There’s just something so irresistible about chocolate chip cookies! If I’m ever in a restaurant and I see some kind of chocolate chip cookie dessert on the dessert menu, 9 out of 10 times, that’s what I order. Or maybe the chocolate soufflé or salted caramel something.
I digress.
I’m not a fan of thick, fluffy, cakey cookies. After many failed attempts, however, I finally perfected the type of cookie I love.
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is my holy grail of cookies! Soft and chewy with perfectly crispy edges and melty chocolate chunks. And my favorite part is that they STAY soft all week long!
Here’s how I made them.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsalted butter. Always use unsalted butter as it gives you complete control over the flavor of a recipe.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar. Sugar is what keeps cookies soft in general plus when you add more brown sugar than granulated sugar, the cookies will result in an even chewier texture with a caramel-like taste because of the molasses.
- Egg. This acts as a binder that binds all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract and salt. The best flavor enhancers.
- All-purpose flour. The most versatile flour that gives these cookies structure. Be careful not to overmix the dough as it may result in pancake-like cookies.
- Baking soda. This acts as the leavener helping these cookies rise a bit without letting them spread too thin.
- Chopped dark chocolate. The best of the best!
Cookie Scoop
The easiest way to get perfectly uniform cookies! It’s also dishwasher safe, making clean up a breeze.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies From Scratch
- Making the cookie dough batter. I like to use one bowl for everything because fewer dishes is always the goal. In a mixer or large bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well combined. To the same bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Do NOT over mix. Fold in the chopped chocolate (meaning use a spatula to mix it slowly).
- Form the cookie dough balls. Using this cookie scoop, scoop dough and form into balls. Each dough ball should be 1.5 tablespoons of dough. Place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate the dough balls for, at least, 20 minutes (the longer, the better). You can freeze any leftover dough for future use.
- Bake the cookies! When ready to bake, remove dough from the fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. It’s ok if they are a little undercooked, they will continue to bake as they cool. Cool for 5 minutes before devouring. That’s all folks!
Best Tips For Making Chocolate Chips Cookies
I’ve received several questions about best practices for chocolate chip cookies so here they are.
- Follow directions to a T. First, make sure to follow the recipe exactly as it is stated below. Baking is not like cooking; any minimal change may alter the final result.
- Don’t over mix. Make sure you DO NOT over mix the wet and dry ingredients. It’ll let air into the batter and make the cookies go flat. No bueno.
- Baking soda only! Make sure you’re using baking soda, not baking powder. Huge difference.
- Just chill man. Yes, chilling the cookies in the fridge for at least 20 minutes is annoying but I guarantee the longer you chill the dough, the better the flavor will be.
- Check your oven temp. Lastly, if you run into issues, check your oven temp. Not all ovens are the same but you can check to make sure your oven is heating properly with an oven thermometer.
Baking Sheet
Highly recommend these aluminum, nonstick baking sheets that provide high conductivity. Perfect for all your baking needs!
How do you keep chocolate chip cookies from going flat?
- Don’t over mix the dough. TRUST ME. It will be a DISASTER of flat, pancake-like cookies. It happened to me on Thanksgiving Day! *facepalm*
- Chill the dough for at least 20 minutes to solidify the ingredients. This will help the cookies spread less. Promise, it’s worth the wait!
How do you keep chocolate chip cookies soft?
- Underbake them. To keep these chocolate chip cookies soft, make sure you bake them no more than 11 minutes. You want them to be slightly underbaked. They will continue to cook as they cool anyway however it does help them stay softer for a longer time.
- Let them cool. Once you take them out of the oven, let them cool completely before serving. Place them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. When you’re ready to eat, just pop one in the microwave for 10 seconds to get those melty chocolate chips. YUM!
How To Freeze Cookie Dough
Whenever I make a batch of these cookies, I usually freeze half of the batch so I always have cookie dough ready to go in the freezer! It’s the best new year resolution I’ve ever stuck to.
Here’s how you can do that too:
- Chill the cookie dough balls before freezing. When you form the cookie dough balls, place the cookie dough balls that you want to freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze. After about 1 hour in the fridge, remove the baking sheet with the cookie dough balls and make sure they are firm. Transfer them to a freezer bag for storage. They won’t stick together if they are chilled/firm.
- Bake cookies whenever you want! All you have to do is remove the dough balls you want to make from the freezer bag and bake straight from the freezer. You may want to bake them for 1 extra minute since they are frozen and it will still be delicious! I’d vouch to say they taste even better!
Frozen cookie dough lasts up to 3 months in the freezer.
Comes in handy for rainy days, when the company comes over, or when you need a sweet pick-me-up. I’ve received SO many compliments about these soft chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, go make a batch right now and freeze the rest. You’ll thank me later when that craving kicks in! ;)
I hope you make them and LOVE them!
The BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate (or any chocolate of your choice)
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixer or a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well combined. To the same bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Do NOT over mix. Fold in chopped chocolate.
- Using a cookie scoop, form dough into balls (approx. 1.5 tablespoons of dough). Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate the dough balls for, at least, 20 minutes (the longer, the better). You can freeze any leftover dough for future use.*
- When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough balls on baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. It's ok if they are a little undercooked, they will continue to bake as they cool. Cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Originally posted in October 2017. Updated photos + recipe in October 2020.
k says
I just made these yesterday and they are so so good! I only made 1/2 batch since they’re just for me, but I’m already regretting not making more.
Thank you for sharing this :)
Michelle says
I recently made these and they are good! I’m wondering why mine don’t have the brown look. Mine look more the color of a macadamia cookie. Any suggestions on what I could try differently?
Audrey says
My last time trying. Is it ok to use semi sweet chocolate chip cookies? Thanks!
Jamie Silva says
Yes! You can use any type of chocolate you’d like. :)
X says
Hi there! Is the flour 1 1/3 cup packed or spoon and leveled? Thanks!
Jamie Silva says
Spoon and leveled, always. Never pack your flour. :)
Michelle says
I do not like chocolate chip cookies
I’ve had all variations.
My husband loves them
I made this recipe and I am absolutely impressed.
This is the BEST recipe ever!!
Jamie Silva says
Thank you so much! So happy you enjoyed it!
Melissa says
These were amazing! My husband and my son ate them all in one night! Perfect texture, definitely my go to choc chip cookie recipe!
Shelley says
The absolute easiest and best recipe by far. I will not dread making homemade cookies any longer.
Kim says
Bout how many cc cookies does this make ?
Jamie Silva says
As the recipe states, this recipe makes 20 cookies.
morgan says
wowww this recipe is REALLY good. finally a great recipe with only 1 stick of butter!! love, love, LOVE these!!!!!!
Sarah says
I followed the instructions to a T but I’m not sure why my cookies were not cooked enough after 10-11 minutes. I put them in again for another 4-5 minutes checking them every minute to ensure I don’t overcook them and after 16 minutes they were not brown on the edges. I took them out around 16-17 minutes and let them sit for 10 minutes on the pan. They are still not cooked all the way through but they taste absolutely delicious! I think I’m probably the only one with this issue so maybe I did something wrong but they are still delicious!’
Jamie Silva says
Hi Sarah, maybe it was the size of the cookies? The 10-11 minute oven time is for 1.5 tablespoon sized dough balls. It could also be your oven, sometimes oven temps vary. Either way, the cookies should be a little undercooked anyway because they finish baking as they cool. Baking them longer could end up making your cookies hard once they cool. Glad they were tasty tho!
Vanessa says
I don’t think a chocolate chip cookie can get better than this. Thanks so much for posting, I got lucky to have tried this! Yas! By the way, what would a dash of nutmeg do?
Marie Gerard says
Stella Parks recommended it in her book and on Tasty site years ago…Just a pinch…it adds a certain flavor that people notice but can’t place.
Jack says
YOUR LONG SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe is over! I’ve tried a new recipe about 20 times and this one is by far the most delicious. Follow it exactly – no skips or substitutions. Spoon and level the flour. It’s also one ☝️ f the easiest recipes! I’m just THRILLED!
Jamie Silva says
Jack, this just made my day! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you!
Tali says
These look amazing! Please could you give amounts in grams coz I’m having lots of places tell me different conversions of cups and I don’t want them to be all wrong!
Jamie Silva says
Hi Tali, I’m not sure how to convert the ingredients to grams however you can use an online gram conversion calculator like this one. Hope this helps!
Sophia Kyriacou says
I have been looking everywhere for the perfect chewy cookie.
This recipe is AMAZING thankyou so much!
Iv already baked them twice in 2 weeks they are delicious x
Jamie Silva says
So happy you loved it, Sophia!
ThatOneMomKj says
i was looking for a cookie recipe that called for one stick of butter,
i came across this video, & wow!
One bowl for everything, super simple, yet OUTSTANDING recipe!
my cookies look & taste AMAZING!
keep a look out for a photo of them on my instagram!
(ill definitely leave you a shoutout/give you all the recipe credits!
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe, i cant wait to use more!!
Ginger says
My cookies didn’t look like the pictures, but they were delicious! Excellent recipe.
Charlotte Therese Fitzhardinge says
Genuinely the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried a lot)! Perfectly crunchy on the outside but soft and gooey in the middle. Cant recommend enough.
Jamie Silva says
So happy you loved them, Charlotte!!
Ali says
Everyone LOVED them!!! Despite already having a favorite/go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, I gave this one a try on a whim because I like to mix things up every now and then. ;) Well, I think I’ve found my NEW go-to recipe! I was hesitant about a couple aspects of the recipe (like the combo of melted butter + chilled dough, and the smaller-than-average amount of flour), but I followed the recipe to a T because Jamie’s instructions said to do so 😉, and these cookies turned out BEAUTIFULLY! (Well, two TINY mods: double the vanilla because I ALWAYS do, and semisweet chocolate.) The cookies are soft and buttery, but not thick or cakey. Juuust right!!! Unless you’re one of those crazies who likes crunchy cookies, make these, and YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!! :)
Jamie Silva says
Sooo happy you loved them, Ali!!! Thank you!!
Martina says
Just wondering if i should leave the cookies on the sheet when I take them out of the oven to finish baking through or should I put them on a drying rack right away?
Jamie Silva says
You can do either!
Nicole says
I bake all the time. I have used all types of recipes and this is now going to be my new go to! They are soft and chewy! If that’s what you’re looking for this is it! I also added chopped walnuts! 😋 I don’t often leave reviews but I think this needed to be shared!
Jamie Silva says
So happy to hear that!! :)
Cassandra Trappen says
These are incredibly easy and delicious. Love that you use one bowl too!
Liz says
These were SO good. Made a batch and shared with my whole family.. everyone loved them! I used a mix of dark and milk chocolate because that’s what I had on hand and YUM! So delicious!
Cheryl says
I have made these cookies multiple times and they always come out amazing!!! I will never go back to my old way of making chocolate chip cookies!!! Delish!!!!
JB says
I have been using the recipe to make them for my friends and they all love them. Thank you for this recipe.
Jessica says
I made these for my husband and they are a WINNER! Perfectly sweet with the dark chocolate and perfectly salty with the sea salt! Next time I make them I’m doubling the recipe so I can freeze them and have them everyday!
Jamie Silva says
Woohoo! So happy to hear!
Fernando says
Hi Jamie.
I’d like to ask you about butter (in grams) because there is no stick of butter in Brazil.
If you prefer, let me know the measure in cups.
Thanks and congrats for your webpage and also instagram. I follow both of them
Warm greetings from Brazil
Jamie Silva says
Hi Fernando! Brazil?! So awesome! 1 stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup or 113 grams. Hope that helps! Enjoy. :)
Erica says
These cookies sound amazing, soft cookies are my absolute favorite! Freezing the dough is a great tip, I’ve made cream cheese chocolate chip cookies before that required that step and they were hands down the best cookies I’ve ever made! Can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks!
Jamie Silva says
Ooo cream cheese cookies sound amaze! Hope you love these, Erica!
Shaquira Bonilla says
My son loves these!!