These Chocolate Chip Cookies are everything I love in a homemade cookie – thick and soft with perfectly golden edges, a tender, chewy center, and plenty of melty chocolate chips in every bite.
After making and tweaking this recipe over the years, I can finally say I’ve perfected it, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this updated version with you! These are truly my favorite chocolate chip cookies EVER, and the recipe is simple, just as it should be.
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Chocolate Chip Cookies Video
Watch how to make these irresistible chocolate chip cookies from start to finish. You just need simple ingredients, and I’ll show you my favorite tips for getting that soft, bakery-style texture and look at home.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies!
I have a little confession… I’ve been on a mission to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie ever since high school.
My high school cafeteria used to sell these big, thick, and incredibly soft chocolate chip cookies. I saved my pennies for them because they were such a treat! I’ve spent years trying to recreate the same irresistible texture, and I think I’ve finally done it!
After making this recipe more times than I can count, I’ve finally nailed the texture. They are thick, but not cakey, with light crisp edges and soft, gooey centers. I’m so excited about this version! They stay soft for days, and my family can’t get enough. They also freeze well, so you can have cookies ready for an after-school treat or when the craving strikes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Just like with classic Banana Bread or Sugar Cookies, everyone needs a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Soft, thick, bakery-style cookies – beautiful edges and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth center.
- Loaded with chocolate – delicious pockets of melted chocolate in every bite.
- Stay soft for days – just as tempting the next day!
- Easy to make – uses simple everyday ingredients with straightforward steps that even beginner bakers can follow
- Make-ahead friendly – keep the cookie dough refrigerated or frozen.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients
This chocolate chip cookie recipe uses pantry and refrigerator basics—nothing fancy or hard to find, just the right combination of ingredients.
- Unsalted butter – use softened butter that you can indent with your finger, but still holds its shape. If it’s too soft, your cookies will spread too much.
- Granulated sugar – helps cookies spread and creates lightly crisp edges.
- Brown sugar – adds moisture and keeps the centers soft and chewy.
- Eggs – use room temperature eggs for even mixing.
- Vanilla extract – adds classic homemade cookie flavor.
- All-purpose flour – be sure to measure correctly (spoon and scrape), to avoid thick, dry cookies.
- Baking soda – Helps the cookies rise and spread (sift to eliminate lumps).
- Salt – balances the sweetness
- Chocolate chips – semi-sweet are my favorite, but you can substitute milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even chocolate chunks.
Easy Variations
This recipe’s base is excellent if you want to swap out some or all of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. For something different, try adding M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, shredded coconut, butterscotch chips, or chopped nuts. Keep the total amount of mix-ins about the same.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar: Preheat oven to 350˚F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat softened butter with both sugars for 1-2 minutes, just until combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in thirds, mixing just until incorporated. Reserve 1/4 cup chocolate chips, then fold in the rest with a spatula.
- Form dough balls: Use a cookie scoop to portion dough into 3 Tbsp balls (55g) onto a prepared baking sheet (I like to keep them on one sheet originally to fit in the fridge). Gently roll the dough into balls.
- Refrigerate dough: For best results, refrigerate for 30-60 minutes (or overnight). You can bake right away, but refrigerating gives thicker, chewier cookies with more develope flavor and golden color.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes until the edges are barely golden, and the centers still look slightly underbaked. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated until ready to bake.
- Add chocolate chips: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press the reserved chocolate chips into the tops. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. I love them warm and extra gooey.
Pro Tips for Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
These tried-and-true tips will make the difference between flat, dry cookies and thick, soft, bakery-style cookies.
- Don’t over-soften the butter – I can’t say this enough! If it’s too soft, your cookies will spread too much. At room temperature, it should take about 1 hour for a whole stick, or speed it up by dicing it and leaving it out for 10-15 minutes.
- Measure flour correctly: Too much flour will make the cookies dry and prevent them from spreading properly.
- Don’t overmix: Beat butter and sugar just until creamy, then mix in the flour only until incorporated to keep the cookies tender.
- Don’t overbake: remove cookies when the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll finish setting on the baking sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Butter that’s too soft, or too little flour causes excess spreading. Make sure the butter still holds its shape and measure flour correctly.
Too much flour is usually the culprit. Spoon and level the flour, or use a kitchen scale.
Over-baking is the #1 cause of hard cookies. Don’t wait for them to brown. Remove when the tops still look slightly underdone and store in an airtight container once cooled.
Make-Ahead and Storage
My homemade chocolate chip cookies are perfect for making ahead. I love having extra cookie dough in the refrigerator for home-baked cookies anytime.
- Refrigerate dough: Store dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I find it easier to form the dough balls and then refrigerate them.
- Freeze cookie dough: Freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
- To Store Baked Cookies: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Add a slice of sandwich bread to help keep them soft.
- Reheat: Warm cookies in a 350˚F oven for 2-3 minutes or microwave 8-10 seconds.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (16 Tbsp), softened to room temperature*
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly*
- 1 tsp baking soda, sifted to eliminate lumps
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, (2 1/4 cups), divided, reserving 1/4 cup for the top
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar: 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 softened butter, 1 1/4 cups of packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes on medium/high speed until creamy and combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition, then beat in 2 tsp of vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter in thirds, mixing just until incorporated (do not overmix). Reserve 1/4 cup chocolate chips and fold in the remaining 2 cups chocolate chips.
- Form dough balls: Use an ice cream scoop to form even dough balls (3 Tbsp or 55 g each). Place scoops of dough onto a lined baking sheet and roll the dough balls lightly with your hands.
- Refrigerate the dough: You can bake right away, but refrigerating for at least 30-60 minutes (or overnight) will give you thicker, chewier, and tastier cookies.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time at 350˚F for 10-12 min or until the edges are barely golden and tops still look slightly underbaked (do not overbake). Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to bake.
- Add chocolate chips and cool: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press the reserved chocolate chips into the tops. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
*To measure flour correctly, use a kitchen scale or 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. Make-Ahead and Storage:
- Refrigerate Dough: Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Chilled dough may need 1–2 extra minutes to bake.
- Freeze Dough: Scoop into balls, roll, and freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2–4 minutes.
- Store Baked Cookies: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temp up to 5 days. Add a slice of bread to help keep them soft.
- Reheat: Microwave for 8–10 seconds for soft, warm cookies with melty chocolate chips.
Nutrition Per Serving
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