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Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gooey chocolate chip cookies with a molten, soft center achieved by chilling the dough and baking until edges are just golden. Melted semi-sweet chocolate pools inside every bite for long chocolate strings when you pull a warm cookie apart.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 0.75 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Mix-ins and topping
  • 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped
  • 1 flaky sea salt for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl until evenly combined. The mixture should look uniform with no visible clumps.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk melted unsalted butter and both sugars until glossy. Whisk in the large egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and thick.
Combine and fold
  1. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until the dough comes together. Fold in the chopped semi-sweet chocolate so the pieces are evenly distributed.
Chill dough
  1. Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour. The dough should firm up and look slightly thicker for easier scooping.
Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line sheet pans with parchment paper. The oven should be fully preheated so the centers stay soft.
  2. Scoop 3-tablespoon balls onto the parchment-lined sheets, spacing them apart. Keep dough balls roughly the same size for even spread.
  3. Bake for 9-10 minutes until edges are just golden and centers look very soft. The tops may look slightly underdone, but they will set as they cool.
Finish and serve
  1. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the warm cookies right after baking. You should see the salt adhere as the cookies are still glossy.
  2. Cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes before serving warm. The centers will remain gooey while the edges set.

Notes

For extra gooey pull-apart centers, avoid overbaking—pull the cookies when edges are barely golden and the centers still look soft. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. For a dietary swap, use a plant-based butter stick in the same amount for a dairy-free version (texture may be slightly less rich).