Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nothing beats the aroma of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies wafting through your kitchen. This best chocolate chip cookies recipe delivers perfectly golden edges with soft, chewy centers and pools of melted chocolate chips in every bite. It's the classic recipe you'll turn to again and again, made with simple pantry staples and no chilling required for fast results.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Large mixing bowls
- Medium mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Light-colored baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Cookie scoop (2-tablespoon size)
- Wire cooling rack
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour - 281g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter - 227g, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar - 150g
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar - 165g
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips - 340g
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - 120g (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Ensure butter is softened and eggs are at room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix briefly. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until no flour streaks remain. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and optional nuts by hand with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed throughout the thick dough.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until edges are golden but centers still look slightly underdone.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Measure flour correctly by spooning into the cup and leveling off to avoid dense cookies.
- Use room temperature ingredients for best creaming and incorporation.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to keep cookies tender rather than tough.
- Chill dough for 30 minutes if you prefer thicker cookies with less spread.
- Slightly underbake for gooey centers as cookies continue to set on the hot pan.
- Use light-colored baking sheets to prevent over-browning on the bottoms.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months or dough balls for easy baking later.
- Customize with different chocolates, nuts, or add-ins like oats or peanut butter.
- Place a slice of bread in the storage container to keep cookies soft longer.