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Our easy chocolate chip cookie recipe is the BEST and delivers bakery-quality, perfectly thick and chewy cookies with crispy edges.
The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You'll Ever Need
This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe I've been making for decades and it never fails. It's the perfect thickness, chewy and soft, with that slight crisp on the outside that the perfect” chocolate chip cookies should have. Plus you don't even need a mixer–just one bowl and a few pantry staples.
Over time I've learned my favorite way to bake cookies is on convection bake (you can bake multiple pans at once, and I love the crisp texture it yields). If you're oven has convection, I recommend this, or alternately you could bake the cookies at 375 degrees F. It's also essential to chill the dough for 30 minutes. Doing both of these will yield the perfect golden and crisp exterior, with a soft and chewy interior.
Check out my other cookie recipes, like Lace Cookies, Sugar Cookies, S'mores Cookies, Oatmeal Creme Pies, or Biscoff Cookies!
How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies From Scratch:
Make Cookie Dough: Melt the butter then let it cool completely. Combine brown sugar and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl then stir in the melted butter. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla then stir. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt then stir in the cookie dough. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips, be careful not to mix it too much.
Bake: Scoop the cookie dough with a cookie scoop then place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (if you chilled the dough, I recommend baking at 375 F or baking on convection!) for 8-14 minutes, or until they are just set. These homemade chocolate chip cookies will cook more while they cool on the baking sheet, so be careful not to overcook them!
Looking for a fun twist? Try our Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ranger Cookies, Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies!
Pro Tips:
- Melt Your Butter: Most cookie recipes don't use melted butter, but in this one we do. It gives the cookies an extra chewy texture, and even yummier flavor.
- Extra Egg Yolk: Don't skip this! This helps the cookies stay thick, chewy, and helps that texture too so they will stay soft and chewy for days.
- Brown Sugar: We use more brown sugar than granulated because it has molasses in it, making it more moist. This gives us a cookie that is extra soft and chewy.
Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons butter, (1 ½ 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 350 degrees F* (see note about oven temp). 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.12 Tablespoons butter
- 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.1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 large + 1 egg yolk egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl mix together flour, salt, and baking soda.2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- 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. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or up to 2 days (or freeze for longer).1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.
I originally shared this recipe Feb. 2015. Updated May 2018, September 2021 and January 2026.
Chewy but soft and moist. BEST classic chocolate chip recipe I have ever tried (and I have tried many). So yummy!
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!
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.
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!
Hi,
When you named these cookies as perfect chocolate chip cookies, you were absolutely correct!! My kids love them so much. Thank you..
I’m so happy you thought so too! Thanks!
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.
Lemme know in around a day ? I don’t wanna give him spoiled cookies
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 🙂
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
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 🙂
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.
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.
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 !!!