This Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe makes thick, soft, chewy cookies with buttery centers, lightly crisp edges, and plenty of melted chocolate chips in every bite. It’s a simple homemade cookie recipe made with familiar baking ingredients and straightforward steps.
The combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar creates the ideal balance of crispness and chewiness, while taking the cookies out of the oven just as the edges begin to brown helps preserve their soft centers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These chocolate chip cookies deliver everything you want from a classic homemade cookie: buttery flavor, golden edges, soft centers, and generous pockets of chocolate.
The dough doesn’t require complicated techniques or unusual ingredients. Simply cream the butter and sugars, add the eggs and vanilla, mix in the dry ingredients, and finish with chocolate chips.
They’re also family-friendly and excellent for parties, lunchboxes, bake sales, or an everyday dessert. You can make the cookies smaller or larger depending on the occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons alcohol-free vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
- Place the softened butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat until the butter and sugars are thoroughly combined and creamy.
- Add the eggs and alcohol-free vanilla extract. Beat for about 1 minute, until the mixture looks lighter and smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
- Mix just until a cookie dough forms. Avoid excessive mixing once the flour has been incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chips and gently mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop approximately 2–3 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, depending on how large you’d like them.
- Roll each portion into a ball and arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between them to spread.
- Bake the Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for approximately 8–10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies when the edges are only beginning to turn golden. The centers may still appear slightly soft, which helps produce a chewy finished cookie.
- Leave the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will continue setting from the residual heat.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool.
Tips & Tricks
Use properly softened butter rather than melted butter. It should be soft enough to indent when gently pressed but shouldn’t look oily or partially melted.
Measure flour carefully. Adding too much flour is one of the easiest ways to end up with dry, dense cookies. For the most consistent results, weigh the flour or spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling it.
Don’t overmix after adding the flour. Mix only until you no longer see obvious streaks of dry ingredients.
Brown sugar contributes moisture and chewiness, while granulated sugar encourages spreading and crisp edges. Using both creates a nicely balanced cookie.
For bakery-style presentation, reserve a handful of chocolate chips and gently press them into the tops of the dough balls before baking.
The cookies should look slightly underdone when they leave the oven. Waiting until their centers look completely baked can result in firmer cookies after cooling.
If your kitchen is particularly warm and the dough feels very soft, refrigerate it for 20–30 minutes before baking.
For halal-friendly cookies, choose alcohol-free vanilla and chocolate chips containing halal-suitable ingredients.
Details
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8–10 minutes per batch
Total Time: About 35 minutes
Yield: Approximately 30–36 cookies
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy
Dietary Notes: Vegetarian; halal-friendly when prepared with alcohol-free vanilla and suitable chocolate chips
Notes
Semi-sweet chocolate chips offer a classic balance of sweetness and rich chocolate flavor.
Milk chocolate chips create sweeter cookies, while dark chocolate provides a more intense chocolate flavor.
You can also combine two types of chocolate or use chopped chocolate bars for irregular pockets of melted chocolate.
For additional texture, mix chopped walnuts or pecans into the dough.
A small sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the warm cookies can provide a pleasant sweet-and-salty contrast.
Serve the cookies slightly warm with cold milk, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per cookie when making 36 cookies:
Calories: 210
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 29g
Fat: 10g
Sugar: 18g
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary according to cookie size and the specific ingredients used.
FAQ
What makes this Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe soft and chewy?
Brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, while removing the cookies from the oven when they’re only beginning to brown prevents excessive baking. Allowing them to finish setting on the hot baking sheet keeps the centers soft.
Why are my chocolate chip cookies spreading too much?
Butter that’s overly warm or melted can cause excessive spreading. Make sure the butter is softened rather than liquid. Chilling very soft dough for 20–30 minutes can also help.
Why are my homemade cookies hard?
Overbaking and adding too much flour are common causes. Remove the cookies while their centers still appear slightly soft and measure the flour carefully.
Can I chill chocolate chip cookie dough overnight?
Yes. Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it overnight. Chilling can produce thicker cookies and allows the flavors in the dough to develop further. Let very firm dough soften slightly before scooping.
Can I freeze chocolate chip cookie dough?
Yes. Portion the dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once firm, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. You can then bake individual portions whenever you want fresh cookies.
Can I use different chocolate chips?
Absolutely. Semi-sweet, milk, dark, or white chocolate chips can be used according to your preference. A combination of chocolates also works well.
Storage
Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing.
Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Adding a small piece of bread to the container can help maintain their soft texture.
For longer storage, freeze completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Separate layers with parchment paper if necessary.
Cookie dough balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze them individually until solid before transferring them to a freezer bag or container.
Frozen dough can generally be baked directly from frozen, although it may require a few additional minutes in the oven.
Similar Recipes
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe – Soft and Chewy Cookies
Ingredients
- – 1 cup salted butter softened
- – 1 cup granulated sugar
- – 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- – 2 teaspoons alcohol-free vanilla extract
- – 2 large eggs
- – 3 cups all-purpose flour
- – 1 teaspoon baking soda
- – ½ teaspoon baking powder
- – 1 teaspoon sea salt
- – 2 cups chocolate chips 12 oz.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
- Place the softened butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat until the butter and sugars are thoroughly combined and creamy.
- Add the eggs and alcohol-free vanilla extract. Beat for about 1 minute, until the mixture looks lighter and smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
- Mix just until a cookie dough forms. Avoid excessive mixing once the flour has been incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chips and gently mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop approximately 2–3 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, depending on how large you’d like them.
- Roll each portion into a ball and arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between them to spread.
- Bake the Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for approximately 8–10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies when the edges are only beginning to turn golden. The centers may still appear slightly soft, which helps produce a chewy finished cookie.
- Leave the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will continue setting from the residual heat.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool.
Notes
Milk chocolate chips create sweeter cookies, while dark chocolate provides a more intense chocolate flavor.
You can also combine two types of chocolate or use chopped chocolate bars for irregular pockets of melted chocolate.
For additional texture, mix chopped walnuts or pecans into the dough.
Conclusion
This Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe produces classic homemade cookies with soft centers, chewy texture, golden edges, and plenty of chocolate in every bite. The ingredients are straightforward, and the dough comes together quickly enough for everyday baking.
The most important trick is simple: don’t wait for the cookies to look completely baked before taking them out. Remove them when they’re just beginning to brown, let them finish setting on the baking sheet, and enjoy beautifully soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies.