Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These classic, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies will become your favorite recipe!
One of my dad’s favorite treats as a kid was his mom’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. I remember him telling me over and over again how they were the best cookies he’s ever had and no one could make them better than grandma. Over the years, any time we would visit my grandma Margaret, she always had a fresh batch of her cookies waiting for us. I loved opening the tupperware and having the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies hit my nose. It’s a memory I’ll never forget and one I try to recreate often. These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are my version of Grandma Margaret’s classic cookies.
How I perfected this recipe
I never did get my grandma’s recipe before she passed away (I’m pretty sure it was the Nestle Tollhouse recipe from the chocolate chip cookie bag), so over the years I’ve tried dozens and dozens of chocolate chip cookies – baking them myself and taste testing at different bakeries across the country – to find my favorite version of this classic cookie. Through all this “research,” I’ve landed on two favorite recipes actually. The first is Jacque Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies and the second is this classic soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie. The recipe for these cookies is simple, foolproof, and utterly scrumptious!
Now, any time my dad comes to visit me, I try to have a batch of these soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies waiting for him. And, according to him, they’re better than his mom’s cookies. He could just be saying that because he’s my dad, but I’d like to believe it’s the truth.
I recommend using semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips in these cookies and adding a little sea salt on top after they’ve baked. And don’t forget to enjoy these chocolate chip cookies with a nice, cold glass of milk!
Enjoy!
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Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 cup 220 g brown sugar, packed
- 2 large or extra large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon 4.2 g vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups 420 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon 4 g baking soda
- 1 teaspoon 4 g baking powder
- 1 teaspoon 5.6 g salt
- 2 cups 300 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at time and mix until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop 2-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are slightly golden brown. The top may look a little soft. That's ok! The cookies will continue to bake a little while they cool.
I have tried so many chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years and these didn’t disappoint! So chewy and baked beautifully. I did use salted butter because that is all I usually have on hand, but they were incredible. I’m keeping this recipe. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked them!
This recipe is fabulous! What size dough scoop do you use? And do you mix the dry ingredients before adding to the wet? Any other tips… like your fav chocolate chips to use?
Thank you! I use a medium size scoop – it’s the 1.5 inch scoop. Sometimes I use the 2-inch scoop if I want a more dramatically big cookie but for my kids I use the 1.5. I don’t always mix the dry ingredients first and the cookies turn out great either way. I like dark chocolate or semi sweet. Ghirardelli and Trader Joe’s are my favorite.
Cold butter right out of the fridge? Or let it sit out a little bit?
I like cold butter, right out of the fridge, cut into cubes
You had me questioning all that flour and then BAM… ate my weight in cookies. Can’t stop won’t stop. THE best!!!!!
Yessss!
I have been looking for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe and I think I found it! My only question is how to keep them soft? They were amazing the first day but the second day they seemed a little hard after being put in a container. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I would under-bake them a minute more and then wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze them to store them. They stay so fresh that way.
I will give it a try. Thank you!
I am a dessert lover, particularly a chocolate chip cookie lover and I’ve been trying over the years to find the perfect one. This is it! I love it and everyone loves it and it turns out great every time!! ❤️ Thanks so much!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that!!!xx
These chocolate chip cookies were so unbelievably good! I’m honestly amazed at how delicious they are! I’ve been on the hunt for a perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and these ones hit the spot. Does the baking powder help with the consistency?
I love butter, just not in my cookies, can I use margarine with this recipe?
I really wouldn’t. It changes the texture and flavor.
Hi Courtney!
I just made your cookie recipe last night! Overall, the cookie tasted wonderful. I think the salt really kicks up the caliber of the cookie. However, the texture of my cookie was not what I was hoping for, certainly not soft and chewy. My cookie spread a little more than yours (maybe my butter had gotten too warm at that point?) and is more of a firm-chewy than soft-chewy. I was hoping you could tell me where I might have gone wrong.
Hi Amy, if your cookie spread it’s likely from soft butter and/or overmixing the dough. Just stir the dough until the flour is incorporated.
Love these cookies! Family fave!
The cookies tasted great, and were super soft right out of the oven however sadly once they cooled they hardened a considerable amount. Any ideas where I could have gone wrong that resulted in this? Over mixing was a possibility.
They probably over baked actually.
I made these gluten free with 3 1/2 cups of Cup 4 Cup! They are amazing! Thank you, Courtney!
Hi Courtney, this is one of your fans from India, I love you and your recipies , I follow you Instagram and I love the way you teach.
I was wondering if you could help me with an eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe, please please help me with that as I have few friends who avoid eggs.
Hi! You can make a flaxseed egg. I don’t remmember the exact measurements but it’s water and flaxseed and it will work. Maybe google it.
We love these cookies so much! They are delicious and so easy. I also love that you only use one bowl. I bake half the batch and keep half frozen so we can bake from frozen whenever we want a warm dessert treat after dinner. Thanks for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe!
I have been baking up a storm since furloughed from my job – these cookies were the biggest hit yet. 4 dozen gone in 3 days… will be making another batch tomorrow, and likely weekly for a very long time. Thank you!
Spread! Use #40 then #60 scoops.. put in freezer pre bake 15 min .. < better.
I did have the dough in fridge x2 days prior to baking.
These are sooooo good! I will make these again!!!
Great cookies!! Would it be ok to add cornstarch to this recipe for a softer cookie?
Try it out!
Always and forever the best chocolate cookie! Made again today for the billionth time this month. 😛 Everyone always loves it and it always turns out perfect! My favorite way is with half semi sweet and half dark chocolate chips!
Oh Courtney. Thank you for all your efforts. This recipe is 10/10! A keeper, for sure! Last batch we made, we froze 3/4 of the gloriously textured dough in slab form, wrapped in baking paper and cling wrap. Then just left it out of the freezer to soften enough to cut off cookie sized bits to pop in the oven for a quick movie night treat. This batch, we indulged in 4 freshly baked cookies, then popped 20 balls of raw cookie dough onto a paper-lined baking tray to chill right down in the freezer for about 20-30 mins before placing in zip-lock bags in the freezer. It’ll be even easier to bake some next time a craving strikes. They bake fantastically from frozen – just add a few minutes. Warmest regards from the Surf Coast, Victoria, Australia!
Thank you so much!! I appreciate it!
Oh my goodness!!! I found this recipe during a road trip and made the cookies that night. BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER! There was only one issue. My husband liked the dough so much that I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough left to actually BAKE the cookies. HUGE hit with my party of five!!!
I’m so glad!
These are my new go to! Thank you so much for adding the weight measurments–it makes baking so much easier.
Paired these with the Guittard Super Cookie Chip and they were incredible. Thanks, Courtney!
Thank you so much!
What type and brand of flour did you use to make these cookies? I happened to find White Lily flour in my area for the first time and when I made a new chocolate chip cookie recipe with that “enriched bleached” flour they didn’t spread and came out dry and cakey l generally use King Arthur unbleached flour. I am an a experienced baker and this has me stumped. Thank you in advance for your help.
I use lehi roller mills unbleached flour
These cookies were better than any bakery cookie I’ve had, so incredibly delicious! I’m so glad I discovered your website. I foresee a lot of baking in my future!!!
Thank you so much!!
Could I make these with salted butter? Hoping to make these today and that’s all I have on hand. Thanks!
Of course! Just omit the extra salt
Thanks for sharing your recipe. Can you please make a video of how you make them. My cookies spread a lot. You say use cold butter n cream the sugars till light n fluffy for 2 mins. I think I go wrong somewhere here. A video will be very helpful. Thanks.
Made these last night and they are fantastically delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!!
This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe I have been looking for my whole life!!! I’m not even being dramatic, these were perfect. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, absolute perfection! Thank you
Yay! Love to hear it!
These cookies are so goooodddd!!! I love that it’s a one bowl recipe and it made a lot of dough so I froze some of it to keep on hand because these are the best chocolate chip cookies!!! 💜
Love it!
These were delicious and so easy to make. They taste full bodied even though the dough doesn’t need chilling. I will definitely be making them again!!
Yay!
I’ve literally memorized this recipe I make it so much! I have tried recipes for YEARS AND YEARS and this one is AMAZING. I love that she gives small tips and tricks that actually make a HUGE difference. I’m so excited for her cookbook to try all kinds of new baking!!
Thank you so much!
I have a question please? Do you use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar? Thanks in advance!
Light.
Haven’t tried these yet, planning on it today. Question though, is it really supposed to be cold butter?? I’ve always used room temperature. Just want to make sure! Can’t wait to try!
Yes cold!
The cold butter helps with spreading. This allows you to bake the cookies immediately and not have to chill the dough.
Now Courtney guuuuuuurl…you did it again. These cookies are delicious! Perfect texture too. And the best thing is, this is a no chill cookie dough. I used a 1.5 tablespoon scoop. I had rolled some into balls when I added pecans and those were puffier cookies. The scooped cookies spread, but not too much. This is truly the perfect cookie recipe!
Hands down the best chocolate chip cookie recipe 🤗
Thank you so much!
FINALLY, a PERFECT Chocolate Chip Cookie….I truly feel using the gram measurements was key in the recipe. I also used half milk/dark chocolate chips. Thank you Courtney!!!
Thank you so much!!
The perfect chocolate chip cookie! I have been trying out so many different recipes, and this is the one! Perfectly chewy with just that little crispness to the outside. Thank you!
This recipe for chocolate chip cookies is truly over the top. Every time I make them people rave about them and want the recipe. The most delicious cookie recipe and easy to make!
This makes me so happy!
This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever found and best of all lives up to the description ! They are raved about wherever I take them and recipe is given out every time!
Excellent job Courtney!!!
These turned out amazing! Big, fluffy and delicious! I will definitely be making these again.
Yay!
So, so good! I took these to a picnic and got everyone loved them!
I have tried so many recipes and this is by far the best chocolate chips cookie recipe. Some friends like it with walnuts, can I add it without altering the recipe? Thank you for sharing your recipe. (Thanking my friend too for sharing it to me)
Sure! Add some in!
This is my go-to recipe. I make the base and use different types of mix-ins and it always works. I’ve even made the base chocolate. Thank you.
These are the best chocolate cookies I’ve ever baked and I’ve baked many batches. The recipe is flawless! Mine developed a little bit of a crunchy outside and a perfectly chewy inside. I also love that the recipe needs no tweaking for altitude. I’m at almost 5800′ elevation and I baked them as directed. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much!
Hey,
Thank you for the recipe they do turn out really nice!
Have you every weighed the cookie dough as in how much is 2” scoop ?
I haven’t
My daughter and I have been on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and this is it!! So soft, chewy, not at all cakey. Just perfection. We slightly underbaked them and rotated the sheets halfway through. So glad to have found our go-to recipe! Thank you!