There are some foods that are contested, and chocolate chip cookies are one of them. There are purest who love the recipe printed on the back of Nestle chocolate chip bag and others who love the crispy bite that comes with thin chocolate chip cookies. But honestly, nothing amplifies the elements of a chocolate chip cookie quite like this recipe for Thick and Molten Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies bake up both crispy and tender, with mix-ins that are equally contrasting and intriguing to eat!

When one thinks of thick cookies the image of Crumbl cookies appears, having become synonymous with thick decadent cookies, yet it didn’t start with them. The predecessor Levain paved the way in the late 1990s by selling ginormous cookies. While it may be seen as decadent and over the top, once you have a bite of this version of chocolate chip cookies, there’s no going back.

What makes chocolate chip cookies thick, tender, and molten?

Cake Flour and Cornstarch: The low gluten content of the cake flour in combination with the cornstarch lowers how much gluten is developed in the dough, making for a more tender, softer cookie.

Brown Sugar: Unlike thin cookies which have a higher percentage of granulated sugar, thick chocolate chip cookies rely on brown sugar, which has a higher moisture content than granulated sugar.

Egg Yolks: This additional ingredient adds extra fat and moistness to the cookie without compromising the taste and texture.

Double the Dough: More dough equals bigger cookies. Each portion of these thick cookies has double the amount of dough in comparison to a thin and crispy cookie. How the dough is shaped helps with the thickness. Piling the dough high into a mini mountain or thick hockey-puck shape makes for a thicker cookie.

Temperature: A quick baking time at a high temperature bakes the outside but prevents the inside from drying out and keeps the cookies from spreading. Unlike thin or classic chocolate chip cookies, thick ones cook at a higher temperature for a shorter period.

Mix-ins: The addition of eating chocolate (not baking chocolate) will give you that molten, melty chocolate interior. In contrast, the optional addition of chopped nuts keeps the cookies from spreading as well.

The dough needs a bit of chilling, this will prevent the cookies from spreading. Use a 1/3 dry measuring cup to portion out the dough. Don’t flatten the dough or else you’ll lose the thickness of the cookies. You want to look for cookies that are brown on the top and not spread out.

The crucial factor in getting thick cookies is letting the cookies rest on the baking trays for as long as possible. The gentle residual heat continues to bake the cookies without them spreading.

These Thick and Molten Chocolate Chip Cookies are dripping with decadence in the best possible way. The exterior is slightly crispy, while the interior is tender and soft.

A trio of chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and walnuts create a great contrast — the walnuts and chocolate chips have a firm bite while the chopped chocolate melts into the dough.

These are definitely a treat, and their gigantic size is a fun presentation to bring to a special event or give as a gift. Despite the size of these cookies, you won’t want to share.