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.
Taylor says
These cookies look perfect! So soft and chewy!
Catalina says
Oh my goodness! These cookies are so inviting! I need to put them on my weekend baking list!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m glad you like them, Catalina!
Chrissie Baker says
My husband said “ Chocolate chip cookies sound good.” So I decided to be a sweet wife & make some for him.Absolutely Fabulous Recipe! I appreciated your helpful tips. My husband & son really enjoyed the cookies. Thank you for sharing the recipe & great helpful hints!
Erren's Kitchen says
That is so awesome to her Chrissie, Thank you for your lovely feedback!
Sabrina says
Yes! Chilling the dough is so important. These came out beautifully, thanks.
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m glad you enjoyed Sabrina!
Demeter says
I’ve never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn’t like! The perfect treat.
Erren's Kitchen says
They are so good, aren’t they!
Kelsey says
My husband said these were the best cookies he’s ever eaten and had me make another batch the next day for him to take to work to share. Thank you! 🙂
Kelsey says
Salted or unsalted butter? 🙂
Erren says
Hi Kelsey, I use salted, but it’s a personal preference.
Gina says
These were amazing! Soft and chewy in the middle and crunchy around the edges. My husband said he could taste the butter! My mom couldn’t get enough. She was happy to know that I have a half batch in the freezer. I don’t think they will be in there long though.😋
Erren says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed them so much, Gina! They’re a favorite in thus house too!
Dee says
Hi Erren, how many cookies is 1 serving? Is 1 cookie = 388 calories?
Erren says
Hi Dee, I ran the software again to make sure. It’s approximately 292 calories per cookie. The recipe makes 18 -24 cookies so an exact number is difficult to pinpoint. Hope this helps.
Alyson says
Two ideas for you: try using Domino maple brown sugar instead of plain brown sugar and dark chocolate chips and I also add 1 cup coarsely broken toasted pecans. Takes chocolate chip cookies to a new level. NOte The domino maple brown sugar is lighter in weight than regular brown sugar so you may need 1/4 c. more. I weigh my ingredients.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Alyson, Sounds delicious I’ll keep it in mind, Thank you for your feedback!