I set out to recreate the Bakery-Style Panera Bread favorite and ended up with a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie loaded with semi-sweet chunks and milk chocolate flakes that surprised even me.

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I can’t stop wondering how one cookie can feel like dessert and a dare at the same time. I made a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie inspired by bakery pan favorites, and honestly it might be the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe I’ve tried.

I used unsalted butter softened and big semi sweet chocolate chunks to get that bakery chew, and the top actually cracks in a way that makes you want to steal a piece before it cools. It’s not what you’d expect from a cookie, its size and texture mess with your brain in a very delicious way.

You’ll want to try it.

Ingredients

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Rich in fat and calories, gives tenderness and flavor, little protein, no carbs.
Adds molasses sweetness, high in carbs, minimal nutrients, helps cookies brown well.
Bind ingredients, give structure and moisture, good source of protein and fat.
Main carb and structure, mostly starch, little fiber, not very nutritious alone.
Lower protein than AP flour, yields softer crumb, subtle tender texture in cookies.
Provide flavor and pockets of melted chocolate, adds fat and sugar, some antioxidants.
Brightens sweetness, adds crunch and complexity, tiny minerals, still mostly sodium though.

Ingredient Quantities

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour (for that bakery soft texture)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chunks

1 cup milk chocolate flakes or chips

flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; this keeps them from spreading too much and makes cleanup easy.

2. In a large bowl cream 2 sticks (1 cup) softened unsalted butter with 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes with a hand or stand mixer.

3. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, mixing after each, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until combined.

4. In another bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cake flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt so it’s evenly distributed.

5. Add the dry mix to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing just until no big streaks of flour remain; don’t overmix or you’ll get tough cookies.

6. Fold in 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chunks and 1 cup milk chocolate flakes, saving a few chunks/flakes to press onto the tops before baking for a bakery look.

7. Chill the dough at least 30 minutes in the fridge, up to 24 hours; chilling firms the dough so these giant cookies stay tall and get a soft bakery texture.

8. Scoop large rounds of dough (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup each) onto the lined sheets, leaving plenty of space, gently flatten them a little and press reserved chunks on top.

9. Bake on the middle rack 12 to 16 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look a bit soft; rotate pans halfway if your oven bakes unevenly.

10. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using, let the cookies cool on the sheet about 8 to 10 minutes so they finish cooking, then transfer to a wire rack to cool more.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (set to 350°F)
2. 2 baking sheets, lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Mixing bowls (at least 2 — one for wet, one for dry) <-- remove em dash; adjust 4. Stand mixer or hand mixer (or a strong wooden spoon if youre going old school) 5. Measuring cups and spoons 6. Whisk and a rubber spatula 7. Cookie scoop or a 1/3 to 1/2 cup measure for shaping 8. Wire cooling rack 9. Refrigerator-safe bowl or plastic wrap for chilling the dough

FAQ

Q: Do I have to chill the dough? A: Chill it if you can, yes. 30 minutes helps control spread, 2 to 24 hours is even better for flavor and texture. If you bake right away the cookies will be flatter and a bit more greasy, but still tasty.

Q: Whats the best size and baking time for "giant" cookies? A: For really giant cookies scoop about 1/3 to 1/2 cup dough each. Bake at 350°F (175°C): 1/3 cup scoops about 12 to 15 minutes, 1/2 cup scoops 15 to 18 minutes. Edges should be golden, center still soft, let them cool on the sheet 10 minutes before moving.

Q: Can I swap the cake flour for more all purpose flour? A: Yes, you can use only all purpose, the cookies will be a touch less tender. To mimic cake flour: for every 1 cup cake flour substitute 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all purpose plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe just using extra AP is fine.

Q: How do I stop the cookies from turning out flat and greasy? A: Dont overcream the butter and sugar, measure flour by spooning and leveling, chill the dough, and dont use butter that's too soft. The cornstarch in the recipe also helps keep them puffy.

Q: Can I freeze the dough or the baked cookies? A: Yes. Freeze scooped dough on a tray until solid then bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, add 2 to 4 minutes to the time. Baked cookies freeze well too, store in an airtight container up to 2 months, thaw at room temp.

Q: Do I have to use both kinds of chocolate and should I add flaky sea salt? A: You dont have to use both, but mixing semi sweet chunks and milk chocolate flakes gives better texture and pockets of melty sweetness. Nuts are fine too if you like. Sprinkle flaky sea salt right after baking for a pro bakery finish, its optional but awesome.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter use the same 1 cup but cut the added salt to 1/2 teaspoon; cookies may taste a bit saltier and brown a touch more.
Cake flour: No cake flour? Use 7 tablespoons all purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch in place of the 1/2 cup called for — youll keep that soft, bakery crumb.
Cornstarch: Swap with potato starch or arrowroot 1:1 (so 1 tablespoon here), they still tenderize the cookie though arrowroot may brown less.
Chocolate chunks/flakes: Chop semisweet chocolate bars or use chips instead of chunks; you can mix semisweet, milk or dark to adjust sweetness, just keep the total at about 3 cups combined.

Pro Tips

1) Chill twice if you can — scoop the dough, put the scoops on a tray and chill again before baking. It sounds like a pain but it keeps them from flattening out, and you get those tall, soft centers everyone loves. Dont skip this if your kitchen is warm.

2) Measure flour the right way, spoon it into the cup and level it off, don’t pack it. Too much flour = cakey or dry cookies, too little = soup. Also whisk the dry stuff well so the baking soda and salt are spread evenly, little clumps will mess with the rise.

3) Use an oven thermometer and bake on the middle rack, rotate pans if your oven has hot spots. Pull them when the edges are just set and the centers still look soft, they finish while cooling on the sheet. If you overbake theyll be dry, so err on the side of slightly underdone.

4) Finish with flaky sea salt right after they come out, it makes the chocolate pop. For storage put a slice of bread in the cookie tin to keep them soft, or reheat single cookies for 7–10 seconds in the microwave to get that fresh-out-of-the-oven gooeyness back.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I set out to recreate the Bakery-Style Panera Bread favorite and ended up with a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie loaded with semi-sweet chunks and milk chocolate flakes that surprised even me.

Servings

servings

Calories

351

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (set to 350°F)
2. 2 baking sheets, lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Mixing bowls (at least 2 — one for wet, one for dry) <-- remove em dash; adjust 4. Stand mixer or hand mixer (or a strong wooden spoon if youre going old school) 5. Measuring cups and spoons 6. Whisk and a rubber spatula 7. Cookie scoop or a 1/3 to 1/2 cup measure for shaping 8. Wire cooling rack 9. Refrigerator-safe bowl or plastic wrap for chilling the dough

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour (for that bakery soft texture)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chunks
1 cup milk chocolate flakes or chips
flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; this keeps them from spreading too much and makes cleanup easy.
In a large bowl cream 2 sticks (1 cup) softened unsalted butter with 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes with a hand or stand mixer.
Add 2 large eggs one at a time, mixing after each, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until combined.
In another bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cake flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt so it's evenly distributed.
Add the dry mix to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing just until no big streaks of flour remain; don't overmix or you'll get tough cookies.
Fold in 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chunks and 1 cup milk chocolate flakes, saving a few chunks/flakes to press onto the tops before baking for a bakery look.
Chill the dough at least 30 minutes in the fridge, up to 24 hours; chilling firms the dough so these giant cookies stay tall and get a soft bakery texture.
Scoop large rounds of dough (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup each) onto the lined sheets, leaving plenty of space, gently flatten them a little and press reserved chunks on top.
Bake on the middle rack 12 to 16 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look a bit soft; rotate pans halfway if your oven bakes unevenly.
Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using, let the cookies cool on the sheet about 8 to 10 minutes so they finish cooking, then transfer to a wire rack to cool more.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.