If you're looking for a crispy chocolate chip cookie recipe that bakes up thin, golden, and perfectly crunchy, this foolproof method delivers every time. These thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies spread beautifully in the oven and stay crisp with rich buttery flavor in every bite.
🔍 Quick Look: Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🔥 Bake Time: 11-13 minutes
🕒 Total Time: About 25 minutes
🍪 Yield: About 20 thin crispy chocolate chip cookies
🥣 Tools: Mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper
🎉 Best For: Anyone who loves crispy, crunchy chocolate chip cookies
⭐ Difficulty: Easy (great for beginner and intermediate bakers)
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If you love cookies that bake up thin, golden, and perfectly crunchy, this recipe is for you. Unlike traditional soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, these cookies spread beautifully in the oven, creating delicate crisp edges and a rich, buttery texture in every bite.
Similar to chocolate chip cookie brittle, this recipe is perfect for anyone who prefers a thin and crispy texture while still enjoying the classic chocolate chip cookie flavor.
Just check out what one reader said about the recipe:
“Sooo good! Shared them with my neighbor and she asked for the recipe. Easy and ingredients you most likely already have. Thank you! This is my new go to.”
The secret to achieving this texture comes down to the ingredient ratios and baking technique. Using slightly less flour allows the dough to spread more, creating thinner cookies with crisp edges. A balanced ratio of brown sugar and granulated sugar helps reduce moisture and encourages crispness, while a small splash of liquid promotes even spreading and a lighter texture. Together, this creates a cookie that bake up thin, crisp, and golden!
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Quick and Easy! This recipe is super quick and easy. Similar to these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, this recipe does not require chilling the dough before baking and can be made using one bowl.
- Customizable! You can mix up the flavors by using dark or white chocolate, or a sprinkle of sea salt on top.
- Delicious! It's such a fun variation on the typical soft and chewy cookie.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Chocolate: For a classic flavor, Toll-house semi-sweet chocolate chips are a staple. But, if you prefer a more melty, gooey, or high end chocolate, you can use Ghirardelli or Guittard brand chocolate chips. You can also use chopped dark chocolate, milk chocolate bars, or chocolate chunks.
- Butter: This recipe calls for unsalted butter, but you can substitute salted by reducing the added salt by ¼ tsp. Make sure your butter is softened and at room temperature.
How to Make
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar 2-3 minutes in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
3. Mix in the water and vanilla until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
4. Add the egg and mix until fully combined but not overmixed.
5. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix the dough once the flour has been added.
6. Then, using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Spoon or drop 1-2 tablespoon balls of cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. A small ice cream scoop is helpful for getting even sized cookies, but don't overfill as the cookies will spread when baking. Keep them at least 2-3 inches apart when placing them on the cookie sheet.
8. Bake one sheet at a time in a preheated 350 ℉ oven for 11-13 minutes, or until brown and crispy around the edges. The longer you bake them, the firmer and crisper the whole cookie will be.
9. When done, remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes until they start to firm up. Then, move to a cooling rack. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool. Once cool and crisp, enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- For measuring flour use a kitchen scale or the spoon and swipe method of fluffing up the flour and then spooning into the measuring cups and swiping the excess off the top with a knife. If you dip the measuring cup directly into the flour it can pack down and you will add too much flour to the recipe and they won't have that light and crispy texture.
- Try using an ice cream scoop for the cookie dough to get even-sized cookies.
- These cookies spread a lot, so be sure to space them out at least 2-3 inches apart when baking.
- This recipe makes about 18 – 20 three inch cookies and can be halved for a small batch or doubled for a large batch of cookies.
FAQ
Unlike soft or chewy cookies, which should be stored in an airtight container, these cookies can be stored loosely covered in a container or on a plate. They can also be stored in the refrigerator as well as at room temperature.
These cookies will stay crispy about 2-3 days if stored loosely covered at room temperature.
Yes, you can easily add nuts for extra flavor and crunch. Stir in about ½ to ¾ cup of chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, when you add the chocolate chips. For best results, chop the nuts into smaller pieces so the cookies can still spread thin and bake evenly. Larger chunks or whole nuts can prevent spreading and make the cookies thicker.
Yes, the baked and cooled cookies can be frozen up to a month and the unbaked cookie dough can be frozen in balls up to a month. Just bake a few minutes longer until done.
More Chocolate Chip Cookies 🍪
If you love chocolate chip cookies, be sure to explore this collection of fun and unique chocolate chip cookie recipes, including:
Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Mixer
- Baking Sheet
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 128 grams
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter see notes for using salted
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp dark brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ tsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and set aside.
- Using a large bowl with a hand held mixer or standing mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in vanilla and water, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Then, add the egg and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix once the flour has been added.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Drop 1 to 2 tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart as the cookies will spread quite a bit while baking.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 11-13 minutes, or until the cookies are nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet about 5 minutes. Once they start to firm up, move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Once cool, enjoy!
Notes
- If using salted butter, decrease the added salt by 1/4 tsp.
- For measuring flour use a kitchen scale or the spoon and swipe method of fluffing up the flour and then spooning into the measuring cups and swiping the excess off the top with a knife.
- Try using an ice cream scoop for the cookie dough to get even sized cookies.
- These cookies spread a lot, so be sure to space them out at least 2-3 inches apart when baking.
- This recipe makes about 18 – 20 three inch cookies and can easily be halved or doubled as needed.
- The baked cookies will last 3-5 days loosely covered at room temperature.
Holla says
Just like a tootsie pop! Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Oven temps/times definitely vary. Sooo good! Shared them with my neighbor and she asked for the recipe. Easy and ingredients you most likely already have. Thank you! This is my new go to.
Sophia Assunta says
wonderful, so glad you like it!!
Phoebe Ford says
Great recipe, but my family likes added walnuts. Does this affect the crispy texture or outcome? Phoebe Ford pford@aol.com
Sophia Assunta says
Hi, I hope everyone enjoys this recipe as much as I do! You can read more user reviews on this Pinterest Pin for my Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies!