These chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect cookie with a soft and moist center, melty morsels of chocolate, and crisp edges. It’s the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need because it’s classic—not fussy, complicated, or time-consuming.

There’s no need for refrigeration, special tricks, or complex cooking techniques to get the best chocolate cookie. Our foolproof, classic recipe tastes exactly how it should—insanely delicious. After all, it’s the incredible flavor and easy-to-make recipe that keeps traditional desserts like Gingerbread Cookies, Banana Bread, and Baklava so popular for ages!

Chocolate Chip Cookies studded with chocolate chips on a cookie rack

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

My high school used to sell the best chocolate chip cookies at lunchtime. They were soft, thick and irresistible. With this cookie recipe, I sought to recreate that memorable texture and this recipe takes me back to the days when I saved up my quarters for the rare treat of the cafeteria cookie.

There is no match for homemade chocolate chip cookies with chewy and soft texture, gooey chocolate chips, and the sweetest aroma coming from your oven. As America’s most loved cookie, they are perfect for every occasion, whether you’re making Christmas cookies, comforting a neighbor, or surprising your kiddos with a sweet after-school treat.

Just like with Chocolate Crinkle Cookies or Christmas Sugar Cookies, everyone needs a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, so here’s why this one is a keeper:

  • The cookies stay soft for days
  • Easy, straightforward recipe with tips to make it foolproof!
  • No resting/refrigerating time—so you can satisfy your craving immediately
  • Pantry staple ingredients
  • True to the classic flavor everyone loves
  • Stores and freezes well
  • Make ahead option to always have dough on hand

Chocolate Chip Cookies Video


In this video, Natasha shows you how easy it is to whip up a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. *Note that we updated the recipe and now use 1 tsp of baking soda because we loved the results even more.

Ingredients:

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe is made with pantry and refrigerator staples—nothing fancy or hard to find here.

  • Unsalted butter – room temperature butter creates the best consistency to trap air for a chewy, airy dough with the best texture and rise.
  • Granulated sugar – white sugar adds sweetness without adding moisture for the perfect spread
  • Brown sugar – molasses keeps the cookie moist, soft, and chewy. Be sure to press the sugar tightly into the cup when measuring
  • Eggs – room temperature eggs mix more evenly to bind the dough
  • Vanilla extract – store-bought or homemade vanilla extract gives that classic chocolate chip cookie flavor
  • All-purpose flour – be sure to measure correctly to get the right amount: fluff with a spoon and then scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Finally, scrape off the top. Be sure not to pat the flour down
  • Baking soda – sift to eliminate clumps
  • Salt – balances the sweetness of the sugars
  • Chocolate chips – we prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate or bittersweet chips for a slightly different taste. See our buying guide below – be sure to use the full amount because they add moisture and give good form to the cookies

Pro Tip:

If you don’t have time to let the butter come to room temperature, try this trick to soften the butter quickly, because it makes a big difference.

Ingredients for desserts with baking soda, brown sugar, chocolate morsals, butter and eggs

How to Buy Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chips come in different varieties. Here’s what to look for:

  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips (46%-60% cocoa): the traditional chip for chocolate chip cookies. You can use full-size or mini chips, chunks, or even chopped chocolate. Nestle, Tollhouse, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Kirkland, Hershey’s….they all work!
  • Milk chocolate chips (10% cocoa): these make very sweet cookies, so have your glass of milk ready. Try mixing with semi-sweet.
  • Bittersweet chocolate chips (70% cocoa): less sweet and intensely chocolatey. These produce a more “adult” cookie.
cookies studded with semisweet chocolate chips is the best chocolate for chocolate chip cookies

Substitutions

It’s easy to make these cookies your own. You’ll need 2 cups of mix-ins, so if you’re feeling adventurous, try some of these fun alternatives to chocolate chips:

  • Peanut butter chips
  • Sprinkles
  • Butterscotch chips
  • M&M candies
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Chopped unsalted peanuts
  • White vanilla baking chips
  • Shredded coconut
  • Pretzel pieces – the options are endless!

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s so simple to mix up this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe with pantry staples and no refrigeration is needed.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes until light and fluffy—this is the most important step to get a chewy cookie. Be sure to beat for the full amount of time!
  • Beat eggs into the butter mixture one at a time followed by the vanilla extract.
  • Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and sifted baking soda) in a separate bowl, and then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in thirds. Finally, fold the chocolate chips into the dough. Be sure not to over-mix (this can cause the dough to become tough).
  • Roll balls of dough or use a trigger release scoop to scoop 3 Tbsp balls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes. The tops should still look a bit wet and not browned. We usually bake 1/3 of the cookies at a time and refrigerate or freeze the rest for later, so see our tips below.
  • Rest the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days. To warm the cookies, try toasting in a toaster oven or baking at 350 for 2-3 minutes.
Step-by-step directions for making cookie dough

Pro Tip:

For a prettier cookie, press a few extra chocolate chips into the top of each cookie dough ball just before baking.

Soft chocolate chip cookies broken in half to show moist chocolatey center

Common Questions

What is the secret to making good cookies?

Room temperature butter and eggs, beating the butter and sugars thoroughly, and not over-mixing create the best cookies! No need for fancy techniques, because the best chocolate chip cookies are easy to make!

Should chocolate chip cookies be flattened before baking?

These homemade chocolate chip cookies spread perfectly without flattening.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft?

Over-baking is the #1 cause of hard cookies, so remove them before they brown, when the edges are just turning golden. The top should still look a bit raw.

Once baked, store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft. You can even place a piece of bread in the container to maintain moisture.

Why do chocolate chip cookies go flat?

Usually, cookies go flat when a recipe doesn’t include enough flour. Be sure to measure the ingredients correctly. Also, check to be sure your baking soda is still fresh by placing 1 tsp baking soda into a cup with a splash of vinegar. It should fizz, but if it doesn’t, replace your baking soda.

Why did my cookies not flatten?

This usually means you use too much flour. Be sure to fluff and spoon your flour into a dry ingredient measuring cup, and don’t pat it down. Also, be sure not to make the cookie dough balls too large, or they may take longer than the cooking time to spread in the oven.

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe cooling on wire rack

Make-Ahead

Our homemade chocolate chip cookie dough is refrigerator and freezer-friendly, so you can always have dough on hand. To make a few days ahead, mix the dough as directed and store:

  • To Refrigerate: put dough into an airtight container, or cover rolled dough balls on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and then bake as usual. It may take 1-2 minutes longer if starting with chilled dough.
  • To Freeze: Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Then, once the dough balls are frozen, store them in a freezer zip-top bag until ready to bake.
  • To Bake: thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed. You can bake from frozen, but the cookies will take a few more minutes to bake.

You will love these homemade chocolate chips with melty chocolate, a chewy cookie center, and an irresistible aroma. Our easy recipe uses pantry staples without unnecessary techniques! Grab a glass of milk because this will soon become your go-to recipe!

More Cookie Recipes

If you love this chocolate chip cookie recipe, then you won’t want to miss these other delicious cookie recipes.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

4.92 from 875 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Chocolate Chip cookies on rack
Everyone's favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies – soft, moist and loaded with chocolate. There's no chilling required and you'll get perfect cookies every time.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 26 chocolate chip cookies

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat liner. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar. Beat 5 minutes on medium/high speed until creamy and light, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  • Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition, scraping down the bowl as needed, then beat in 2 tsp of vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups of flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of baking soda (sifted to eliminate lumps). Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter in thirds, mixing to incorporate with each addition. Fold in 2 cups of chocolate chips.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to get even balls of dough (3 Tbsp each). Place scoops of dough onto lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Mine fit onto 3 cookie sheets and made 26 cookies. Roll balls lightly with your hands then stud tops of cookie balls with reserved chocolate chips. Bake right away or cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
  • Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 12-15 min at 350˚F (we bake 12 minutes), until edges are just turning golden. The tops should still look under-baked. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet 5 min then transfer to a rack to cool. 

Notes

*To measure flour correctly, fluff the flour with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and level the top. Do not dip a measuring cup directly into the flour bin or you can compact it and get up to 25% more flour and your cookies won’t spread correctly. 

Nutrition Per Serving

248kcal Calories30g Carbs3g Protein13g Fat8g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat4g Monounsaturated Fat0.3g Trans Fat32mg Cholesterol141mg Sodium113mg Potassium1g Fiber17g Sugar243IU Vitamin A22mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
248
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
13
g
20
%
Saturated Fat
 
8
g
50
%
Trans Fat
 
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Cholesterol
 
32
mg
11
%
Sodium
 
141
mg
6
%
Potassium
 
113
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
30
g
10
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
17
g
19
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
243
IU
5
%
Calcium
 
22
mg
2
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chip cookies, soft chocolate chip cookies
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 248

 

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Elissa
    March 9, 2024

    Great soft chocolate chip video, Natasha!! Love your energy, sweetness, professionalism and videography. Bravo to you and your husband! Best wishes!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 9, 2024

      Thank you, Elissa!

      Reply

  • Miko Alcoran
    March 8, 2024

    Happy international Womans day Natasha
    Chocolate chip cookies Is my idea for my helper friend

    Reply

  • Kolten
    February 25, 2024

    I live at high altitude (4600 ft) and rarely have much luck with baking recipes from the internet as a result. This was an exception. They turned out great when I made them as is! I’ve made them several times and have discovered that using 430 grams of flour and baking at 325 degrees for 18 minutes is perfect for where I live! I made these for an office party and everyone was impressed I could make something as good as these cookies are.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 26, 2024

      Great to hear that it was a success! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Nellyboo
    February 24, 2024

    I was always eating cookies from my grocery store.was always chewy n soft..I knew ur recipe would give me exactly what I was looking for…thank u

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 24, 2024

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  • Ron Fleet
    February 19, 2024

    I had to watch the video for the amount of ingredients to use. I wanted to print it out but it wasn’t listed. I had to write it down while watching the video. I kinda surprised me. ????
    Bought the book – luv ya

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 19, 2024

      Hi Ron, we have all the ingredients and the amounts on the printable recipe card. Click Jump to Recipe at the top of this recipe post to take you to the recipe card. I hope that helps.

      Reply

    • Ron Fleet
      February 19, 2024

      oops… my bad – I found the ingredient amout lower in your receipt. Talk about embarrased 🙂

      Reply

  • Brooke
    February 19, 2024

    I am (family) famous for my chocolate chip cookies, but my recipe has an ingredient that no longer matches our dietary needs, so I gave this one a try. Perfection! I used a mix of butterscotch and chocolate chips, and they are quite possibly even better than my old recipe. Thank you, Natasha, for yet another great recipe.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 19, 2024

      That’s amazing, Brooke! I’m so glad you tried this recipe. Thank you for the feedback.

      Reply

    • Zoe
      March 7, 2024

      Hi Brooke! Do you mind sharing that recipe?
      Thanks.

      Reply

  • Anna
    February 19, 2024

    I have made these so many times over the years and they turn out great every time. I also just want to thank you for including a metric version! Greetings from Germany <3

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 19, 2024

      You’re so welcome, Anna. Thanks for appreciating that and I’m glad that you always love this recipe!

      Reply

  • Georgianne
    February 16, 2024

    This recipe is wonderful! This will now be my go to recipe!!! I made over 3 dozen heart shaped cookies, along with conversation heart cheesecakes and 2 heart shaped homemade pizza’s for the girls at the beauty shop. They are great and deserve to be surprised! I wish I had made this recipe for my husband! The one I made him had a cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Your recipe by far is the best!!! All of the recipes I have tried have been wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 16, 2024

      I’m so glad you found a new go-to recipe on my blog, Georgianne! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Tina
    February 11, 2024

    Can I substitute some valentines M&M’s with the chocolate chips?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 11, 2024

      I imagine that will work.

      Reply

  • Pat White
    February 1, 2024

    I made these, followed the recipe 100% and the cookies are GREAT!!!!!! Recipe is a keeper!!!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 1, 2024

      I’m so glad, Pat! Thank you.

      Reply

  • Donna
    February 1, 2024

    These were the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! I am so glad I found your page! Your recipes are fantastic!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 1, 2024

      Aw, thank you, Donna! So happy you’re enjoying them.

      Reply

  • Sarah
    January 31, 2024

    Cookies came out good but are very puffy compared to your pictures? Is there anything I can do that would fix that?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 31, 2024

      Hi Sarah. See my note in the recipe on “why did my cookies not flatten.”

      Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.