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
Loved this chocolate chip cookie recipe! So soft and chewy – they’re perfect!
I’m glad you loved the recipe, April!
So easy and delicious! These are a staple at our house! They are also great to freeze and eat later. Cannot wait to make these again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Melissa!
i have been using this as my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe for 2-3 years. It is THE best and never fails to yield a delicious and soft cookie.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Debe!
Hi love so many of your recipes/videos. I noted in the videos used baking powder but on the printed recipe you listed baking soda. Which one do you use? I typically use baking soda. Thanks for any clarification.
Hi Jane! I left a note above in the blog that we updated the recipe since it was filmed. The written recipe is the most up to date.
So glad you’re loving my recipes.
I made two batches of these cookies for a holiday cookie exchange and I’m having a hard time not eating them all! They are a classic and this is a great recipe. Thank you for another wonderful recipe, my coworkers will love these cookies!
You’re so welcome, Molly! I’m happy to know that you loved these cookies a lot.
These are the best cookies, every time there’s an event everyone wants me to make these cookies i can’t even count the amount of times I’ve made these cookies and same thing with the cranberry and white chocolate cookies our whole family love Natasha’s kitchen recipes. we are in love thank you 🙂
Hi Kate! That’s wonderful to hear. Thanks so much for the feedback.
I am not a baker, but do like to cook. My first attempt at this recipe (I read the entire piece, and followed the recipe precisely), and the cookies turned out beautifully, and DELICIOUS! Thank you for the excellent guidance and tips. 5 stars!
Wonderful thank you for the 5 stars! We’re so happy that it was a huge success!
Natasha, I love you, your recipes, your videos on youtube, but I beg you to use less ads so I can print.
Hello Karen, thank you for the love and support. About printing, the ads should be not be printed if you go to the recipe card by clicking Jump to recipe, click Print, save as pdf then print from your device.
This looks exceand I’ll be trying it soon!
Do you have a soft, chewy oatmeal chocolate chip recipe?
Hi Jeanne, I have an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe that you can reference.
Hi Natasha, I like nuts in my cookies. Will adding nuts change the recipe too much?
Hi Barbara! Many of my readers have added nuts to these. It works great.
Hi Natasha!
I am trying to make chocolate chip cookies for a potluck for thanksgiving with my friends and my mom won’t buy me a teaspoon measuring spoon so I don’t know how to measure it. And is there a specific brand for the baking soda?
Hi Brooke. No, there is not specific brand- any brand will work. If you have a food scale at home, you can click on “metric” to get the weight conversions to help with accurate measurements. I hope that helps.
Hi from the Philippines. I love that your recipe uses easy-to-source ingredients. The cookies turned out perfectly! My 2yr-old adored them. Thank you!
Hi Zina! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing.
This is my recipe, except I use 1 cup white sugar and instead of baking soda, I use baking powder.
Best cookies ever! My friends will love them! Perfect for Christmas movie binge watching!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Mona!
Made them a couple of time. They always look great.
I was wondering if it would ruin them if I add some cacao to the batter?
Thanks, Veronica. I haven’t tested that yet to advise.
Hey Natasha! I made your cookies and at first it was going really well! I popped them in the oven and when I took them out they were quite round and puffed up. I let half of the batch sit and while the other half I banged on the counter a couple of times to see if that would help. They still had a very cakey texture. If you have any suggestions please let me know!
Hi Amelia! See my note above, “why did my cookies not flatten.”
I haven’t tried these yet, but I’m going to. Can I add nuts to this recipe?
Hi Sandra! Absolutely. I hope you love them.
I love an love your recipes. Want to verify an ingredient.
You said Baking powder in the video but in the recipe ingredients, it said Baking soda. Please let me know which one to add.
Hi Sherly! That’s correct. I put a note in the blog post above that we updated the recipe since we had better results. The written recipe
is the most updated version.
I’ve made these dozens of times- best cookies and I have frozen them after baking and they were great. Question I have is- the last 2 times I made them they came out flat and not thick. I measure like you said. Any ideas why they are as flat as a pancake?
Hi Jude! See my note above, “Why do Chocolate Chip Cookies go Flat?” Also- I provide some helpful tips through the recipe blog post so I recommend reading through those as well so you get the best results each time. I hope that helps.
Do you think that for the first time I sifted the flour because it appeared lumpy- think it caused a lesser measurement?
Hi Jude! I like to fluff the flour before
I spoon it into my measuring cup and then I scrape the excess off. You can also try measuring it in grams next time for a more accurate measurement. Click on “metric” in the recipe card for the conversion to grams.
My 11 yr old daughter is going to try your recipe for these cookies today. Just wanted to mention that on your YT video you said 2Tsp of baking powder instead of 1Tsp of baking soda. She was a little confused. So I came to your website to double check your recipe….. So far she’s tried your cinnamon rolls and they were delicious, we love your recipes, I’ve done several of your thanksgiving dishes and desserts, soo good 😋.
Hi Mary! Yes, there’s a note in the recipe above we updated the recipe since we had better results. Unfortunately we cannot go back and edit the video. The written recipe is the most up to date.
I hope she loves the cookies!!