This easy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe makes perfect cookies that are crispy on the outside with a soft & chewy center.
Make these alongside Classic Peanut Butter Cookies or Fudge Brownies for the perfect classic baking day!
Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of the best things on earth and this recipe is no exception!
There’s something so special about homemade cookies. The smell alone just makes you happy and feels like home and childhood memories rolled into one.
And the first bite is always pure bliss – especially when they are fresh from the oven.
Why This Recipe Works
- The use of brown sugar adds flavor and cuts sweetness, and its high moisture level produces a soft, chewy cookie.
- Adding bread flour keeps the cookies from flattening too much & creates a chewier bite at the center of the cookie.
- Using butter instead of shortening gives these cookies a buttery richness that’s hard to beat.
Tried And True Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve been making these chocolate cookies for years. It took many tries to perfect them, but once I did, they became one of the recipes I am most proud of. I am famous for these cookies; they’re requested by my friends and family more than any other treat.
Achieving A Soft, Chewy Cookie
The key to a soft, chewy cookie is using high-moisture ingredients like brown sugar (which contains molasses), butter (which has water in it), and eggs.
This recipe uses a high ratio of brown sugar to white, a good amount of butter, and eggs. The result is an indulgent, soft, and chewy cookie that will knock your socks off!
Cookies That Don’t Fall Flat
If you’ve had trouble with your cookies falling flat when baked, then this recipe is for you! I’ve solved that problem in two ways.
- The use of bread flour – Cookies with higher amounts of butter spread more, making them flatter. Using a small amount of bread flour with a higher protein level helps to stabilize the cookie and lowers the spread.
- Chilling the dough – Cookies will come out flat when not chilled before baking. Chilling allows the butter to solidify and stops your cookies from flattening when baked.
Which Chocolate Chips
You can use whichever chocolate chips you like best! Just remember that milk chocolate and white chocolate chips are much sweeter than dark chocolate, semi-sweet, and bitter-sweet, so you may want to adjust the sugar levels.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined
- Mix in the flour mixture by hand.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Shape into a log and chill wrapped until firm.
- Bake and cool 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Step By Step Instructions
Start by sifting the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together.
Add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar to another bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Mix in the eggs and the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Over-mixing will make cookies tough, and it’s easily done with electric mixers.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Shape into a log in plastic wrap and chill until firm 30 minutes – overnight.
Cut the dough into 1-inch thick slices and then place onto a cookie sheet two inches apart.
Bake for 12 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack – try not to eat the whole batch right out of the oven!
Let cookies cool before storing – Storing cookies when they’re still warm will create steam, which makes them soft and crumbly.
Achieving Your Perfect Results
Everyone has a different idea of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Some like them thin & crispy, some like soft cookies, and others like chewy (like this recipe).
Here are some variations to create your perfect cookie wherever you weigh in.
- For a flatter crispy cookie: Don’t chill before baking. Use a cookie scoop to add them to the pan and bake as directed.
- For a softer cookie: Omit the bread flour and add half a cup of flour to the recipe. It creates a soft cookie that only gets softer as they cool.
- For a light, cakey cookie: Omit the bread flour and brown sugar. Instead, use 2½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1½ cups of white sugar, and reduce the butter to 12 tablespoons.
Tips For The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use ingredients that are at room temperature. Room-temperature eggs and butter combine easier with dry ingredients that are already at room temperature. The result will be a well-combined dough.
- Use an electric mixer for creaming butter. An electric mixer forces air into the butter in a way that’s almost impossible to do by hand. This will make the cookies lighter.
- Stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Over-mixing will make cookies tough, and it’s easily done with electric mixers.
- Space out the cookies on the pan. Place the cookie dough about 2 inches apart to prevent cookies from spreading into each other when baking.
- Don’t overbake your cookies. When chocolate chip cookies come out of the oven, they should be slightly underdone in the middle. Leave them to set on the hot cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- If your dough is so cold that it’s hard after chilling, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing, or they won’t spread in the oven.
- Cool completely before storing cookies. Storing Chocolate Chip Cookies when they’re still warm creates steam, making them soft and crumbly.
Other Great Cookies
Yes, chilling the dough is an important step in this recipe. After mixing, it allows the butter to solidify and stops your cookies from becoming too thin.
Chilling also allows the flavors in the dough to develop, and it helps create that crisp outside and chewier middle.
Cookie dough freezes well. Freeze the prepared dough for up to three months. Just thaw in the fridge, slice the chilled dough, and bake.
Store softer cookies in an airtight container with a slice of white bread. The moisture in the bread will be absorbed by the cookie.
Store crisper cookies in an airtight container that’s not completely sealed. Be sure to keep them separate from soft cookies as their moisture will seep into the crisp cookie, softening them.
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Let’s Make Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour* If outside the US see notes
- 1 tablespoon bread flour optional (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 16 tablespoons butter (1 cup/2 sticks) softened
- 1½ cups packed light-brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Sift the flour, bread flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl. beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in until fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
- Mix in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Shape into a log, wrap with plastic wrap and chill until firm 30 minutes – overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190C. Cut the dough into 1 inch thick slices and place onto a cookie sheet two inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but soft in the middle, about 10 – 12 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Tips + Notes
- Use ingredients that are room temperature. Room temperature eggs and butter combine easier with dry ingredients that are already at room temperature. The result will be a well-combined dough.
- If your dough is so cold that it’s hard after chilling, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing or they won’t spread in the oven.
- Use an electric mixer for creaming butter. An electric mixer forces air into the butter in a way that’s almost impossible to do by hand. This will make the cookies lighter.
- Stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Over mixing will make cookies tough and it’s easily done with electric mixers.
- Don’t over bake your cookies. When chocolate chip cookies come out of the oven, they should be slightly underdone in the middle. Leave them to set on the hot cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Jan 15, 2014, but was republished with a slight change in recipe, step by step instruction photos, and a video, and tips in February of 2019.
Alexis says
These were very tasty but came out way too thin even after chilling for 2 hours. Followed the recipe exactly. Not sure what went wrong.
Erren's Kitchen says
I am going to update this recipe, as have found mine have come out a little thin too, my new recipe will include 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 regular flour, I hope this helps!
Bonnie says
After making this recipe once, it’s now going to be my “go to recipe” for the best chocolate chip cookies. Slightly crisp on edges and chewy throughout. Delicious!
Bonnie says
Mixed the dough the day before yesterday and baking right now. I added the extra flour because I like a little thicker cookie. Haven’t tasted any cookies yet because they are still baking but the dough is delicious…lol I love a cookie that I can make ahead of time and then bake.
Erren says
So glad to hear it Bonnie! We often have this dough in the fridge or freezer. They are really delicious! Hope you enjoyed them!
Rebecca says
Seriously, seriously, seriously DELICIOUS!!!!!! Finally a Pinterest recipe that lives up to the name! I added some oats and walnuts and they were off the chain. Thanks for posting!!!
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Rebecca, Thank you much I’m glad you enjoyed it! I have a similar recipe with oatmeal in so I know this works out well! Yours sound delicious!
Jackie says
These were so delicious! I added some course ground sea salt to the tops of the cookies right before I transferred them to a cooking rack. Soooo gooOOood!
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Jackie, What a good idea! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Mallory says
I have tried out a few other recipes to try to replace the toll house recipe that I would usually use, I was just looking for a better texture. These turned out amazing! the perfect mix of soft and chewy.
I used mini chocolate chips just for preference and it still came out amazing! Also, I only had dark brown sugar at the time but, it didn’t seem to ruin anything. Super yummy!
I chilled them for 30 minutes in the freezer and the dough was still pretty gooey, I just couldn’t wait so I used flour to roll them up. 🙂
Erren's Kitchen says
Perfect thanks for letting me know!
Erren says
Hi Rick, I’ve fixed the conversion. I’m really sorry about that. Let me know how it goes!
Rick says
Hi Erren,
These cookies are SO GOOD! I’ve made them several times. Mine have turned out very thin every time. Sometimes so thin they hardly hold together. What could I be doing wrong? How can I fix this without changing the taste? Thank you.
Erren says
Hi Rick, have you chilled the cookies before baking? I would try chilling the dough overnight. This recipe makes a lot of dough so form or into two logs in plastic wrap, chill overnight and cut into 1 inch slices instead of balls. Keep it chilled until baking each batch. Let me know how it goes. I make these more than any other cookie. They are a family favorite. I often make them as blondies which is also on my site https://www.errenskitchen.com/chocolate-chip-blondies/
Rick says
Hi Erren,
The log idea worked! The cookies were a bit larger as well. One thing I noticed different from before is when I made the dough into balls it made quite a few more cookies. With the log I came out with the same amount of servings your recipe says it makes. I’m not sure how smaller portions would’ve cause my cookies to be too thin, but maybe it did.
While I didn’t try it, another idea I thought of to make the cookies a little bit thicker is to replace one tablespoon of flour with one tablespoon of cornstarch. Not sure if that would change the flavor though.
Anyway, I’m so happy the log idea worked. It’s really easier than scooping all of those balls out of the dough anyway. Thanks again!
Rick
Erren says
I’m so glad to hear it, Rick! They’re my favorite cookies on my site and honestly don’t get enough attention. I think I’ll change the recipe to be logs when it comes time to shoot the video. Thank you for the great feedback!
Michelle says
Delicious! Thanks for the perfect recipe!
Erren says
Hi Michelle, it’s one of my favorite recipes! Glad you enjoyed them! 😊
Hope says
I just made these cookies and they are so good! They came out beautiful and yummy, thanks for the perfect recipe!