Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies: from Scratch

Secrets Behind These Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever walked into a kitchen and felt like you were being hugged by the air? That is exactly what happens when you start creaming 900g of butter with over a kilogram of sugar.

The aroma is not just "sweet" it is a heavy, intoxicating scent of toffee and high end vanilla that sticks to your clothes and makes your neighbors knock on the door. I remember the first time I tried to scale up my standard recipe for a school fundraiser.

I thought I could just double everything, but the dough behaved like a different beast entirely. It was oily, the cookies spread into one giant sheet, and I ended up crying over a ruined baking stone.

After months of testing how large volumes of dough interact with heat, I finally cracked the code for these big batch chocolate chip cookies. The trick is all in the temperature of your ingredients and the order of operations.

When you are working with 1500g of flour, you can't just "mix it in." You have to respect the gluten. We are going for a texture that has a slight crackle on the surface but stays dense enough to hold up a massive amount of chocolate chips without falling apart.

Trust me, once you see a mountain of nearly a hundred perfectly uniform cookies on your counter, you’ll never go back to small batch baking again.

Important Metrics for Your Bake

When you are tackling large batch chocolate chip cookies, the sheer weight of the ingredients can be intimidating. We aren't just making a snack; we are essentially running a mini bakery for an hour. To keep things organized, I’ve broken down the logistical side of this marathon.

If you are used to making a dozen cookies, get ready to see your stand mixer really earn its keep today.

Balancing the Sugar Ratios

We use a specific blend of white and brown sugar here. The 600g of granulated sugar provides the structure and that essential golden brown edge. The 800g of brown sugar brings the moisture and the molasses undertones that keep the center soft.

If you tip the scales too far in either direction, the dough will either be too brittle or won't hold its shape.

Optimizing the Fat Content

With 900g of butter, temperature is everything. If the butter is too warm, the dough will feel greasy and "slump" in the oven. You want it softened but cool to the touch around 18°C.

This allows the sugar crystals to tear tiny air pockets into the fat, which is the only way to get a light, tender crumb in a cookie this big.

Scaling this recipe requires a bit of math, but the reward is a freezer full of ready to bake dough. If you are looking for a smaller batch first to test your oven's personality, check out my Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. It uses similar ratios but is much easier to manage if you only have one baking sheet.

The Physics of the Spread

The cornstarch interferes with gluten strands, creating a tender bite despite the massive volume of flour. Meanwhile, the high sugar ratio promotes a shatter like edge through controlled caramelization.

• Mechanical Aeration: Creaming the butter for a full five minutes creates a matrix of air that prevents the cookies from becoming dense pucks.
• Starch Interference: Cornstarch acts as a buffer, soaking up excess moisture from the 8 eggs to prevent a cakey texture.
• Sodium Bicarbonate Reaction: Baking soda reacts with the acidic molasses in the brown sugar, providing a lift that balances the heavy chocolate.
• Hygroscopic Balance: The sea salt doesn't just season; it helps control the water activity, ensuring the cookies stay moist for days.

Detailed Component Analysis

Before we dive into the mixing bowl, let’s look at why these specific ingredients make the best big batch chocolate chip cookies you've ever tasted.

Each of these components has to behave perfectly to support the weight of the 1360g of chocolate chips. If you feel like experimenting with different types of chocolate, you might enjoy The Chewy Double recipe which uses cocoa powder for a deeper profile.

Heavy Duty Baking Tools

You cannot make big batch chocolate chip cookies from scratch with a hand whisk and a small bowl. You need the right gear to handle over 4 kilograms of dough without your motor burning out or your arms giving up.

• Stand Mixer: A 6 quart or 7 quart mixer (like a KitchenAid Professional) is essential. If you have a smaller one, you must work in two batches.
• Kitchen Scale: When working with 1500g of flour, "cups" are too unreliable. Use a digital scale for consistency.
• Cookie Scoops: A #40 scoop (about 2 tablespoons) ensures every cookie is the same size, which means they all finish baking at the same time.
• Silicone Mats: These prevent the bottoms from darkening too quickly and make cleanup a breeze.

Chef's Tip: If you don't have a massive mixer, mix the butter and sugars in the machine, then move the mixture to a clean dishpan or a huge stainless steel bowl to fold in the flour by hand. It’s a workout, but it prevents the machine from straining!

step-by-step Guide to Cookie Perfection

Ready to fill your home with the most incredible scent? Let's get started. Remember to keep an eye on the dough texture; it should feel like soft playdough, not sticky or wet.

1. Prep the oven. Preheat to 175°C. Note: Consistency in heat is vital for even spreading.
2. Cream the fats. Combine 900g unsalted butter, 600g white sugar, and 800g brown sugar in the mixer. Beat for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the liquids. Incorporate 8 large eggs one at a time, followed by 4 tablespoons of vanilla. Mix until the aroma of vanilla is prominent.
4. Whisk dry ingredients. In a separate massive bowl, sift 1500g all purpose flour, 4 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons baking soda, and 2 tablespoons sea salt.
5. Combine the masses. Slowly add the dry mix to the wet. Mix on the lowest speed until just a few streaks of flour remain.
6. Fold the chocolate. Pour in 1360g of semi sweet chocolate chips. Incorporate by hand to avoid overworking the gluten.
7. Scoop the dough. Use a portion scoop to place 45g balls onto prepared sheets, spaced 5cm apart.
8. Bake the batch. Slide into the oven for 10-12 minutes. Bake until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underdone.
9. Rest and set. Leave on the hot pan for 5 minutes. Wait until the centers firm up before moving to a wire rack.

Solving Your Common Baking Hurdles

Even with the best instructions, easy big batch chocolate chip cookies can sometimes go sideways. If your kitchen feels more like a disaster zone than a bakery, don't panic. Most issues come down to temperature or measurement errors.

Why Your Cookies Spread Too Much

If your cookies look like thin pancakes, your butter was likely too soft, or you didn't use enough flour. When making homemade big batch chocolate chip cookies, the weight of the dough can cause it to collapse if the internal structure isn't strong.

Always chill the dough for 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm; this "resets" the fat.

Preventing a Dry Crumb

A dry, crumbly cookie usually means you over measured the flour or over baked them. Remember, they continue to cook on the hot pan. If they look "perfect" in the oven, they will be overdone by the time they cool. Pull them when the scent of toasted sugar is strong but the middle still looks soft.

Common Mistakes Checklist: ✓ Ensure eggs are at room temperature to prevent the butter from curdling. ✓ Scrape the bottom of the mixer bowl to avoid hidden pockets of unmixed butter. ✓ Use a kitchen scale for the flour; 12 cups can vary by 200g depending on how you scoop!

✓ Check your baking soda's expiration date; old soda won't give that signature crackle.

Swaps for Custom Cookie Varieties

Once you master the base, you can turn these into bulk chocolate chip cookie recipes for any occasion. The foundation is incredibly versatile, allowing for various textures and flavor profiles.

• Big Batch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Replace 300g of flour with 300g of old-fashioned rolled oats. This adds a nutty chewiness.
• Big Batch Chocolate Chunk Style: Swap the chips for hand chopped bars of dark chocolate. The different sized shards create "pools" of melted cocoa.
• The Salty Sweet Twist: Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky Maldon salt on top immediately after the pans come out of the oven.

If you want a truly decadent version, I highly recommend trying the Proper Thick Chewy recipe. It uses brown butter which would be a massive task for 96 cookies, but it is worth it for a special treat!

Debunking Cookie Myths

There are a lot of "old wives' tales" in the baking world. Let's set the record straight so you can bake with confidence.

• Myth: You must chill dough for 24 hours. While chilling improves flavor slightly, it isn't mandatory for this recipe. The cornstarch provides enough structure to bake these immediately if you are in a rush.
• Myth: Extra vanilla makes them better. Actually, there is a saturation point. We use 4 tablespoons here, which is plenty. Adding more can introduce too much liquid and throw off the pH balance.
• Myth: Hot pans don't matter. Using a hot pan for a second batch will melt the butter in the raw dough before it hits the oven, causing massive spreading. Always let your pans cool completely or run them under cold water between batches.

Keeping Your Bulk Stash Fresh

The beauty of making 96 servings is that you don't have to eat them all today (though it's tempting). Knowing how to store them is the key to maintaining that "just baked" magic.

Storage: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Add a slice of white bread to the container; the cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and stay soft longer.

Freezing: These are the ultimate freezer cookies. You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months, but the better way is to freeze the raw dough balls. Flash freeze them on a tray for an hour, then toss them into a freezer bag.

Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the cook time.

Zero Waste Tip: If you end up with "cookie dust" or broken pieces at the bottom of the jar, don't toss them! Pulse them in a blender and use the crumbs as a crust for a cheesecake or as a topping for vanilla ice cream.

Styling and Serving Your Treats

If you are giving these away, presentation is half the battle. To get that "Instagram" look, press 3 or 4 extra chocolate chips into the top of each dough ball right before they go into the oven. This ensures that the chocolate is visible and not hidden inside the dough.

For a party, serve these on a large wooden board with small glasses of cold milk. The contrast between the warm, melting chocolate and the chilled dairy is a classic for a reason. You can also sandwich a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream between two cookies for an instant ice cream sandwich.

Because these cookies are sturdy, they hold up perfectly to being handled, making them the best big batch chocolate chip cookies for gifting in tins or cellophane bags. Just make sure they are completely cool before stacking, or they will stick together and lose that beautiful shatter textured edge!