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!
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I’ve been looking for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe and I’ve had some real flops. The last time it was the Tollhouse recipe off the package and they were awful. This time, I followed all the wonderful tips and they were awesome! Thanks, Natasha!
Awesome! Thank you for sharing your experience trying out our recipe, we’re happy that you love it!
I made these fillers the recipe exactly but my cookies did not spread. I put the dough in the fridge and did a batch that didn’t work. I thawed and did a batch still didn’t spread. What could I be doing wrong?
This is usually due to having the wrong balance of ingredients. 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.
Hi Natasha,. Love, love, love all your recipes and you !
What adjustments would I need to make these chocolate chip cookies with a 1 tablespoon scoop instead of a 3 tablespoon scoop as suggested in the recipe? Or would you not recommend using a 1 tbsp. scoop?
Thank you!
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tested that to advise. I recommend using a 3 tbsp scoop for starters or you can do an experiment and test it out using 1 tbsp too!
The flavor in these cookies is terrific! I used a 1 1/2 tbsp. scoop and baked them for 10 minutes, cooled on pan for 3 minutes and they are soft and chewy, making approximately 50 cookies. I did make a few batches and one batch bake with a crackly top and I’m not sure why. I used a new box of baking powder and I did scoop out the cookies on 3 parchment lined pans, so I’m not sure why it would have a crackle top on the final product. The flavor was still amazing!
Very nice to know that, thanks for sharing that with us, Patti! We’re glad that you love these cookies!
Hi Miss Natasha, My name is Natalia I am 11 years old and I am from the Caribbean I tried several times and they always come out perfect everytime. I totally enjoy learning to bake using your recipe’s are they are easy to follow and your added tips are very helpfull. 😀
Hi Natalia! Great job. I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you for sharing that with me.
The best cookie recipe I have ever tried!! Super tasty and easy!!
My husband (a sweet tooth) loved them!
But I was wondering why didn’t my cookies flatten the way they should? Although the inner texture is super soft and they are crunchy from the outside.
Hi Yarah! See my recipe notes above for “why did my cookies not flatten?” I hope that helps!
These were the best chocolate chip cookies I had ever made. I made them for my family they finished them so fast. Thank You
You’re welcome, Linda! I’m so glad you loved them.
I make cookies all the time, I don’t know why these turned out so much better but they are the best I have made! I added a little bit more vanilla (cause I love vanilla), and only had a half cup of brown sugar so I used coconut sugar for the other half, they turned out great. The flavor and texture was excellent. My new go to cookie recipe.
That’s great, Jenny! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing your experience.
This is the best cookie recipe ever!! I tried it on Christmas and as it barely lasted 24 hours, my son and relatives asked me to make the cookies again! They’re really amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Eliane!
One of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes! Came out so soft and delicious.And they were so easy to make. Thank you
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Brandie! 🙂
Hi this the best recipe, I use M&m instead of choc chips! Rave feedback from the grandkids.
Question I want to bake these today 4 days before Christmas party. If I store the already baked cookies in fridge would they be ok?
Hi Sandy! That’s great. The cookies should stay soft for days, We store ours in an air-tight container for a few days. You can also refrigerate or freeze the dough until ready to bake and they bake up perfectly every time.
Although my cookies don’t look like yours, they are wonderful. I also measured very carefully (fluffing flour) but they didn’t spread much. It doesn’t matter though as they are super yummy and my friend will love them.
Hi Caroline! I’m so glad they were still enjoyed. Usually, this is due to using too much flour. Also, make sure to form the cookies with 3 Tbsp of dough. If you make them too large, they will take longer to spread. This is how I measure my ingredients.
I let my butter set out too long would this make my cookies spread ……. I use your recipes a lot and love them all !!!!
Hi Martha! If the butter is too soft it could cause the cookies to spread. You can refrigerate the dough for a little while before baking if that’s the case.
Most of my chocolate chip cookie recipes require chilling, but I needed to make a batch really quick so I chose this one and I have to say this is one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! I made the cookies exactly as written, except, I added a half a teaspoon of almond extract just for kicks 🙂
That’s wonderful, Farah! So glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Turned out great! Super soft and yummy! I tried white chips too! :))
So glad to hear that, Candace! I’m sure they were delicious with white chips. 🙂
Great recipe! The last time I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies I used the mini morsels (that is all I had at the time). I liked them alot better.
I’m so glad that worked out well, Linda! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
BEST COOKIES EVER!!! Everyone is hooked on them. I changed it up a bit by adding 1/4 cup of peanut butter and split the chips as 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup of peanut butter chips. Outstanding! Love all of your recipes – keep them coming.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Donna!
Hi Natasha, I did have correct measurement of ingredients and spoon flour into a dry ingredient measuring cup but the cookies not flattening very much and thick. Is it because I packed the dough too tight in the ice cream scoop? Thanks.
Hi Donna! 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. Also, form cookies with 3 Tbsp of dough. If you make them too large, they will take longer to spread.
I don’t have a stand up mixer can I use a hand held mixer?
Hi Doreen, you could use a hand mixer instead. If the batter gets too thick for your hand mixer, use a spatula to mix the rest of the way.
I like most of your recipe. I tried the chocolate chips cookies three times already and always doesn’t turn right:( I don’t know what Im Doing wrong. I measured the ingredients carefully specially the flour but the dough doesn’t flatten and the chips doesn’t even melt and is very dry 🙁
Hi Irene, 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.
Love this recipe! It’s a BIG hit in our house. I was wondering if you’ve ever tried this as a pan cookie?
Hi Carole! I’m so glad you they’re a hit! I have not tested that but if you experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out.
made them and half of the first two dozen disappeared before they were cool
Haha! That’s quite common in our household too. I’m glad they were a hit.
Hi Natasha, soft cookies aren’t fully cooked in the centre which made it soft? Is it correct? Thanks.
Hi Donna, yes, they are cooked in the middle. 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. Removing them at the right time is the secret to soft chocolate chip cookies. For the best results, I recommend preheating your oven and using an internal oven thermometer to ensure your oven is heating correctly.
On the recipe it says baking soda, but you say in the video is baking powder, which one it is
Hi Rosemary! The written recipe is correct. I put a note in the blog about updating this recipe (after the video was made) because we had better results.
Hi please can you tell me which recipe is best? The video recipe or the written recipe for soft chocolate cookies please? They are different. Thank you!
Hi Helen, I recommend checking out both. I hope you love it!
Followed the recipie to a T mine are not gooey like the picture leads you to believe (is you scroll down there’s other pictures that look like a completely different cookie) they’re more of a chocolate chip muffin/cake texture vs a soft & gooey cookie
The picture by the recipe is misleading not bad but will be searching for a more ooey goey recipie
Hi Kay! Did you possibly use more flour? Using too much flour would cause these to have a dense muffin/cake texture. I recommend watching my tutorial on how to measure ingredients, HERE.
In my view, the most accurate way to measure flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients is with a scale, not a measuring cup, because of the accidental packing you talk about… so maybe you could include the weights for the dry ingredients in your recipes?
Hello Justin, you can convert the ingredients to metrics. Just click Metric in the recipe card.
Mine didn’t flatten at all, even fluffing the flour. Made them twice and both times weren’t soft and gooey but more like a sift biscuit with chocolate chips in them.
Hi Dani, 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.
Hola! I baked yesterday for the first time ever and I decided to make these cookies. They are soft, chewy, flavorful and so easy to make! I can’t wait to keep finding recipes to try. Gracias!
That’s wonderful, Alejandra! So glad you loved them. I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve ever made! They turned out perfect!
Love it! Thank you for the awesome review, Kat.
I don’t have a stand mixer, can I mix/whisk by hand or will they not turn out as good? Thank you!
Hi Kevin, You could use a hand mixer instead. If the batter gets too thick for your hand mixer, use a spatula to mix the rest of the way.
Not really happy with the way the dough turns out. I measured the flour as suggested using a whisk to fluff it up and the dough is still just SO THICK. I don’t have a stand mixer so I started out with my faithful hand mixer and when that turned out to be a bust I tried mixing it using a spatula but It feels like you need to be a professional bodybuilder to mix this dough by hand.
Hi Taelyr, cookie dough is hard to get together with an electric hand mixer. It’s too thick and will get stuck in the egg beaters, this is why I suggest a paddle attachment on the stand mixer. If mixing by hand you would need a firm/wooden spatula to mix it together.
My son asked for chewy soft cookies and these are perfect! An easy excellent chocolate chip cookie recipe. We will definitely be making our cookies this way again.
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great, Mary! Thank you for sharing your great review with me!
Fluffy and addictive! My first time making chocolate chip cookies, and oh boy, I hit the jackpot with this recipe! Learning the flour trick was a game changer for other recipes too. (Best flaky biscuits EVER.) The second time I made these cookies I put in 25% buckwheat flour and the result was more crispy but still super tasty. (If anyone else is interested, 25% of 3 cups is 0.75 cups. So basically I mainly filled one of the cups with buckwheat… I think that math works out.) Thank you Natasha for sharing this flour trick to help bakers level up their game!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sudevi! The flour trick is a must know!
Good Afternoon Natasha:
Today I made the chocolate chip cookies and they are so good.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Olga!
Good day!! is it pretty straight forward to double recipe? just twice everything?
Hi Stacie, yes, you can double the recipe. I have a tool on my website, in the recipe card above, hover your cursor over the number of servings and slide it to the right to increase the servings. It will convert the ingredient list for you.
What can I substitute for the butter?
Great recipe by the way!
Hi Natasha! What can I substitute for the butter?
Great recipe by the way!
Hi Ellie, thank you! I have not tested an alternative.
I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free baking flour, country crock plant butter, and Simple Truth allergy friendly semi-sweet chocolate chips to make this dairy and gluten free! At first I baked them 12 minutes and they were cakey and dry. I cooked them 10 minutes the next time and they were soft and chewy! I’m not sure if it’s the substituted ingredients or if I made them smaller. Haha. Thank you Natasha for the flour measuring tip! I never knew that! And the tip to add chocolate chips to the top. I wish I could upload a picture! They look awesome!
A note to anyone trying to make dairy free cookies. I kept ending up with cakey cookies until I realized if your margarine substitute has less fat than dairy that this will happen. I was using smart balance (75% less fat than regular dairy butter) and this happened every time!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Sam! So glad you shared this with us. I’m sure it’s much appreciated by my other readers.
How can I make a chocolate chip cookie that is not soft or crunchy. but somewhere in between?
Hi Garry, you may find this article from King Arthur Baking helpful. CLICK HERE to view.
Does anyone know how to successfully make these dairy free? I realized I was using smart balance which has 75% less fat than regular butter. So next time I used country crock’s plant butter sticks which say 1 stick plant butter= 1 stick dairy butter, it has 11g of fat per serving. And my cookies still come out cakey. ):
I hav one question can I make these and then put pumpkin purée in it if so how much would I use?
Hello Ellie, I have not tried adding pumpkin purée to advise. If you do that as an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Ok so I just made it and it turned out a little runny but I added more flour and it tasted really good! I used about 1 cup -1/2 cup.
The Best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever made!!
Thank you so much
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you found a favorite! 🙂
I just made these they are the BOMB!!! They are sooo good!!
I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you!
Glad you loved it!
All my life I have looked for a cookie recipe that rivaled my grandma’s. Today I found it
That’s wonderful, Patrick! I’m so glad to hear that.
Unbelievable cookies. I had given up on great Chocolate Chip cookies. I tried one more recipe – yours. These are by far the most remarkable ever.
Thank you.
That’s wonderful, Sara! I’m so glad to hear that.
Could you convert this recipe into grams? That would be so helpful! Then we’d have consistent results every time:)
You may convert them to grams, just click Jump to Recipe then click Metric. Hope that helps!
Ok, these are amazing. Exponentially better than the Nestle Tollhouse recipe!! Making this my new go-to. They stayed fresh and delicious for WAY longer than nestle recipe ever did!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Kelsey! That’s so great!
Is it possible to spice these up with allspice, cinnamon, or something else? If so what would the amounts be?
Hi Doug, I haven’t tried those substitutions, so I can’t speak to that. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written the first time around.
I followed the ingredients used in video. Will using baking powder instead of baking soda make a difference
I substituted gluten free flour for the regular flour and they turned out ah- mazing!!!!! So tasty and you can’t even tell they are GF. The rest of the ingredients mixed well with the proportion of flour to make the tastiest soft cookie ever. Definitely making these again!!
Thank you for sharing, Julia! We love the feedback and I’m happy to hear they turned out great GF.
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have made out of butter! I’ve always had bad luck with butter chocolate chip cookies as they would always turn out too buttery resulting in a flatter and greasier cookie. They were also very inconvenient as I would have to wait for the entire dough to chill. Unfortunately, I don’t have time for that. When I think cookie then I want to make it that same day and not have to wait a few hours to overnight. Because of my bad luck with butter chocolate chip cookies, I started making chocolate chip cookies out of coconut oil (they were good but not as good as this recipe!). I’m so glad I got my hands on your updated version of this recipe! Thanks a lot, Natasha!
Love it, this makes me smile. Thank you for your excellent comments and review!
We prefer smaller cookies. Will these work if I use 1-2 tbls?
Hi Candy, I think that’s okay. If you try it, please let us know how it goes!
Love this recipe! What adjustments would you make to make them red velvet cookies?
Hi Kim, I haven’t tried this as red velvet. I imagine you may need to make quite a few adjustments resulting in a new recipe. Thank yo for that suggestion, though.
Hey Natasha
I would like to ask how many grams is a stick of butter?
Βecause in Europe we measure differently and have different packages of butter.
Thanks a lot
Hi there, I usually use this Ingredient Weight Chart as a guide if I need assistance on some conversions.
Hi Natasha,
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made! I’m so surprised at how well they turned out! The cookies I’ve made in the past were often really dense and hard. These ones were perfect!
I’m not an avid baker, and actually haven’t baked in 3 years… until this month! I’ve been watching your videos (love them!) and this was the third recipe of yours that I’ve tried. It will be my go-to recipe for cookies from now on!
Thanks so much! 🙂
I’m happy that you loved these cookies!
The taste is phenomenal and was told they were the best cc cookies ever. I am just wondering how to keep them soft and chewy. They are soft and chewy right out of the oven but not after they are cooled.
Also, i used Crisco instead of butter because i did not have unsalted butter. Would butter keep these softer?
Hi Denise, I haven’t tried these with Crisco so I”m not sure if that is the culprit but usually they will stay soft if they are not overbaked.
These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! I’ve made them multiple times and they always come out perfect. Everyone loves them. Thank you so much for this recipe and the details on how to make them so perfect! I’ll never use another chocolate chip cookie recipe!
You’re so very welcome, Monica! I’m so glad to hear that. I appreciate the feedback and review. I’m glad they were a bit hit. 🙂
I made this recipe and made sure to follow every instruction and measurement, and yet after 15 minutes the cookies came out still in a ball shape. I have no idea what I am doing wrong
Hi Julia! This can often be to using too much flour. Be sure to watch my tutorial on how to measure ingredients.
I love how chewy these stay. I added 3 tsp. of fresh orange zest to the butter and sugar mixture to change it up a bit.
That sounds like a good idea, thanks for sharing!
You seriously are the best. This recipe is unreal! You never fail to amaze me with your recipes! Baking as I post this!
Thank you, Renee! That is very kind. 🙂
Natasha, thank you for this recipe! Cookies turned out perfect: not too flat, not too hard/crunchy. And delicious!
Glad to hear that, Johnny! You are so welcome.
Love the cookies! Added coco to the flour mixture and blended, dark, milk and white chocolates. Yum!! Thankfully yours, from Quebec Canada
Sounds delicious! 🙂
These cookies were delicious. I didn’t realize the butter and sugar mixture are mixed for so long. I thonk this really helps with the fluffiness. My cookies were also not flattened, probably a first. So soft and chewy, thanks for the recipe. Will be keeping this for future baking.
Hi Krystal! That’s great. I’m so glad they were enjoyed. 🙂
They turned out perfect! Every cookie I make comes out flat but not this one, it was fluffy! Thank you, love your recipes!
I’m so glad this one worked out perfectly, Susie! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I’ve made these cookies twice. First time I didn’t have any brown sugar so I made them just with white sugar, they were good, but I knew since it’s natasha’s recipe it has the potential to be so much better so I made them again today exactly as the recipe is written and everything it calls for, yup I knew these would be amazing if I stuck with the recipe and I was right , natasha’s recipes never disappoint. Thanks Natasha for creating and sharing these recipes with us.
That’s wonderful, Sara! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad they were enjoyed.
I’be been tried some recipes and this one is totally the best! Mine was soft and chewy. One thing I did differently was I used a little less sugar. They were delicious!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Fia! Thank you for the review!
I followed the recipe in the video using the baking powder and they came out aweful. Then I noticed the change to baking soda in the written section. If the video is wrong, it should be updated or deleted. I wasted all these ingredients as I had to throw them all out.
Hi Lorraine. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out well for you. The older recipe (like in the video) still made great cookies, so I am not sure what went wrong if you followed it fully. We are always looking to improve our recipes and the change to baking soda resulted in a softer, chewier cookie that spread perfectly with or without chilling the dough. Hopefully, in the future, we can update the video as well.
Can you add walnutsI to the cookie mix my family likes it that way
Hi Belinda, I bet that could work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Our cookies came out very good except we put half or even a third of the sugar in this recipe. I still don’t understand why all these recipies use so much sugar!
Made these a few times but they just remain in the shape of the scoop. The do not spread out. I use a 2TBS scoop. Made these twice and the came out the same.
Hi Falena. Did you make any substitutions to the recipe or refrigerate the dough before baking? Also, check out my tutorial on how to measure your ingredient’s HERE. Using too much flour could be the culprit as well. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha !
I love your recipes, especially these cookies ! I just switched from a convection oven to a conventional one. Will there be changes when it comes to temperature and baking time for these cookies ? Thank you !
Hi Rose! I’m glad to hear that you love this recipe. I bake these in a conventional oven so there shouldn’t need to be any changes made.
I followed your recipe and it came out awesome. The only thing I notice is the recipe say baking soda and in your video you say baking powder.
Glad you enjoyed it, Marina. 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.
Ours came out looking like creme puffs. They did not flatten at all. Plus they just taste floury. We did not add too much flour – we doubled the recipe and followed it exactly. No hate, just disappointing.
I’m sorry. That has not been my experience and many of my other readers love this recipe and do not have that result. If cookies are cakey, it’s often due to the fat, sugar, and flour ratio being off. Did you make any substitutions or use baking powder instead of baking soda, or too much of it? Having too much flour will generally cause drier and cakier cookies. This is how I measure my ingredients to avoid this. Creaming the butter and sugar for too long can also affect the rise of the cookie. If you try this recipe again, I hope those tips help.
Hi Natasha!
3rd or 4th time making these. I’ve tried dozens of recipes and everyone that has eaten these says ‘best chocolate chips cookies.. keep using this one’!
It’s a keeper! Quick question.. why light brown sugar? Can I use dark? All I have at the moment.
Thx for sharing all your recipes.. my go to!
So glad to hear that. Thank you for the review, Kim! Dark brown sugar would work too, it would give the cookies richer color.
I am dizzy reading chocolate chip recipes. Is there a reason why some chocolate chip cookie recipes use a portion of A/P flour and a portion of Cake flour. What is the difference using that combination or using all A/P flour. Why do some use melted butter over room temp butter, and 1 egg & 1 yolk vs 2 eggs.. I am just confused as to what is the difference
Hi! This is likely due to the overall texture and flavor of the cookie. Everyone’s idea of the “perfect” cookie is different. Some like them flat, chewy, or crisp, others like them thicker like a “cake” consistency. It’s really all about preference.
I made these chocolate chip cookies exactly as you showed and they came out perfect!!! My husband loves them. Best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!!!
Love it! Thanks for the awesome feedback and review, Leslie.
Video says 2 tsp of baking powder. Recipe instructions says 1 tsp baking soda. Which is it?
Hi Irma, yes, that is correct. I included in my recipe notes that, “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 live at a high altitude. Would you please redo the recipe with amounts given as weights so I can use a kitchen scale and adjust accordingly. Thank you
Hi Colleen, if you click on “metric” in the recipe card, it will convert the ingredient list to grams for you. I would also recommend using this high altitude baking guide for reference.
Wow!! So delicious and thick. Easy to make as well . My 3 year old grandson helped me make them. They are definitely my new “go to” chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thank you!
Aww, I love that you made this with your grandson, Teresa! Thank you or your lovely review!
I just made these, and this recipe is PERFECT!! They came out delicious! Thank you for this recipe!♥️
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jinelle! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
They’re not my favorite, but my family and friends adore them! My friend asked me to make them for her birthday and I’m making them for my brother’s graduation gift as well!
I love all your recipes but on the CC cookies do they come out soft or a little crunchy.
I’m not a fan of soft cookies so won’t use the recipe if that’s how they turn out.
Thank you
Hi Madeline, this recipe makes soft cookies. If you want crunchy cookies, you may need to bake them for a while longer. I hope you love this recipe!
mine always get hard in a day unless I put a piece of bread in with them. how can they stay soft without the bread?
Hi Roger, the cookies should stay soft for days, We store ours in an air-tight container for a few days. You can also refrigerate or freeze the dough until ready to bake and they bake up perfectly every time.
Hi! Would browning the butter immense the flavor of the cookies?
Hi Madison, I haven’t tested it that way as I’ve always used the exact process in the recipe.
Love these. I want to add walnuts. How many cups should I use?
Hi Robin, others shared that they added walnuts and enjoyed it in the comments section. I’m no certain how much they used, I would say do it per your personal preference 🙂 I hope you love this recipe!
My new go to for chocolate chip cookies . they were so good puffy and delicious.
Great to hear that you found your new go-to recipe, Dana!
I have made it twice already, and I loved it! Especially because how simple it is, so, I can only thank you! But, there is a small problem, I recently got on a diet, so, I can’t eat a lot of calories. But I love this cookies, and I want to as many as I can within the limits of my diet, so I checked the amount of calories in this recipe, and it said 248 calories, which I think does not refer to a single cookie, since that would be way too much for just one. So, I would like to know how many cookies, or cookie grams it would be to reach those 248 calories. Basically, I would love to know the seeing size for those 248 calories. Thanks again for the amazing recipe!
Hi Oliver, I’m so glad you love this recipe. I get about 26 cookies out of this recipe, the nutrition facts listed are correct, and the serving size is 1 cookie. I use an ice cream scoop to get even balls of dough about 3 Tbsp each, but I did not weigh this in grams to see how much it would be.
Anybody think 1 teaspoon of salt is to much? It was too salty.
Hi Olga, we found that this amount gives it a nice balance. You could use less if you’d like. Also, we used fine sea salt to ensure it dissolves in the batter, larger crystals may not dissolve as well. Be sure to use unsalted butter as well. I hope this helps.
I have been baking for over 50 years and these were the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. They turned out exactly like the picture. Soft and chewy an absolutely delicious.
That’s great, Sharon. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m happy you enjoyed these cookies! They really are delicious and so perfect each time.
Made these tonight and they were a complete fail. Not even edible.
Hi Mica, sorry to hear that; what a bummer. I haven’t had that happen. Make sure to add the ingredients to the mixing bowl in the order they are listed and use the correct temperature of ingredients which will help.
Best recipe I have found yet and makes lots as I use a smaller cookie scoop. One tiny tweak I do as I used to use a different recipe that replaced 1 t flour per cup with 1 t cornstarch. I did it with these and they stay soft for days with no altering taste. Just thought I’d pass that along because these are the best.
Thank for sharing that with us, that helps a lot!
These cookies taste so so so so good! I make them myself multiple of times. Everyone who I share them with compliment me how good they taste. Wonderful recipe, Thank you Natasha!
You’re most welcome, Anna. It’s so nice that you share them with others too!
I’m a little confused here. The video says two teaspoons of baking powder and the recipe says one teaspoon of soda, no baking powder. Can this be clarified 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.
I’m confused. Is the above recipe card updated or not? Thank you!
Hi Samantha, the recipe is updated.
I baked the chocolate chip cookies. They were amazing and so delicious !
Thank you for recipe. Much appreciated!
You’re welcome, Sonia. Great to hear that you loved the recipe!
Hi Natasha, can you substitute shortening for the butter? We have a dairy allergy in our family. I can’t wait to try this recipe. My old tried & true recipe isn’t baking the cookies like it used to.
Hi Marg, I haven’t tested this with shortening, but one of our readers has, here’s what they said “Thank you Natasha for another amazing, no fail recipe! I halved this, and used shortening (yes..) instead of butter and it came out fine” I hope this helps!
Made these tonight and they are excellent. I always use salted butter because I prefer the flavor and I added some pecans. This is the first time I didn’t over bake. I took your advise and took them out when you said and they look perfect.
I’m so glad it worked out, Kathleen! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Love this recipe. My go to chocolate chip cookie recipe! Any time I need anything, love coming to Natasha’s page ❤️
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Raygan!
When I make these , I am a rock star among friends and family . Another great recipe.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Mo!
Not sure there is any big difference with ingredients but dang following the process outlined here specifically with cook time and time on the pan is huge. These were hands down the best I’ve made. Really Really Good!
Wonderful to hear, Ben. So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Definitely a family favorite around our house. Thank you for the review.
Thanks Natasha, today was my dad’s birthday and I made these for him .I am only 13 yrs old and they were a hit ,hope to make them more and more
Wow great job! I’m glad it was a huge hit.
Hi Natasha! I’m a 11 year old who loves to bake. I’ve used this recipe several times already but this time the cookies were dry and didn’t spread. Why is that?
I even weighed the flour with a gram scale?
Hi Sophia, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to see where maybe something looked different? It’s difficult to guess without being there. Also consider if any substitutions in ingredients were made.
Hi Natasha, these cookies look delicious getting ready to make these for my grandsons. I noticed you used a hand mixer but your recipe states you use stand up mixer. I have a stand up mixer and have hand mixer which one is the best to use? Thank you for sharing all your delicious recipes I be enjoyed them all!
Hi Sherree, you can use either one. Whichever is most comfortable and convenient for you.
WOW! These came out EXACTLY as described! My new favorite Choc Chip Cookie recipe. Thanks for your perfect directions.
That’s so great! I’m so happy you found a new favorite!
Do you recommend using unbleached white organic all purpose flour with this recipe?
Hello Gail, I honestly haven’t tried that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi, I don’t have enough soft light brown sugar. Can i substitute some of it with soft dark brown sugar?
Hi Layla, Dark brown would work here and would give the cookies richer color.
I was watching your video on how to make chocolate chip cookies and you say in the video to use 2tsp baking powder but in the recipe below, it says to use 1 tsp baking soda. Which is correct??
Thanks!
Renee
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 is my go to recipe! I add in chopped walnuts too. I changed to baking soda and a tad more salt as recommended. So yummy! I have to freeze the otherwise I would be binging.
I bet this was so good with chopped walnuts! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I am thinking to make these again. But the last time I made them, they were were not very spread out and I like my cookies spread out
Hi Ella, 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.
Thank you Natasha for another amazing, no fail recipe! I halved this, and used shortening (yes..) instead of butter and it came out fine. The balance of vanilla and baking soda was perfect. I wonder, can you try and incorporate oats for some of the flour as a modification? I’ll try it!
I’m so glad it all worked out, Catherine! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. Oats work great in this recipe. However, I have not tried them in place of flour. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
On your video you say baking powder and on your written recipe it says baking soda?
Hi Merry, 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.