Big, Chewy Costco Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are the homemade version of the giant chocolate chip cookies from the Costco food court. Thick, buttery, and absolutely packed with chunks of chocolate, they bake up with crisp edges and a soft, chewy center. A single batch makes eight oversized cookies, the kind you want with a cold glass of milk or straight off the cooling rack while the chocolate is still warm.
The dough comes together fast with ingredients you already have. No chilling, no waiting, just a reliable recipe that gives you that bakery case look without any fuss.
What Makes These So Good
The texture is the real win here. Crisp, golden edges give way to a thick, tender middle that stays soft for days. Brown sugar and cold butter do the heavy lifting, creating deep caramel notes and a chew that never turns cakey.
I keep coming back to this recipe because it hits exactly the same spot as the original. The chocolate stays melty in the center even after the cookies cool, and the whole thing feels substantial without being heavy.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt: brings out the sweetness without making them salty
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 226g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed: cold butter keeps the cookies from spreading too thin
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar: the molasses gives that signature chew
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, straight from the fridge: cold eggs help maintain the dough temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (340g) semi-sweet chocolate chunks: chop a block of good chocolate into big, uneven pieces for those gooey pockets
Variations and Substitutions
- Milk or dark chocolate: use any chocolate you like, but keep the chunks big so they don’t melt away into the dough.
- Nutty twist: fold 1 cup of toasted walnuts or pecans in with the chocolate.
- Dairy-free: swap the butter for a plant-based stick butter and use dairy-free chocolate.
For an even thicker, style of cookie, try our Levain-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies.
How to Make Costco Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt. A quick whisk now means no pockets of baking soda later, so take the 20 seconds and break up any lumps.
The flour mixture should look even with no visible streaks of baking soda.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars
Drop the 1 cup cold cubed butter into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for exactly 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once halfway through. The mixture will look chunky at first but will eventually come together into a sandy, paste-like mass.
You are not trying to make it fluffy or light, just thoroughly combined. That coarse texture is what gives the cookies their dense, chewy structure.
Step 3: Add the Eggs and Vanilla
Crack the 2 cold eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in the 2 tsp vanilla and beat until the mixture smooths out and lightens a shade in color, about 1 minute.
You will notice the texture change from grainy to a creamy, cohesive batter. Stop as soon as it looks uniform so you don’t overwork the butter.
Step 4: Mix in the Dry Ingredients and Chocolate
Dump the flour mixture into the bowl all at once. Mix on low speed just until the flour mostly disappears, then add the 2 cups chocolate chunks. Beat a few seconds more until no dry patches remain, scraping the bottom to catch any hiding flour. The dough will be very thick.
Turn off the mixer the moment the dough comes together. Overmixing now can make the cookies tough, so a few streaks of flour vanishing is your cue to stop.
Step 5: Scoop and Bake the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a large cookie scoop or your hands to divide the dough into 8 equal mounds. Place them at least 3 inches apart on the sheets, 4 per pan. Bake one pan at a time on the middle rack for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and the centers look slightly underdone and pale.
The cookies will spread into thick, craggy circles. Pull the pan from the oven and let them rest on the hot sheet for 5 full minutes, then slide a spatula underneath and move them to a wire rack. They will set and sink slightly as they cool, with the chocolate still glossy and soft.
A Few Notes Before You Start
- Chop the chocolate from a block instead of using chips. The uneven shards melt into sheets and puddles, which gives you that signature look.
- Err on the side of underbaking. If the edges are golden and the middle jiggles just a little, they are done. They finish setting outside the oven.
- For extra thick cookies, pop the shaped dough mounds in the freezer for 10 minutes while the oven heats.
- If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe to 1/2 tsp.
Bake times by cookie size:
| Cookie size | Dough per cookie | Bake time |
|---|---|---|
| Oversized (8 total) | about 1/2 cup | 12-14 minutes |
| Standard (16 total) | about 1/4 cup | 9-11 minutes |
Keeping the Cookies Fresh
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. A slice of bread tucked into the container will keep them soft.
For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Reheat a frozen cookie in the microwave for 10 seconds to bring the chocolate back to life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chocolate chips instead of chunks?
Yes. The cookies will still be delicious, but you won’t get those big, flat pools of melted chocolate. Regular semi-sweet chips work just fine.
How do I freeze the dough?
Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen mounds to a bag and bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
Too-soft butter is the usual culprit. Make sure your butter is straight from the fridge and cubed cold, not room temperature. Warm dough spreads, so work quickly and don’t skip the cold eggs.
Can I make these smaller?
Yes. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls and bake for 9 to 11 minutes at the same temperature. The yield and bake time shift, but the texture stays the same.
Costco Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the cold butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until sandy and combined, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, beating until smooth.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on low just until combined, then fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Scoop the dough into 8 large mounds on lined baking sheets, 4 per pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 14 minutes until edges are deeply golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
