I’m sharing my Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe as a ridiculously easy base that inspires a surprising range of cookie variations.

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I used to think a cookie was just sugar and butter until I made what I now call the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe. I won’t bore you with technique here, but the thing that hooks me every time is the way melted unsalted butter mixes with big pockets of semisweet chocolate chips, it makes crumbs that are chewy and kind of dangerous.

This recipe is a stubbornly good blank canvas, you can mess with it, wreck it or keep it classic. Honestly it’s simple but sneaky, and I still learn new little tricks from it.

Ingredients

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All purpose flour: gives structure and carbs, some fibre but mostly starch, not nutrient dense.
Butter: provides fat and flavor, helps spread, adds richness and golden edges.
Granulated sugar: sweetens and browns, makes crisp edges and fine crumb texture.
Brown sugar: adds moistness, deep caramel notes and chewiness, contains molasses.
Eggs: bind and add protein, help leavening and give tender chew.
Chocolate chips: deliver sweet melted pockets, high in fat and sugar, pure chocolate joy.
Sea salt: tiny sprinkle accents sweetness, balances flavors and gives little crunch.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (about 281 g)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 12 oz / 340 g)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; if you only have one sheet cool it between batches so cookies bake evenly.

2. In a bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; tip, measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling off so you don’t overdo it.

3. In a large bowl cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes with a mixer, scrape the bowl so nothing is left stuck.

4. Add 2 large eggs one at a time mixing after each, then stir in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, mix until combined but don’t overmix or you’ll get tough cookies.

5. Add the dry mixture to the wet in two batches, mixing on low until just combined, no streaks of flour; overworking the dough makes it chewy in the wrong way.

6. Fold in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans if using, save a few chips to press on top of each dough mound so they look bakery pretty.

7. Chill the dough at least 30 minutes for thicker cookies, overnight if you can, but if you’re impatient you can bake right away; chilled dough also stops the cookies from spreading too much.

8. Scoop dough about 2 tablespoons per cookie onto the prepared sheets spaced about 2 inches apart, bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are golden and centers still look a little soft, rotate the pan halfway through for even baking.

9. Right when they come out press extra chips on top and sprinkle flaky sea salt if you want that sweet salty pop, let cookies cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling; store in an airtight container up to 4 days or freeze dough balls for up to 3 months.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven set to 375 F for baking.
2. Two rimmed baking sheets and parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (if you only have one, cool it between batches).
3. One large bowl and one medium bowl for wet and dry ingredients.
4. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale if you got one; tip: spoon flour into the cup and level it, dont pack it.
5. Hand mixer or stand mixer for creaming the butter and sugars, or a strong wooden spoon if you wanna do it by hand.
6. Whisk for the dry mix and a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and fold in chips.
7. 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon plus a small offset spatula to shape and transfer dough mounds.
8. Wire cooling rack, oven mitts and a flat spatula to lift cookies off the sheet.

FAQ

Can I make the dough ahead of time and freeze it? Yes, totally. You can chill dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to 48 hours, longer develops more flavor. For long term freeze, scoop balls onto a tray, freeze till solid, then bag them; bake from frozen adding 1 to 3 minutes to the bake time.

How do I get soft, chewy cookies instead of thin and crispy? Use more brown sugar than white, don’t overbake, and make slightly larger dough balls. Chill the dough so it spreads less. If you want them extra soft, pull them when edges are set but centers look a bit underdone, they’ll finish on the hot sheet.

My cookies spread too much, what went wrong? Likely butter was too warm or dough wasn’t chilled, or you measured flour wrong. Make sure butter is softened not melted, spoon and level your flour don’t pack it, and chill the dough 30+ minutes. Also check your baking soda is fresh.

Can I swap ingredients like brown sugar, nuts or eggs? You can but expect changes. To mimic brown sugar mix 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses. Use salted butter but cut added salt by half. Eggs can be replaced with 1/4 cup applesauce per egg but cookies will be cakier. Nuts are optional, toast them first for more flavor.

How should I store leftovers and reheat them? Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 4 days. To keep soft, tuck a slice of bread in the container. Reheat in a 300 F oven for 3 to 5 minutes or 10 to 12 seconds in the microwave for one cookie.

Any pro tips for better chocolate distribution and texture? Chop some chocolate into chunks instead of only chips for melty pockets. Fold chips in at the end so dough doesn’t get too worked. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on each cookie right after baking, it makes them taste next level.

BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (seriously) Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap for a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend (use the same weight, about 281 g). If the blend doesn’t include xanthan gum add 1/4 tsp. Dough may be more fragile, so chill 30 minutes before baking.
Unsalted butter: use solid coconut oil or solid vegetable shortening 1:1 by weight (so 1 cup butter = 1 cup coconut oil). Expect slightly different flavor and crisper edges, so chill the dough a bit to prevent extra spreading.
Packed light brown sugar: replace with coconut sugar 1:1, and if you want the deeper molasses note add 1 tablespoon molasses per cup of coconut sugar. Cookies will be a bit less moist and slightly less chewy unless you add the molasses.
2 large eggs: make flax “eggs” for a vegan option, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water per egg, let sit 5 minutes to thicken. Cookies come out a touch denser and more cake like, add 1/2 tsp baking powder if you want a little extra lift.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh your flour if you can, that’ll save you from dry, crumbly dough; no scale, spoon it into the cup and level it off, don’t scoop.
2) Get the butter soft but not melty, it should give when you press it with a finger otherwise your cookies will spread weird, and scrape the mixer bowl well so no pockets of butter or sugar hide.
3) Chill the dough whenever possible, overnight is best but even 30 minutes helps a lot, or pop scooped dough in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes if you’re in a hurry.
4) Use an ice cream scoop so cookies are the same size, rotate pans halfway through baking for even color, and press a few extra chips on top right out of the oven then sprinkle flaky salt for that bakery wow.

BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (seriously)

Recipe by Louise Nightin

0.0 from 0 votes

I’m sharing my Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe as a ridiculously easy base that inspires a surprising range of cookie variations.

Servings

servings

Calories

157

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven set to 375 F for baking.
2. Two rimmed baking sheets and parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (if you only have one, cool it between batches).
3. One large bowl and one medium bowl for wet and dry ingredients.
4. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale if you got one; tip: spoon flour into the cup and level it, dont pack it.
5. Hand mixer or stand mixer for creaming the butter and sugars, or a strong wooden spoon if you wanna do it by hand.
6. Whisk for the dry mix and a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and fold in chips.
7. 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon plus a small offset spatula to shape and transfer dough mounds.
8. Wire cooling rack, oven mitts and a flat spatula to lift cookies off the sheet.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (about 281 g)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 12 oz / 340 g)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; if you only have one sheet cool it between batches so cookies bake evenly.
In a bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; tip, measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling off so you don't overdo it.
In a large bowl cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes with a mixer, scrape the bowl so nothing is left stuck.
Add 2 large eggs one at a time mixing after each, then stir in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, mix until combined but don't overmix or you'll get tough cookies.
Add the dry mixture to the wet in two batches, mixing on low until just combined, no streaks of flour; overworking the dough makes it chewy in the wrong way.
Fold in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans if using, save a few chips to press on top of each dough mound so they look bakery pretty.
Chill the dough at least 30 minutes for thicker cookies, overnight if you can, but if you're impatient you can bake right away; chilled dough also stops the cookies from spreading too much.
Scoop dough about 2 tablespoons per cookie onto the prepared sheets spaced about 2 inches apart, bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are golden and centers still look a little soft, rotate the pan halfway through for even baking.
Right when they come out press extra chips on top and sprinkle flaky sea salt if you want that sweet salty pop, let cookies cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling; store in an airtight container up to 4 days or freeze dough balls for up to 3 months.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.