I’ve been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. I’ve tried dozens of recipes and finally tweaked one to perfection! They are dense, chewy, crispy on the edges, and slightly doughy in the center. They are simple and straight forward but there are a few tricks to make them the best, so follow instructions closely!
The ingredients are pretty straight forward in this cookie recipe. It is the method that makes all the difference. Make sure you follow mixing instructions closely. The chilling method is also extremely important to get consistently great cookies.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Let’s walk through how to make these delicious cookies.
First you need to mix the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. This is where I would really recommend using a kitchen scale. They are inexpensive and this really ensures that you are getting the correct amount of flour. I like this one. If you do not have one that is fine too, just make sure you spoon flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife being careful not to pack it down.
Next you need to melt your butter. You want to do this over low heat on the stove. I like to turn the heat off once the butter is about half way melted.
Let it sit in the pan and melt most of the way, then pour into your mixing bowl to cool. It can be slightly warm when you add the sugars, just make sure it isn’t hot at all. Cream together the butter and sugars until just combined. I want to add that it’s important to not over mix the dough if you want your cookies to be dense and chewy. Add the egg and vanilla then mix until just combined.
Add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Again, be careful not to whip the mixture. You want the cookie dough to be dense, not light and airy. Next, add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
Scoop and Chill the Dough
Lastly, line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Using your cookie dough scoop, portion out all of the dough into balls onto the baking sheet. You’ll have to crowd them together to make them all fit. You’re not baking them on this pan, only chilling them. I’ve found this method to be a lot better than chilling the whole bowl. Firstly, because it is a lot easier than trying to scoop chilled cookie dough. Lastly, it helps produce consistent results every time. When chilling the entire bowl, the top and edges might be colder than the center of the dough and this can cause your cookies to bake inconsistently. Put the baking sheet of dough into the freezer for exactly 15 minutes.
Bake!
Remove dough from the freezer and prepare a second cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Place some of the dough balls onto the second cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place the remaining cookie dough into the refrigerator (not freezer) until you’re ready to bake the next batch. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
The most important thing to remember about this chocolate chip cookie recipe is to NOT overbake! I have found that in my oven about 9 minutes is perfect. The cookies will look under baked when you take them out of the oven. You can sprinkle flaky sea salt on the tops of the cookies after pulling them out of the oven if you want. I really like the sweet and salty combination. Leave on cookie sheet for just a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or parchment paper. I know you’ll love this chocolate chip cookie recipe!
NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Butter– I use salted butter but unsalted would also work. Make sure your butter is melted but cooled before adding sugar.
Brown sugar– I use light brown sugar. You could use dark brown if you want, it will just make your cookies a little darker
Chocolate chips- You can use chocolate chips or chunks. I also use a mix of dark, semisweet, and milk chocolate.
FREQUENTLY ASKED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE QUESTIONS:
What makes a cookie chewy?
It’s all about moisture content and baking time. Brown sugar helps because of its moisture content. Lastly, do not overbake!
Is baking soda or baking powder better for cookies?
Baking soda is generally used for chewy cookies, while baking powder yields a lighter cookie.
What makes a cookie flat or fluffy?
Room temperature butter will incorporate more air when it’s creamed with the sugar. Slightly melted butter will not produce as much rise when you’re baking the dough.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowl
- spatula
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (melted and cooled) 226 grams
- 3/4 cup brown sugar 150 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour 300 grams
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 12 oz chocolate chips (I like to use a mix of semisweet and dark)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the butter then set aside to let cool.
- Mix flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugars. Make sure the butter is not hot when you do this step. Do not overmix the dough.
- Add the egg and vanilla, mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients, mix until combined.
- Add chocolate chips and fully incorporate.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Scoop and portion all of the dough into balls onto the baking sheet. You'll have to crowd them together to make them all fit onto the pan. That is okay because you're not baking them on this pan, only chilling the dough.
- Chill the dough balls in the freezer for 15 minutes. After that, place some of the dough onto a separate cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place the rest of the dough into the refrigerator between batches.
- Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven when the edges are barely starting to brown. They will not look completely done. Cool on cookie sheet 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.