Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies (VIDEO)
This is the only recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies that you will need. These have all the elements of the perfect cookie with a soft and moist center, melty morsels of chocolate, and crisp edges. Best of all, there’s no chilling or refrigeration required so you can satisfy that cookie craving when it strikes!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies!
There is no match for homemade chocolate chip cookies with soft and warm cookie dough, gooey chocolate chips, and the sweetest aroma coming from your oven. It’s just as tantalizing as homemade baked donuts or banana bread. Whether you’re making Christmas cookies or surprising your kiddos with a sweet after school treat, memories are made with America’s most loved chocolate chip cookies.
Watch Chocolate Chip Cookies Video Tutorial:
Everyone needs a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and this one is a keeper. The cookies stay soft for days. Just read the amazing reviews then try them for yourself. P.S. Just to clarify, we now use 1 tsp baking soda because we loved the results even more.
Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Measure ingredients correctly, especially the dry ingredients (fluff your flour with a spoon then spoon flour into the cup and scrape off the top for an accurate measure).
- Sift baking soda to eliminate any lumps
- Butter and eggs should be at room temperature
- Use plenty of chocolate chips – they add moisture and give the cookies good form
- Use a trigger release scoop for equal-sized cookies (3 Tbsp each)
- For a prettier cookie, stud the top of each cookie dough ball with a few extra chocolate chips before baking.
Ingredients:
This chocolate chip cookie dough has simple ingredients with pantry staples you probably already have and the cookies can be baked right away (no chilling required). You can also refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake and they bake up perfectly every time.
Which is the Best Chocolate for Cookies?
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (46% – 60% cocoa content) – Chocolate chip cookies are classically made with standard sized semi-sweet chocolate chips, but mini chocolate chips or chocolate “chunks” will also work. Nestle, Tollhouse, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Kirkland, Hershey’s,… most any brand will work. If you have the option, look for a package that states the cocoa content.
Milk chocolate chips (10% cocoa)- If you like a very sweet cookie, milk chocolate chips are a good option, just be prepared with your glass of milk! You can also mix milk chocolate with semi-sweet.
Bittersweet chocolate chips (70% cocoa) – produce a more ‘adult’ cookie – intensely chocolatey and less sweet.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies:
This is the easiest cookie recipe and comes together quickly. Start with some quick prep: preheat oven to 350 °F and Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. We usually bake 1/3 of the cookies at a time and refrigerate or freeze the rest to make a fresh batch another day.
- In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar on medium/high speed 5 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time then mix in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, thoroughly whisk together flour, baking soda and salt then beat it in thirds into the batter. Fold chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
- Scoop even balls of dough (3 Tbsp each) and arrange on prepared baking sheets. Bake one cookie sheet at a time.
The Secret to Soft Cookies:
Over-baking is the #1 cause of hard cookies. So, when are chocolate chip cookies done? The cookies should be removed from the oven when they are just turning golden at the base and the dough still looks a little raw on top. They won’t look done coming out of the oven and you’ll be tempted to keep them in there longer, but please do not over-bake.
Removing them at the right time is the secret to soft chocolate chip cookies. Our sweet spot for baking is 12 minutes (whether baking right away or after refrigerating the cookie balls)
Why do Chocolate Chip Cookies go Flat?
This is usually due to having the wrong balance of ingredients (not enough flour) causing them to spread out too much. Also, check your leavening and make sure your baking soda is not expired and still active. To test baking soda, place 1 tsp baking soda into a cup and add a splash of vinegar – it should fizz and if it doesn’t, replace your baking soda.
Why did my Cookies not Flatten?
If your cookies ended up too thick and did not flatten, the usual culprit is too much flour. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Also, form cookies with 3 Tbsp of dough. If you make them too large, they will take longer to spread.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough:
This cookie dough is freezer friendly and we love freezing half for another day.
To freeze cookie dough: place cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet or cutting board, cover and freeze for an hour or until solid. Once they are frozen, you can transfer them to a large ziploc bag and freeze up to 3 months.
To bake frozen cookie dough: transfer to a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet and thaw the frozen cookies in the refrigerator for 3 hours over overnight before baking per the recipe instructions.
More Cookie Recipes:
- Snowball Cookies – moist and melt-in-your-mouth good
- Italian Cookies (baci di dama) – with a chocolate center
- Russian tea cookies – a buttery walnut filled treat
- Shell cookies – fluffy and laced with meringue
- Finnish Meringue Cookies – the most beautiful cookie
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (16 Tbsp), softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar tightly packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour measured correctly*
- 1 tsp baking soda sifted
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz), divided reserving 1/4 cup for the top
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.
Recipe 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.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough. We also added new photos and here is the original:
I love this Recipe! I hope my family and friends will like it! I just have to give it to them!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Alina! I hope they love it also!
I made these for the first time today. They are absolutely delicious. They spread just the right amount, and the extra chocolate chips on the top made them look so pretty. Will definitely be making them again!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Cheryl!
Little typo, i think you meant down but spelled dowm
Fixed! Thank you so much for letting me know.
Little typo in your text
Par 1
Down is spelled donw
Thank you so much for letting me know. Fixed!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I have made 6 batches so far, my family and friends love them. My oldest daughter (28) said “mom best cookie you have ever made”. My other daughter 22 said ” Mom I can’t stop thinking about them.
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Renee! That is the best when kids love what we parents make.
Hello,
In the recipe says baking soda but in the video you added baking powder. Which one we use here?
Thank you
Hi Zhaleh, we updated the recipe after publishing the video for more consistent results. I think what was happening in the past is that people would flip flop the baking soda and powder since both types of leavening were in the recipe. The written recipe is the version we make now.
Hi Natasha
I’ve not tried to make these yet, but would like to make them in both a regular size and one tray of small ones, maybe half size. How long would I need to cook smaller ones for. They sound temptingly delicious. Thanks.
Hi Angie, without testing that myself, it’s hard to advise on a time. I would recommend watching it closely, and it will definitely require less time.
Hey Natasha!
The recipe looks quick and delicious! Can i use the same recipe for having crispier chocolate chip cookies? Please suggest!
Thankyou!
Hi Manasi, I would just bake them an extra 2-3 minutes or to desired doneness to dry them out more.
Hi Natasha. Im going to make these chocolate chip cookies but i don’t have an icecream scoop, can i just roll the cookie mixture by hand? 😊
Hi Megan, that should work!
Made them with my 10 year-old grandson. A resounding hit. Perfect. I used a 1 7/8″ diameter scoop and baked 15 min. in a convection oven. Made 29.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Do you think the recipe would come out just as good using m&ms instead of chocolate chips? I wanted to make them festive for Easter and use the pastel colored ones. Also, should I use the same amount of m&ms as i would chocolate chips if I sub them?
Hi Cristina, I think that would work. I would sub some of the chocolate chips with M&Ms.
One of the best cookies i have ever eaten . thankyou Natasha so much for this recipe!❤❤❤❤
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
this recipe was amazing it turned out perfect for my brother birthday i’m 10 and it was easy to follow and turned out great
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
These cookies are amazing. Everybody loves them! Thank you for the recipe !!
Good to know that the recipe was a hit!
The best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! Making them for the third time this afternoon. Our family loves them. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Love it! You are very welcome, Barbara. Glad your family loves this recipe!
Ur r an amazing chef .it looks so easy to make ur cookies. How can I make it eggless
Hi Hitasha, I haven’t tested these being eggless but I do have a good chocolate cake that is eggless – not sure if you’ve seen that one.
Your video for “Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies” says add baking “powder”, but the printed recipe says at baking “soda”. Which is it?
Hi Cynthia, we updated the recipe after publishing the video for more consistent results. I think what was happening in the past is that people would flip flop the baking soda and powder since both types of leavening were in the recipe. The written recipe is the version we make now.
I’ve tried many chocolate chip recipes and this one is the absolute best, I’ve used it about five times already. Thank you 😊
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Michael!
I love this recipe especially by adding a little bit of ground cinnamon and nutmeg . Absolutely delish!
Good idea! Thanks for sharing that with us, Lucy!
These are by far the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I used chocolate chunks & added some walnuts. Absolutely delish
Thank you so much for your kind words and great feedback, Maureen. I appreciate it!
I love this recipe! I am thinking of adding a twist to it by adding frozen nutella in the middle. Do you think I need to change anything in the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Hiba, sounds like a good plan although I haven’t personally tried that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
I have never been able to find light brown sugar where we live…only dark brown, raw cane, and white sugar. Can I use the dark instead?
Dark brown would work here and would give the cookies richer color.
This is now my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are delicious. Getting ready to make a batch.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi Natasha !!!! I am from srilanka. Those cookies came out totally fine. It was so soft and moist but those chocolate morsels where yet chunks, it didn’t melt.
Amazing cookies
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made them for the first time today and my cookies came out perfect. However, I found them to be a bit too sweet. Is it possible to reduce the amount of sugar?
Hi MT, less sugar may work, but they may seem a little more cake-like.
Thank you so much Natasha, being a teen with the little baking experience I had, your presentation has made it so much more easier to bake.
Everyone at home loved the cookies.
You really inspire me!!
…btw, to a woman who deserves so, much;
Happy International Women’s Day!
You’re welcome! That’s so sweet of you, thank you so much and I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try.
Hello,
Can the baking soda in the written receipt be replaced with baking powder and if so what is the measurement? Thank you
Hi Tania, we first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
Hi, can I substitute unsalted butter for salted butter and just omit the salt??
Hi Vegonia, using salted butter should work fine. You might add a little less salt or omit it if using salted butter. Several of our readers have tested this and enjoyed it.
I made these today at 04am (in Germany) because I was unable to sleep and wanted to bake something. These came out perfect in the first try and taste so Yumm! My home smelled like a bakery that woke up my husband. Hahaha! Thank you for the recipe written so well. Stay safe and blessed.
Wow, that’s so early but I’m really glad you loved it! I can imagine waking up smelling those cookies, the best smell ever!
Do you think these cookies can still be made using margerine sticks?
Hi Julie, sorry but I have not tried using margarine yet in place of butter to advise if it would have the same effect.
Julie don’t try margarine the cookie dough will be very creamy and the cookies taste flat and will be toss in the trash like mine
You are a blessing!!!
I’ve tried so many of your recipes specially chocolate chip soft cookies… all the kids in my entire family loves them from UAE to New Zealand! I used food color for the same recipe and used them on birthday themes… added red and blue they are lovely!! My nieces are learning cooking from you! And my dad is in remission and usually has soft food and these cookies are an amazing delight! Thank you and love you guys keep up the amazing work!
Hi Saima, great to hear from you. I’m glad that you and your kids are enjoying my recipes. I hope that you will all love every recipe that you will try!
Thank you Natasha ,I enjoy your recipe. Keep them coming, God bless you and family ❤️
You’re very welcome. Sure, I’ll always do my best!
I made this cookie today and it was perfect we all loved it thankx Natasha you are great !!
That’s awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies, thanks for your great review.
Thank you Natasha Kitchen! Cookies are delicious!
You’re very welcome, Yuli. I’m glad you love it!
What adjustments should I use for high altitude?
Hi there, I honestly haven’t tried making this recipe in a high altitude place but feel free to use this guide as a reference for High Altitude Baking.
Hi again,
I was wondering if I wanted to turn this into a double chocolate cookie recipe, how much cocoa would you add/replace flour?
Best regards,
Hello Israa, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I think it’s worth experimenting with! Please share with us how it goes if you try this recipe.
hii, so one cookie has 248 calories?
Hi, yes that is correct. The nutrition label is per cookie.
Love this recipe! All these years I was making the classic recipe you find on the back of the semi-sweet chips package. The cookies always ended up dry and I had to always put inside a container with a slice of bread to moisten. From your recipe, you taught me a few things…no need to “pack” (tap) the flour when measuring, use an ice cream scoop/ roll in balls and remove from oven with golden edges and tops still look a little undone. What a difference! Yummy! Now I send cookies to my enlisted son stationed on an AFB. He will absolutely love these! Thanks!
Sounds like a great plan! I hope this becomes his new favorite! Thank you for your great review and feedback, Julie.
Ok, I just noticed you said 2tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt, but your recipe says 1tsp of baking power and 1tsp of salt?
Could that why why cookies didn’t come right?
Hi, we updated the recipe after publishing the video for more consistent results. I think what was happening in the past is that people would flip flop the baking soda and powder since both types of leavening were in the recipe. The written recipe is the version we make now.
I made these cookies a few times and my kids love them. I have used a lot of different chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years and I have to say, this recipe is the best!
They are soooo good.
Thank you!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Made these for my sweetie for valentines day. He loved them and just used a spatula for mixing as I didn’t have a paddle attachment. Wonder if I could have use a beater attachment?
Hi Margie, I think you could make the whisk attachments work at low speed; you would want to take it out and use a wooden spoon when adding the chocolate chips. The paddle attachment is better because the mixture is so thick
I absolutely love this recipe. I have made it many times now. I split it into 3 so I can add other ingredients like walnuts and cranberries. My whole family loves them. I have made many of your recipes and just love them all. Thank you!
You’re welcome and so glad to hear that, Amanda. Thanks for your great feedback!
Hello! The butter and sugar formed like clumps, making it hard to cream. The butter was removed from the freezer for 30 minutes. Could it be that it needed more time to soften?
Hi Hiba, it souns like your butter needed more time to soften. It needs about 1 1/2 hours out of the fridge and even longer out of the freezer to soften.
These were very soft ! For some reason they didn’t flatten but were dome shaped .. still soft though
Hi Anna, I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor! I recommend checking the tips in this part of the recipe: Why did my Cookies not Flatten? If your cookies ended up too thick and did not flatten, the usual culprit is too much flour. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon, then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape it off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Also, form cookies with 3 Tbsp of dough. If you make them too large, they will take longer to spread.
Didn’t know about fluffing before scooping , thanks !
Hi Natasha, love your recipes. Can I use this recipe for a pizza pan cookie
Hi Pat, it’s hard to say without trying that myself, so I can’t advise. If you happen to test that, I would love to know how you like it.
I sure will, I make my kids and grandkids one every year for Valentines Day. The recipe I use I don’t like any more. Going to try yours and thank you for replying. Have a blessed day!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Pat! It isn’t this recipe so great.
These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I was a little worried about using an icecream scoop because that’s way bigger than I normally make cookies but they turned out fantastic. I took them out just like you said when they were just beginning to brown on the bottom and looked underbred on top and they were amazing! I think I’ve always overcooked my cookies in the past. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Yay, love it! Thank you so much for your great comments and feedback, Sandra. We appreciate you sharing that with us.
They tasted good, however, they didn’t flatten out. They increased in size though. Were also a little bit dry. Maybe I didn’t beat butter with sugars long enough, or my baking soda gone bad. I will try again next time
Hi Yulia, make sure to check out our troubleshooting sections where we go over common issues and what causes them.
I am super excited to make these cookies for my friend’s birthday. I am thinking of halving the recipe and making 13 cookies, instead.
Does it work if I halve all the ingredients & bake a smaller batch?
Thanks so much for your amazing recipes. 😃
That should work too, Sarah. If you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. I hope that helps!
Hello! I had a problem last time creaming the butter and sugar. They formed like small chunks and got stuck in the whisk, making it hard to cream. Why do you think that happened? The butter was removed from the freezer half an hour before using. Thank you!
Hi Hiba, since it was removed from the freezer and not the fridge, it may need more time to soften. It sounds like it wasn’t soft enough.
Made these today! They are fab! Big ,chewy, tasty . Perfect companion for milk or as an ice creme sandwich!!
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Kim. I appreciate your great review.
These cookies are absolutely delicious! I follow your blog but also spend tons of time on Tasty. I recently had an insatiable urge to stuff some chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter. I used this recipe for the dough. Then mixed 2 cups peanut butter with 1 cup powdered sugar. I used the small trigger release scoop to make balls, & after froze them on a baking tray lined with nonstick foil. Once nice & frozen, (30 mins or so), I used the medium scoop for the dough. Scooped the dough, flattened it slightly, plopped a frozen peanut butter ball on top then molded the dough around it; as if it were play dough. Then baked for 25 mins. They were done closer to 24 1/2 mins, but apparently oven times won’t do that 🤷🏼♀️. Anyways I had two peanut butter balls leftover that I gave to my dogs & enough dough to give a committed baker a nice treat; it wasn’t enough to make a stuffed cookie. Try out this modification, & let me know what you think. Thank you for the inspiration!!
Wow that sounds so delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
I think the recipe is a good one but my cookies came out cake like and I think I added to much flour. I’m going to have to try this recipe again.
Hi Sue, that could be the culprit. I would recommend rewatching the video tutorial and making sure that the ingredients are measured correctly. Here’s a guide on How to Measure Ingredients. I hope that helps.
Hi, can i substitute the chocolate chips for macadamia?
Hi there, I’m sure that would work too!
This recipe is awesome! I’ve used it 3 times and the cookies come out amazing!! It’s now a family favorite and the only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use!! 🙂
That’s just awesome! I’m happy you found a family favorite, Cindy!
These are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and I think the key is taking them out when the center still looks doughy..this creates the perfect cookie as it cools! Thank you! I love your recipes!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made these this weekend and they turned out great. I just have a question, On the video you used baking powder & a 1/2 tsp of salt and in the recipe it doesn’t mention baking powder & it says 1 tsp of salt. Which is correct? You get a slight salt taste at the end.
We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough. The recipe also used 1 tsp of salt. I would recommend following the recipe always as we can update that compared that the video that we cannot edit anymore.
I made these tonight and they came out great! Me and my husband couldn’t stop eating them. I followed the instructions to a T and didn’t dip my measuring cup into the flour and they came out soft, chewy, and delicious. Thanks Natasha!
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your experience making this recipe.
Hi! Could you share the brand of ice cream scooper you use? Myself – and my 2.5 year old – make this recipe once a week. We’ve broken a scooper or two. Natasha’s looks a lot more durable than the ones we’ve come across. Thanks!
Hi Mike, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Hi, I want to try these cookies but couldn’t find all purpose flour anywhere. Can I switch to plain?
Hi Simone, All-purpose flour and plain flour are just different names for the same thing, so that should work. All-purpose is widely used in the US whilst plain is used primarily in the UK and Australia.
I made these and they didn’t turn out. They didn’t flatten. Then I read the recipe notes and realized I measured my flour wrong (scooped instead of spoon in). Will try again.
Would you consider sharing the amount of flour in weight? That way how you measure doesn’t matter because you can just measure the right weight for the flour 😊
Hi Mona, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but this is a great tool to see grams for weight.
That’s great. Thank you for the reply.
Hello,
I tried your cookies and they are great. The only problem is I used a 3 tbsp ice cream scoop and the cookies were very large. Is 3 tbsp correct?
Thank you
That is right! That’s the size we used.
I’ve made these cookies several times. They are the best! My friends love them! I really like your recipes also because you always have the “metrics” measurements for Europeans. It saves me so much time not having to convert “us customary” measurements. Many cooking bloggers don’t have this option. Greetings from Amsterdam! 🙂
Hey Ana, great to hear from you, and thank you for your great comments! I’m glad that you’re enjoying my recipes and you’re welcome on the conversion. I figured a lot can really benefit from adding that feature.
These cookies were perfectly soft and delicious! We added some chopped pecans, too. I always loved when my grandmother made them that way. 🙂
Pecans sound great! Thanks for your good feedback, Susan. I’m glad you loved these cookies!
I had my doubts that this would be the best chocolate chip cookie recipe because there were no “secret” ingredients, no fridge time, etc. Boy was I wrong! And so thankful because these can be whipped up in no time and they are perfectly chewy and soft. My search has ended! Thank you Natasha XOXO
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi Natasha, i made this recipe twice, with exactly same ingredients and quantities. They were both great but one was chewy and the second more crumbly and not chewy. What makes them more chewy?
Hi Fash, it depends on how long they are baked. If they are baked too long, they can get dry and crumbly.
Can regular brown sugar be used or does it have to be light brown sugar?
Hi Amira, I have had readers report good results using only light brown sugar.
Love your recipes Natasha! This is the #1 most requested cookie recipe in our house. 😊🍪 Thank you for the great recipes and for your hard work! May God bless you and your family!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Oksana!
This is definitely my go to Chocolate Chip Cookie receive!
They are amazing and every time I make them and share with friends they tell me these are a bomb the most amazing cookie they have had. SoThank You! Kathy
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi, I saw somewhere you make your own Vanilla and sell it. If yes, how much is it and how do I buy it?
And thank you for this recipe everyone loves the cookies!!!
Hi Joanne, we don’t sell it, but we gift it 🙂 You can find the recipe HERE.
I’m planning on making these to day but i’m wondering, do you think using salted butter instead of unsalted butter would taste the same if i took out the 1 tsp of salt?
Hi Lillian, using salted butter should work fine. You might add a little less salt if using salted butter. Several of our readers have tested this and enjoyed it.
This would be my first time baking cookies. Will using granulated brown sugar work?
Hi Hiba, I haven’t tested that with granulated brown sugar to advise. I have had readers report good results using only light brown sugar.
I made these cookies today and they were excellent! Thanks for this recipe and sharing all your baking tips with us. However, I found a discrepancy I need you to clarify for me. In your FB video, you say to add 1 tsp of baking powder. In the printed recipe above, you say to add 1 tsp of baking soda. Which one is it?
Thank you for your awesome feedback! We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
Can I put less sugar?
Hello Lee, less sugar may work, but they may seem a little more cake-like.
I really appreciate your videos and recipes. I have a question about different flours. Myself, I don’t need other than the usual flours, but I have friends that must revise recipes to include almond flour. Could this recipe be altered to include almond flour, and should it be part almond/part All Purpose?
Hi Corrine, I haven’t tested that to advise but here is what one of our readers wrote “I used almond flour instead of multipurpose flour and all white sugar because my brown sugar was too old to use. They are soooooo yummy!!! Natasha’s recipes are soooo good! I love the video instructions too!!!” I hope that helps.
Superb! Soooo good!
I guestimated the measurements, and baked all in one go which meant I crowded the baking tray, so the result wasn’t as good as it could have been but was still the BEST my wife and son ever tasted :))))
I reduced the chocolate and added raisins which also worked well. Used all organic products.
Natasha, you’re amazing! My 8 year old wants you to adopt him :)))
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
The cookies look awesome. What can be used in place of eggs as I’m allergic to eggs.
Hi Alpana, I haven’t tried any substitutes so I can’t say for sure.
I’m currently making these cookies and just had to try one. They are sooo delicious!! They turned out perfectly! I accidentally used salted butter but it definitely didn’t ruin them. I’m making the rest a little smaller and adjusting the time they bake so that I can get more cookies out of them. Fantastic recipe! Definitely my go to from now on! Thanks, Natasha!🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I always watched your videos here in Facebook. And your recipes are so easy to follow. I love to collect more recipes. By the way, I am a graduate of Physical Therapy here in the Philippines and I want to pursue my dream to have a bakeshop or small restaurant that’s why I loved to cook and bake. More videos from you to watch. Stay safe and God bless.
Thank you so much for watching our videos! I hope you try and enjoy our recipes soon!
can i just use light brown sugar? i dont have any white sugar.
Hi Joanna, I have had readers report good results using only light brown sugar.
I used only light brown sugar and they were the best cookies i have ever had!! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that!
So excited to try this recipe! Can M&Ms be added and if so how much! Tried many of your recipes…always a hit! Thank you!!
Hi Gerbie, I think that would work. I would sub some of the chocolate chips with M&Ms.
I have made this cookies many times and they are such a hit! Literally the best chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever made. The same with the rest of
Your recipes, whenever I’m bored I come and watch your videos! (The video editing is so good) thanks for the great recipes!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Love this recipe always comes out SO good! I am all out of brown sugar today, can I substitute for regular sugar? Thank you!
Hello Sevana, great to hear from you. The brown sugar helps the cookies get the right color so, without it, it will come out as too white.
My cookies did not turn out like yours! T-T they were puffy and they kept rising! Do you know why?
P.S BUT THEY SO GOOD!
Hi Lee, I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor! I recommend checking the tips in this part of the recipe: Why did my Cookies not Flatten? If your cookies ended up too thick and did not flatten, the usual culprit is too much flour. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon, then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape it off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Also, form cookies with 3 Tbsp of dough. If you make them too large, they will take longer to spread.
Hello, I have been making these cookies for a long time and they are a hit and have always worked out. However, today after baking them, the cookies still did not flatten. I have only baked a couple and have the rest to go. Are there any changes that I can make to the dough at this point to turn them back to how to should be?
Hi Khushi, please check the tips in this part of the recipe Why did my Cookies not Flatten? If your cookies ended up too thick and did not flatten, the usual culprit is too much flour. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon, then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Also, form cookies with 3 Tbsp of dough. If you make them too large, they will take longer to spread.
I have not tried this recipe yet but I was wondering if you could give me a recipe for half of the cookies you made. Can I use baking powder because that is all I have?
Hi Jan, great question. If you scroll to the bottom of the recipe post, you can change the serving size to your desired amount. We tried this with baking powder in our testing but had better results with baking soda. Keep in mind baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder so you will need more baking powder.
I have a very annoying problem with cookies not staying soft for more than 1 day. These were so GOOD! SO soft and chewy everyone liked them. Thank you so much
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lina!! Aren’t they the best – our favorite cookie recipe!
Hi there. I just made this recipe today and my cookies didn’t flatten they just stayed in a ball shape 😟
Hi Amber, thank you for sharing that feedback. If your cookies ended up too thick and did not flatten, the usual culprit is too much flour. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon, then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Also, form cookies with 3 Tbsp of dough. If you make them too large, they will take longer to spread.
Wonderful soft chocolate chip cookies. Just like all your recipes
We are enjoying
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Would love to try this recipe, could I add nuts to this recipe and get some results?
Hello Kathy, yes that should work too! I hope you love these cookies.
Hi Natasha, this chocolate chip recipe looks fantastic. I just watched the video and gave my usual YT thumbs up. I was wondering if you have done, or can do a video for oatmeal raisin cookies that would be crisp on the edges and chewy inside. Thanks!
Hi Bill, we don’t have a video for those yet but it’s one of my favorite cookies and it’s on my list. Thank you for the suggestion and for the thumbs up!
OMG These have to be the best cookies iv’e ever had. I want to try so many recipes i dont know where to start lol. Thank you so much for a great web site.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Dave!
Hi Natasha, loved how easy the recipe is, but for some reason the cookies came out really dry. Also the tops were sort of rounded and not as flat as in your pictures. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Sophie, it could be due to either adding too much flour (see our tutorial on how to measure ingredients) or overbaking can cause them to be dry. Make sure to bake on conventional bake mode and not convection.
hi! I just watched your cookies video also read recipe card… in video you ask for 2 teaspoon of baking powder,while in recipe card u show 1 teaspoon of baking soda… please help
Hi Anum, We changed it to baking soda after retesting several batches and found the most desirable baking soda results.
Hi Natasha, I’m fourteen and follow your recipes a lot to make my food!
I’m in love with them and today I made these cookies and they were awesome. My family loved them!!!!!
Please make more recipe videos!
Thanks a lot for the delicious recipes!
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m glad you’re enjoying our recipes.
Best chocolate chip cookies ever!!! Highly recommend this recipe! Thank you, Natasha!
Thank you so much for your awesome review, Liya!
Hi Natasha! I made these and they were delicious but they didn’t spread out…they stayed as the round balls I rolled. I followed everything correctly.
Please let me know! I love a lot of your other recipes though!
Hi Danny, the number one culprit of that is measuring flour. Check out our post on how we measure ingredients which should help.
i made it perfectly and smoothie….
Thank you for sharing
Happy Holidays !!!! 🙂
You’re most welcome, Teresa. Happy Holidays!
Hi Natasha, made these cookies today they are delicious. You have the best recipes.
Can I also freeze them once cooked?
Thank you, Janet, for your good feedback. I have not tried freezing them after they are baked but I imagine that may work! The tips that I provided on how to freeze cookies is also in the recipe, that should help too!
Why does this printed recipe call for baking soda but the tutorial calls for 2 tsp baking powder and NO baking soda which is correct?? Pkease answee.
Hi Rose, we first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
These are the best cc cookies – I added pecans to half the batch. My whole family loves them!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
In your video you say to add baking powder and yet your recipe shows baking soda with no baking powder? The video does not coincide with the recipe.
We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
Hey Natasha!
I have a quick Q in the chocolate chip video u mentioned that u add baking powder & in the recipe u wrote that u added baking soda so which have u added please?
We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
Made these cookies and her chicken lasagna… Every bite is gone! I’m making my own secret batch of cookies to eat by myself once every one is asleep. They are everything you could want in a chocolate chip cookie. Great flavor, awesome texture and irresistible! I added pecans and carmel chunks to make a turtle chocolate chip cookie and it is winner! From foodie to foodie this recipe was spot on!
Haha, that’s a good idea! I am so happy that you’re enjoying my recipes. Thank you so much for sharing!
Delicious cookies ! Just made them and my twenty year old LOVES them lol !
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Christine!
Loved the recipe ❤️
Thank you
Great to hear that, thank you too!
I always mess up when it comes to making and baking cookies. This recipe was easy to follow. I followed it exactly as printed. This is the first time in my entire adult life that the cookies I baked came out delicious and soft. I am so excited….finally got it right.
Yay, so great to hear! Good job and I hope that you will love every recipe that you will try.
Hi Natasha!
Thanks for great recipes! I love your recipes because I know I’m gonna have great results!
I have a question about these chocolate chip cookies, just wondering if I can freeze baked cookies? And if so, how I can use them after?
I have not tried freezing them after they are baked but I imagine that may work! The tips that I provided on how to freeze cookies is also in the recipe, that should help too!
Hey Natasha ,made the chocolate chip cookies and both times my son said the one you bake is better then mine.
So i played the video again and heard you say “when adding the baking powder” when in the recipe section you say baking soda” WHICH IS IT?
My son said stop making the cookies but i just want to prove him wrong .
All the other recipes i have made turned out GREAT
Hi Estelle, we first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
I love your recipe has shared and made it many times, I was wondering if there is a vegan or healthier version of this soft chocolaty goodness. Let me know I wanted to make it for a friend for Christmas. Happy Holidays!
Hello Urvashi, I haven’t really tried making a vegan or healthier version of this recipe yet. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Can a do 2 1/4 cups of flour and 3/4 cup of cocoa powder to make these cookies double chocolate chip?
Hi Beverly, without testing that I cannot advise, but it sounds like it may work! If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
I tried and it worked!!
Hello. Can i add cornstarch to make the cookies softer? If yes, how much cornstarch to use with this recipe? I’ve tried several chocolate chip cookie recipes and they all turn out hard ( i follow each recipe instructions and recommendations for measuring ingredients to a T ). Thanks.
Hi AP, to be honest, I haven’t tested this recipe with Cornstarch. If you happen to experiment with that I would love to know how you like this recipe.
Thank you Natasha for your recipes! I make the chocolate chip cookies, the meatloaf, dinner rolls and today I made the cinnamon rolls. They turned out beautifully!
So great to hear that Alice. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying my recipes!
Hi Natasha! Such a big fan of you and your receipes. Going to try this one out today, but I just wanted to know if there is a substitute for the brown sugar or do we have to use it?
Hello Susan, great to hear from you. The brown sugar helps the cookies get the right color so, without it, it will come out as too white.
Hi Natashia,
I tried your soft cookie recipe. It was a success! The cookie was very soft and yummy! Thank for sharing this recipe. Looking forward to try your other recipes.
That’s so nice! Thanks for sharing that with us, Janice!
Dear Natasha,
If I could, I would give this recipe 10 stars and still won’t be enough!! I do them over and over again and my husband doesn’t seem to get enough of them! 🙂 They are so delicious. Super yummy! Something which I have tried and worked perfectly is switching off the oven after approx 5 minutes of baking and leave them to slow cook. Obviously I left them in the oven for a longer period of time from that recommended by you and I have to say that the result was very satisfying! The cookies remain really soft!
I’m so glad you & your husband enjoyed it, Anne! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I absolutely loved this recipe!
But I got confused after checking your update recipe on 2020!
You have said that “instead of 1 teaspoon of salt use 1 teaspoon of baking soda”
So you mean we should completely omit the salt??
Hi Elnaz, We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
This 🍪 recipe is amazing just like you. I’ve made this about 10 times and turned out very scrumptious everytime.
Thankyou for sharing this recipe
I am so happy you loved the chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thank you for sharing that wonderful review.
This 🍪 recipe is amazing just like you. I’ve made this about 10 times and turned out very scrumptious everytime.
That is so nice of you, thanks for your great feedback!
I made these cookies tonight but didn’t turn out good 🙁 Cookies end up too thick. I guess I need to sift flour before measuring. I also put 2 teaspoon of baking soda. I got confused. Hopefully next time it will be better
Hi Bige, I do recommend our post on measuring. Yes, definitely sift but makes sure you are not scooping the flour. We have more measuring tips HERE.
Hi,
I baked these cookies yesterday in gas oven and when i checked after 15 min of baking it was undone and then i baked then further for 15 min .. today when i was eating the cookies its crunchy and its not soft?
Can you advice what can i do when i bake next time.
Hi Nish, they were definitely overbaked if they are crunchy the next day. I suggest removing them from the oven when you see them turning golden at the edges of the base. they will seem very soft on top until they cool completely and then they firm up.
Am NOT writing to challenge your recipe, you are a much better cook than I will ever be, but was fascinated by your recipe as it was with minor exceptions is the same as the one I have been making for 60+ years which was given to me by my mother. I suspect she got it off of a package of chocolate chips or from the Joy of Cooking some time in the 1940s. The recipe I use calls for only 2 cups of flour, a bit less vanilla and says each cookie should be about 1 and a half tablespoons and not rolled but dropped directly on baking sheet. My depression era mother was always a bit short of the chocolate chips and only used 1 cup which I have increased to almost 2. I did try your recipe and must admit they are good but not sure about the extra cup of flour but suspect after all these years this may be more a matter of familiarity. As for the chocolate chips, I prefer dark chocolate these days but by grandchildren prefer a mix of white and dark chocolate and one also like walnut bits added in. Thanks for the recipes. Will now see if I can make a pumpkin cheesecake that will come out looking as good as yours.
Thank you, Pierre, for sharing this with me! I hope you love the pumping cheesecake!
I just made this cookie recipe tonight. They came out AMAZING! Chocolate chip cookies are my boyfriend’s favorite and he loved these cookies. Very easy to make and the dough is delicious (I had a few nibbles). Only bad thing is my oven is horrible so it took longer than the 10-12 min to bake. I had to babysit my cookies a few more minutes until ready to come out. Adding the extra chocolate chips on the cookie balls is on point and made them extra gooey chocolatey. Yum! Thank you Natasha for an excellent recipe as always! Love you girl!
Hello Amy, thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. I hope you will love every recipe that you try!
For your chocolate chip cookies: on your video you say 2 teaspoons of baking powder but on the recipe it says 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Which one should I follow?
We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
Natasha I really love your cooking. You are amazing. Please guide me is there any difference between baking soda and baking powder or they both are same. In chocolate chip cookies you have used baking soda can I use baking powder instead of soda?
Waiting for your reply
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which requires an acid and a liquid to become activated and help baked goods rise. Conversely, baking powder includes sodium bicarbonate, as well as an acid. It only needs a liquid to become activated. We first published this chocolate chip cookie recipe in 2012. We are always working on perfecting our recipes so we modified the recipe with a tad more salt and switched to 1 tsp baking soda. This resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough.
I am very interested in trying this recipe, if I want to add nuts, do I have to omit or reduce anything from recipe?
Hello Kathy, I don’t think you have to omit anything from the recipe. If you give it a try, please share with us how it goes.
Do you think I could use Butter Flavored Crisco instead of real butter?
Hi Jill, I have not tested this with Crisco to advise. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that recipe!
I followed the recipe to the T. I don’t know why my dough did not look like yours. It was way too sticky. I measured the flour the correct way. What could the problem be?! I was looking forward to these cookies. ☹️ I put them in the fridge to see if that would help.
Hi Leslie, you might consider if you substituted any of the ingredients? It’s usually either due to measuring or swapping ingredients. Also, make sure your butter isn’t overly soft or melted.
Hi. I would like to have ingredients in grams please
If you are at the recipe, you may click on “Jump to recipe” and click “Metric” to see the ingredients converted to grams. I hope that helps!
Hi natasha! Your cookies are sooo good!! I just want to know why you add more brown sugar (1cup) than the white sugar which is only 1/2cup? Why not same amount? Will it affect the texture of the cookie if i’ll only add 1/2cup of brown sugar?
Hi Jem, it is to help the cookies get the right color.
Your video for cookies says baking powder the printable one says baking soda which is the right one
Hi Donna, we added a notation in the video for it at that step but there’s no way to refilm that portion in a published video. The written recipe is correct. It is 1 tsp of baking soda. We have tested both and loved the results with baking soda so much more which is why we updated the post. I hope you love these chocolate chip cookies!