These buttery, GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookies, also known as Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies, boast perfectly soft, chewy centers that ripple out into crinkled, crispy edges. They’re HUGE in size (big-as-your-head!) and their flavor and texture is so crazy good – EVERYONE loves this recipe!
These GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookies are truly larger-than-life. They’re not only huge in size, but also extraordinary with rich, buttery flavor, gooey pools of chocolate, and a fantastic chewy-crispy texture. The recipe also boasts the most unique, fun “pan-banging” method for making them – it has you literally banging the baking pans on the oven racks while they’re baking! Once these are gone, be sure to try my Peanut Butter Blossoms and Monster Cookies!
Why EVERYONE Loves These Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
I still remember the first time I shared a great big stack of these cookies at a gathering. The giant cookies caused such a delightful ruckus – simply because this recipe is so different, and so crazy fun. For those who couldn’t finish their cookie (I’m not kidding – they’re GIANT!), they wrapped a napkin around the remainder and stuffed it in their pocket. They were not sharing it or leaving it behind. Yes, these cookies are THAT good!
- The “most different” chocolate chip cookie ever. While CCC’s are a classic cookie flavor, this recipe’s pan-banging method and giant spreading cookie are definitely not traditional.
- AMAZING flavor and texture. This buttery, chocolatey cookie recipe gives you an ultra flat cookie with a soft and chewy center, surrounded by crinkly, wrinkly prettiness that is the perfect crispy texture.
- Makes people HAPPY! Every time I bake these cookies, I see smiles from ear to ear, on every single face. I just LOVE that!
For more cookie recipes that always bring smiles, try my Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies and Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies!
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
It’s amazing how this list of common baking ingredients makes such an incredible cookie. It really is all about the unique method! Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts and the full instructions.
- Flour – All-purpose flour provides the base structure for these cookies.
- Baking soda – This reacts with the acidic brown sugar to produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes the cookies to rise just a bit, and to spread. It also offers chewy texture, crispy edges, and lovely browning.
- Salt – I use Morton kosher salt.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar adds sweetens, plus helps with spreading and crisping up those beautiful ripply edges.
- Brown sugar – Use light brown sugar for this recipe. It offers a deeper flavor to the sweetness, plus some moist texture.
- Egg – This adds rich flavor and texture, and helps to bind the dough together.
- Vanilla extract – Use only pure vanilla extract for the very best flavor.
- Water
- Bittersweet chocolate – This darker chocolate is perfection with the other flavors. I know plenty of people who say they don’t like darker chocolate – but they LOVE this cookie!
Tips & Variation Ideas
Here are a few tips for making these the best giant pan-banging chocolate chip cookies possible!
- Don’t skimp on the dough. I use a kitchen scale to weigh the dough, so I’m sure to get the same GIANT cookies that I love, every single time. If you want smaller cookies, just know that using less dough will not give you as many ripply ridges and the centers will not be quite as chewy.
- Do use the aluminum foil. The recipe’s directions includes lining baking pans with foil dull-side-up. This is key in getting cookies that spread better, with perfectly crispy bottoms. You could also use parchment paper, but you won’t get quite the same results.
- Do freeze the dough balls. The dough will spread too much on the pan, and will not form the outer ripples, if you do not freeze the dough balls first.
- And absolutely DO bang the pans! I get it. It does seem a bit bizarre to lift and drop the baking pans of dough balls in the oven every two minutes while baking. But just trust me – this works brilliantly to spread the dough nice and thin, and create those gorgeous crispy ripples. And it’s really FUN!
- Add more ingredients. You can experiment with adding other ingredients (like nuts, m&ms, other chips, etc.), but know that too many add-ins will keep the dough from spreading as this recipe intends.
- If your baking sheet doesn’t fit in the freezer. We have a small chest freezer, so that works great. If your freezer is too small, just place the dough balls on a plate and place it in the freezer, then transfer the dough balls to a baking sheet when you’re ready to bake.
How to Store These Cookies
- Counter: Place them in an airtight container and store on a cool kitchen counter for up to 4 days.
- Fridge: After the first day, I prefer to store these cookies in the fridge, in an airtight container. I like to eat them cold!
- Freezer: Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 15 minutes.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
Giant Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ups all-purpose flour (284 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (297 g)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (50 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped into bite-size pieces averaging 1/2" with some smaller and some larger. (170 g)
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line three baking pans with aluminum foil, dull side up.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater blade, beat the butter on medium until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and beat on medium until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and water and mix on low to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Add the chocolate and mix on low into the batter.
- Form the dough into balls weighing 3½ ounces (100 g) each. This is approximately a heaping ⅓ cup each. Place four balls an equal distance apart on prepared pan and transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Do not skip freezing the dough, as it's essential in keeping the dough from spreading too much, and aids in the creation of the crinkly outer layer. After putting the first baking pan in the oven, put the second one in the freezer.
- Place the chilled baking pan in the oven and bake 10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed slightly in the center. Lift the side of the baking sheet up about 4" from the oven rack and let it drop down against the rack, so the edges of the cookies set and the inside falls back down. After the cookies puff up again in 2 minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan. Repeat a few more times to create ridges around the edge of the cookie. Bake 16 to 18 minutes total, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden brown but the centers are much lighter and not fully cooked.
- Transfer the baking pans to a wire rack; let cool completely before removing the cookies from the pan.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
I received a complimentary copy of The Vanilla Bean Baking Book for my use and review. This post was originally published in 2017, then updated in 2025.
hi! I have a question! Is the kosher salt required or is it okay to use normal idolized salt?
Hello Brianna – I prefer kosher salt in all my cooking and baking, so that’s what I also list. Normal iodized salt is smaller and stronger, so I would use less – but I haven’t tested this for myself, to be able to tell you how much less. Enjoy the cookies!
hi how do you store these? stacked with wax paper in between? since they seem so soft in the center not sure if they would stick to each other. thanks! ;)
Wow, I made these yesterday and they were so so delicious. Probably the best cookies I’ve ever had and so worth any of the effort. Perfect!!!
I have made these for Christmas gifts, exceptional. Have ordered the book. However, wondering what do you think if I make the dough a few days ahead of time refrigerate and remove and leave at room temp. Then freeze for the allotted time. Do you think this would be a bad thing. Appreciate your response. Thanks. Rebecca
Awesome guideline & its very simple to understand thanks for the great content.
These were amazing!!! Have been on a quest for really really really really good chocolate chip cookies and this recipe is divine!!
Aren’t these wonderful?!?!
Is it possible to reduce the sugar and make smaller cookies out of this dough?
Hello Adrienne – To get these same results, I would not recommend reducing the sugar. I have not tried making smaller cookies, so cannot say if that would produce the same wrinkly cookies. Please let me know if you give the smaller size a try!
These are great! Came out exactly like your pictures. I used dark chocolate chips. Next time I am going to add some salt to the tops.
If it were just me in the house, I’d do the same. Dark Chocolate is my true chocolate love. I love your salted plan!!
I can’t believe it’s taken me 6 months to make these again! Baking in the summer isn’t fun without AC, but sweating a little for these is so worth it!
You are a total CCC diehard!! I’ve been wanting to make these again, but don’t want to work with the oven . . . and we have AC! :) So glad you like this recipe too.
I have some plumbers in doing a bathroom remodel and I gave them each a cookie to take home the other day. Today they came back and one of them said, that was THE best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever eaten, you have to give me the recipe!
These are such unique cookies! I made them last night and they turned out just as described. Crispy and chewy, yum! I thought the flavor was a bit bland and might be due to the 74% cacao wafers I used. Next time (probably today, who are we kidding) I would do a mix of semi-sweet chips and the wafers. I also sprinkled some Maldon flakes on top. Thanks for the post!
So wonderful! So glad you liked these!!
Can’t believe this is becoming a new trend. My son and I started slamming our chocolate chip cookies half at through baking about 10 years ago when we were experimenting on how to make the best, flat, crispy yet chewy chocolate chip cookie. We have a great recipe and have been slamming ever since!
That’s so fun to know!!
I just made these chocolate cookies. They are to die for. So delicious. A little work but so worth it and presentation was great for a gift. Thank you
Hello when I bake these cookies they come out crunchy and pale! I checked my ingredients
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong maybe you can help!
I really really want these to work
Hi! I’m about to put my first pan of these in the oven that’s in the freezer. I’m going to a lunch that might have between 10 and 15 people and everyone brings lunch items to share I didn’t realize that this only made 10 cookies which makes sense since they are rather large. Do you think it would be OK once the cookies have called completely to cook into quarters for smaller pieces?
Hello Nancy – you won’t get the pizzazz of showing off those giant cookies, but I definitely get where you’re coming from and think it would work just fine. They are big, quartering them would be pretty perfect for a few bites. The flavor and texture are so wonderful. Enjoy!!
What do you think about using milk or semi sweet chocolates or even a combination of unsweetened and and milk or semi?
Also what about including pecans?
Mine turned out just like the pics….used a hand mixer as that is all I had…
Mine turned out great…..just like the pics….used a hand mixer as that is all I have….
Is it possible to reduce the sugar and make smaller cookies out of this dough?
OMG! THESE ARE GREAT.
Hi! Looking forward to making these. I only have a hand mixer. Will that make a difference?
Thank you!