These chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect cookie with a soft and moist center, melty morsels of chocolate, and crisp edges. It’s the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need because it’s classic—not fussy, complicated, or time-consuming.
There’s no need for refrigeration, special tricks, or complex cooking techniques to get the best chocolate cookie. Our foolproof, classic recipe tastes exactly how it should—insanely delicious. After all, it’s the incredible flavor and easy-to-make recipe that keeps traditional desserts like Gingerbread Cookies, Banana Bread, and Baklava so popular for ages!
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Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
My high school used to sell the best chocolate chip cookies at lunchtime. They were soft, thick and irresistible. With this cookie recipe, I sought to recreate that memorable texture and this recipe takes me back to the days when I saved up my quarters for the rare treat of the cafeteria cookie.
There is no match for homemade chocolate chip cookies with chewy and soft texture, gooey chocolate chips, and the sweetest aroma coming from your oven. As America’s most loved cookie, they are perfect for every occasion, whether you’re making Christmas cookies, comforting a neighbor, or surprising your kiddos with a sweet after-school treat.
Just like with Chocolate Crinkle Cookies or Christmas Sugar Cookies, everyone needs a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, so here’s why this one is a keeper:
- The cookies stay soft for days
- Easy, straightforward recipe with tips to make it foolproof!
- No resting/refrigerating time—so you can satisfy your craving immediately
- Pantry staple ingredients
- True to the classic flavor everyone loves
- Stores and freezes well
- Make ahead option to always have dough on hand
Chocolate Chip Cookies Video
In this video, Natasha shows you how easy it is to whip up a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. *Note that we updated the recipe and now use 1 tsp of baking soda because we loved the results even more.
Ingredients:
The best chocolate chip cookie recipe is made with pantry and refrigerator staples—nothing fancy or hard to find here.
- Unsalted butter – room temperature butter creates the best consistency to trap air for a chewy, airy dough with the best texture and rise.
- Granulated sugar – white sugar adds sweetness without adding moisture for the perfect spread
- Brown sugar – molasses keeps the cookie moist, soft, and chewy. Be sure to press the sugar tightly into the cup when measuring
- Eggs – room temperature eggs mix more evenly to bind the dough
- Vanilla extract – store-bought or homemade vanilla extract gives that classic chocolate chip cookie flavor
- All-purpose flour – be sure to measure correctly to get the right amount: fluff with a spoon and then scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Finally, scrape off the top. Be sure not to pat the flour down
- Baking soda – sift to eliminate clumps
- Salt – balances the sweetness of the sugars
- Chocolate chips – we prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate or bittersweet chips for a slightly different taste. See our buying guide below – be sure to use the full amount because they add moisture and give good form to the cookies
Pro Tip:
If you don’t have time to let the butter come to room temperature, try this trick to soften the butter quickly, because it makes a big difference.
How to Buy Chocolate Chips
Chocolate chips come in different varieties. Here’s what to look for:
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (46%-60% cocoa): the traditional chip for chocolate chip cookies. You can use full-size or mini chips, chunks, or even chopped chocolate. Nestle, Tollhouse, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Kirkland, Hershey’s….they all work!
- Milk chocolate chips (10% cocoa): these make very sweet cookies, so have your glass of milk ready. Try mixing with semi-sweet.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips (70% cocoa): less sweet and intensely chocolatey. These produce a more “adult” cookie.
Substitutions
It’s easy to make these cookies your own. You’ll need 2 cups of mix-ins, so if you’re feeling adventurous, try some of these fun alternatives to chocolate chips:
- Peanut butter chips
- Sprinkles
- Butterscotch chips
- M&M candies
- Macadamia nuts
- Chopped unsalted peanuts
- White vanilla baking chips
- Shredded coconut
- Pretzel pieces – the options are endless!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
It’s so simple to mix up this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe with pantry staples and no refrigeration is needed.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes until light and fluffy—this is the most important step to get a chewy cookie. Be sure to beat for the full amount of time!
- Beat eggs into the butter mixture one at a time followed by the vanilla extract.
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and sifted baking soda) in a separate bowl, and then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in thirds. Finally, fold the chocolate chips into the dough. Be sure not to over-mix (this can cause the dough to become tough).
- Roll balls of dough or use a trigger release scoop to scoop 3 Tbsp balls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes. The tops should still look a bit wet and not browned. We usually bake 1/3 of the cookies at a time and refrigerate or freeze the rest for later, so see our tips below.
- Rest the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days. To warm the cookies, try toasting in a toaster oven or baking at 350 for 2-3 minutes.
Pro Tip:
For a prettier cookie, press a few extra chocolate chips into the top of each cookie dough ball just before baking.
Common Questions
Room temperature butter and eggs, beating the butter and sugars thoroughly, and not over-mixing create the best cookies! No need for fancy techniques, because the best chocolate chip cookies are easy to make!
These homemade chocolate chip cookies spread perfectly without flattening.
Over-baking is the #1 cause of hard cookies, so remove them before they brown, when the edges are just turning golden. The top should still look a bit raw.
Once baked, store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft. You can even place a piece of bread in the container to maintain moisture.
Usually, cookies go flat when a recipe doesn’t include enough flour. Be sure to measure the ingredients correctly. Also, check to be sure your baking soda is still fresh by placing 1 tsp baking soda into a cup with a splash of vinegar. It should fizz, but if it doesn’t, replace your baking soda.
This usually means you use too much flour. Be sure to fluff and spoon your flour into a dry ingredient measuring cup, and don’t pat it down. Also, be sure not to make the cookie dough balls too large, or they may take longer than the cooking time to spread in the oven.
Make-Ahead
Our homemade chocolate chip cookie dough is refrigerator and freezer-friendly, so you can always have dough on hand. To make a few days ahead, mix the dough as directed and store:
- To Refrigerate: put dough into an airtight container, or cover rolled dough balls on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and then bake as usual. It may take 1-2 minutes longer if starting with chilled dough.
- To Freeze: Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Then, once the dough balls are frozen, store them in a freezer zip-top bag until ready to bake.
- To Bake: thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed. You can bake from frozen, but the cookies will take a few more minutes to bake.
You will love these homemade chocolate chips with melty chocolate, a chewy cookie center, and an irresistible aroma. Our easy recipe uses pantry staples without unnecessary techniques! Grab a glass of milk because this will soon become your go-to recipe!
More Cookie Recipes
If you love this chocolate chip cookie recipe, then you won’t want to miss these other delicious cookie recipes.
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Shell Cookies
- Cranberry Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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.