The Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookie: Secrets to making it chewy, crispy, AND gooey

Here’s how to make your favorite bakery chocolate chip cookie at home.

Everyone’s idea of the perfect chocolate chip cookie looks a little different. Maybe you like them cake-y, chewy, or crispy.

Whatever your cookie style, Madison Reid says there’s a science to the sweet. Whether you’re a chewy fan or a crispy-crunchy connoisseur, we’ll guide you through the perfect recipe to match your cookie preferences, and we’re kicking it all off with a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie.

A bakery style cookie is thin and chewy, crispy yet gooey. It’s rippled with chocolate chips and a hint of fine sea salt.

But how do you create this irresistible texture and flavor in your own kitchen? It’s all about the cookie chemistry! The key lies in the clever use of two different types of flour: cake flour and bread flour.

The Magic of Two Flours

Here’s the science part: cake flour is lower in protein, which means it creates a delicate and tender texture. Bread flour, on the other hand, is higher in protein and adds structure and chewiness to the dough. When you mix the two, you get the perfect balance of tenderness and chew. The result? A thin, chewy cookie with crispy edges and that gooey, irresistible center. It’s the best of both worlds!

But that’s not all. The combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar also plays a major role in getting the right texture. Brown sugar adds moisture and a deep, caramel-like flavor, while granulated sugar helps the cookie crisp up around the edges. It’s this blend of sugars that creates the ideal cookie structure—slightly crisp on the outside, but soft and gooey on the inside.

Chill Time: The Dough’s Best Friend

Here’s a step you don’t want to skip: chilling your dough. Before baking, let the dough rest in the fridge. Chilling the dough solidifies the fat, which slows down how much the cookies spread during baking. This results in cookies with concentrated flavor and the perfect texture—thin, chewy, crispy, and gooey all at once. Plus, letting the dough chill gives the flour time to fully hydrate, which makes the cookies even better.

Trust us, chilling is a step you’ll want to take in a lot of cookie recipes—whether you’re making sugar cookies, basic chocolate chip cookies, or anything else. The time you spend chilling the dough is totally worth it for that perfect, chewy texture.

The Perfect Bake

When it’s time to bake, don’t just throw the cookies in and forget about them. Monitor the baking time closely! You want to bake them until the edges are just lightly golden while keeping that gooey center intact. Once they’re done, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them. This allows the cookies to set up just right without becoming over-baked.

Find Madi’s notes on her website, here.

Thin and Chewy Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Madison Reid

Total Time: 3 hours 27 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Servings: 24

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 ounces bitter sweet chocolate chips **one bag**

METHOD

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine both 1 1/2 cup bread flour and 1 1/2 cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Set aside.
2. Add 1 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until softened.
3. Add both 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar and mix until combined. Once combined, turn the speed up on the mixer to high and beat for 1-2 minutes until lighter in color and fluffy in texture.
4. Fold in 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, mix on low until combined.
5. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour the dry ingredients in. Mix only until the dough comes together. Be careful not to over-mix.
6. Fold in the 12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
7. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1-3 hours minimum. You can also leave in the fridge for up to 3 days.
8. Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
9. Scoop the dough with a large cookie scoop (1 1/2-2 tablespoons each) onto light metal colored cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper.
10. Bake for 11-12 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden.
11. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

Find more recipes from Madison on Instagram, @_mrs.madi_, or on her website, mrsmadi.com.