The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside and a little crisp on the outside. This cookie recipe will become your new favorite; they are fast and easy to make – you don't even need a mixer!

Looking for more cookie recipes? Try my Soft Sugar Cookies, Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Cookies, or Chocolate Mint Cookies!

A plate of warm chocolate chip cookies.

What makes them perfect:

  • Soft and chewy: The melted butter, extra egg yolk and brown sugar help these cookies stay soft and chewy for days!
  • EASY: This only takes minutes to prep, and you don't even need a mixer!

How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Melt butter.  Melt the butter for about 45 seconds in the microwave. You want it mostly, but not completely melted. Stir with a spoon until it's completely melted and allow the butter to cool completely.

Mix wet ingredients. Add 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.

A clear glass mixing bowl with melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.

Mix dry ingredients: Flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

A wooden mixing bowl with flour, baking soda and salt.

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).

Chocolate chip cookie dough in a mixing bowl, ready to be scooped.

Bake.  Scoop the cookie dough and place it on a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 8-14 minutes (depending on their size) or until they've lost their sheen on top and are just set. The cookies continue to cook and will harden as they cool on the baking sheet so don't over-bake them.

Six baked chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet.

Tips for the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies:

  • Use melted butter.  Unlike most cookie recipes, these chocolate chip cookies are made with melted butter, instead of softened or room temperature butter, which makes them extra chewy (and the extra egg yolk helps make them thick, instead of flat).
  • Add an extra egg yolk.  Eggs also help with that chewy texture, but rather than 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.
  • 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.

Recipe Variations:

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be made 1-3 days ahead, stored in the refrigerator. Baked cookies are best enjoyed the same day, or frozen if enjoying another day.

To Freeze: Scoop cookie dough on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer cookie dough to freezer safe container or bag. Thaw before baking dough. Baked cookies can be frozen after cooling completely. Freeze in an air-tight freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months.

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Recipe

A plate of warm chocolate chip cookies.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 12 minutes
Total 27 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 350 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.
  • Add melted butter and both sugars to a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir combined. 
  • In a medium bowl mix together flour, salt, and baking soda. 
  • Stir the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and begin to mix. Add chocolate chips, stirring just until combined. The dough will be soft. You can refrigerate it at this point for 30 minutes or up to 2 days (or freeze for longer).
  • Scoop dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-14 minutes (depending on size) or until set on top. Cool for 10-15 minutes on a baking sheet before moving to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

To Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be made 1-3 days ahead, stored in the refrigerator. Baked cookies are best enjoyed the same day, or frozen if enjoying another day.
To Freeze: Scoop cookie dough on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer cookie dough to freezer safe container or bag. Thaw before baking dough. Baked cookies can be frozen after cooling completely. Freeze in an air-tight freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Check out my Mrs. Field's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: Substitute gluten-free flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 128mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 190IUCalcium: 19mgIron: 1.3mg

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

I originally shared this recipe Feb. 2015. Updated May 2018 and September 2021.

This post contains affiliate links.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

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.

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Dan
6 years ago

Great job Lauren! A nice recipe and I love that you explain the science behind the ingredients! Gonna make these bad boys tonight after I smoke a bowl! Boo yaaah!

Mimi brody
6 years ago

5 stars
Hi
These look amazing! Do you know if I can sub the melted butter for melted coconut oil? Thanks so much

Susan
6 years ago

What size cookie scoop did you use?

Kelley
6 years ago

5 stars
Do you have more info on the estimated nutritional value? I saw 208 calories, I’d that for 1 cookie or 2? Ps these are the most amazing cookies ever!

Connie Goodpasture
6 years ago

Chocolate chip cookies are my husband’s favorite, but they have to have pecans. Does the recipe have to be adjusted or can I just add the pecans?

Kori
7 years ago

5 stars
I goofed up and forgot to put the vanilla extract in 🙂

Millie
7 years ago

Can you post weight of each ingredient? Thank you.

Paige
7 years ago

5 stars
These were the first cookies I’ve ever made from scratch and they turned out amazing. I made some last night and my family ate them all so I’m making more right now, thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.

Kara
7 years ago

5 stars
You’re right, these are THE perfect chocolate chip cookies! Like many others, I enjoy trying new cookie recipes, but this might be the keeper. Look no further for light, chewy, and moist cookies. Thanks for sharing!

Lottie Farley
7 years ago

5 stars
I have made many different chocolate chip recipes and this one is by far the best that I have ever made, I was a little nervous making them with melted butter, I was afraid it was going to be a hot mess, but they are wonderful. And they are so easy I didn’t use a mixer I just used a wooden spoon. They look and taste the way chocolate chip cookies should. I added a couple of chopped up Hershey candy bars. Thank you so much, this is going to be my go to recipe from now on. Lottie Farley

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