Tastes Better From Scratch

Everything tastes better homemade!

  • About
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes
Home » Dessert » Cookies » Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Lauren Allen on May 30, 2018, Updated November 5, 2019

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies have a little crisp to their outer shell but are soft on the inside, and extra chewy. They’re easy to make (you don’t even need a mixer!), no chilling the dough, and they stay soft for days. This is the perfect chocolate chip cookies recipe you’ve been searching for!

A stack of three chocolate chip cookies, with more cookies and chocolate chips in the background.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I’m sharing the most basic, amazing recipe of all–Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. Anyone reading this probably already has at least 1 or 2 chocolate chip cookie recipes they love. I get that–it’s a classic, and I’m one of those people, but these are my all time favorite! Coming in close second is Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies , because I love the addition of oats.

Apparently chocolate chip cookies were invented in 1938 by a women named Ruth Graves, who was an American chef.  I could just kiss her for bringing such a perfect dessert into the world :).

Tips for making perfect chocolate chip cookies?

I am boldly declaring these the best chocolate chip cookies out there, and for good reason! This chocolate chip cookie recipe has been specifically tailored and tested to produce the perfect CHEWY chocolate chip cookies. Three factors make-up the chewy chocolate chip cookie heaven that’s achieved here:

1. Use Melted butter

Unlike most cookie recipes, these chocolate chip cookies are made with melted butter, instead of softened or room temperature butter.

Typically melted butter in chocolate chip cookies has a reputation for producing cookies that are flat and thin, but not here, thanks to recipe testing by Cook’s Illustrated. Since we know that melted butter in brownies and other baked goods makes them extra chewy, Cook’s Illustrated created this recipe with that in mind, but calculated the other ingredients to ensure the cookies would hold their shape, and stay thick and chewy.

2. Extra Egg Yolk

This cookie recipe also calls for an extra egg yolk, rather than a whole egg. The extra egg yolks helps with the thick and chewy texture and helps the chocolate chip cookies to stay soft for days longer than regular cookies.

3. More brown sugar than granulated sugar.

Moisture content in cookies helps to make them chewy, and that is why this recipe contains more brown sugar than granulated white sugar. Brown sugar has molasses in it, making the sugar more moist, which will lead to a chewier chocolate chip cookie.

So, thanks to the recipe tester’s at Cook’s Illustrated for creating the perfect thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies of my dreams!

How to make Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Start by melting the butter for about 45 seconds in the microwave. You want it mostly, but not completely melted.

Remove it from the microwave and stir it with a spoon until it’s completely melted. Allow the melted butter to cool off while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Side by side photos of butter cut into pieces in one white bowl, and then melted in the same white bowl, with a spoon stirring it.

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl: flour, baking soda and salt.

Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix in the melted butter, mixing until smooth.

Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until combined.

Process photos for making chocolate chip cookies including a clear mixing bowl with granulated sugar, brown sugar and melted butter poured into the bowl, and another photo of the same mixing bowl with those ingredients stirred together, and eggs and vanilla added to the bowl.

Stir in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips.

Just as with most baked goods, once you have added the dry ingredients, don’t over-mix the batter. If your cookie batter is beaten too much, the cookies will be more dense.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Scoop the cookie dough and place on baking sheet.

Side by side photos of a bowl with chocolate chip cookie dough, and a a baking sheet with scooped chocolate chip cookies ready for the oven.

Bake at 325 degrees F (yes, you want to bake them at 325 degrees, not 350 degrees.) for about 10-12 minutes or until they’ve lost their sheen on top and just barely look like they’re starting to set. They won’t be golden brown around the edges.

The cookies will continue to cook and will harden as they cool on the hot baking sheet, out of the oven, so don’t be tempted to over-bake them.  You can always put them back in the oven for additional time, if needed.

Close up photo of half of a chocolate chip cookie, held up above other cookies in the background.

 

 CONSIDER TRYING THESE POPULAR COOKIE RECIPES:
  • Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
  • Soft and Chewy Triple Chocolate M&M Cookies

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe on TastesBetterFromScratch.com

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies have a little crisp to their outer shell but are soft on the inside, and extra chewy. They're easy to make (you don't even need a mixer!), no chilling the dough, and they stay soft for days. This is the perfect chocolate chip cookies recipe you've been searching for!
4.79 from 55 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 24
Calories: 208kcal
Author: Lauren Allen

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 Tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large + 1 egg yolk egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk chocolate)

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat.
  • Melt the butter for about 45 seconds in the microwave, until it's almost completely melted. Remove and stir it, allowing any remaining butter to melt. Allow the butter to cool until it's almost room temperature, but still a liquid.
  • In a medium bowl mix together flour, salt, and baking soda. 
  • In a separate large mixing bowl mix the butter and sugars together until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until combined. 
  • Stir in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips, just until combined. The dough will be soft.
  • Gently scoop dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram #TastesBetterFromScratch!
Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

 

I originally shared this recipe Feb. 2015. Updated May 2018.

Pin
Share
Tweet
Email


Cookies· Dessert
113 Comments

« Chicken Fajitas Foil Packets
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad »

Comments

  1. Gary says

    January 10, 2019 at 11:30 pm

    I found …
    Don’t use a Teflon or coated cookies sheet. A non coated sheet works great ! They don’t slide while baking and become flat .
    Make them tall like an egg on the sheet before baking. They will come out much thicker !!!

    Reply
  2. Kristi says

    February 13, 2019 at 6:09 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are…yum! I bake all the time and am always looking for the best cookies/desserts. I feel like I’ve tried these before but can’t remwmber for sure. I’m trying recipes that I have pinned and if I don’t like them I’m throwing them out. This one is a keeper. Several people have pinned this recipe from me and I looked at some of the pictures they posted of their end product…good thing I didn’t throw this one out based on the looks of most of them.ha. I don’t get how people can follow the same recipe and get completely different result.

    Reply
  3. André says

    March 2, 2019 at 3:19 pm

    This was the first batch of cookies I have ever made from scratch in my life. They were delicious. We had to add a couple of extra minutes but that just may be our oven. Thanks for a great recipe. Great dad n daughter activity.

    Reply
  4. REBECCA CASTERLINE says

    April 8, 2019 at 3:51 pm

    This is actually a recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook you should probably give her the credit and not sure who posted it but I have been using this recipe for 10 years

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      April 8, 2019 at 4:24 pm

      Hi Rebecca, no this original recipe is actually from Cook’s Illustrated, which I’ve stated both in the recipe card and I talk about within the post 🙂

      Reply
  5. Amy says

    April 29, 2019 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe!!! I just have one question. How long can I keep these for? When will they spoil or turn bad? I want to give some to my brother in 2 days but its too much to drive to my house just to get some cookies.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      April 29, 2019 at 5:29 pm

      Lemme know in around a day ? I don’t wanna give him spoiled cookies

      Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      May 20, 2019 at 12:10 am

      Hi Amy, they will last for 2-3 days, but I’d also recommend freezing them, as they will stay the most fresh that way 🙂

      Reply
  6. Ranjit says

    July 30, 2019 at 8:37 pm

    Hi,
    When you named these cookies as perfect chocolate chip cookies, you were absolutely correct!! My kids love them so much. Thank you..

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      July 31, 2019 at 11:08 am

      I’m so happy you thought so too! Thanks!

      Reply
  7. Charlene says

    September 23, 2019 at 11:44 pm

    I’ve done this recipe at least 5 times on two different ovens. Every time first sheet, the cookies do not spread and they are just blobs. I have to flatten them and the chips make a mess. I have to end up flattening them ahead of baking because they never spread. Don’t know what I’m doing wrong! Tastes great though!

    Reply
  8. Sharon Weiner says

    October 25, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    I like them thin and crispy. I do more white granulated sugar than brown sugar. (Dark Brown). Always melt the butter, 2 sticks, and toast the walnuts .
    Refrigerate the dough for 5-10 minutes before panning. I use Teflon pans. No problem.

    Reply
  9. Donna M. says

    November 22, 2019 at 11:42 am

    5 stars
    Just made this recipe last night and I couldn’t be happier. I’m bookmarking this for sure. I know you cautioned about overbaking but I did let mine go about 14 mins per sheet instead of 10-12 and they were perfect. Thanks so much and happy holidays!

    Reply
  10. Kim Sokolosky says

    November 24, 2019 at 4:23 pm

    5 stars
    Chewy but soft and moist. BEST classic chocolate chip recipe I have ever tried (and I have tried many). So yummy!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos. Read More
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Thanksgiving Favorites!

Roasted Turkey on a large white platter, garnished with lemons, apples, garlic and fresh green herbs.

Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey

Pie crust with a crimped edge in a pie dish ready to be baked.

Perfect Pie Crust

Overhead view of a berry pie with a lattice crust.

Triple Berry Pie

A slice of the BEST Lemon Sour Cream Pie - tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Lemon Sour Cream Pie

Free 5-Week

Fall Meal Plan!

MAKE-AHEAD, family friendly recipes with grocery shopping lists!

Popular Recipes

  • Roasted Turkey on a large white platter, garnished with lemons, apples, garlic and fresh green herbs. Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey
  • Turkey gravy in a white gravy boat being poured over turkey slices on a plate with cranberry sauce and broccoli. Turkey Gravy
  • Making a classic pumpkin roll has never been easier with this handy trick! We love this beautiful, simple dessert. Pumpkin cake with a cream cheese filling | tastesbetterfromscratch.com Classic Pumpkin Roll
  • Peach cobbler served in a bowl with a spoon, and another bowl of cobbler in the background. Peach Cobbler

Recipe Key

  • Appetizers
  • Desserts
  • Main Dish
  • Instant Pot
  • Pasta
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
  • Snacks
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2010-2019 | Contact Me | Privacy Policy

Tastes Better From Scratch

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy