Chocolate Chip Cookies
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This is the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Soft baked, extra sweet with two kinds of chocolate, and nearly impossible to ruin.
Looking for safe-to-eat cookie dough? I’ve got you covered: Edible Cookie Dough
Chocolate Chip Cookies | Ultimate Recipe
I am in love with these cookies. After googling and searching and researching and testing (yum!) I’ve figured out the perfect combination of ingredients and baking methods to get the softest, chewiest, best chocolate chip cookies. I hate making and eating crispy cookies. I think they should be illegal, plus, who wants to eat those? What a waste of calories. So, I’ve formulated this chocolate chip cookie recipe to be the exact opposite. Soft baked and extra sweet!
When I set out to find/make the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, I meant it! I started with some classic recipes, some very highly rated recipes, and other random recipes, like from my brother-in-law, or friend of a friend. It was delicious testing, and a lot of them came out decently well but I wanted ULTIMATE status, so that’s when I started testing and tweaking different recipes to see if I could make them better.
In full disclosure, this is based on a recipe I found from AllRecipes (linked in the recipe card) that I tweaked slightly and more importantly changed the method for making these. While it’s easy to think all chocolate cookie recipes are basically the same because they all use the same ingredients, its simply not true. Method plays a huge part. Don’t believe me? Try this recipe!
Main Ingredients Needed
No special or secret ingredients here! Pretty sure the vast majority of us have these common culprits in our kitchen 24/7 so we can make chocolate chip cookies whenever the craving strikes! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter – I melt butter for this recipe, usually salted. I know salted butter is controversial because all the celebrity chefs say you should use unsalted, but I don’t care. I like salted better. But if you have unsalted, use what you have!
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar – obviously you need both to make these sweet. More brown sugar than white to keep these moist!
- Egg + Egg yolk – you need an egg for the protein/structure and an egg yolk for a little extra creaminess.
- Vanilla – if you can find real vanilla extract, use that. But again, if you only have artificial, by all means, use that.
- All-Purpose Flour – of course, cookies need flour. I use unbleached all-purpose flour (but bleached is fine too). Be sure to read my flour section. Flour can make or break your chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Baking Soda – the leavening for our cookies.
- Salt -to offset all the sweet going on.
- Chocolate Chips – my recipe calls for two kinds of chocolate chips and I highly *highly* recommend using both semi-sweet and milk chocolate. See my chocolate section below for more details and substitutions.
The Importance of Flour
Have you ever made chocolate chip cookies and they don’t spread out after baking? OR have they spread too much and turned into very dark and crispy pancakes? Both problems happen because of the butter to flour ratios. Too much flour will give you baked lumps and not enough will give you a big, melty mess.
How can we all have the same recipe and get such vastly different results? Well, friends, it comes down to how you measure your flour. Here’s how to do it:
- Fluff your flour to get air into it. Take your measuring cup and scoop some flour into it, then dump it out back into the bag. Do this 5-6 times to fluff your flour.
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup.
- Use the back of the spoon or a butter knife to level the top.
- That’s it! You have now correctly measured flour.
Let’s Talk Chocolate
In this recipe, I suggest using a combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips for maximum impact. The Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chips are my go-to for both kinds. I love the combination of the two flavors and they work really well in these chocolate chip cookies. Can you substitute them with something else? Of course, you can! Chocolate is chocolate and it’s all delicious. Here are some other delicious choices:
- dark chocolate chips
- bittersweet chocolate chips (a great substitute for semi-sweet, Ghirardelli are my favorite)
- white chocolate chips
- chocolate chunks (any kind)
- any good quality bar of chocolate that you can chop up
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
So, if you read the recipe card through (see below), you’ll notice the differences listed above. I suppose there are a lot of similarities too, but the small and minor tweaks are what set this recipe apart! With every chocolate chip cookie recipe available on the internet, they are all basically the same ingredients used in different ways. All the more reason why directions are just as important as the ingredients list!
Step 1: Make the Dough
Stir the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until well mixed. Slowly incorporate the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips by hand.
Let the dough sit 20 minutes to let the flour soak into the rest of the batter. (If your oven tends to run hot (aka flattens cookies) refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes).
Step 2: Bake
Preheat oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop cookie dough onto prepared pans, using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through baking. When you pull your cookies out of the oven, they will look cooked around the edges and undercooked in the center.
Step 3: Cool and Enjoy!
Leave the cookies on the hot baking pans until you can remove them without falling apart. Place onto cooling racks and cool to room temperature before enjoying or storing in airtight containers.
Storing Chocolate Chip Cookies
Since I love a soft cookie and do everything I can to bake these and keep them soft, I like to store them a certain way to ensure that work doesn’t go to waste. If you have leftover chocolate chip cookies, store the cooled cookies in an airtight container with a slice of plain sandwich bread resting on top. Store-bought white or whole wheat is perfect!
Cookies should stay fresh for 2 days and are passable after 3 days, though, who still has chocolate chip cookies sitting on their counter 3 days after they have made them? They don’t last that long at my house.
Freezing Instructions
You can essentially make and freeze these chocolate chip cookies baked or unbaked. Here are the directions for both.
Baked
If you want to bake these in advance, follow the recipe instructions listed below and cool completely. Then store in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bags and freeze.
As long as they are in an airtight container, the baked cookies should last 1-2 months in the freezer.
To reheat, simply microwave one or two chocolate chip cookies 10-15 seconds each until warmed and melty.
Unbaked
To store unbaked chocolate chip cookie dough, simply scoop into cookies, place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and freeze.
After 3 hours, the dough should be hard enough to transfer to an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag. This cookie dough will last 1-2 months in the freezer.
To bake, simply remove your dough balls, defrost on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour and bake as listed in the recipe card below.
Love Chocolate Chip Cookies? Try these out too!
If you are a cookie lover like me, you’ll know a good cookie recipe when you see it. Check these ones out to see if they are up to the test!
If you love a classic and soft chocolate chip cookie, you MUST give this recipe a try!! It will blow your minds.
The printable recipe card is down below! Have a great day, friends.
Actually Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Stir melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until lighter in color.
- Add in the flour, baking soda and salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl and the bottom really well to ensure a smooth, well stirred batter.
- Hand stir the chocolate chips into the batter and let it sit 20 minutes to let the flour soak into the rest of the batter. (If your oven tends to run hot (aka flattens cookies) refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 325. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop cookie dough onto prepared pans, using a two tablespoon cookie scoop.
- Bake 8-9 minutes, rotating sheets half way through baking. When you pull your cookies out of the oven, they will looked cooked around the edges and undercooked in the center.
- Leave the cookies on the hot baking pans for 5-7 minutes or until you can remove them without falling apart. Place onto cooling racks and cool to room temperature before storing in air tight containers.
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Never fails however I am finding my dough is very dry and crumbly – is it possibly because I beat the eggs in with the bitter until it’s a fluffy texture? What can I do to achieve a “flatter” cookie?
How are you measuring your flour? There’s most likely too much flour.
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This has become my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I love that it requires melted butter 🙂
So delicious, thanks for an awesome recipe 🙂
These were the absolute best. I made them last weekend for a dessert to take to our neighbors with a newborn baby. We kept some and those were gone in two days. I’m itching to make them again!!
[…] this recipe today, give my simple sugar cookie bars, my Cookies n’ Cream Brownie Bars or my Actually Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (which is the recipe I based this recipe off […]
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had! My daughter and I have made them together a few times. The little tweaks to the recipe make all the difference! Who would have thought melting the butter would have made such a difference?! Delicious 😀💜
This are the best chocolate chip I’ve ever made!! However I cooked them about 12 or 13 min and they were perfect! Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
Hi Lauren, can I freeze these after I bake them?
Of course!
How do you measure your flour?
Been looking for a chewy gooey chocolate chip cookie recipe forever. Tried many, but I tried this one today and WOW! It’s the one. Best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. I didn’t have light brown sugar so I used dark brown and they are wonderful. Will definitely keep this recipe.
I’m adding chopped up peanut butter cups along with the chocolate chips
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My daughter and I made this cookie today. It is absolutely delicious! Melt in your mouth goodness.
Hi Lauren, have you tried replacing all purpose flour with oat flour in this recipe?
No, I haven’t! You are welcome to try it and see how it works!
Thank you for pointing out to let the dough sit and rest for 20 minutes before baking. Just made a batch of cookies using butterscotch chips and they flattened out in the oven. Will try soon!
I’ve used this recipe a few times now and I’ve noticed that the cookies get really hard on the third day. I first thought it was with the sugar I used. When I made it again (w/ different kind of sugar) I still got the same results. Any idea how to fix this problem???
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Can you see any harm in making the dough ahead of time and letting it chill in the fridge overnight? I have to make several desserts in the morning for a big event so I’m trying to prep as much as possible today.
Hi Lauren,
These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. It is my absolute favorite recipe and I always come back to it. Thank you so much for sharing your hard work.
Lisa
Thanks so much, Lisa! Glad you enjoyed!! xo
Lauren! I just have to tell you that I made these cookies for a chocolate chip bake off this week at work and they were hands-down the best ones there! The idea of melting the butter and letting the ingredients warm up together and add both semi and milk chocolate chips – seriously genius. Also, the cookie dough is just as amazing. Thanks for changing my cookie life!
Hi Caley!! Thanks for the comment, friend!! xo
My sister shared this recipe with me and it was de-lish! 😊
My kids and I made these tonight to give to the grandparents for Valentines Day – they are delicious!
So yummy! I love the 2 different kinds of chocolate chips!
I think I made my cookies a little big, I got less than 36 and I’m assuming that’s why they were not done after 9 minutes. Mine needed about 12 minutes. But they were sift and yummy and delicious!
Oh hi friend! So glad you enjoyed!! xo
My 2 boys and I made these cookies on Monday when there was no school. OMG! They are seriously the best! We didn’t have the milk chocolate chips but we subbed for Heath Bar baking bits…to die for! My husband said they were the best chocolate chip cookies we have ever made. This will be my go to recipe! So good!
Absolutely delicious! These didn’t completely flatten out like other recipes, and they stayed nice & chewy. So, so good! But then, I have yet to try a recipe of yours that wasn’t great.
These cookies are delish! They almost seem under cooked, which is perfect for me because I’m a teenager who loves eating cookie dough! thank you for this amazing recipe!
Best chocolate chip recipe ive ever made. Turned out perfect!
I will keep this recipe for sure
Love these!
Just made. Mine did not spread????
I tried this recipe and the cookies turned out fluffy and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
How long do these cookie stay soft.??? Thanks…………
saled or unsalted butter??
I use salted butter, but unsalted works too.
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Would this recipe be good to make into bars as well?
@anna I use foil and it works great just spray it with cooking spray and they come right off.
What is the weight of brown suger? One pack means ?
Do you have to use parchment paper? What is that? Will they be just as good without it? Can I use cooking spray instead?
Would love to email this to a friend but there is no email option. – sad
Just copy and paste the URL 🙂
I just wanted to say these cookies are amazing. They are so good. I made 3 dozen for a party monday and they were gone in less than an hour. Thank you so much for the best cookie recipe ever.
I love a good chocolate chip recipe.
Can’t wait to try these chocolate chip cookies! I’m al ways game for a change-up recipe.
Look forward to trying these!
Can’t wait to try these! You can never go wrong with a delicious chocolate chip cookie!
Can’t wait to try these! I always ha e trouble getting my choc chip cookies to turn out!