden around the edges. This allows the middles to remain gooey.
Use loads of chocolate! Melty chocolate chips and pools of chocolate make them more gooey.
Why Cookies Flatten
There are several reasons why cookies flatten while baking.
First, melted butter can create flattened cookies. To prevent this, use cold butter or chill the cookie dough. In this gooey chocolate chip cookie recipe, the butter is melted and browned, so the dough needs to chill.
An oven temperature too hot will yield flat cookies. A very hot temperature will spread out cookies quickly. This is why cookie recipes do not call for temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit typically.
If your baking pans are too hot, this may cause the cookies to spread. This typically happens when you remove freshly baked cookies from the pan and immediately put down balls of dough. The balls of dough will immediately start to spread, even before entering the oven.
To prevent this, use two cookie pans. Or, wait until pans have cooled before making the next batch.
Lastly, make sure there are enough dry ingredients. Cookies with very little flour or sugar may spread too thin. This is due to the higher ratio of butter.
How to Serve & Store
Serve gooey chocolate chip cookies once cool enough to handle. They are definitely gooey!
These cookies pair well with a cup of coffee or tall glass of milk. Serve with some hot chocolate for winter.
Consider serving warm with a scoop of ice cream. Ultimate cookie heaven!
Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
These gooey chocolate chip cookies freeze and thaw well.
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to gooey chocolate chip cookies is more butter and not baking too long.
For soft and gooey cookies, do not over bake. In addition, use a higher ratio of butter to flour.
This is personal preference. I love gooey cookies!
Technically no. I highly recommend brown butter. If not, use 2 sticks of melted butter.
Use gluten free 1 to 1 flour or all purpose flour. Both work equally well.
You May Also Like
- Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this gooey chocolate chip cookie recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more sweet treats, check out these Dessert Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ sticks butter, see note
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ cups flour, gluten free 1 to 1 or all purpose
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch sea salt
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips and/or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- First, brown butter. Add butter to a skillet over low medium heat. Continue stirring for about 5 to 7 minutes, until butter has turned a golden color.
- Then, pour butter into a bowl. Scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet into the bowl. Place bowl in freezer while you gather the other ingredients. Line baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.
- Remove brown butter from freezer. In a mixing bowl, add brown butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
- Then, add in vanilla extract and eggs. Stir to combine.
- Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir to combine.
- Fold in chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. I recommend using both if possible.
- Use ice cream scoop to scoop balls of dough onto lined baking pan. Then, chill these balls of dough for 1 hour in fridge.
- After 1 hour, remove pan from fridge. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake cookies for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are just barely golden.
- Finally, remove cookies from oven. Allow them to cool on pan for 5 to 10 minutes before gently transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
- The brown butter adds a ton of flavor to these cookies! If only using melted butter, melt only 2 sticks of butter. Browning the butter leads to some of the moisture evaporating, thus needing more butter to begin with.
- The brown butter is very hot. Place it in a bowl in the freezer for at least 5 to 10 minutes to cool it down. Otherwise, it will curdle the eggs when mixed together.
- Both gluten free 1 to 1 flour and all purpose flour can be used.
- Chilling the dough is not optional. These cookies will spread too thin otherwise.
- Feel free to chill the dough for up to 72 hours if needed. The longer it chills, the more deep the flavor becomes.
- Bake cookies only until edges are barely set. They are meant to be gooey!
- Store cookies at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Cookies freeze and thaw well.
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17 Comments on “Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies”
These were a disaster. I followed the instructions carefully. I chilled for two hours. I baked and they are basically a liquid. I left them in the oven for an extra 7 minutes. I am not clear how they will be edible.