Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is the gold standard of homemade cookies. Crispy on the edges. Soft and chewy in the center. Loaded with chocolate chips that melt into gooey puddles of pure indulgence. Furthermore, this Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe uses brown butter and a combination of two sugars. Consequently, the flavor and texture are far superior to any standard recipe.
Additionally, these cookies store beautifully for days and actually improve overnight as the flavors deepen. For more indulgent desserts, also try our fudgy Brownies Recipe, our classic Cheesecake Recipe and our full Desserts collection.
The Secret Behind This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Most basic chocolate chip cookie recipes use plain melted butter and only white sugar. This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe goes further. First, we brown the butter. This takes only 3 extra minutes. However, it adds an extraordinary nutty, caramel like depth that transforms the entire flavor of the finished cookie.
Second, we use a combination of white and brown sugar. The white sugar helps the cookies spread and crisp on the edges. Furthermore, the brown sugar adds moisture, chew and a rich molasses flavor. Consequently, the result is a cookie with a crispy edge, a chewy center and a complex flavor that keeps you reaching for just one more.
Chewy vs Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Different bakers prefer different textures. Therefore, this section helps you achieve the exact result you want by making small adjustments to the base recipe.
Adjusting Texture to Your Preference
- For extra chewy cookies — Use more brown sugar than white. Additionally, underbake by 1 to 2 minutes and remove from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone. They will firm up beautifully as they cool.
- For crispier cookies — Use more white sugar than brown. Moreover, bake for the full time and allow them to cool completely on the tray before moving. Consequently, they firm up into a satisfying snap.
- For thicker cookies — Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before baking. Furthermore, do not flatten the dough balls — let them hold their height in the oven. As a result, the cookies bake up thick and domed.
- For thinner, lacier cookies — Melt the butter fully rather than browning it. Additionally, flatten the dough balls slightly before baking and increase the white sugar slightly.
The Resting and Chilling Technique
One of the most impactful techniques in this Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is chilling the dough. Refrigerating for at least 30 minutes makes a dramatic difference. Furthermore, during chilling the flour fully hydrates. Moreover, cold dough spreads less in the oven. As a result, the cookies bake up thicker with more defined chewy centers.
Additionally, a longer chill produces a more complex flavor. Consequently, leaving the dough overnight is highly recommended when you have the time. On the other hand, even a 30 minute chill makes a meaningful improvement to the finished cookie.
Choosing the Best Chocolate for This Recipe
The chocolate is the star of this Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe. Therefore, it is worth choosing carefully. Here are the best options:
Best Chocolate Types to Use
- Dark chocolate chips (60 to 70% cocoa) — The most balanced choice. They provide rich flavor without being too sweet. Moreover, they hold shape partially while still creating melted pools.
- Chocolate chunks — Chopped from a bar rather than chips. Furthermore, they create irregular pockets of melted chocolate. Consequently, every bite has a different chocolate to dough ratio.
- Semi sweet chips — The most classic American choice. Additionally, they melt beautifully and provide the familiar sweet chocolate flavor everyone loves.
- Mix of dark and milk chocolate — Combining both provides great contrast. On the other hand, all milk chocolate is sweeter and less complex. Therefore, at least some dark chocolate is recommended.
How Much Chocolate to Add
This recipe uses 200g of chocolate chips. Furthermore, you can increase this to 250g for a more intensely chocolatey result. Moreover, pressing extra chips onto the top of each dough ball before baking ensures visible chocolate on every finished cookie.
How to Make This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
The process is simple and fast. First, brown the butter and let it cool. Then, whisk in the sugars, egg and vanilla. Next, fold in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Finally, scoop, chill briefly and bake until golden. The full method is in the recipe card below.
What to Serve with Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are absolutely perfect on their own. However, these pairings take them to another level entirely:
- A tall cold glass of whole milk — furthermore, this is the most iconic and beloved pairing in the entire world of cookies
- Warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two cookies for the ultimate ice cream sandwich
- Crumbled over vanilla ice cream as a quick and incredibly satisfying dessert topping
- Alongside our indulgent Brownies Recipe — moreover, serving both together creates a spectacular chocolate dessert spread
- With a cup of good coffee or hot chocolate on a cozy afternoon
How to Store This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Furthermore, placing a slice of bread in the container keeps them soft. The bread absorbs moisture and prevents the cookies from drying out. Moreover, they actually taste better on day 2 and day 3 as the flavors develop further.
Freezing Cookie Dough and Baked Cookies
Both the raw dough and baked cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Therefore, this recipe is perfect for batch baking. To freeze raw dough, scoop into balls and freeze on a tray. Then transfer to a freezer bag. Consequently, you can bake just a few cookies at a time directly from frozen — simply add 2 to 3 extra minutes to the baking time.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip — Replace 50g of butter with smooth peanut butter. As a result, the cookies develop a wonderful nutty richness that pairs beautifully with the chocolate chips.
Double Chocolate — Replace 30g of flour with 30g of cocoa powder. Moreover, use white chocolate chips instead of dark. Consequently, every bite is an intensely chocolatey experience.
Oat and Chocolate Chip — Replace 60g of flour with rolled oats. Additionally, this adds a hearty, slightly nutty texture and makes the cookies feel more substantial.
M&M Cookies — Replace half the chocolate chips with M&M candies. Furthermore, press a few extra M&Ms on top of each dough ball before baking for a colorful and fun result.
Make This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Today
In conclusion, this Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is the most crowd pleasing and universally loved bake you can make at home. Therefore, whether you are baking for a party, a bake sale, a school event or simply treating yourself, this recipe never fails to impress. Browse more of our indulgent Dessert recipes and share your results in the comments below!
Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Soft and chewy with crispy golden edges, melted chocolate pools and a rich brown butter flavor. The only chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need.
Ingredients
- The Dough
- 170 gUnsalted butterThis will be browned first — do not use salted butter as it makes the cookies too salty
- 150 gBrown sugar, packedProvides moisture, chew and rich molasses flavor — do not reduce
- 80 gCaster sugarHelps the cookies spread and creates the crispy golden edges
- 1 largeEgg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperatureThe extra yolk adds richness and contributes to the chewy center
- 2 tspPure vanilla extract
- 220 gPlain flourSpoon into the measuring cup and level off — do not scoop directly as it packs too densely
- 1 tspBaking sodaNot baking powder — baking soda creates the right spread and texture for cookies
- 1 tspSalt
- The Chocolate
- 200 gDark or semi sweet chocolate chipsReserve a small handful to press onto the tops of the dough balls before baking for visual appeal
- Optional Finish
- PinchFlaky sea salt for sprinkling on topSprinkle just before baking — it amplifies the chocolate flavor significantly
Equipment
Method for This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- 1 Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes after it melts, stirring occasionally. It will foam, then the foam will subside. Small golden brown bits will appear on the bottom and it will smell deeply nutty. Remove immediately from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- 2 Mix the sugars: Add both sugars to the cooled brown butter. Whisk vigorously for 1 full minute until the mixture is smooth and well combined. The sugars will partially dissolve into the warm butter. This creates the base for the chewy, caramelized texture of the finished cookie.
- 3 Add the egg and vanilla: Add the whole egg, extra egg yolk and vanilla extract. Whisk again for 1 minute until the mixture is smooth, glossy and slightly lighter in color. Do not rush this step. Properly whisked eggs and sugar create a more cohesive dough that bakes evenly.
- 4 Add the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking soda and salt directly into the bowl. Switch to a spatula and fold until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cookies tough and dense rather than tender and chewy.
- 5 Fold in the chocolate chips: Add the chocolate chips and fold gently until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Reserve a small handful of chips to press onto the top of each dough ball before baking. This ensures visible chocolate on top of every finished cookie.
- 6 Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. For the very best results, chill overnight. Cold dough spreads less during baking. Consequently, the cookies bake up thicker, chewier and with a more complex flavor than unchilled dough.
- 7 Bake: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line two baking trays with parchment. Scoop the dough into balls of approximately 40g each. Place on the trays with at least 6cm between each ball. Press a few reserved chips on top. Sprinkle with flaky salt if using. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden and set but the centers still look slightly underdone. Remove and cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring.
Nutrition (Per Cookie — based on 18 cookies per batch)
* Nutritional values are estimates per cookie based on 18 cookies per batch. Values vary with different chocolate types and sizes of dough balls.
Notes
- Do not skip the butter browning step. It takes only 3 extra minutes. However, the flavor difference is dramatic and immediately noticeable. Browned butter adds a nutty, caramel depth that plain melted butter simply cannot replicate.
- The extra egg yolk is essential for the chewy texture. The additional fat from the yolk inhibits gluten formation. Consequently, the cookie stays tender rather than becoming tough or bready.
- Chilling the dough is highly recommended. Even 30 minutes makes a meaningful difference. Furthermore, dough chilled overnight produces a noticeably more complex and developed flavor in the finished cookie.
- Remove the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone. They will continue cooking on the hot tray for several minutes after removal. Moreover, letting them cool fully on the tray — not a wire rack — helps the centers set to the perfect chewy texture.
- This Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe makes 18 to 20 cookies depending on size. To double the batch, simply multiply all ingredients by two. The method remains identical.
Tips for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Every Time
- Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs do not incorporate as smoothly into the warm butter mixture. Consequently, the dough can become greasy and uneven. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off. Do not scoop directly from the bag. Scooping packs the flour too densely. Furthermore, too much flour makes cookies dry, cakey and crumbly rather than soft and chewy.
- Press extra chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball before baking. This is a purely cosmetic trick but it makes a significant difference to how the finished cookies look. Moreover, it ensures visible melted chocolate in every photo and on every serving plate.
- Bake one test cookie first. Every oven is different. Therefore, baking a single cookie first allows you to assess spreading and color before committing the entire batch. Adjust oven temperature or chill time based on the result.
- For perfectly round cookies, immediately after removing from the oven use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to swirl around it. This nudges any irregular edges into a perfect circle while the cookie is still hot and malleable. Additionally, this is a professional bakery technique that requires no skill.
- Store with a slice of bread in the container. The bread releases moisture that keeps the cookies soft and chewy for days. On the other hand, storing without bread causes them to dry out and harden within 1 to 2 days.