Soft Thick Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Without Baking Soda Or Powder
Thick centers, crisp edges and a moist crumb these chewy chocolate chip cookies are just as addictive as their chemically leavened counterparts. Soft and rich, this cookie recipe without baking soda or powder will still be a raving success! No chilling needed either if you’re in a bind!
Equipment
- hand mixer or stand mixer w/ paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (250 g)
- 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour (15 g)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (Note 1)
- 2 tsp cornstarch (Note 2)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (150 g)
- ½ cup white sugar (100 g)
- ¾ cup butter (170 g) softened to room temperature (Note 3)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (or semisweet chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Note 4)
Combine Dry ingredients
- Add flour, salt and cornstarch. Whisk to combine
Combine Wet Ingredients
- Using a handheld whisk or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium-high until lighter in color, homogenous and no sugar clumps. Make sure your butter is cool to the touch and not overly soft before creaming. About 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. (Note 5)
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Whisk another 1-2 minutes. Batter should be lighter and creamy.
Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Add the flour in two rounds, mixing gently by hand with a spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix!
- Stir in the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips), reserving a handful to place on the tops of the cookies after baking.
Roll and Bake
- The cookie dough should resemble soft playdough. Using your hands roll them into balls about 1.5 Tbsps (45 g) each. (Note 6) (Note 7)
- Place cookie balls about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown but the centers are still soft and underbaked. Place some extra chocolate chunks/chips on top of the cookies for looks (optional). (Note 8)
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Notes
- I like the hint of salt in my cookies. Feel free to use ½ tsp of salt for a sweeter cookie.
- The cornstarch ensures the cookies bake up thick and soft. You can also omit this if you want. Cookies are still pretty thick and soft.
- Make sure your butter is cool to the touch and not overly soft. Butter should be about 65°F (18°C). When pressing down with your finger, there should be some give but still feel pretty solid. If it’s squishy like playdough, it’s too soft and won’t aerate as well which would mean dense cookies.
- I prefer to use a darker pan for a little more color at the bottom. Feel free to use a light colored pan. It will produce less browning.
- Creaming your butter and sugar enough is more important than ever since we use no baking soda or baking powder here. Always cream for 2-3 minutes if not longer. The butter and sugars should change to a paler yellow and look creamy due to the air we’ve whipped into it.
- The cookie dough should be soft but dry enough to work with. If it’s too sticky and soft, add 1-2 tablespoons more of flour but no more (or else you’ll end up with dense cookies).
- Since there are no leaveners, I won’t recommend making your cookies larger than 45 g. Anything larger runs the risk of a denser cookie since the steam won’t last long enough for the extra bake time.
- Always take out your cookies when it’s still soft and not quite cooked in the middle. Or risk hard cookies. They will continue to cook on the pan when you remove them. The edges should look cooked though.
Storing Tips
Cookies stay fresh up to 5 days in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to a week and let it warm up to room temperature before eating. Freeze cookie dough in balls for up to 2 months. Leave them on the counter for 15 minutes before baking. Freeze baked cookies in your freezer for up to 2 months and place on the counter to defrost for 15 minutes. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds for a “freshly baked” taste. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!