This easy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe makes perfect cookies that are crispy on the outside with a soft & chewy center.
Make these alongside Classic Peanut Butter Cookies or Fudge Brownies for the perfect classic baking day!
Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of the best things on earth and this recipe is no exception!
There’s something so special about homemade cookies. The smell alone just makes you happy and feels like home and childhood memories rolled into one.
And the first bite is always pure bliss – especially when they are fresh from the oven.
Why This Recipe Works
- The use of brown sugar adds flavor and cuts sweetness, and its high moisture level produces a soft, chewy cookie.
- Adding bread flour keeps the cookies from flattening too much & creates a chewier bite at the center of the cookie.
- Using butter instead of shortening gives these cookies a buttery richness that’s hard to beat.
Tried And True Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve been making these chocolate cookies for years. It took many tries to perfect them, but once I did, they became one of the recipes I am most proud of. I am famous for these cookies; they’re requested by my friends and family more than any other treat.
Achieving A Soft, Chewy Cookie
The key to a soft, chewy cookie is using high-moisture ingredients like brown sugar (which contains molasses), butter (which has water in it), and eggs.
This recipe uses a high ratio of brown sugar to white, a good amount of butter, and eggs. The result is an indulgent, soft, and chewy cookie that will knock your socks off!
Cookies That Don’t Fall Flat
If you’ve had trouble with your cookies falling flat when baked, then this recipe is for you! I’ve solved that problem in two ways.
- The use of bread flour – Cookies with higher amounts of butter spread more, making them flatter. Using a small amount of bread flour with a higher protein level helps to stabilize the cookie and lowers the spread.
- Chilling the dough – Cookies will come out flat when not chilled before baking. Chilling allows the butter to solidify and stops your cookies from flattening when baked.
Which Chocolate Chips
You can use whichever chocolate chips you like best! Just remember that milk chocolate and white chocolate chips are much sweeter than dark chocolate, semi-sweet, and bitter-sweet, so you may want to adjust the sugar levels.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined
- Mix in the flour mixture by hand.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Shape into a log and chill wrapped until firm.
- Bake and cool 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Step By Step Instructions
Start by sifting the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together.
Add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar to another bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Mix in the eggs and the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Over-mixing will make cookies tough, and it’s easily done with electric mixers.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Shape into a log in plastic wrap and chill until firm 30 minutes – overnight.
Cut the dough into 1-inch thick slices and then place onto a cookie sheet two inches apart.
Bake for 12 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack – try not to eat the whole batch right out of the oven!
Let cookies cool before storing – Storing cookies when they’re still warm will create steam, which makes them soft and crumbly.
Achieving Your Perfect Results
Everyone has a different idea of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Some like them thin & crispy, some like soft cookies, and others like chewy (like this recipe).
Here are some variations to create your perfect cookie wherever you weigh in.
- For a flatter crispy cookie: Don’t chill before baking. Use a cookie scoop to add them to the pan and bake as directed.
- For a softer cookie: Omit the bread flour and add half a cup of flour to the recipe. It creates a soft cookie that only gets softer as they cool.
- For a light, cakey cookie: Omit the bread flour and brown sugar. Instead, use 2½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1½ cups of white sugar, and reduce the butter to 12 tablespoons.
Tips For The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use ingredients that are at room temperature. Room-temperature eggs and butter combine easier with dry ingredients that are already at room temperature. The result will be a well-combined dough.
- Use an electric mixer for creaming butter. An electric mixer forces air into the butter in a way that’s almost impossible to do by hand. This will make the cookies lighter.
- Stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Over-mixing will make cookies tough, and it’s easily done with electric mixers.
- Space out the cookies on the pan. Place the cookie dough about 2 inches apart to prevent cookies from spreading into each other when baking.
- Don’t overbake your cookies. When chocolate chip cookies come out of the oven, they should be slightly underdone in the middle. Leave them to set on the hot cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- If your dough is so cold that it’s hard after chilling, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing, or they won’t spread in the oven.
- Cool completely before storing cookies. Storing Chocolate Chip Cookies when they’re still warm creates steam, making them soft and crumbly.
Other Great Cookies
Yes, chilling the dough is an important step in this recipe. After mixing, it allows the butter to solidify and stops your cookies from becoming too thin.
Chilling also allows the flavors in the dough to develop, and it helps create that crisp outside and chewier middle.
Cookie dough freezes well. Freeze the prepared dough for up to three months. Just thaw in the fridge, slice the chilled dough, and bake.
Store softer cookies in an airtight container with a slice of white bread. The moisture in the bread will be absorbed by the cookie.
Store crisper cookies in an airtight container that’s not completely sealed. Be sure to keep them separate from soft cookies as their moisture will seep into the crisp cookie, softening them.
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Let’s Make Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour* If outside the US see notes
- 1 tablespoon bread flour optional (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 16 tablespoons butter (1 cup/2 sticks) softened
- 1½ cups packed light-brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Sift the flour, bread flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl. beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in until fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
- Mix in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Shape into a log, wrap with plastic wrap and chill until firm 30 minutes – overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190C. Cut the dough into 1 inch thick slices and place onto a cookie sheet two inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but soft in the middle, about 10 – 12 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Tips + Notes
- Use ingredients that are room temperature. Room temperature eggs and butter combine easier with dry ingredients that are already at room temperature. The result will be a well-combined dough.
- If your dough is so cold that it’s hard after chilling, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing or they won’t spread in the oven.
- Use an electric mixer for creaming butter. An electric mixer forces air into the butter in a way that’s almost impossible to do by hand. This will make the cookies lighter.
- Stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Over mixing will make cookies tough and it’s easily done with electric mixers.
- Don’t over bake your cookies. When chocolate chip cookies come out of the oven, they should be slightly underdone in the middle. Leave them to set on the hot cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Jan 15, 2014, but was republished with a slight change in recipe, step by step instruction photos, and a video, and tips in February of 2019.
barb b says
would like to know what trick do you use to roll the dough into
a log. also, how wide is your log? 2”, or 3” or more??
Erren Hart says
Great questions about making chocolate chip cookies! Rolling the dough into a log can be a helpful step if you want to store the dough for later use or if you’re aiming for uniform cookies. Here’s how you can roll the dough into a log and some tips on the log size:
Rolling the Dough into a Log: Preparation: Place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on your countertop. Make sure it’s large enough to fully wrap the log of cookie dough.
Form the Log: Take your cookie dough and place it on the parchment paper. Start shaping it into a log shape by gently rolling it back and forth. Use your hands to smooth out the edges and make it even.
Wrap and Chill: Once your log is formed, wrap it in the parchment paper or plastic wrap tightly. You might also want to twist the ends to secure it. Place the wrapped log in the refrigerator to chill, making it easier to slice later.
Log Size: The diameter of your log can vary based on your preference, but here are some general guidelines:
2-inch Diameter: This size is pretty standard for smaller cookies. You’ll get a good number of cookies, and they will bake relatively quickly.
3-inch Diameter or More: A larger diameter will give you bigger, but fewer, cookies. Keep in mind that bigger cookies may need a little more time in the oven.
Jennifer Frank says
I live in the Colorado mountains (7000′) so baking anything requires variations to get it to come out correctly. I recently stumbled on this idea of using bread/strong flour in my baking and it made a HUGE difference in my cookies! I increased bread flour to 1/2cup and 2cups All-purpose, then added an extra egg white. (If I was using higher quality butter I probably wouldn’t use the extra egg white.) Otherwise I kept everything as per the recipe. These were the first cookies that didn’t dry out immediately! I accidentally left a batch sitting on the stove overnight and the next morning they were still soft and chewy! Currently, I’m using this recipe but sans chocolate chips, and substitute 2tsp cream of tartar for baking powder… voila Snickerdoodles.!
Erren Hart says
It’s awesome to hear about your successful baking experiments in the high-altitude environment of Colorado! Adjusting your cookie recipe with the addition of bread flour and extra egg white to ensure softness and chewiness is a great strategy. Your ingenuity in transforming the recipe into Snickerdoodles by substituting chocolate chips with cream of tartar is both creative and delicious. Baking is all about adapting to your unique conditions and preferences, and your experience highlights the wonderful journey of discovering new techniques. Happy baking and keep enjoying those wonderful treats!
Tina says
I much prefer the 2014 recipe, by feel. I used to know the original recipe by heart but haven’t made these in a bit. I’m hoping they’ll turn out as good as the original but the texture is much more crumbly and not nearly as smooth. I didn’t use bread flour as I didn’t have any on hand. I know there’s less butter in this new version. The jury is out. I’ll let you know in a couple hours if they hold up to the original and if I can still call them “the best.”
Erren Hart says
Hi Tina, the original recipe has the same amount of butter. The only thing that changed is adding bread flour so your cookies should be the same as they were in 2014.
Mark says
I came here for a math thing, but dang these cookies are good.
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m glad you like them 🙂
Jamie says
Hi! I already made the dough and it’s currently in the freezer because I plan to bake it tomorrow morning. Can I bake it frozen or do I have to wait a bit for it to defrost?
Erren Hart says
Hi Jamie, they will need to be defrosted. If they are very cold, cut them thinner (about a 1/2 inch) as it changes how much they spread.
Angel says
I always make this for my daughter. She loves it so much. My husband also brought some when he went golfing and told me that his golf buddy finished his pack. The buddy is also requesting for a less sugar one. How far can I lessen the sugar without doing so with the other ingredients?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi, I wish I could help you with this but I have never tried to cut the sugar on this recipe and I wouldn’t like to give you advice on what to do. I’m sorry
lisa says
I wouldn’t cut the ratio of sugar to flour … It is already 2.5 cups of flour to 1.75 cups of sugar. Any less it will detract from the taste and baking consistency. Tell the friend not to eat an entire pack at once and limit his portion. : )
Ms. Catherine says
Make two batches just less sugar or substitute with Equal sugar or Agave. You’re Husband’s golf buddy need to be thankful he got even one pack. If he notices then tell him why you did it.
Kathi says
Best. Chocolate. Chip. Cookie, On. EARTH. Period.
Erren's Kitchen says
Wow, thank you Kathi, high praise indeed 🙂
Ifeanyi Maduegbuna says
Very easy and nice recipe.
Will try it today.
Thank you.
Erren's Kitchen says
Good Luck, I hope you enjoy the end result 🙂