Recipe - My ULTIMATE Crunchy On The Outside, Gooey In The Centre Chocolate Chip Cookies

chocolate cookies recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had SO NEARLY given up on chocolate chip cookies. I’ve always found them infuriatingly hard to get right – I would either get totally flat cookies that were crisp throughout, or cookies with a dry, cake-like texture. I mean, they still get eaten (obvs), but if I wanted ‘okay’ cookies I’d buy them from a shop.

WELL, after years of research, recipe testing and failed cookies, I am pleased to announce that I HAVE CRACKED IT! *cue happy dance*

I have the recipe, method, and tips that will give you reliably crunchy-on-the-outside, gooey-in-the-centre, fabulously CHUNKY chocolate chip cookies.

Big caveat - the method, temperatures and timings are as important (if not more) as the ingredients. Shortcuts not allowed. The cookies HAVE to be chilled in the fridge and baked from cold to hold their height, and if you overcook them they WILL lose their squidgy centres. I detail all of this in my '6 tips for PERFECT crunchy on the outside, gooey in the centre chocolate chip cookies' article.

I have baked this cookie recipe more times than any other (except for my brownies, of course) and they haven't let me down yet.

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[[ recipeID=recipe-9kzcm9tny, title=Crunchy On The Outside, Gooey In The Centre Chocolate Chip Cookies ]]

Before you start baking, make sure you read my top tips for crunchy on the outside, gooey in the centre cookies. Cookies are very temperamental, and the slightest differences in the method will have a big impact.

Read >> 5 Tips For PERFECT Crunchy On The Outside, Gooey In The Centre Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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  • Ines - Author on

    Hi there @Breadkake, thanks for commenting! You can replace the nuts with any other ingredient – toffee chunks, dried fruits, more chocolate chips, etc. You could also leave them out completely! They do lend the cookies a little bit of structure – the cookie dough is made to be quite gooey, so the hard nuts help them hold their shape – so if omitting the nuts, just make sure to let the cookies cool completely (so the chocolate chips solidify and the butter in the cookies cools) before moving them off the tray.

  • Ines on

    Hey there @Daniel. Absolutely, Flora should work fine – it doesn’t set quite as firm as dairy butter, so you may just need to let the cookies cool for a little longer before taking them off the tray to avoid making a mess. They’re supposed to have a gooey centre though, so the Flora should yield perfect results.

  • Ines on

    Hey @Nicholas – that is a great suggestion, you’re right, most baking trays won’t easily fit the 12 cookies with 1.5 inches of space between them. I’ve revised the recipe to suggest baking in two batches if this is the case for you. Thanks for commenting!

  • Breadkake on

    What can I use instead of nuts? Or will it be ok to just not use anything?

  • Alex on

    Hi! I’m trying to make stuffed cookie-cups, I’m glad I found this recipe as they look perfect!



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Crunchy Outside, Gooey Centre Chocolate Chip Cookies

My no-fail recipe for reliably CHUNKY, gooey and delicious chocolate chip cookies, with a crunchy outside and gooey centre.

Servings: 12 Cookies

Keywords: Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Baked Goods., Chocolate, Gooey Cookies

  • Prep Time: 1 hours 50 mins
  • Cook Time: 11 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hours 1 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 200 g soft light brown sugar
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 225 g butter, soft
  • 2 eggs, free range
  • 360 g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 350 g Cadbury's Dairy Milk (or any other chocolate you like), chopped
  • 100 g hazelnuts or other nuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. To start making your chocolate chip cookie dough, put your two sugars and the soft butter in a large bowl and mix for 5-10 minutes with an electric mixer, until it’s fluffy and pale in colour. This will beat air into the mix, which will help with the cookies’ thickness.
  2. Once you’re happy with the sugar and butter mix, beat in the eggs, one at a time and until fully combined.
  3. Sieve the dry ingredients (the flour, bicarbonate and salt) and add to the cookie mixture. Mix until combined, but don’t over-beat at this stage, this could make your cookies tough.
  4. To finish your chocolate chip cookie dough, add in the chopped Dairy Milk bars and chopped up hazelnuts (if using), and again combine with a wooden spoon, trying not to over-mix.
  5. Spoon the mixture onto a plate (you could place them directly onto the lined baking tray, just make sure it will fit in the freezer), making 12 ‘balls’ – don’t push them down or try to shape them at all, if the cookie mixture is tall now it’ll help the cookies keep some height when they’re baked.
  6. Put the cookie dough balls in the freezer for a minimum of one hour. While they’re in the freezer, pre-heat your oven to 180°C if it’s a fan oven, or 190°C if it’s a traditional oven.
  7. Place the frozen cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil (baking parchment will do, too, but I find that the tin foil gives me better results). The cookies should be at least 1.5 inches apart – they’ll need space to spread. If your tray doesn't fit them all comfortably, keep half of the cookies in the freezer and cook in two batches.
  8. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, take them out of the oven and leave to rest on the baking tray for another 15 minutes. They will be very squidgy and soft when you take them out of the oven – this is okay, they’ll set as they cool, and hold their shape but keep a gooey centre.

Notes

These cookies are just the BESTEST. Chunky, with a gooey centre and crunchy outside. I have baked this cookie recipe more times than any other (except for my brownies, of course) and they haven't let me down yet.