Chick-fil-A Chocolate Chip Cookie Copycat Recipe

This Chick-fil-A chocolate chip cookie recipe gives you that same thick, soft-centered cookie with crisp edges you get from the drive-through, made in your own oven. It’s a straightforward bake that takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, so it works on a weeknight when you want something sweet without a big project.

The cookies use a mix of bread flour and all-purpose flour to get that slight chew Chick-fil-A’s version is known for. A higher ratio of brown sugar keeps them soft for days.

Why I Love This Recipe

The texture is the thing. These come out with crisp, lacy edges and a center that stays soft even after they’ve cooled completely, because the brown sugar holds moisture better than white sugar does.

The dough also comes together in one bowl without a mixer. I keep coming back to this version because the ratio of butter to flour is just right. It bakes consistently without any fuss.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour – the base; spoon and level it, don’t scoop
• ¼ cup bread flour – adds chew and structure, like Chick-fil-A’s cookie
• 1 tsp baking soda – gives lift and helps the edges spread and brown
• 1 tsp fine sea salt – balances the sweetness; table salt works too
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened – room temperature, not melted; this controls spread
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar – keeps the cookies soft and adds a mild caramel flavor
• ¼ cup granulated sugar – helps with crisp edges and a slight crinkle on top
• 2 large eggs – one whole egg plus one yolk gives richness without spreading too much
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract – use real vanilla if you have it
• 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips – use a good quality chip; Ghirardelli holds its shape well

> Note on eggs: The recipe uses 2 large eggs total: 1 whole egg plus 1 additional yolk. Discard or save the extra white.

Variations / Substitutions

• Brown butter – Swap softened butter for cooled brown butter to get a deeper, nuttier flavor in the finished cookie.
• Dark chocolate chips – Replace the semi-sweet chips with 60% dark chocolate for a less sweet, more intense result.
• Gluten-free – Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend in place of both flours; skip the bread flour swap since it won’t add the same chew.
• Extra salt – Flaky salt (like Maldon) sprinkled on top right before baking adds a sharp contrast to the sweet dough.
• Dairy-free – Substitute vegan butter (stick-style, not spread) in equal quantities; the cookies will be slightly flatter but still good.
• Mix-ins – Replace ½ cup of the chocolate chips with chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and a slight bitterness.

If you like baking cookies at home, you might also enjoy a Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookie copycat recipe.

How To Make Chick-fil-A Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup bread flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp fine sea salt for about 20 seconds until evenly combined. Set the bowl aside.

This quick whisking makes sure the baking soda doesn’t clump in one spot, which would give you uneven lift across the batch.

Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars

In a large bowl, beat the 1 cup softened unsalted butter with the 1 cup packed light brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar using a hand mixer or wooden spoon. Mix on medium speed (or by hand) for about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks pale and slightly fluffy.

You’re looking for the color to lighten from deep caramel to a soft tan. If it still looks greasy and dark, keep going for another minute. Under-creamed butter leads to dense, flat cookies.

Step 3: Beat in the Eggs and Vanilla

Add 1 whole egg, 1 additional egg yolk, and 2 tsp pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth and no streaks of yolk remain.

The batter will look glossy and slightly thickened at this point. That extra yolk adds fat without extra water, which is what keeps the centers rich rather than cakey.

Step 4: Fold in the Flour Mixture and Chocolate Chips

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients all at once. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold until just combined, about 15 to 20 strokes. Stop when you no longer see dry flour. Add the 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips and fold them in with 5 to 6 more strokes.

Overmixing at this stage develops gluten and makes the cookies tough. A few small streaks of flour are fine because they’ll incorporate when the dough rests.

Step 5: Scoop and Chill the Dough

Scoop the dough into balls using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop (or about 2 heaping tablespoons per ball) and place them on a plate or tray. You should get about 18 to 20 dough balls. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 48 hours.

Cold dough spreads more slowly in the oven, which is what gives Chick-fil-A’s cookie that thick, puffed center rather than a thin crispy disk.

Step 6: Bake and Garnish the Cookies

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange the chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart, roughly 6 to 8 per sheet. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and set but the centers still look slightly underdone and matte. Pull them when the centers look soft — they’ll firm up as they cool on the pan.

Transfer the sheets to a wire rack. While the cookies are still hot, press 4 to 5 extra chocolate chips onto the top of each one so they show up in the finished cookie. Serve warm from the pan, with the chips visibly glossy and the edges a deep amber brown.

Recipe Tips

• Measure flour correctly. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Scooping directly from the bag packs in up to 20% extra flour, which makes the cookies dry and crumbly.
• Don’t skip the chill. Thirty minutes is the minimum; an overnight rest in the fridge deepens the flavor and gives you a thicker, more uniform cookie.
• Watch the bake closely after 10 minutes. Ovens vary. Pull the cookies when the centers look pale and slightly underset — they carry-over cook on the hot pan for another 5 minutes after you take them out.
• Use room-temperature butter. Press your finger into the stick; it should indent easily without sliding around. Cold butter won’t cream properly. Melted butter makes the cookies spread too thin.

Cook times by pan material and thickness:

Pan type	Cookie size	Bake time at 375°F
Light aluminum, rimmed	3 tbsp scoop	11 to 12 minutes
Dark nonstick	3 tbsp scoop	10 to 11 minutes
Light aluminum, rimmed	2 tbsp scoop (smaller)	9 to 10 minutes
Insulated/double-wall	3 tbsp scoop	13 to 14 minutes

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They stay soft because of the brown sugar ratio. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 10 days.
• Reheating – Warm a cookie in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to bring back the soft, fresh-baked texture.
• Freeze the dough – Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray until solid, then transfer to a zip-lock bag. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 13 to 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of the bread flour?

Yes. Replace the ¼ cup bread flour with an equal amount of all-purpose flour. The cookies will be slightly less chewy but still very good.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, up to 48 hours in the fridge. The flavor actually improves with a longer rest as the sugars and flour hydrate together.

Why are my cookies spreading too flat?

The most likely cause is butter that was too soft or slightly melted before creaming. Make sure the butter is cool enough to hold its shape when pressed.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, it doubles without any changes to technique. Just bake in separate batches rather than crowding both racks at once, which can cause uneven browning.