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The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies!

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Meet…the absolute BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe. They’re perfectly soft and chewy and buttery, loaded up with chocolate chips, easy to make, and downright delicious.

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

Breaking news here from our tiny little kitchen here in Spain…

…we have a brand new oven!!! 

Notably, we have a brand new oven that actually works.  You know, one that doesn’t shut off in the middle of cooking, that actually heats to the correct temperature, that that doesn’t char the tops of everything…it’s nothing fancy, but after having had to put up with a wildly-dysfunctional oven for over a year, this simple new addition to our casita feels like a total game changer. For the first time since moving to Spain, I actually feel excited to bake again. And the timing couldn’t be better with the arrival of holiday cookie baking season!

So to celebrate this month, we’ve promised to bake up a sampler of all of the most classic American cookies here for our European friends to try. (Which has been super fun so far…they absolutely adore American cookies!)  And here on the blog, I thought that I would circle back with a week full of my favorite cookie recipes for anyone else around the world who’s in the mood for some holiday cookie baking! I’ve lined up seven of my most classic faves for you, complete with some new photos and updated baking tips. And today, there of course seemed like only one proper way to kick things off.

Meet…my all-time favorite recipe for the softest, chewiest, dreamiest, hands-down best chocolate chip cookies.

I first shared this chocolate chip cookie recipe on the blog a few years ago. And years later, it is still my go-to, and I’m happy to report that it has now become so many of yours as well! These chocolate chip cookies are super-soft and chewy, they’re perfectly buttery and vanilla-y, they’re loaded up with as many (or as few) chocolate chips as your heart desires, and in my cookie-loving opinion, they are simply the best.

So if you’re looking for a few chocolate chip cookie recipe to try this season, bookmark this one and give it a try. It’s a keeper!

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | 1-Minute Video

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Tips For The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies:

So what is it exactly about this classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes it such a winner? Here are a few key CCC factors and tips that I’ve learned over the years…

  • All butter, all the way: I grew up making chocolate chip cookies with a half-shortening, half-butter base. Then over the years experimented with using coconut oil, to olive oil, to vegetable oil, to melted butter, and everything in between. But at the end of the day, when I’m craving a classic old-school chocolate chip cookie, I come back to this all-butter cookie recipe every time.  That buttery taste is just unbeatable, and yields the most soft and delicious cookie a girl could ask for. They key is just to make sure that your butter is legit room-temperature so that it will cream correctly with the sugars.
  • Use both brown and white sugar: On that note, we will also be using two different sugars in this recipe — classic white granulated sugar and brown sugar. Because we’re goin’ for it.
  • Extra vanilla: My dad taught me the secret when we were kids to always (always) use two full teaspoons of vanilla per batch of dozen cookies. And I’m convinced it’s the small secret that makes these cookies extra delicious.
  • Add cornstarch: Yep, sounds strange, but I learned from Anna Olsen years ago that adding a hint of cornstarch is the secret to making your cookies extra chewy. It really works!
  • Chill your dough: To help prevent your cookies from spreading, refrigerate your entire batch of dough for 2 hours before baking. (This will help the butter firm back up, so that it doesn’t melt and spread instantly in the oven.)  Or to speed up the process, go ahead and form your dough balls and place them on a baking sheet. Then refrigerate the entire baking sheet for 20-30 minutes, until the dough balls are nice and chilled. Then…
  • Don’t forget those extra chocolate chips: Food stylist’s secret — to make your cookies look extra delicious, poke a few extra chocolate chips into your dough balls just before baking. That way the chocolate chips will be nice and visible, and also, who can argue with some extra chocolate in their cookies?
  • Bake on parchment: Always bake on parchment or a silicone baking mat for the perfect cookies.
  • Sprinkle on flaky sea salt: Totally optional, but I love sprinkling a pinch of flaky sea salt onto the cookies (either onto the dough balls just before baking, or on the cookies hot outta the oven) for an extra bit of crunch and saltiness. So good.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients:

Alright, now that you know the tips, let’s make our ingredient list! To make this chocolate chip cookie recipe, you will need:

  • Butter: Softened completely to room temperature. It’s very important that the butter is not too hard, and definitely not melted, for it to cream properly with the sugars.
  • Sugars: I like a blend of brown sugar (for that delicious molasses flavor) and white granulated sugar. But feel free to experiment with different ratios if you prefer.
  • Egg: Just one. :)
  • Vanilla extract: Either store-bought or homemade.
  • All-purpose flour: As I said, when I’m craving this classic recipe, I unapologetically go for the old-school AP flour, butter and sugars. But if you would like a slightly healthier alternative, I have also made this recipe multiple times with white whole wheat flour, and it also bakes up nicely.
  • Cornstarch: To help make the cookies extra chewy.
  • Baking soda: Be sure that your box of baking soda is fresh and not expired.
  • Salt: We will add some to the dough itself and, as mentioned above, I also recommend sprinkling a pinch of flaky sea salt onto the cookies before or after baking if you would like.
  • Semisweet chocolate chips: I usually use standard-sized semisweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use mini semisweet chips or whatever other flavors you like.

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies:

To make chocolate chip cookies, simply…

  1. Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt until combined. Set aside.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugars. Using a separate mixing bowl, either with a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add egg and vanilla. And mix on medium-speed until combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Add in the dry ingredients. And beat on medium-low speed until just combined.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips.  Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the chocolate chips by hand until they are evenly combined.
  6. Chill the dough.  Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 2 hours, or until it is chilled through. (Or, for a speedier solution, you can go ahead and shape the dough into 1-inch balls, place them on a baking sheet that is covered with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Then chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until the dough is chilled through.)
  7. Form the dough balls. Then once the batch of dough is completely chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Scoop out and roll dough balls that are 1-inch in diameter. Then place them on a baking sheet that is covered with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  8. Bake.  For about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crispy and the tops of the cookies are very lightly golden. The centers may look slightly undercooked.
  9. Cool cookies. Remove the cookies and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  10. Serve!  Then dive in while they’re nice and warm and ooey-gooey-chocolately. Yum.

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Possible Add-Ins:

Want to mix things up with your CCCs? Feel free to add in:

  • Different baking chips: Milk, dark, white, or semisweet chocolate chips are all delicious options here as well. Or peanut butter chips, Heath bar chips, Andes mint chips, caramel bits, or any other fun baking add-ins that you may love.
  • M&Ms: Feel free to swap plain M&Ms for chocolate chips to make M&M cookies.
  • Nuts: Chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and/or macadamia nuts are also delicious add-ins.
  • Sprinkles: Toss in a handful of colored sprinkles if you’d like to make these cookies extra festive!
  • Dried fruit: Dried cherries, cranberries, apricots, or other dried fruit (presuming it is chopped into bite-sized pieces, if need be) are also delicious in this recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

How To Store These Cookies:

Baked Cookies: To keep already-baked cookies, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.

Cookie Dough: To keep cookie dough, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months.

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk

More Favorite Cookie Recipes:

Looking for more delicious cookie inspiration? Feel free to check out our full collection of cookie recipes, or any of these other favorite classic cookies:

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 227 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: About 12 cookies 1x

Description

My all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!  See notes above for possible ingredient variations, plus options for how to store your cookies and dough.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (115 grams) butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • optional: flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt until combined.  Set aside.
  2. Using a separate mixing bowl, either with a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally as needed. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredient mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until just combined.
  3. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand, using a spatula or wooden spoon, until they are evenly combined.
  4. Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 2 hours, or until it is chilled through.
  5. Heat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  6. Once the cookie dough is completely chilled, remove it from the refrigerator.  Scoop out and roll dough balls that are 1-inch in diameter.  Then place the dough balls on a baking sheet that is covered with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crispy and the tops of the cookies are very lightly golden.  The centers may look slightly undercooked.
  8. Remove the cookies and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you would like.  Then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Then dive in while the cookies are nice and warm!  Or, transfer to a sealed container and store for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Prep time: Please note that the prep time listed above does not include chilling time.

To chill the dough faster: Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.  Place them on a baking sheet that is covered with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, then chill the entire sheet in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until the dough is chilled through.  Then bake as directed.

Source: Recipe adapted from The Food Network.

This post contains affiliate links.

The BEST Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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775 comments on “The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies!”

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  1. Currently making the recipe right now! I always add more brown sugar and vanilla so it’s nice to now I’m not alone haha The batter looks great and I can’t wait till I can share them with my family. I added semi sweet chocolate chip, Reese’s chips and white chocolate chips… way excited for the extra goodness!!






  2. Wonderful! My kids ate it all, so next time I will have to make a double portion. Though it would be nice if measurements were for both US (cups, Fahrenheit) and Europe (grams, Celsius) … (I had to convert everything, so that was annoying).






    • If you can get ahold of US measuring tools, it would make your life easier. There should be an app for easy conversion!

  3. These are so amazing!!!!! Best recipe ever!






  4. LOVE LOVE LOVE!! These cookies are so good!! My husband thought I bought them at the store! I just wish this recipe had the nutritional information!!

  5. This is by far the best chocolate cookie recipe I’ve ever made thanks to you. My friends love them as I do love to spread the joy.

    Thank you for all your great recipe’s

    Ann C

  6. Hands down the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve come across yet! SO GOOD!!






  7. I have tried a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years, but this one is the best. Ali’s instructions are very easy to follow and her tips are all much appreciated (such as using cornstarch to make the cookies chewy, baking on parchment, taking care to use good vanilla, etc.) I also like that this recipe is not fussy (no browning the butter, no 24-hour chilling, etc.) This recipe came out perfectly the first time I made them and appeal to both the adults and children in my family. We used to disagree about which cc cookie recipe was best — but now we’ve settled on this one. Thank you, Ali, for the thoughtfulness and care that goes into each of your recipes!






  8. These cookies were delicious! I made a batch and put them in the fridge before dinner. Then baked them when we were eating…..yum….warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies for dessert! I’m making another batch tonight! Thanks for sharing the recipe!






  9. Thank you so much for posting this! I have tried so many cookie recipes and never found one that was quite right until this one. It’s so nice and chewy and perfect. I have come back to make this many times. Just want you to know I really appreciate you making it available for everyone.






  10. This was the best choc chip cookie recipe i ever made. I changed some ingredients to make it vegan and it worked. Will it work without white sugar?






  11. Turned out perfect will absolutely make them again.






  12. My go to recipe for cookies every time. We love them!






  13. I finally found the only CCC recipe I’ll ever need again :) I make mine gluten free and the gluten eaters can’t tell any difference. I’ve used both Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour and Krusteaz Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.. perfect results every time! Thank you for this recipe






  14. When I make these I can’t roll them up into balls it’s too gooey what am I doing wrong?

    • Try using butter that is at a colder temperature. It will be harder to mix but the dough will definitely be firmer :)

    • I had the same problem. If you leave them to chill they are easier to handle.

  15. Hi! Love these! They’re everything you everyone commenting said they’d be. I too love the fact that I can. Make a batch at dinner time and have them cooking while we’re eating. I just have one question…can the cookie dough be frozen and baked when desired? Are there any adjustments you can suggest? While it is easy to make it still takes time for butter to come to room temp, especially if you live in a cooler area than others.

  16. I have a ton of recipes for chocolate chip cookies…always searching for “the” cookie. This is definitely among the very best, if not “the” best! Fabulous taste and loved that they held their shape (cornstarch and refrigerating before cooking, I assume?). Thank you!






  17. Amazing, everyone loves them. You don’t specify light or dark brown sugar. Have used both, which do you use?






  18. These turned out great! A little flat even though I cooled the dough as recommended, but I really didn’t mind because they were cooked perfectly at 10 minutes and super soft. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!






  19. Hi!! Cannot wait to make these … they look SO yummy!! Can I use mini chocolate chips? If so, would it still be 1 cup or add more? :)

  20. I can say WITHOUT A DOUBT. This is *THE* chocolate chip cookie recipe to beat. I literally deleted all of my other chocolate chip cookie recipes on Pinterest after making this. They are perfect! Crispy outside, chewy inside. They are like Pillsbury but way better. Thank you thank you!






  21. This recipe is AMAZING! I’ve made it for potlucks and parties so many times and it has received rave reviews every time. It’s so good that my friends always ask me to make my “famous” chocolate chip cookies…. Little do they know I use your recipe but add espresso powder to amp up the chocolate flavour. I usually make the whole batch and only bake 2 and freeze the rest of the dough balls for cookies whenever I crave them, however, I am headed off to college soon and will not have access to a freezer so I am wondering if its possible for me to make these and leave the dough in my refrigerator and bake 2-3 cookies at a time? if so, how long do you think I could keep the dough in the fridge for?

  22. Any idea what the nutrition information is on these? They sound delicious!

  23. I made the cookies and thought that using cornstarch was very different.. I made them for my family. These are easily the best cookie recipe I have ever came across. I also got the exact number if cookies you did: 12. I am going to write this down it is so good!

  24. Thank you so much for the recipe, everyone in my house loved them and I finally found a recipe thats better than pilsbury!






  25. Unfortunately I did not have any brown sugar so i replaced the brown sugar with granulated sugar. They still came out amazing !! The comments do not lie, by far the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe I have tried !

    Thank you for this amazing recipe me my mom and my sister enjoyed them very much!

    Eglianda






  26. OMG…. This recipe is true to the end just follow the directions!!! My hubby is killing these cookies!! Thanks






  27. Yum… this is so easy and so delicious. My granddaughter loves these cookies. She is in college and lives with us and loves chocolate chip cookies. I made two batches and am giving one to my nephew for his three little ones.






  28. I made these cookies yesterday, my only problem was I didn’t read how many the recipe yields and wish the recipe made more! It says 12, but I was able to make more like 20. I have always had problems making chocolate chip cookies. Too hard, flat, undercooked… this recipe was perfect!! I told my son I was using a new recipe and when he tried the cookie he said I need to use this recipe all the time now! I will say I did skip the salt because I used salted butter. Five stars! Thank you so much! I will be doubling next time!






  29. I made 2 batches of these today and LOVE them but mine are so light in colour. Wondering how to get your beautifully golden colour on the outside without over baking! Thanks so much!!






  30. I am in complete awe of these cookies. Have been in a quest for a perfect chocolate chip cookie and this IS IT!! Baked last night. When I got up this morning, I grabbed one to check if they were still soft, and I ended up having three as my breakfast!!! I have a Ninja blender. Used the food processer and plastic dough balde to mix the dough. When I took the butter out of the refrigerator, I couldn’t wait to get started. Put a stuck of butter in power level one in my microwave for 30 seconds. Softened just enough. After butter and sugar blended, added all the flour mixture at once and blended in low/dough setting in Ninja blender. When blended, I put the dough in a bowl to hand mix one bag if hersheys milk chocolate chocolate chips. I cooled the entire bowl for an hour while I did other chores I put parchment paper on an air-bake cookie pan. I made the dough into balls with a large soup-spoon sized spoon. Then, opened another bag of chocolate chips and pushed 4-6 chips in the top of the cookie balls. I baked the first batch only 10 minutes. For the second batch, I let them bake for 12… And that was the perfect time. I don’t know if it was timing or letting the dough sit at room temp….each batch was better than the last!! (I will experiment with this for future recipes.) I had doubled the recipe and had 42 cookies total. I have saved this recipe to it’s own board . It is the ONLY recipe I will use from now on!!! My daughter brought these to school today and her classmates are begging for more!!! Thank you SO SO much for sharing your AMAZING recipe!!!






  31. Baking these right now and I must say these are looking pretty good! Usually my ccc recipe bakes a flat bready cookie but these are holding good in the oven. Can’t wait to taste them. My husband is a ccc fanatic when he gets home from work I bet these will all be gone! Thank you for the recipe!






  32. These are unbelievably good. Our family loves your cookie recipes!






  33. Love adding cornstarch to cookies! These look perfectly thick and chewy; can’t wait to try them!

  34. I just made these for friends at work and they are a hit! They are so fluffy and delicious. You will definitely eat more than one :) Best cookie recipe I’ve used.






  35. I will definitely try this recipe. Just looking for advice on how to use this recipe for cookie bars instead of cookies when I am short on time.

  36. Did this recipe change at all? My husband and I make this all the time and it seems different this time? Lol

  37. Hi! I’ve made this batch twice now… the first time they came out flat so I bought new baking soda and made it again. This batch is flat again! What am I doing wrong!? Any tips or advice? I want fluffy fat cookies! :)

  38. So . . . I am making this recipe for a cookie bake off competition. Will the cookies turn out okay if the dough is chilled for more than 2 hours?

  39. What oven temperature should be used? Perhaps I overlooked it, but I don’t see it in the recipe. I made them at 375 degrees and they were good!

  40. These were so good! I bought 3 different kinds of Hershey’s Kitchens chips to try. So I doubled the recipes then divided it into 3 bowls. I tried Mint, Cinnamon and Sea Salt Caramal. They were all so good. (Mint was probably my favorite.) The cookie was a little crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside. So delicious!






  41. these cookies are amazing!!! my favorite CCC recipe, and always requested by my family for EVERY occasion! thank you for sharing!

  42. These are the best chocolate cookies. At first they did not spread but adding 180g flour made it spread as pictured. Thank you for the recipe. I make these cookies every week for my family.






  43. These came out VERY good! My husband said they were the best I’ve ever made! Only issue was that they looked to even when they came out of the oven and I refrigerated them as suggested. What do you think could have happened?






  44. This is my favorite recipe!! I change up the baking soda and corn starch amount but that’s it! I always have to make a double batch otherwise they are gone instantly!






  45. Just made these and i have to say this is the first time I’ve made Chocolate Chip Cookies that didn’t turn out like frisbees. My husband loved them and i was tickled so the baking time is 10-12 minutes i tried both times and i think for me a smidge over 10 min would be perfect and maybe just a smidge less of the corn starch. Speaking of corn starch i have never tried or even knew to put that in the mixes well i guess i am not to old to learn something new!






  46. These. Are. Incredible!!!

    I made a double batch for my small-ish office for galentines day and theyre almost all gone as people kept coming back for 2nds 3rds 4ths!! The addition of flaked sea salt really makes these cookies.






  47. So I start making these and I’m like “okay preheat oven to 350, okay got it!”

    Then proceed further and it’s like “Lol let dough chill for two hours” ? so I turn the oven off.

    Later it’s finally time to bake them so I take the dough out, and dammit if I didn’t forget to turn that oven back on! Ugh! Lol

  48. I tried many it simple to make following all the directions. I made many types but this one in chocolate smooth chewy. I used chunk chips. 5 Star






  49. Thanks for the recipe, they turned out great! Just a heads up that you have 1/2 a cup of butter listed as 227g, which would be a full cup. I almost added too much so figured this might be helpful for others who also bake by weight. :)

  50. Oh no! I’m so sorry, we just added that in and realized it was a typo. It should be 115 grams. My apologies for the confusion! :)