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These Crisco Chocolate Chip Cookies are thick, soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips. Using a combination of butter and butter-flavored Crisco gives you the best of both worlds — rich buttery flavor and a cookie that stays wonderfully soft for days. This is the kind of dependable recipe you can make again and again with great results every time.
If you love homemade chocolate chip cookies, be sure to try my Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, Toll House Cookies, and Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, too — each one offers a different take on this classic favorite. Or browse my full Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes collection for even more cookie inspiration.
✨ Before You Begin
✨ Measure flour carefully. Too much flour is one of the most common reasons homemade cookies turn out dry.
✨ Use room-temperature butter. It creams more easily with the shortening and sugars, creating a smoother dough.
✨ Don’t overbake. The cookies should still look slightly soft in the center when you remove them from the oven.
✨ Line your baking sheets. Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat helps cookies bake more evenly.
✨ Food Safety Tip: Eggs should be cooked until the cookies reach a safe internal temperature of 160°F.
Why Use Crisco In Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Crisco shortening has been a favorite baking ingredient for generations because it helps create thicker, softer chocolate chip cookies.
Unlike butter, shortening contains very little water, so cookies spread less during baking and tend to stay softer longer. That’s one reason many classic bakery recipes and family cookie recipes still rely on shortening.
In this recipe, shortening works alongside butter rather than replacing it entirely. The butter provides rich flavor while the butter-flavored Crisco helps create the soft, chewy texture and thick centers that make these cookies so memorable.
Ingredients + Key Notes
Unsalted Butter: Adds the rich flavor that makes these cookies taste homemade and delicious.
Butter-Flavored Crisco: The secret ingredient that helps create soft, chewy cookies that stay fresh longer than many all-butter recipes.
Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create lightly crisp edges.
Light Brown Sugar: Provides moisture, chewiness, and that classic caramel-like cookie flavor.
Eggs: Give the cookies structure and richness.
Vanilla Extract: Enhances all the other flavors in the dough.
All-Purpose Flour: Creates the sturdy yet tender texture these cookies are known for.
Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and spread properly.
Chocolate Chips: Semisweet chocolate chips provide the perfect balance of sweetness and chocolate flavor.
Pecans (Optional): Add crunch and old-fashioned bakery-style flavor.
🥣 How To Make Crisco Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies come together just like a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. Start by creaming together the butter, shortening, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans, if using, then scoop the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake just until the centers are set but still look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
The hardest part is waiting for them to cool enough to eat!
Pro Tips
⭐ Slightly underbake the cookies. They will continue cooking on the hot baking sheet after you remove them from the oven.
⭐ Use a large cookie scoop. Uniform dough portions bake more evenly and create bakery-style cookies.
⭐ Press extra chocolate chips into the tops before baking. This gives the cookies that beautiful bakery-style appearance.
⭐ Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This helps them finish setting up without breaking apart.
⭐ If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for 20–30 minutes. This can help prevent excessive spreading.
Storing, Freezing, and Make-Ahead Instructions
Storing: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Scoop dough into portions and freeze on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead: The dough can be prepared up to 48 hours ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
Warming Leftover Cookies: For that fresh-baked texture, warm a cookie in the microwave for 8–10 seconds before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
◆ Is it better to use Crisco or butter for chocolate chip cookies?
Neither is necessarily better. Butter provides rich flavor while Crisco helps create a softer, thicker cookie. Many bakers prefer using both for the best balance of flavor and texture.
◆ What does Crisco do in chocolate chip cookies?
Crisco helps cookies stay soft, spread less, and remain fresh longer than many all-butter cookies.
◆ Can I use regular Crisco instead of butter-flavored Crisco?
Yes. The cookies will still be delicious, though they may have slightly less buttery flavor.
◆ Can I use half butter and half Crisco in cookies?
Absolutely. In fact, that’s exactly what makes this recipe so successful.
◆ Why do my cookies spread too much?
Excessive spreading is usually caused by butter that is too warm, insufficient flour, or baking sheets that are already hot from a previous batch.
◆ Why do my chocolate chip cookies turn out hard?
The most common causes are too much flour and overbaking. Measure flour carefully and remove the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly soft.
Still have questions? Drop them in the comments — I love helping you cook with confidence! 💗
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes To Try
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies – If your favorite cookie is soft, chewy, and tender in the center, this reader-favorite recipe is for you.
Chocolate Chunk Cookies – Made with chopped chocolate instead of chips for bigger pockets of melty chocolate throughout.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies – A secret ingredient keeps these cookies extra soft and chewy for days.
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies – Rich, buttery cookies with a tender crumb and plenty of chocolate chips in every bite.
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies – A simple, foolproof recipe that’s perfect when you’re craving homemade cookies without a lot of fuss.
Tried This Recipe?
💗 If you made these Crisco Chocolate Chip Cookies, I’d love to hear how they turned out!
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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy baking, friends! ❤️ Kathleen
Crisco Chocolate Chip Cookies {Perfectly Soft Every Time}
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs large
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans chopped-optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
- In a large bowl, cream together the shortening (2/3 cup), butter (2/3 cup), white sugar (1 cup), and brown sugar (1 cup) until smooth. Beat in the eggs (2) one at a time, then stir in the vanilla (1 tablespoon). Combine the flour (3 1/2 cups), baking soda (1 teaspoon), and salt (1 teaspoon); stir into the creamed mixture. Stir the pecans (1 cup) and chocolate chips (2 cups). Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a Silpat-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the centers are set. Don't overbake. Cool for 5 minutes before removing the cookies to the cooling rack.
I have seen this recipe on Allrecipes and it does look very good. They look super chewy and buttery.
Thanks for visiting my blog!! I'm glad I found YOURS! Yum!! I am going to love reading your posts! 🙂
**I think Jillian's 30 day Shred is pretty hard but the Boost Metabolism one is not too bad.
All I can say, Kathleen, is that we will no doubt spend the rest of our cooking days looking for the perfect recipe. The last one I heard about was in Keller's Ad Hoc. Still haven't tried it though. My old standby is exactly like yours.
Perfect…so thick and chewy! I love chocolate chip cookies, and I'm always excited to see a new recipe.
http://anecdotesandapples.weebly.com
I bet I would love these because they look so thick! Mine always come out super thin! Is there a trick?
What a gorgeous and delicious description you made of your chocolate chips cookies.
I must admit, they look fantastic.
Great post ?
Oh so fabulous, Kathleen. 🙂 I'm in such a cookie mood these days: peanut butter, chocolate chip and tomorrow I'm making shortbread. These look wonderfully thick and chewy. 🙂
I must remember not to visit your blog late at night…now I have the munchies and cravings for some chocolate chips.
These look so delicious! You should make them for your daughter 🙂
All I can say is these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had! Other people may think this is just an ordinary cookie… but as a connoisseur of cookies.. these is one of the best I have ever had 🙂
I always like this classic cookies. I always try to eat it at least once a week, hmm is that too much?
I am always up for trying a new chocolate chip recipe!
I'm a thick and chewy chocolate chip gal too. 🙂 I think it's great that there are so many recipes floating around- it's just that many more to enjoy trying out! This recipe looks yummy- I usually put walnuts (mix of Black and English)in my choc chips, but I may need to try the pecans! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Betty
These chocolate chip cookies look terrific! Yum!
This is my kind of chocolate chip cookie. They look so perfect.
Mimi
I never met a chocolate cookie I didn't like..lol, and I love trying new recipes for them. I definitely think some are better than others, and yours sounds great!
Fantastic photo. I think the shortening goes a long way in making cookies that are thick and chewy and the butter adds the flavor.
I think that it all goes off of personal preference but as long as its edible and has chocolate in it, I am happy! Although yours do look pretty darn tasty looking.
We like our cookies the same way! I'm right there with you…thick and chewy all the way. They look great and if I wasn't dieting like a crazy woman, I'd hop into the kitchen and try them!
It's true, there are so many posts out there that claim to have the best chocolate chip cookie, I think there can be a blog dedicated just to that. This looks a fabulous cookie. I like the addition of pecan.
I don't think you can go wrong with chocolate chip cookies, ever! I like them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. oops, did I say that out loud ? ;o)