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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4.85 from 166 votes (94 ratings without comment)
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abigail
5 years ago

pretty good. mine turned out flat which was a little disappointing, because they looked super thick! it definitely could have used some more salt as well. not sure if i’ll make again, but it was worth my time!

Erin Luders
5 years ago

5 stars
Sooo good! They come out soft AND not flat. Thanks for all the details in the recipe.

Olivia
5 years ago

5 stars
Best chocolate chip cookies ever.

Missy Fuentes
5 years ago

5 stars
Followed recipe exactly and these cookies are THE BEST!!! Perfect, soft, thick – everyone raved about them!

Thanks for an easy, delicious recipe.

Christina
5 years ago

5 stars
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
5 years ago
Reply to  Christina

Oh and never flat! Wish I could take a picture… just finished a batch as I type.

Becca
5 years ago

If I wanted to adapt this recipe to make a cookie skillet, how long would I have to bake it?

Brittany
5 years ago

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
5 years ago
Reply to  Brittany

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
5 years ago
Reply to  Kelsey

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
5 years ago
Reply to  Kelsey

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.

Stacy
5 years ago

5 stars
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for sharing!

Karen
5 years ago

These cookies are so good it’s ridiculous !!

Cristina
5 years ago

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

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