Soft and chewy on the inside with a little crisp on the outside, these truly are Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re easy to make (you don’t even need a mixer!), no chilling the dough, and they stay soft for days.
These cookies make my list of absolute staple dessert recipes. Other staples include Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake, Snickerdoodles, Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting, and Classic Chocolate Brownies.
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 jumbo chocolate chip cookies, because I love giant 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 cookie.
Tips for perfect chocolate chip cookies:
1. Use melted butter. Unlike most cookie recipes, these chocolate chip cookies are made with melted butter, instead of softened or room temperature butter. But don’t fear, i’ve ensured the melted butter will NOT make these cookies flat.
2. Add an extra egg yolk. Eggs also help with that chewy texture, but rather then using a whole extra egg, this cookie recipe calls for one extra egg yolk. This 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.
How to make Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1. Melt butter. Melt the butter for about 45 seconds in the microwave. You want it mostly, but not completely melted. Stir it with a spoon until it’s completely melted and allow the butter to cool completely.
2. Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix in the melted butter, until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Combine. Stir together wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix the batter. Stir in chocolate chips. (If your cookie batter is beaten too much, the cookies will be more dense).
5. Bake. Scoop the cookie dough and place it on a prepared baking sheet. 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.
MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:
To make ahead: Make the chocolate chip cookie dough up to two days in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
To freeze: Freeze cookie dough or baked (and cooled) cookies in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw before baking the dough.
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
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
Nutrition
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
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.
Cristina says
Rather than melting butter in microwave, can you melt/brown in saucepan to give it that nutty flavor? Will this change the cookie texture at all?
TY
Lauren Allen says
Yes, of course!
Karen says
These cookies are so good it’s ridiculous !!
Stacy says
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for sharing!
Brittany says
Mine didn’t turn out like yours:( they came out super wide and flat, like pancakes. I followed the recipe, so I don’t know what I did wrong!
Kelsey says
Did you grease the pan? Is your kitchen really warm? Did you let the butter cool? Did you wait for the oven to be preheated? Did you use vegetable oil (margarine) butter? All of these things can cause that problem.
Kelsey says
Nevermind, I thought mine were going well and then ploop… Flat pancakes. I followed as well. There must be something missing from the instructions. Perhaps a chilling period?
Amy says
It could do with how long you mixed in the eggs. The longer you blend/stir/mix, creates stiffer and flatter results. Try only mixing in the eggs and vanilla for about 10 seconds and see if that produces better results.
Becca says
If I wanted to adapt this recipe to make a cookie skillet, how long would I have to bake it?
Lauren Allen says
Here’s my skillet cookie recipe (using this cookie recipe) https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/chocolate-chip-skillet-cookie/
Christina says
Followed the recipe exactly! These are wonderful cookies. I have to bake mine longer than recommend time, but my oven is a bit older and I also bake them on my stone.
Thanks for a delicious go-to cookie 🍪 recipe.
Christina says
Oh and never flat! Wish I could take a picture… just finished a batch as I type.