The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

August 17, 2023

What’s better or more comforting than a chocolate chip cookie?! These soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies truly are the best and are bound to be your new go-to recipe.

Stack of chocolate chip cookies.

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. 

The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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. I finally landed on this recipe. It’s simple, foolproof, and utterly scrumptious!

Chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack.

 

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s make sure these soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies turn out perfect! Here’s a rundown of the tips for making these the best cookies:

  • Follow the recipe. This may seem obvious, but just to cover all our basis, be sure to follow the recipe as it’s written to get the most accurate result.
  • Use cold butter and eggs. Using cold butter and eggs will help ensure your cookies keep their shape. To mix the butter when it’s cold, I cut it up into cubes first.
  • Don’t over-mix the dough. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix on low until no flour streaks remain.
  • Use semi-sweet or dark chocolate. The chocolate can make or break a chocolate chip cookie, in my opinion. Stick with a semi-sweet or dark chocolate chip with these cookies. Using milk chocolate will make these cookies too sweet.

Ingredients You’ll Need for chocolate Chip Cookies

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Unsalted butter
  • Vanilla
  • Granulate sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Note: The texture and look of these cookies may vary depending on the type of butter you use and if you don’t use cold butter and eggs.

 

Don’t forget to enjoy these chocolate chip cookies with a nice, cold glass of milk!

Enjoy!

Find me on Instagram @cakebycourtney for more recipes, tips, and fun!

Stack of chocolate chip cookies.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.99 from 100 votes
Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs, cold
  • 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 (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, granulated sugar and brown sugar 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 10 to 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.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Keyword: chocolate chip cookies, cookies, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies

Join the Conversation

  1. Kelsey Rhodes says:

    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!

    1. I’m so glad you liked them!

  2. 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?

    1. 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.

  3. Cold butter right out of the fridge? Or let it sit out a little bit?

    1. I like cold butter, right out of the fridge, cut into cubes

  4. Brittanie Latimer says:

    You had me questioning all that flour and then BAM… ate my weight in cookies. Can’t stop won’t stop. THE best!!!!!

  5. 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!

    1. 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.

      1. I will give it a try. Thank you!

  6. 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!

    1. Yay! I’m so happy to hear that!!!xx

  7. Arielle andelin says:

    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?

  8. I love butter, just not in my cookies, can I use margarine with this recipe?

    1. I really wouldn’t. It changes the texture and flavor.

  9. 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.

    1. 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.

  10. Love these cookies! Family fave!

  11. 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.

    1. They probably over baked actually.

  12. Ashley Havili says:

    I made these gluten free with 3 1/2 cups of Cup 4 Cup! They are amazing! Thank you, Courtney!

  13. 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.

    1. 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.

  14. 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!

  15. Samantha Kubaska says:

    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!

  16. Tina Rutkowski says:

    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.

  17. These are sooooo good! I will make these again!!!

  18. Great cookies!! Would it be ok to add cornstarch to this recipe for a softer cookie?

4.99 from 100 votes (78 ratings without comment)

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