Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Thick, chewy centers. Crisp, golden edges. Pools of melted chocolate in every bite. That is what this recipe delivers, and it does it with cold butter straight from the refrigerator, no chilling, and about 20 minutes from the first scoop of flour to the first warm cookie.
Prep time is 10 minutes, bake time is 10 minutes, and the batch yields 20 cookies.
Jump To
- 1. Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- 2. Cookies
- 3. Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- 4. Ingredients For Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 5. How To Make The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 6. How To Scoop Cookie Dough
- 7. How To Get Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Every Time
- 8. How To Store
- 9. FAQs
- 10. Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Cookies
I published this recipe on June 14, 2023, and it is still the one I bake more than any other. These cookies come out thick and chewy with crisp, golden edges, soft centers, and gooey melted chocolate running through every bite.
Because the dough starts with cold butter and never needs to chill, warm bakery style cookies can be on your counter in about 20 minutes.
This is not a recipe I threw together one afternoon. I tested and refined it over months before it earned a place in my debut cookbook, Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie Book.
It made the cut because it works every single time, even on a weeknight when the mixer is barely awake and the family is already asking what smells so good.
I still bake a batch at least once a week, usually on the weekend when the oven is already warm from something else. If you have been searching for a chocolate chip cookie that stays soft for days instead of turning into a crisp disk by morning, this is the one to try first.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
There are three reasons this recipe earns a permanent spot in my rotation.
- Flavor that actually tastes like chocolate. The dough is rich and buttery, loaded with chocolate, and finished with a pinch of salt so the sweet and salty notes balance instead of fighting each other.
- A bakery style texture. These bake up thick and chewy, with edges that turn golden in the oven and centers that stay tender and soft.
- Real convenience. Cold butter straight from the fridge means you can start mixing while the oven preheats. There is no waiting for butter to soften, no chill time, and no odd ingredients to hunt down.
Warm, gooey cookies in under 20 minutes is not a marketing promise here. It is simply how the recipe works.
Ingredients For Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
Everything on this list is a pantry staple, which is part of why the recipe is so easy to repeat. Weighing the flour on a kitchen scale gives the most consistent results, and I will explain why in the tips section below.
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All purpose flour | 2 3/4 cups (345 g) | Weigh it for accuracy |
| Cornstarch | 1 teaspoon | Keeps the crumb tender |
| Baking soda | 1 teaspoon | Check that it is fresh |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon | Goes into the dough |
| Unsalted butter | 1 cup (226 g) | Cold and cubed, straight from the fridge |
| Light brown sugar | 3/4 cup (150 g), packed | Adds moisture and chew |
| Granulated sugar | 2/3 cup (130 g) | Sweetness plus crisp edges |
| Egg plus 1 egg yolk | 1 egg + 1 yolk | Room temperature |
| Vanilla | 1 tablespoon | Real vanilla, not artificial |
| Chocolate chips | 2 1/4 cups (405 g) | A mix of semi sweet, bittersweet, and dark |
| Flakey sea salt | For sprinkling | Optional finishing touch |
On the chocolate, use the full 2 1/4 cups and mix varieties. A blend of semi sweet, bittersweet, and dark chocolate chips gives you layers of flavor instead of one flat note. Different sizes help too, since small chips melt into the dough while larger ones leave distinct pools of chocolate behind.
A note on the butter. It goes in cold and cubed, straight from the refrigerator. Do not melt it and do not leave it sitting on the counter to soften. That single detail is what lets you skip chilling the dough entirely.
The egg and the extra yolk should be at room temperature so they blend smoothly into the creamed butter and sugar. That extra yolk is there for softness and chew.
Please check your baking soda for freshness before you start, because a tired box will not lift the dough the way it should. The small amount of cornstarch is deliberate too, since it keeps the crumb tender rather than cakey.
One full tablespoon of real vanilla adds depth you can actually taste. Salt goes into the dough, and a little flakey sea salt on top at the end makes the chocolate taste even more like chocolate.
How To Make The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Read through the whole method once before you start, then work through it step by step. The order matters more than the speed.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on low speed. Gradually increase the speed and cream for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy with no visible chunks of butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the egg and the egg yolk one at a time, scraping the bowl between each addition.
- Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Add the chocolate chips all at once and mix for just 10 seconds to combine. Again, do not over mix the dough.
- Use a large cookie scoop to divide the dough into 2 ounce balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Roll each ball between your palms until smooth. Work quickly so the dough does not get too warm in your hands.
- Space the balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets, top each one with a few extra chocolate chips if you like, and bake on the center rack for 9 to 10 minutes. Check around the 7 minute mark. If the cookies are still mounded on top, lift the sheet about 3 to 4 inches above the rack and drop it firmly, repeating if needed. That little drop flattens the cookies and helps create those pools of melted chocolate.
- The cookies are done when the edges are set and slightly golden brown while the centers still look pale and a touch under baked. Do not overbake, or you will trade soft and chewy for dry and crispy.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them carefully to a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with flakey sea salt before serving if you like.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for the most even browning. Crowding two sheets into the oven at once changes how the heat circulates, and the cookies will bake unevenly as a result.
How To Scoop Cookie Dough
Even portions mean even baking, and a large cookie scoop plus a digital kitchen scale makes that effortless. Aim for 2 ounce balls, which is the size this recipe was built around.
Place the scooped balls on a parchment lined baking sheet 2 to 3 inches apart so they have room to spread. If you are baking right away, press a few extra chocolate chips onto the top of each ball. Do not flatten the dough, because the cookies will spread on their own in the oven.
If you want cookies another day, freeze the scoops first. Set the tray in the freezer for about an hour, until the balls are firm, then move them into a freezer bag or container, where they keep for up to 3 months.
Bake them straight from frozen, allowing a little extra time in the oven, and you get warm cookies on demand without mixing a fresh batch of dough.
How To Get Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Every Time
I have made every mistake on this list at least once, so let me save you the trouble.
Weigh your flour, or measure it carefully. Too much flour is the leading cause of failed chocolate chip cookies. Extra flour keeps the dough from spreading and leaves you with puffy, cakey cookies instead of chewy ones. A kitchen scale removes the guesswork entirely.
Without one, use the spoon and level method: fluff the flour with a fork, spoon it into the measuring cup without packing it down, overfill it slightly, then sweep the top level with the back of a knife or a spatula.
Never scoop straight from the bag with the measuring cup, because that packs in far more flour than the recipe needs.
Follow the recipe as written. This is the one recipe where I ask you not to improvise. Cutting the sugar, skipping the extra yolk, swapping the fat, or reducing the butter will all change the structure of the dough and the texture of the finished cookie. If you want to play, play with the chocolate.
Mix your chocolate. Different sizes and varieties of chips are encouraged here. Use up the half empty bags in your pantry and combine them. Smaller chips melt into the dough while bigger ones leave distinct pockets of chocolate, and that variety is what makes each bite taste a little different from the last.
Pull them out early. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and golden brown and the centers still look puffy, pale, and soft. That is not underbaking, it is the whole point.
The residual heat of the hot baking sheet finishes the centers as the cookies cool, which is how you get a chewy middle with a crisp rim.
Finish with flakey sea salt. A light sprinkle on warm cookies balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate taste deeper. Use flakey salt rather than fine table salt, so you get little bursts of salt instead of an evenly salty cookie.
How To Store
Leftover cookies keep well, which is convenient, because a batch of 20 disappears faster than you expect. Store them tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. One old bakery trick: tuck a slice of white bread into the container. The cookies stay soft and the bread takes the staleness for them.
For longer storage, let the cookies cool completely, then freeze them in a large freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. You can eat them straight from the freezer, let them thaw at room temperature, or warm them in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5 to 6 minutes so the chocolate turns glossy again.
As for serving, these cookies hold their own with a glass of cold milk, but my favorite way to serve them is as bookends for a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you enjoy this style of cookie, try the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies next.
FAQs
What makes this the best chocolate chip cookie recipe?
This recipe uses cold butter straight from the refrigerator and requires no chilling of the dough, so warm, bakery-style cookies are ready in about 20 minutes. The cookies are thick and chewy with crisp golden edges, soft centers, and pockets of melted chocolate from a mix of semi-sweet, bittersweet, and dark chips.
How do I measure flour correctly for chewy cookies?
The most accurate method is to weigh the flour using a kitchen scale; the recipe calls for 345 grams of all-purpose flour. If using measuring cups, use the spoon-and-level method to avoid packing in too much flour, which is the most common reason cookies turn out thick and cakey.
Can I freeze the cookie dough for later use?
Yes, you can freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls for up to three months. Scoop and roll the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the total bake time.
How do I prevent my chocolate chip cookies from spreading too much?
To prevent excessive spreading, ensure your butter is cold when you start creaming and do not over-cream the butter and sugars. The baking sheets should be cool when the dough goes on, and the oven must be fully preheated to 375°F. Dropping the baking sheet on the oven rack at 7 minutes helps control spread and creates a wrinkle-top texture.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Thick, chewy centers. Crisp, golden edges.
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
Ingredients
Main
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups chocolate chips
flakey sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Method
1-Preheat the oven to 375°F: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2-In the bowl of a stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cold butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on low speed. Gradually increase the speed and cream the butter and sugars together for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. There should be no visible chunks of butter in the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3-Add the egg and egg yolk, one: Add the egg and egg yolk, one at time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
4-Mix in the vanilla: Mix in the vanilla.
5-In a separate bowl, whisk together the: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.
6-Add the dry ingredients to the butter: Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture in two additions. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
7-Add the chocolate chips all at once: Add the chocolate chips all at once and mix for just 10 seconds to combine. Do not over mix the dough.
8-Remove the bowl from the mixer and: Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large cookie scoop to divide the dough into 2 ounce cookie dough balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
9-Roll the cookie dough balls between the: Roll the cookie dough balls between the palms of your hands until smooth. Work quickly so that the dough does not get too warm.
10-Place the balls of cookie dough 2: Place the balls of cookie dough 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Top each ball with a few extra chocolate chips if desired. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Check the cookies around 7 minutes into baking. If the cookies are still mounded on top, lift the cookie sheet about 3 to 4 inches above the baking rack and drop it firmly. Repeat if needed. This will flatten out the cookies and help create delicious pools of melted chocolate.
11-The cookies are done when the edges: The cookies are done when the edges are set and slightly golden brown. The centers of the cookies will still look pale and slightly under baked. Do not overbake the cookies or they will be dry and crispy instead of soft and chewy.
12-Remove the cookies from the oven and: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack.
13-Sprinkle with flakey sea salt before serving: Sprinkle with flakey sea salt before serving if desired.
Last Step:
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- Cook Time: 10 min
- Method: bake
