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.
I love big flat cookies and these are the BEST!! I can’t believe how easy it was to get them flat the way I love. Drop the pan a few times, so simple :)
Hi :) I will be travelling overseas, so I dont want to make them the day of. Is it ok to prepare it in advance and freeze them until I leave to bake it? I would like to give them friends upon landing so thinking of how I can keep them freshest longer. Thanks!
What a beautiful gift!!!! If this was me…I’d bake the cookies up to a few days before departure, let them come to room temperature, and then freeze them with layers of parchment paper to separate them. These cookies are quite thin, shattery at the edges and soft/chewy in the centers – take care to pack the cookies so they won’t shift around in the packaging, to lessen their chances of breaking.
Seems like you could put the dough into the size balls that you want, put those in the freezer and then just pull those out, put them on the pan and put them in the oven?
Perfect crunchy texture
I followed the directions to a T. Even weighed the balls. And they came out looking EXACTLY like the picture and we’re super thin, crispy, and delicious.
FYI, I have been doing this for about 40 years. I accidentally dropped the pan when switching between racks in the oven. Personally I like my cookies crispy so I drop them several times and bake a couple extra minutes.
Can you freeze the dough balls to bake at another time? My relative made these chocolate chip pan slamming cookies and they were absolutely delicious!
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
These look so good! The butter really makes it a perfect chewy cookie! Is it good base with other mix ins?
This is definitely the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made. They are delicious and just as good the next day. My go to recipe from now on.
Hi! Do you bake this at a normal oven with no fan on? Or did you use a convection oven (oven with a fan on)? I have an oven that lets me bake with a fan on or not. So I don’t know what setting I should put this in when baking this delicious recipe!!! Help :(
Hi Kyla – I do not use a convection oven with this recipe.
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Like most baked goods, these are best the day they’re made. All the textures are perfection. But they do keep in a covered container for a few days. Or freeze for longer enjoyment.
I can’t wait to try these! Do you have to drop and bang all four sides of the cookie sheet or just one? Also, does the cookie sheet itself also need to be cold?? Thanks!
Hi Britt – just lift the pan straight up, and let it drop. Yes, freeze the cookie sheet too. :)
Best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made!! Hit for the whole family!! Thank you for sharing
I’ve been looking for so long for a recipe like this! Delicious and fun to make! I lifted the pan up to 5-6 inches at one point, to get those awesome ridges
So delicious!! The harder you bang the better they look ;)
Ha! I LOVE that. BEST comment on these cookies yet! :)
These cookies lived up to the hype and previous positive comments! Crunchy, chewy, buttery, chocolatey – Ahhhhmazing! Yum – thanks so much for sharing
YAY!!! I’m so happy to hear this! :)
Hello when making the vanilla bean chocolate chip cookies, can I use salted butter and lower the teaspoon to 1/2tp,or does it have to be unsalted?
I did make these cookies!!! They are the best cookies I have ever made homemade or eaten in my life!! OH MY GOODNESS Y’ALL!! I so happy I found those cookies. I’ve been looking for a good homemade cookie recipe for a long time. Thanks so much!
My husband (who is hard to please dessert wise) said these are the best cookies he has ever had!
These were the best cookies ever. I followed the recipe exactly as it says. Thanks!