These white chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with white chocolate in every bite. Better than store-bought — this is the ideal homemade cookie recipe.
This recipe was originally posted August 2018 and updated with new photos and tips October 2019
Chocolate chip cookies are a timeless favorite. This version swaps in white chocolate chips for a buttery, vanilla-forward cookie with an exceptionally soft, chewy texture and plenty of sweet, creamy chips in every bite.
If you adore white chocolate, these cookies are a must-try. Even if you usually choose milk or dark chocolate, give these a shot — the flavor and texture are worth it.
White Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
You might wonder: can you simply replace regular chocolate chips with white chocolate in a favorite recipe? Technically yes, but white chocolate is sweeter and has a different flavor profile, so I designed this recipe specifically to balance that extra sweetness and highlight the white chocolate.
Key Ingredients
This cookie relies on a combination of butter and shortening. Butter gives rich flavor while shortening helps keep the cookies thick and chewy. Using both delivers flavor and the ideal texture without overpowering the white chocolate.
The recipe calls for more brown sugar than granulated sugar. Brown sugar adds depth, a subtle caramel note, and more moisture — all of which contribute to chewiness.
- Butter + shortening for flavor and chew
- More brown sugar for depth and moisture
- Generous vanilla and just enough salt to balance sweetness
- Cornstarch to create an extra-tender, soft crumb
Pro tip: Measure flour accurately. Too much flour makes dry cookies; too little allows excessive spreading. After mixing, squeeze a bit of dough in your hand — if it sticks to your fingers, add 1–2 tablespoons more flour.
One of the best things about this recipe: you don’t need to chill the dough. It stays thick enough to bake right away, so you can make cookies quickly when cravings hit.
Questions & Tips
- Can I use white chocolate chunks instead of chips? Yes. Keep the pieces moderate in size — very large chunks can cause excess spreading.
- No cornstarch — what then? Add 1 extra tablespoon of flour. The cookies will still be delicious though slightly less tender.
- Can I replace shortening with butter? You can, but add more flour (about 3 1/4 cups total) to keep the dough from spreading too thin.
- How long to bake giant cookies? For 1–1.5 tablespoon cookies, bake 9–11 minutes. For large cookies (~3 tablespoons), bake about 13–16 minutes.
- My cookies spread too thin — why? Butter that’s too soft or nearly melted, or insufficient flour, can cause spreading. If a test tray spreads, chill the dough briefly or add 1–3 tablespoons more flour next time.
- Prefer extra-thick cookies? If using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), chill the dough 30 minutes before forming balls and baking.
White Chocolate Chip Cookies
20 mins
10 mins
45 mins
36 cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups white chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla and eggs until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, about half a cup at a time, starting the mixer on low and increasing to medium as needed.
- Turn off the mixer and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the white chocolate chips.
- Form the dough into balls about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons each. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Do not flatten.
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack for 9–11 minutes, or until the tops are just set.
- Remove from the oven and, if desired, press a few extra chips on top of each cookie.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
For large cookies: after making the dough, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Form dough into balls about 3 tablespoons in size, place 3 inches apart, and bake 13–16 minutes or until tops look just set.
How to freeze cookie dough: form dough into balls, place in a zip-top bag, and freeze up to 2 months. Bake from frozen; add about 1 minute to baking time.
Nutrition
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