Having thick, chewy cookies is the dream for many bakers. Whether you prefer a classic chocolate chip cookie, peanut butter cookie, or snickerdoodle, a perfectly thick cookie strikes the ideal balance between crispy edges and a soft, chewy center. But what’s the secret to making thicker cookies at home? There are several easy tips and tricks you can use to get beautifully thick cookies every time.
Use More Fat
One of the biggest factors in making chewy cookies is the amount of fat in the dough. Fat tenderizes the gluten strands and prevents cookies from becoming tough. Using an extra egg yolk or a couple tablespoons of additional butter in your cookie dough will result in a richer, chewier texture.
Butter is the most common type of fat used in cookie recipes, but you can also use oils like canola, vegetable, coconut, or olive oil. Stick with neutral tasting oils like canola or vegetable if you don’t want the flavor to come through. Swapping out some of the butter for oil can help make especially soft cookies.
Be careful not to overdo it on the extra fat though, or your cookies may end up greasy. Add a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the perfect chewy consistency.
Types of Fat for Chewy Cookies
- Butter
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
Use Brown Sugar
Swapping out white sugar for brown sugar is another easy trick to boost chewiness. Brown sugar contains more moisture than white sugar, resulting in a softer, chewier cookie crumb. The subtle caramel and molasses notes of brown sugar also pair deliciously with popular cookie flavors like chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal.
You can use dark or light brown sugar in your cookies. Dark brown sugar has a deeper molasses flavor that goes nicely with bold cookie flavors, while light brown sugar has a milder taste that works well in more delicate cookies.
When substituting brown sugar in place of white sugar, it’s generally recommended to use a 1:1 ratio. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of granulated white sugar, use 1 cup of packed brown sugar instead.
Brown Sugar Varieties
| Type | Flavor | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Light brown sugar | Mild caramel, molasses | Gingerbread, snickerdoodle, sugar |
| Dark brown sugar | Robust caramel, molasses | Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal |
Add an Extra Egg
Eggs provide moisture and fat to cookie dough, both of which contribute to a chewy texture. Try adding an extra egg yolk or whole egg to make your cookies extra thick and fudgy. The egg will also help bind the dough together so your cookies hold their shape better during baking.
Take care not to over-beat the dough when you’ve added extra egg, as this can make the cookies tough. Gently mix just until the egg is incorporated. Egg yolks alone can be whipped into the butter mixture to add richness without over-toughening the gluten.
Ways to Add Extra Egg
- Add 1 extra egg yolk
- Add 1 extra whole egg
- Whip 2 egg yolks into the creamed butter
Use Bread Flour
Swapping all-purpose flour for bread flour is an easy way to achieve a nice chewy cookie texture. Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose. This extra protein helps provide structure to the dough so the cookies can spread while baking, then firms up to a pleasingly chewy texture upon cooling.
You can replace the all-purpose flour in a cookie recipe with an equal amount of bread flour. Or for best results, try using a mix of half bread flour and half all-purpose. Going full bread flour can sometimes make the cookies overly tough.
Flour Options for Chewy Cookies
- 100% bread flour
- 50% bread flour, 50% all-purpose
- 25% bread flour, 75% all-purpose
Let the Dough Rest
Letting cookie dough rest in the fridge for at least a few hours, or up to 3 days, allows the moisture to spread evenly throughout the dough. This hydrates the flour particles and results in a thicker, chewier cookie. The chilled dough will also hold its shape better during baking.
For best results, allow logs of sliced cookie dough to rest in the fridge overnight. The long chill time allows moisture to permeate the dough fully. Chilling the dough also prevents the butter from melting too quickly while baking, leading to better spread.
Chilling Times for Cookie Dough
- 2 hours minimum
- Overnight or up to 72 hours for fullest flavor
Slightly Underbake the Cookies
Baking your cookies just until the edges are set, but the centers are still a bit underdone, can help maximize chewiness. Pulling them from the oven before they fully bake through prevents the dough from drying out too much. The centers will firm up as the cookies cool.
Keep an eye on the cookies in the oven and check them a minute or two before the recommended bake time. Aim for just lightly browned edges and slightly underbaked looking centers. Err on the side of underdone versus overbaked.
Signs of Slightly Underbaked Cookies
- Light brown edges
- Glossy, slightly wet-looking centers
- Doughy texture when centers pressed
Add Cornstarch or Oat Flour
For an extra thick, fudgy cookie texture, you can add a small amount of cornstarch or oat flour to your dough. About 1-2 tablespoons per batch helps retain moisture for chewiness.
Cornstarch gelatinizes when heated, allowing the cookies to spread more and gain that soft, thick texture. Oat flour maintains moisture and gives the cookies more density and chew.
Start with 1 tablespoon then add up to 1 more if needed. Too much extra starch or flour can make cookies tough or cakey.
Thickening Agents for Cookie Dough
- 1-2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1-2 tbsp oat flour
Use Melted Butter
Melting the butter before mixing up the cookie dough is another great way to achieve super soft, chewy cookies. Using melted butter rather than creaming solid butter into the sugar integrates more air into the batter. This air pockets expand in the oven for a puffier, chewier texture.
Melted butter also allows for the other dough ingredients to be thoroughly mixed together without over-working the gluten. Make sure the butter has cooled slightly so that it does not cook the eggs when mixing in.
Tips for Melted Butter
- Melt butter and allow to slightly cool before mixing into dough
- Combine melted butter with other wet ingredients
- Avoid over-mixing once butter is added
Add Chocolate Chips or Chopped Nuts
Mix-ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, oats, etc can help make cookies chewier. The added ingredients interrupt the gluten strands, reducing toughness. They also increase the moisture level in the dough for enhanced chew.
Chocolate chips are a classic mix-in for toll house cookies, with the melted chocolate further tenderizing the dough. Chopped nuts provide chewiness and richness, especially in classic cookies like walnut chocolate chip and peanut butter.
Just be careful not to overdo the add-ins or they may weigh down the dough. Use about 1 cup of mix-ins per batch of cookie dough.
Popular Chewy Cookie Mix-ins
- Chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts)
- Oats
- Toffee bits
- Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries)
Use Bread or Cake Flour
For a less dense, lighter chewy cookie, you can swap in bread flour or cake flour. Bread flour has more gluten-forming protein than all-purpose, while cake flour has less protein. Using them together balances out for the ideal soft yet sturdy cookie.
Try using a combo of 3/4 cup bread flour and 1 1/4 cup cake flour. The cake flour portion will lighten the texture, while the bread flour provides enough structure to keep the cookies from becoming crumbly.
Light and Chewy Flour Blend
- 3/4 cup bread flour
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
Add a Teaspoon of Baking Powder
A bit of baking powder can help cookies spread more in the oven, resulting in a softer, chewier texture. The leavening agent produces air bubbles that puff up the cookie dough. This air pockets expand when baked, thinning out the dough.
Add about 1 teaspoon of baking powder per batch of cookie dough. Any more than that can make the cookies form large air pockets and tunnels.
The extra spread from baking powder also helps prevent cookies baked on pans from becoming too hard on the bottom. The increased spread allows more even heat circulation.
Baking Powder Amount
- 1 tsp per batch of cookie dough
Conclusion
Making the perfect soft, chewy cookie requires a delicate balance. Little tweaks like using an extra egg yolk, swapping sugar types, or chilling the dough can make a big difference. Paying attention to the details of how you cream the butter, handle the dough, and bake the cookies helps achieve that ideal thick and fudgy texture every home baker craves. Follow the tips outlined and you’ll be a master cookie baker in no time!