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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!”

  1. Why is the first step to preheat the oven if the dough needs to be chilled for 2 hours?

    • Hi EM,

      I have made this recipe at least 12 times (that I can remember). I have never chilled the dough. They come out amazing! I do preheat over to 330 not 350.

      Hope that helps!






  2. Yowza. Just made a batch, followed the 20-min cooling tip, and tasted one, freshly baked so it’s warm and gooey. Really, really good. Recipe is going into my permanent file. Thanks!






  3. Love this recipe…so reliable for results and delicious. I did resort to taking cookies out after 8 minutes and pressed them down slightly with the bottom of a glass, then returned them to the oven to finish baking. Thank you for sharing such a detailed recipe and tips.






  4. These are delicious, chewy chocolate chip cookies. I’ll make the recipe again.
    Just not sure why it says to preheat the oven in step 1 when the cookie dough needs to chill for 2 hours.






    • If you prepare your cookies on a baking sheet and refrigerate for only 20 min then that’s about how long it takes for the oven to preheat ;-)

  5. These cookies are delicious. The ingrediants can be found in your house and the time in the oven saved so much time.






  6. What if you do not have cornstarch on hand ?

    • I didn’t have cornstarch, but I used 1/2 tsp baking powder. It’s not really substitute for cornstarch but it does help things to puff when baking so it could solve the runny cookie problem some are having. My cookies came out great. Not flat at all.

  7. I have made a lot of chocolate chip cookies and this recipe is by far my favorite – it has that bakery flavor I’ve always tried to replicate (the beautiful blend of butter and vanilla) paired with a slightly crisp outside and super soft inside. Truly a delicious cookie!






  8. Hello! I am always looking for a good ccc recipe, and decided to try this. I like a big looking cookie. Welp, don’t have a clue why, but my cookies were totally flat. Like crepe-looking flat. Delicious, but flat!! The only thing I can think was that I used some weird, extra creamy butter that I had never heard of, because the grocery store had no butter due to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Almost like the Irish butter, but from a different country.) I mixed, chilled, etc. as recipe stated. I will try this recipe again because they are good. I can’t imagine what they really taste like had it come out properly, haha!!

    • Same exact thing happened to my cookies – flat as a crepe – all ran together. Thought maybe I mis-measured ingredients so I will try again. Wanted a cookie fix during self isolation!

  9. I literally just finished baking the cookies and they were superb. I had a go at another recipe a month ago and they were a disaster. These were a hit. I have scoffed 3 already. Not bad as I managed to get 46 decent cookies out of the doughs so fabulous. I have heard of elevenses but no one said they were referring to AM rather than PM LOL!

    Thank you for a yummy recipe, I’m all ears for more…..






  10. Literally the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe. My friends, family, & neighbors all request these!






  11. This really is my favorite chocolate chip recipe. I’m no chef and not great at baking or cooking, so I appreciate the measuring of the ingredients on this and what is needed (it’s so easy to follow!). I make these ALL the time and have shared it with several people who have asked. I just love these cookies. It’s the perfect amount, not too many, not too little- enough to share if you’re nice. Thank you so so much!






  12. OK so I made my second batch, the first being a success. I doubled the recipe (pure greed) and thought let’s go all out so I used dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and chocolate chunks too. The cookie dough looked wonderful and I went a step further and left the dough in the fridge all night.

    So I lined my tray and rolled my first batch and in they went to the hot oven. 10 mins later I produced amazing chocate chip pancakes ? so I chilled the next batch for 20 minutes, rolled all the dough out and chilled it while the second lot cooked and woe betold, more pancakes…… ? So not quite sure what has gone wrong. I doubled the recipe exactly, yes the chocolate chunks were a bit big but the cookies should not have been so far off from the first batch…. What went wrong ?






  13. Best, best chocolate chip recipe ever!






  14. I made these last night and they are truly the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever made! Thank you Ali so much for this wonderful recipe! I followed the recipe exactly but made smaller cookies so I ended up with 36. They turned out fluffy not flat like some others had a issue with. If you follow the directions exactly you will have the perfect cookie! I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes!






  15. Without a doubt my favorite chocolate chip cookie EVER!!! The cornstarch and the chill are imperative! I usually double the batch then freeze half the dough formed in balls to quickly pop in the oven when we want a few delicious treats! Thanks for sharing!!






  16. I’m pretty sure I will never use any other recipe again. Tried yours for the first time today and they are excellent! Thank you.

  17. Really nice – perfect texture. I think the cornstarch does the trick. One thing I’ve learned through the years is that baking soda matters. Check to see if yours is outdated. We don’t think of that as being the culprit but it sure can flatten a cookie or quickbread. Thanks for sharing the recipe.






  18. I only have white sugar and will not be heading to a store! Does anyone know how using all white sugar will affect these cookies?

    • It will since brown sugar is what makes it chewy you could add molasses to the White sugar or try using cane sugar or other type of chewy sugar






    • I just read where you can use molasses in place of brown sugar, but this article was making choc. chip cookies that included both white and brown sugar. Might read up on it.
      I am anxious to try this recipe in a few minutes. Need a recipe for a large group at RV Park.

    • well I need to read recipes more closely, it does call for white granulated sugar as well. I just looked up molasses to brown sugar:
      1 T. to light brown
      2 T. to dark brown
      or in this recipe:
      1 1/2 t. to replace light
      1 T. to replace dark
      Guessing you’ve made them by now, hope they turned out for you. I just made up a batch and it’s in fridge now. Hope to enjoy playing cards with neighbors and our little happy hour, they all have a “sweet tooth” and anxious to see how this turns out.

  19. I have been baking chocolate chip cookies since I was a little girl and these are some of the absolute best! Just made this recipe for the first time this week and I’m blown away. This will be my go to recipe for sure! Thank you!






  20. Great cookies. I did two modifications: 1/4 cup less of flour and used baking powder instead because reviews said they were flat and my cookies came out great!






  21. ALL THE STARS!! This recipe was amazing! Me, my teenagers and hubby loved the cookies. This will be my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thank you!!






  22. Very good consistency and flavor






  23. I left the cornstarch out completely just because I didn’t have any (and this isolation thing makes running to the grocery store less than ideal) and they came out amazing! They might’ve been a bit less chewy than if I had added the cornstarch, but they’re great nonetheless! I made 15 cookies instead of 12, and they came out a perfect size.

    I don’t have a mixer, and I did use melted butter instead of room temp because the butter was frozen originally, but they still came out great.

    Basically I broke all the rules, but they were still awesome! I’m a fan!






  24. These were definitely the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! I will make them over and over again.






  25. Can i use dairy milk chocolate instead of chocolate chips?
    Will it effect the dough?

  26. Literally some of the best Chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. I don’t know what makes them so chewy ands moist but they are unreal good!! I made them for my in laws and my mother in law is a tough critic. She almost went back for thirds !! Will be making again for sure !






  27. This is my new go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are the perfect texture and mixture of sweet, buttery and salty. I also love that the default size makes a reasonable sized batch of cookies that I don’t feel bad eating all of.






  28. This is a good recipe, which I followed exactly, but there was no WOW factor for me. They are chocolate chip cookies-what did I expect!? I would recommend it but it’s not a 5 star tasting cookie.






  29. Okay, this got the thumbs up from the husby! I too enjoyed them as well, but my sweet tooth is a lot smaller than his. A few comments- I was also in COVID 19 isolation and ran the gauntlet to get chocolate chips….I see now why there’s been no flour- we’ve become crazy bakers! It was important I didn’t screw it up, reading some of the fail reviews. The batter after refrigerating felt funky, and I was sceptical. Did everything to the T and my batch made about 28 cookies. I did 2 batches. The first, I gave a good smoosh, as I read some didn’t flatten… well, they did. The second batch I didn’t smoosh, and they were kind of similar. All very good, the outer crunch was there. None of them looked like the picture, as mine flattened out a bit more, but nonetheless were really delish. Just wanted to share as the remarks helped me. Great recipe, I’ll keep this one for next time! Thank you! Be safe all my fellow crazy isolated Baker Mama’s!






  30. The absolute best. I have never strayed from the toll house recipe in so many years, but wanted to try these after making the brownie batter and meringue cookies. These are definitely my new favorite. I’ll be making a double batch next time since they didn’t last very long!






  31. The cookies came out chewy and crispy and the sugar ratio was definitely too high. Maybe it’s because as a Brit I’m not used to US measurements but it wasn’t clear so I added dark brown muscovado sugar where ‘packed’ sugar was given. I also ended up with enough for about 40 cookies. The 1 inch balls made very thin flat cookies.






  32. Hi
    During this isolation my twins are turning 25. I have made many chocolate chip recipes in my life but ur recipe was truly the best ever!!! Finally my kids freaked out over my cookie.
    I want to make a giant chocolate chip cookie for my twins using you recipe and be able to use it as the “birthday cake”.
    Do u think I could do this with your recipe and if so how long should I cook it and at what temperature Also I know u roll oval upright balls so what shape should I mailed the dough into.
    Thought maybe u were stuck home and could answer my email!!
    Thanks
    Pamela

  33. Just made your cookies and OMG they are perfect!! Thank you!

  34. These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I didn’t have cornstarch, so I substituted 2 Tbs. of flour for the 2 tsp. of cornstarch. The additional flour really makes a difference. The sprinkling of sea salt on top turns these excellent cookies into exceptional!






  35. Best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made!
    Love that they’re not so flat






  36. These cookies turned out flat. Will not make again. Followed recipe exactly!

  37. made these 3 times in the last year and they haven’t disappointed anyone yet!! :)






  38. I’ve made this recipe at least 10 times over the last few years and it’s always been a winner.

    Also, I’m commenting so you have more
    Than 666 comments. :)






  39. Great recipe!!! the cookies came out just as promised! they are chewy on the inside ; just the right amount, and have that nice crisp on the exterior!






  40. This is the best cookie recipe I’ve ever made/ tasted. Tonight I’m trying it with Reese’s Pieces instead of chocolate chips. I have no doubt they’ll be just as good. I’ve given them away as gifts and get rave reviews. Thank you for this great recipe!!






  41. Excellent recipe. The addition of cornstarch is perfect. Cookies are always soft and very yummy. This is my go to recipe forever!






  42. This has been my go to Chocolate Chip cookie recipe since I came across it a few months ago. I always double it because the cookies are so delicious they don’t last long with my kids.






  43. Should the 1/2 Cup of Butter be Salted or Unsalted?

  44. I made this recipe twice and all my cookies came out bitter. I think its too much baking soda. Maybe add 1/2 tsp not whole 1 teaspoon since there is only 1.5 cup of flour..!

  45. this recipe is the best the batter was excellent and the cookies delicious.






  46. Turned out great! I did end up chilling the dough for two hours






  47. The only change I made was I skipped the cornstartch. I used 1 tsp. Baking powder and 1 tsp. Baking soda and added 1 TBSP. Milk. These cookies were so very yummy! They are the perfect cookie! Crunchy on edges, and chewy middle!

  48. Hi, I have tried making these cookies twice now and I always fail. My cookies doesn’t spread. I follow the directions exactly. Please help me figure out what I’m doing wrong.

    • Hi there – I had this issue too and I simply decreased the flour a bit. Worked like a charm. They are our favorite cookies and we make them way more than we should!

  49. Kick ass recipe! Perfect!






  50. Found my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe!!!! Thank you!