These Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies are crisp and golden on the edges but have an ooey, gooey, and super soft center. Ready in less than 20 minutes, with no chilling required!
My family is obsessed with these gooey chocolate chip cookies. They’re super soft and chewy, as all good chocolate chip cookies should be, but the center is extra gooey and just slightly underbaked. I used the same trick as in my thick chocolate chip cookies of baking them at a higher-than-normal temperature to brown the edges and the outside while keeping the center soft. These are definitely a cookie to enjoy warm from the oven!
What Makes These Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies Unique?
There are lots of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, so what makes these gooey chocolate chip cookies different? Here are a few things!
- Ooey gooey center. The center of these thick cookies stays ultra soft, gooey, and chewy. You’ll get the full effect of this when the cookies are warm, which is how I recommend eating them, but the center stays super soft even when cool.
- Baked at 450F. One of the secrets to achieving that thick, gooey center is to bake the cookies at a higher-than-normal temperature for a shorter period of time. In this case, for just 6 minutes at 450F. The high temperature browns the edges while keeping the center slightly underbaked.
- No chilling. Lots of recipes for similar thick, gooey cookies require chilling the dough. But it’s not necessary (or recommended) for this recipe. The baking method plus ingredients like cornstarch and dark brown sugar achieve the same results, without chilling.
Recipe Ingredients
These cookies are made with basic ingredients used in classic chocolate chip cookies, plus a few variations to create that gooey center. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Butter – I like to use unsalted butter in these cookies, so that I can control the amount of salt added. Soften ahead of time.
- Dark brown sugar – Dark brown sugar helps to add a rich molasses flavor. It also adds moisture and helps achieve the perfect chewy, gooey texture.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour – Use the spoon and level technique for accurate measuring.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the secret ingredient in these gooey cookies. It helps to both thicken and soften the dough.
- Baking powder & baking soda – The leavening agents work together to ensure the cookies rise and also assist in creating the chewy texture.
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Chocolate chunks also work, if you prefer bigger pieces of chocolate in the cookies.
How To Make Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies
One of my favorite things about these cookies is that they take under 20 minutes to make, including the bake time! The printable version of the instructions is in the recipe card below.
- Make the dough. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed with a paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients. Continue mixing on medium until fully combined. The dough will be thick and dryish. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Prep to bake. Preheat the oven to 450F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out heaping tablespoons of dough, placing the cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet 2-3″ apart. Press more chocolate chips on top.
- Bake. Bake for 6 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. I recommend enjoying them while they’re still warm and extra gooey!
Do I Really Bake These At 450°F?
Yes, that’s not a typo! I know 450 degrees is hot for a cookie, but it’s key to making gooey chocolate chip cookies. It allows the cookie to bake to a slight crisp on the outside quickly, but not completely through. The cookie will continue to bake a bit more when removed from the oven. It will be moist, melty, and delicious!
Oven temps vary, so you may want to try it out and bake one cookie first at the recommended time to make sure you get the timing right for your oven before baking the rest. My recommendation is to reduce the baking time, NOT the temperature, to achieve the gooey center.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few tips for making these gooey chocolate chip cookies.
- Don’t chill the dough. Other similar recipes call for chilling the dough. There is NO NEED TO CHILL with this recipe! You can have these cookies ready in 30 minutes!
- Avoid burnt chocolate. When using a cookie to scoop to measure out the dough, I tried to make sure the bottom of the cookie would be mostly dough, versus chocolate. This kept the bottoms golden and there was no chocolate burned.
- Swap out the chocolate chips. You could try milk chocolate or dark chocolate with these cookies or even butterscotch, peanut butter, etc!
- Add some nuts. Feel free to add in some chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Enjoy warm! As mentioned, these are at their best straight from the oven. However, if you aren’t able to eat them that quickly, pop a cookie in the microwave for 15 seconds and they return to the gooey state!
Proper Storage
- Room temperature. Gooey chocolate chip cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer. These cookies can also be frozen. Once cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat. Since these cookies are best enjoyed warm, I recommend popping them in the microwave for 15 seconds or until warm. If reheating from frozen, 45 seconds usually does the trick.
Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 3 Tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Cream together on medium speed with a hand or electric mixture fit with a paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the large egg and vanilla. Mix them together until fully combined.
- Add the flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together on medium until fully combined. The dough will be thick and dryish.
- Add the chocolate chips and gently combine. (I used my hands to mix as the dough was thick and hard to fully combine with just a wooden spoon.)
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking and make for an easier clean up.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure out heaping Tablespoons of dough and place them on the prepared cookie sheet approximately 2-3” apart.
- Feel free to press a few extra chocolate pieces into the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 6 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove promptly as they will go from done to burned quickly!
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack.
- These cookies are at their ooey-gooey best when warm. You can always pop a cookie in the microwave for 15 seconds to achieve the same gooeyness later.
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1 thought on “Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Not made yet, but I will. Can’t find a recipe that stays soft. Hopefully this one will