This easy chocolate chip cookie recipe uses bread flour for a chewy, bakery-style texture
It started as a taste for chocolate chip cookies but evolved into a craving. Not just any craving—a craving for those soft, melty Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookies they used to serve on military bases and at every high school bake sale known to man. If you’ve ever been in a school cafeteria line with $1.25 and dreams, you know the cookie I’m talking about.
But then I made the mistake of looking up the actual Otis Spunkmeyer recipe.
Let me tell you something. Otis is doing the most.
Milk powder. Complicated steps. Ingredients nobody has unless they work in a bakery or summon cookies from a cauldron. Otis, respectfully—ain’t nobody got time for that. I don’t know who’s keeping milk powder in their cabinets, but it’s not me. I’ve got diapers, cereal, and hope.
So I said forget the frills. I wanted a cookie that hit all the same nostalgic notes—chewy, soft, rich in flavor, perfectly golden—but with ingredients I already had in my kitchen.
Batch after batch, I tested. Some too puffy or too flat and some that tasted like sadness.
But then, it happened. The stars aligned. I swapped in bread flour, added a trio of granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and dark brown sugar, and went heavy with the vanilla like I meant it. I took a bite and had to sit down.
That was it.
That was the cookie.
My veteran husband approved it on the spot—said it tasted like coming home. The kids nearly rioted over who got the last one. And me? I finally had that cookie. The one that made me the legend of every bake sale, PTA meeting, and toddler birthday party. The one that brings all the toddlers to the yard… and then sends them home on a sugar high.
Kitchen Tools I Actually Use
- This hand mixer – I have a stand mixer, but this baby handles cookie dough like a dream and is way easier to clean.
- My stainless steel mixing bowls with rubber bottoms – Because a bowl that skates across your counter is a bowl I don’t trust.
- (This post contains affiliate links because mama’s trying to keep the cookie fund stocked.)
Make-Ahead Tips for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bread Flour
- Chill the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze dough balls on a tray, then bag and store for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen—just add 2 minutes to your bake time.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft and dreamy for up to 5 days.
Substitutions & Variations
- No bread flour? Use all-purpose, but the chew factor will suffer a little. Still delicious, just less bakery-style.
- Allergy-friendly: Use plant-based butter and chocolate chips + flax eggs (1 tbsp flax + 2.5 tbsp water per egg).
- Add-ins: Walnuts, sea salt flakes, or even white chocolate if you’re feeling fancy.
- Want drama? Swap out a few chocolate chips for dark chunks. This cookie can handle it.
The One True Pairing With the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
This cookie was made for milk. Real, cold, fresh milk. I don’t care if it’s 2%, whole, or served in a dinosaur mug. The point is—this cookie and milk are a soulmates. You bite, you sip, you exhale. That’s the vibe.
If you love chocolate chip cookies like my family does then you will love our other cookie recipes
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Now go make the cookie. The one you’ve been craving. The one Otis wishes he came up with.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
24
Cookies15
minutes10
minutes25
minutesYou’ll love the chewy centers with slightly crispy edges that you will get from this cookie recipe.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar (for crisp edges)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (for soft texture and mild molasses flavor)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar (for deep molasses flavor)
2 Eggs (large)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup bread flour (for chewiness and less spread)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and dark brown sugar together until creamy and well-blended, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, mixing until just combined.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually mix these into the creamed mixture until just incorporated.
- Stir in chocolate chips: Fold in the chocolate chips and espresso powder if using.
- Chill the dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour to help control the spread and intensify the flavors.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop and bake: Scoop the dough using a 2-tablespoon measure onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning brown but the centers are still soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Camille’s Notes
- Why Bread Flour is Ideal for Cookies
Bread flour makes cookies chewier because it has more protein than all-purpose flour. This protein helps the cookies stay thick and soft in the middle while keeping the edges crispy. If you like a bakery-style cookie, try bread flour. If not, stick to all-purpose flour—it works great too!
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