This is without-a-doubt your new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and for so many reasons! The dough does not need to be chilled, they can be mixed by hand, and they turn out perfect every single time. They have a rich flavor and are soft on the inside but crisp and chewy on the outside. I’ve also included my top cookie bake tips to ensure your cookies turn out just right!
What makes these the best chocolate chip cookies?
When I think chocolate chip cookie, this is the exact cookie I picture. They’re soft and melty on the inside, crispy and chewy on the outside, spread beautifully in the oven, and are loaded with chocolate chips. Oh, and let’s not forget the sea salt on top!
But the reason why I love this recipe so much is because of how quick and easy they are to make. Usually to get the most flavor out of your cookies, the dough is chilled overnight. This helps the flour fully absorb, giving you a cookie with a chewier texture and stronger flavor.
With these cookies, you can all that flavor and texture but without the chill time! Right after the dough is mixed, they’re ready to scoop and bake.
Another major reason why this recipe is SO good is that you don’t need special mixing equipment. All you need is a bowl, a whisk, and a rubber spatula. So not only is the dough quick to make, but clean up is also super fast.
In the end you’re left with the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Each bite just melts in your mouth, and the sound of sinking your teeth into this cookie is something you just have to experience to understand!
Chocolate chip cookie recipe baking tips
I have made maaaaannnyy cookies in my day, and it’s even the largest dessert category on my blog. Throughout the years, I’ve picked up some important tips and tricks to ensure my cookies turn out perfect every time. Here are some of my secrets so you too can up your cookie baking game:
1. Properly measure the flour – I say this in every post, and for good reason. It’s the number one reason why most recipes fail, especially for cookies. If there’s too much flour, the cookies will turn out dry and they will not spread. If you can, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure you use the exact amount needed, gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level if off with a flat edge. If you scoop directly into the flour container, it packs it down into the cup which could leave you with 1/4 cup or more of added flour.
2. Know your butter – The type of butter you use can make a big difference. You would think that a really high-quality European style butter would make this recipe even better, and you may be right. But most cookie recipes are made with basic unsalted butter. If you try to use something that’s a bit more rich, it can throw off the entire cookie. Different butters have different water to fat ratios. If your butter contains too much fat, it could cause the cookies to be too soft, greasy, or spread too much in the oven. When it doubt, stick with plain old unsalted butter.
3. 2 sugars are better than 1 – There’s a reason why I choose to use both light brown sugar and granulated sugar in this recipe, so don’t make any substitutions. The molasses in the light brown sugar is what gives these cookies that soft but chewy texture. On the other hand, granulated sugar is what gives you that golden and crisp ring around the edge. Utilizing both sugars is what gives you a well rounded cookie, one that’s soft in the middle and chewy on the oustide.
4. The larger the scoop, the better – Not only do I just desire a bigger cookie, but large cookies bake much better than smaller cookies. 2oz is the sweet spot, so I highly recommend adding a 2oz scoop to your baking kit. Otherwise, you can use 1/4 measuring cup which is also equal to 2oz. Larger cookies bake better because there’s more surface area to cover. It takes the heat of the oven much longer to penetrate the center of the cookie. So as it heats, the outer layers of the dough begin to melt, darken, and crisp while the center stays soft and tender. With a smaller cookie, this process happens too quickly and there just isn’t enough dough in the center of the cookie for you to achieve that soft and gooey texture.
5. Don’t over bake – The cookies are ready when they look exactly like the picture above (and this goes for most cookies). You always want to pull the cookies when the edges are golden brown and the center looks pale, puffed, and slightly underdone. What most people don’t realize is that cookies continue to bake outside of the oven. It’s not much, but the residual heat transforms the center of the cookie from goopy and doughy to soft and melty. Then, as they cool, they will deflate and flatten. This compacts that soft and slightly underdone center, giving you the PERFECT texture right in the middle.
6. Don’t skip the sea salt – A light sprinkling of sea salt on top of warm chocolate chip cookies makes a world of a difference. The salt helps balance out the sweetness of the cookie, but also brings forward that chocolate flavor. Just that tiny pinch gives the cookies a much stronger flavor, and once you try it you’ll never go without it!
How can I make these cookies gluten free?
I don’t recommend tweaking this recipe, because you don’t mess with perfection! But I do have a dedicated gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe that is SO good. I’ve had people tell me they can’t even tell they’re gluten free!
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes! Scoop the cookie dough and chill the dough balls until they’re semi-firm (about 1 hour). Then place the dough balls into a freezer safe container or bag and store for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to bake a cookie, preheat the oven to 340F (yes, 10 degrees lower), and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes. The lower temperature will prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
How long do these chocolate chip cookies last?
Store the cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 6 days. If you want to keep them soft, place a slice of white bread in the container with the cookies. This will help prevent them from drying out.
For more of my top chocolate chip cookie recipes, check out my:
- Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these Chocolate Chip Cookies. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make the best chocolate chip cookies:
BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 large or 12 regular cookies
Description
This is your new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe! It’s no chill, mixed by hand, and they’re ready in 30 minutes. They turn out soft and gooey on the inside and crisp and chewy on the outside.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (165g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup (75g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups (240g) semisweet chocolate chips (I like Trader Joe’s, Guittard, or Ghirardelli) + more for topping
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour (see notes on how to properly measure), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, and sugar. It’s important that the butter is not hot, but it can be slightly warm. Whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes until it turns into a paste-like consistency (see picture in post for reference).
- Whisk in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour in the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold to combine. Leave a few streaks of flour and pour in the chocolate chips. Continue to fold the dough until the chocolate chips are dispersed and the flour is completely blended in. Do not over mix.
- A large 2oz cookie scoop (or 1/4 measuring cup) is preferred for this recipe. Scoop 5 cookies onto the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes (12 for a more gooey cookie, 15 more a more well done cookie). If you do not have a large scoop or prefer regular-sized cookies, scoop 6 cookies onto the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- The cookies are ready when they have a golden ring around the edge but are pale and puffed in the center (see the photo above of the cookies inside the oven for reference). And if your cookies spread too much, use a fork to nudge in the sides immediately after the cookies are pulled from the oven.
- When they’re fresh from the oven, top with a few extra chocolate chips and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and continue to bake the rest of the dough.
- Let the cookies cool for about 20 minutes before eating. They’re best when they’re slightly warm and the chocolate chips are still melty. Enjoy!
Notes
FLOUR – If you have a food scale, weigh out your flour to ensure accuracy. Otherwise, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Don’t shake it down, pack it in, or scoop directly into the flour bag or container. This compacts the flour which will lead to too much flour in the dough. If there’s too much flour, the cookies will not spread properly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie recipe, chewy chocolate chip cookies, best chocolate chip cookies
Lin says
Delicious! After first batch baked flat, i added more flour and the second batch was perfect! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe
Jenna says
So glad it worked! Next time you can also just let the batter rest at room temperature or chill for 15 minutes just to let that flour really absorb 🙂
Adrianne says
The absolute easiest CC recipe ever using the simplest ingredients.
★★★★★
Jenna says
Thank you!!
Becka says
Absolutely delicious. I doubled the recipe, used 1/2 salted and 1/2 unsalted butter, reduced the chocolate cups a little and added pecans. Everyone raved about them.
★★★★★
Jenna says
Sounds amazing! Thank you!
Blitzo says
Hi Jenna, this was gone within hours because the family loved it that much that’s why everyday I made this recipe.
Shama says
These turned out amazing! I’ve been searching for a cookie that would be a bit crispy around the edge and chewy inside and have depth of flavor. These fit the bill! I also added a small pinch of instant espresso to further enhance the chocolate flavor. Made them for a meeting and got a ton of compliments. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Andrea says
THE BEST COOKIE RECIPE EVER. Super easy to make. They are soft in the center and crunchy on the outer just how I like them. The hint of salt makes a HUGE difference. I do it exactly how the recipe says and I’m in love. I let them bake for 14 minutes for the perfect cookie.
Hollie says
Hi Jenna, I made these cookies but they turned out completely flat. Is there anything I can do to stop them from deflating so much? I will make these again today because I can tell people really like them. Thank you!
Jenna says
Oh no! It could be that the butter was just too hot before mixing. Next time, try chilling the dough for about 15 minutes before baking. This should help!
Hollie says
Hi again! I tried making these again and refrigerating them overnight but they still turned out really flat. I will experiment and see how I go. I also measured the ingredients by weight to make sure that everything was spot on. These are still my family’s favourite cookies, they are so yummy.
Jennifer says
Can I just tell you that this is my Holy Grail recipe?! I have had no success with a chocolate chip cookie recipes but this was divine!!
Jenna says
Thank you!!!
Angela says
easy to make and very good! I’ll likely use this recipe again!
★★★★★
Maggie says
these are without a doubt the best cookies ever! my boyfriend won’t stop raving about them. soooo good!
★★★★★
Rachel says
Solid cookie base! Thank you so much! I will definitely use this as my go to base. I am a massive chocolate lover, like there are no other ice cream flavors for me;) I can’t believe I am saying this, but it was too much chocolate. I used equal exchange bittersweet and that may have been a factor. Next time I will try just 1cup of chippies.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Shawnee says
Super delicious! Soft and rich. Easy recipe and super simple to follow. We cooked them for around 13 minutes, got a tiny bit golden around the edges. Ended up having a light crunch with a gooey interior ! Definitely making again.
★★★★★
Christine says
Amazing!!!
★★★★★
Samantha says
My new go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. So good and so easy!! The flaky salt is a must!
★★★★★
Ashley says
I make these cookies at least once per week. Every get-together I go to – these come with! People now *ask* me to bring them along! I make them exactly as the recipe states. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll brown the butter. They’re really fantastic!!!
★★★★★
Candice says
Ep.Ic.
So good. No need to google for another recipe. This one is it! Yum!
Micole says
This recipe is GOLD. Read her details, they make such a difference in the results!! I substituted the butter and chocolate chips for dairy free versions and it turned out AMAZING. Will be making these again!
★★★★★
Abby Alba says
I stumbled upon this recipe one day while sifting through Pinterest and haven’t looked back since. I literally have some in the oven now as I type. I’ve made several chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years and this is by far my favorite one. Simple, easy to make, and purely delicious. Highly recommend.
★★★★★
sara says
oh my god. these are the best chocolate chip cookies i’ve ever made. and i’ve made a lot. and so easy.
★★★★★
Rachel H says
I made these for a Friendsgiving and they were the biggest hit. Everyone loved them and wanted the recipe. My family loved the leftovers too. Saving this recipe as a favorite. One thing i did differently was put them in the fridge for a few hours before cooking.
★★★★★