The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Classic chocolate chip cookies have never been better! These cookies have crisp edges and soft chewy centers, the best buttery flavor, and plenty of chocolate throughout.
Your search for the most chocolate chip cookie recipe is finally over! This is it, the only recipe you’ll ever need.
These cookies are 15 years in the making, since I first started this blog. I’ve baked hundreds over the years and eventually ended up here— with the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. And I’m so happy to finally share this recipe with you!
Table of Contents
- The best chocolate chip cookies
- Ingredients you’ll need
- How to make these chocolate chip cookies
- My best cookie tips
- Tools for this recipe
- Get the recipe
- Chocolate chip cookie variations
The best chocolate chip cookies
Here’s why you should make these cookies asap:
- These cookies have crisp chewy edges but soft centers
- They’re thick cookies that don’t spread too much
- Great rich buttery flavor
- Lots of melty semi-sweet or dark chocolate throughout
- No chilling required so they can be enjoyed in just 30 minutes or less!
So let’s get baking already!
Ingredients you’ll need
It’s likely you already have these ingredients in the kitchen. Lucky you!
- Salted butter— for the best overall flavor, but you can also use unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar— I’ve used both with great results, so whatever you have in your pantry.
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semisweet chocolate chips, chunks or chopped chocolate— Or a mixture of different chips and chunks. You can also use bittersweet or dark chocolate if you prefer. Guittard chocolate chips are my favorite brand!
How to make these chocolate chip cookies
This is a pretty standard “drop cookie” recipe, no surprises here! Here’s how to make them:
- Cream butter with sugars. Beat on medium-high speed with paddle attachment until light in both color and texture, and mixture starts to stick to the sides of the bowl, about 3-5 minutes. See my guide on the creaming method for more info, and why this step is so important.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Add one at a time, mixing on medium speed after each, and scraping down the bowl at least once.
- Add dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just until mostly combined, but some loose flour remains.
- Stir in chocolate chips/chunks. Add chocolate and then mix until incorporated.
- Portion. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion and roll into rounds. Place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment.
- Bake. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes (7-9 minutes for smaller cookies). Cookies are done when the edges are nicely golden brown and the centers are set and just barely beginning to brown.
Then, enjoy! And I know you will. These chocolate chip cookies are my most favorite!
baking tip:How to bake perfect cookies every time
Over-baking cookies is one of the biggest cookie mistakes I see! Instead, pull cookies from the oven when the edges are golden brown and the tops are just starting to brown, but still look mostly pale. Once out of the oven, leave the cookies on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, where the heat from the pan will do a little carryover baking and set them up completely.
After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely and you’ll have cookies with perfectly crisp edges and soft, chewy and moist centers.
My best cookie tips
Here are all of my favorite cookie tips to help make your next batch of cookies the best. 15 years baking experience has paid off— don’t skip this section!
- Start with butter that is slightly soft at room temperature but not at all melted. Your finger should leave a small indent when pressed, but should not easily press through the butter. If your butter is too warm, your cookies will spread more in the oven than they should.
- Be sure to measure flour correctly! All of my recipes are tested using the spoon and level method (more info through that link). If you measure by simply dipping your measuring cup into the flour, you’re likely ending up with too much flour, resulting in a dry cakey cookie.
- Use both chocolate chips AND chocolate chunks/chocolate chocolate, or use chocolate chips of different sizes. This way you get small pieces of chocolate that almost disappear into the cookie, and other large “puddles” of melted chocolate.
- I prefer to use a cookie scoop to evenly portion cookies. A large #20 scoop 3 Tbsp is my favorite size to get crisp edges while the middles stay soft, but you can use medium #40 1.5 Tbsp for smaller cookies.
- I bake all of my cookies in a single layer in the center of my oven. This ensures neither the tops nor bottoms cook too quickly. If you’re short on time, you can bake on two racks and rotate them halfway through.
- Make sure you do not overbake these cookies! Otherwise they will be too crisp and dry and lose that soft chewy texture. Pull them from the oven when edges are golden brown and centers are set and just barely starting to brown but mostly very pale. They’ll finish setting up on the sheet pan outside of the oven.
- If cookies come out slightly misshapen, use a spatula to press them back into a circle right after they come out of the oven. See more of my tips for how to bake pretty cookies.
- Garnish with flaky sea salt for more of that sweet and salty combo and extra flair.
- These cookies best the day they are baked, however cookie dough keeps in the fridge and freezer really well. Here’s how to freeze cookie dough for easy baking later. Store and bake as you’d like!
Tools for this recipe
These tools are a must for cookie baking! Links are to products I actually own, use, and highly recommend. (Note: these are affiliate links.)
- Paddle attachment for your stand mixer
- Baking sheet pans
- Parchment paper sheets or baking silicone mat
- Medium or large spring-loaded cookie scoop
- Cooling racks
Get the recipe
The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Classic chocolate chip cookies have never been better! These cookies have crisp edges and soft centers, the best buttery flavor, and plenty of chocolate throughout.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter , softened to room temperature (1½ sticks, 170 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (213 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour (330 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks , see Notes (340 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, 3-4 minutes. Stop to scrape down then bowl once or twice.
- Add the eggs, beating after each and scraping down the bowl at least once. Add vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until almost combined. Add the chocolate and mix briefly until incorporated.
- Portion equally (I use a #20 3 Tbsp scoop) and roll into rounds. Space evenly a few inches apart on prepared sheet pan.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are golden and top is set but not at all browned.
- Let cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- All recipes are tested with the “spoon and level” method of measuring flour. Learn how to properly measure flour here.
- I like to use a combination of chocolate chips and chopped chocolate (1 cup of each) for varying texture and appearance. You can also use bittersweet or dark chocolate if preferred.
- If you bake smaller (rounded tablespoon) cookies, adjust baking time to 7-9 minutes.
- Cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for at least a week, so bake cookies fresh when you want them!
- Cookie dough can also be stored in the freezer.
Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 203mg, Potassium: 118mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 205IU, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 2mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review below or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
Note: This recipe was originally published May 2020.
Chocolate chip cookie variations
Looking for something extra in your next batch of chocolate chip cookies? Try these recipes that take the classic to the next level!
Alicia just told me about these…I'm so excited to try them!!
Alicia just told me about these…I'm so excited to try them!!
Well, I'm back for the recipe again…Last time I made them they didn't last long enough to get cooked! Makes great cookiedough!!! We'll see if I get some cooked this time:)
Well, I'm back for the recipe again…Last time I made them they didn't last long enough to get cooked! Makes great cookiedough!!! We'll see if I get some cooked this time:)
I made these delicious cookies and gave them out to all my family for Valentine's. Everyone loved them. They were sooo good. Great recipe, thanks!
I made these delicious cookies and gave them out to all my family for Valentine's. Everyone loved them. They were sooo good. Great recipe, thanks!
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked them. Be careful though, they are addicting!
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked them. Be careful though, they are addicting!
Can you use butter instead of the shortening? Please say "yes"! 🙂 These look delish.
Can you use butter instead of the shortening? Please say "yes"! 🙂 These look delish.
My mother always made chocolate chip cookies with shortening – crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. By the time you finished the first one, you were ready for the second. Then I married into a "chocolate chip cookies made with margarine" family. After years and years, I have returned to my original shortening recipe. Sublime!
Julie
My mother always made chocolate chip cookies with shortening – crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. By the time you finished the first one, you were ready for the second. Then I married into a "chocolate chip cookies made with margarine" family. After years and years, I have returned to my original shortening recipe. Sublime!
Julie
Hello, these look delicious. Do I have to use molasses?
These were excellent. Perfect texture! I normally don’t make the same recipe twice, but I’ll definitely be making these again.
I made these for my SIL while recovering from knee surgery. He said they tasted like the chocolate chip cookies his Grandmother used to make. What a nice compliment.
These are great cookies but I’m not sure that there’s a “one size fits all” chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’ve tried dozens of versions and these cookies rank in the top 10. Keepers!