These Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies are thick, yet soft, melt in your mouth cookies full of chunks of rich chocolate and chopped pecans. Better than bakery cookies they will put you on the top of the list with your cookie loving friends.
Look at those beauties. Now these are chocolate chip cookies. I have the secret to good thick cookies that melt in your mouth! You are going to love them.

I always split my batch in half. One half with pecans and one half without. Are you a nut lover or are you a lovers nut? Whatever the case may be prepare accordingly.
How to make Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies!
First in a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set this aside as you will get back to it very soon.
Using a mixer cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. This may take several minutes to get the butter and sugar light and fluffy. Add vanilla and the eggs, one at a time mixing just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts mixing just until combined. Make sure you scrape down the beater and bowl to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips and the pecans. Spoon on to parchment covered cookie sheets and bake just until the tops start to brown.
Let cool for ten minutes and then move to cookie cooling racks. Store in airtight containers. Look at those beauties! Makes you want a few, doesn’t it?

These gorgeous Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect for anytime of the year. They are just right for a birthday party, neighborhood shindig, potluck or holiday party.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Always preheat your oven and load your cookies in the center of the oven.
- Use real unsalted sweet cream butter.
- Make sure you cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. However do not over-mix. Butter and sugar is over-mixed when the butter begins to separate.
- Use good quality chocolate. It really does make a difference.
- If you do not like pecans, try walnuts or omit them all together.
- Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats.
- For optimum results bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Use multiple cookie sheets or let the single cookie sheet cool before dropping more dough on it as a warm cookie sheet can cause cookies to spread too fast.
- Bake just until lightly browned. Chocolate Chip Cookies are best just slightly under cooked…or at least in opinion.
- Last but not least and perhaps the most important tip of all. Bake a few cookies off on a test run. If they spread too fast refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours and test again. If they do not spread enough gently press the rounded spoonfuls of dough down with the palm of your hand and test again.

These extraordinary cookies are perfect for any occasion whether it be small or large. Are you baking this holiday season? If so put these delights on your cookie list and let me know what you think. Go ahead! I know you want them. What’s stopping you?
Other cookie recipes you will love!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 2 4 ounce bars Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bars chopped.
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside. In stand mixer on medium speed cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time mixing just until incorporated.
- Add dry mixture slowly to butter mixture. Scraping bowl several times. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons on to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until the tops start to brown.
Notes
- If you would like to do half the batch without nuts you will only need 1/2 cup of nuts. Mix in after you have baked off 1/2 of the cookies.
- Always preheat your oven and load your cookies in the center of the oven.
- Use real unsalted sweet cream butter.
- Make sure you cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. However do not over-mix. Butter and sugar is over-mixed when the butter begins to separate.
- Use good quality chocolate. It really does make a difference.
- If you do not like pecans, try walnuts or omit them all together.
- Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats.
- For optimum results bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Use multiple cookie sheets or let the single cookie sheet cool before dropping more dough on it as a warm cookie sheet can cause cookies to spread too fast.
- Bake just until lightly browned. Chocolate Chip Cookies are best just slightly under cooked…or at least in opinion.
- Last but not least and perhaps the most important tip of all. Bake a few cookies off on a test run. If they spread too fast refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours and test again. If they do not spread enough gently press the rounded spoonfuls of dough down with the palm of your hand and test again.
Nutrition
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This post was originally published November 30, 2015 and was republished September 1, 2019 with new content.
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Melanie Cummings
Does this really only use 1/2 cup of butter? My other recipes with similar ingredients use 1/2 lb [1 cup] of butter. Just double checking. Thanks!
Beth Pierce
They are a thicken chunkier cookie. That is why they only have 1/2 cup butter. Most people love them but I had a women a couple of weeks ago that did not like them at all.
Shannon
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made. Yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Shannon! So glad that you liked them!
Judy K DuPree
Hi Ms. Pierce, I can’t wait to try your cookie recipe for family gatherings! Did you sift your all purpose flour?
Beth Pierce
No but I spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a table knife.
G Crago
Turned out great, thanks so much. Made a half batch. Used Trader Joe’s semi sweet chocolate chunks, had some that needed to be used. Cooked them longer, about 15 minutes?, maybe my oven is not as hot.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! So glad that you liked them. There is a always a little variance when it comes to baking cookies.
Kelly
Delicious cookies! The only Chocolate chip cookies I make! Can I sub all purpose flour with self rising flour and leave out the salt and baking soda? If so how much should I use to replace the 2 1/4 cups of flour? Thank you!
Beth Pierce
I don’t use self rising flour so I needed to do a little research. Here is what I pulled “There are some cases in which you can substitute the same amount of self-rising flour for the amount of all-purpose flour called for in a recipe. If a recipe calls for ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of baking powder per 1 cup of all-purpose flour, it’s safe to swap in self-rising flour.” It does appear that it would be an even swap so I can not advise it.
Brad Weesner
These are just awful!! I cannot seem to get them in the oven – I’m eating the raw dough before I can get them onto cookie sheets! These are gonna be excellent. Don’t yell at me for eating raw dough, just try mixing this up, you will see.
OK, my first batch just came out of the oven. and they are excellent. Perhaps a little less sweet, and definitely more gourmet. I added a bit more pecans and chopped chocolate.
Really well done recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Brad! So glad that you liked them. I love your sense of humor! Nothing wrong with more chocolate and pecans! 😉
Lisa B
Can I use the chocolate chips instead of the bars? If so, how much do you recommend I use?
Beth Pierce
Yes you can. Use 2 cups.
Beth Pierce
Be sure to read my helpful tips.
Andrea
They look so good and I really love the chunks of chocolate.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Andrea!
Jas
Nothing better than homemade chocolate chip cookies. I love them soft and gooey. Ghirardelli chocolate makes a huge difference. The only brand I use. 🙂
Beth Neels
Wow! These are so thick! Mine always flatten out when they bake. Can’t wait to try your tips and sinking my teeth into these babies!