The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies!

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.

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

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 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:

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.

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.

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.

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:

• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Gingerbread Cookies
• No-Bake Cookies
• Brown Sugar Cookies

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies!

4.85 from 240 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

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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

• 1/2 cup (115 grams) butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large 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 (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
• optional: flaky sea salt

Instructions

• ▢
  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt until combined.  Set aside.
• ▢
  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.
• ▢
  Fold in the chocolate chips by hand, using a spatula or wooden spoon, until they are evenly combined.
• ▢
  Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 2 hours, or until it is chilled through.
• ▢
  Heat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• ▢
  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.
• ▢
  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.
• ▢
  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.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

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