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

    Hey Angel! Thanks for taking the time to comment :)

    We haven’t tested the recipe with the alterations you suggested – my guess is that they will create slightly different cookies, but they may well work. If you substitute self-raising for all purpose flour, you will get slightly less rise from the cookies – they’ll be a little smaller and denser. Reducing the sugar will give you a less crispy outside, and the cookies won’t brown as quickly, you may have to cook for a little bit longer. Coconut oil should be able to replace butter without too much of a difference to the cookie texture, you may just be able to taste the coconut oil flavour (sounds delicious to me!).

    If you do try these changes, let us know how you get on! :)

  • Ines - Author on

    Hey Ceri. Ah, that would be because you made 30 cookies – the recipe is for 12-14 so yours would have been a bit smaller, which is why they baked faster :)

    So glad you enjoyed the recipe! <3

    Ines

  • Ines - Author on

    Hi Zainab and Geoff.

    Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 180°C (356°F) if it’s a fan-assisted oven, or 190°C (374°F) if it’s a conventional oven. 12 minutes for a cookie that is still quite soft in the middle once cooled, or 14 if you’d like them a little more crunchy! Make sure the oven has had long enough to pre-heat – the cookies won’t set if the oven isn’t properly hot.

  • Zainab on

    At what temperature should we bake the cookies….

  • Ceri on

    Mine looked cakey so i took them out at 10 minutes. Waiting for them to set to see if it helps. Honestly so good crispy outside and goey inside glad i took them out early also I made 30 cookies each being a table spoon



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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’. Each should weigh around 100g - if you're doing this by eye, use a large tablespoon as your measure for each cookie ball. These balls will be your cookies. Don’t push them down or try to shape them at all, we will bake them as frozen balls - 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. Honestly, the longer the better - I often leave them in overnight.
  7. When you're ready to bake - once the cookie dough is well and truly chilled (or even better, frozen) - pre-heat your oven to 180°C (356°F) if it's fan-assisted, or 190°C (374°F) if it's a conventional oven.
  8. 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.
  9. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 180°C (356°F) if it's a fan-assisted oven, or 190°C (374°F) if it's a conventional oven. 12 minutes for a cookie that is still quite soft in the middle once cooled, or 14 if you'd like them a little more crispy. 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 BEST. 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.