The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever

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This is the best chocolate chip cookies recipe ever! No funny ingredients, no chilling time, etc. Just a simple, straightforward, amazingly delicious, doughy yet still fully cooked, chocolate chip cookie that turns out perfectly every single time! 

Overhead view of one chocolate chip cookie surrounded by four other chocolate chip cookies and chopped chocolate

Everyone needs a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe in their repertoire, and this is mine. It is seriously the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever! I have been making these for many, many years and everyone who tries them agrees they’re out-of-this-world delicious!

Plus, there’s no funny ingredients, no chilling, etc. Just a simple, straightforward, amazingly delicious, doughy yet still fully cooked, chocolate chip cookie that turns out perfectly every single time!

These are everything a chocolate chip cookie should be. Crispy and chewy. Doughy yet fully baked. Perfectly buttery and sweet.

Overhead view of one chocolate chip cookie torn in half with melty chocolate chips surrounded by three other cookies and chopped chocolate

 How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s walk through how to make chocolate chip cookies step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

The first step in making these easy chocolate chip cookies to to combine the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.

When doing this, make sure to Measure the flour correctly. Be sure to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (NOT a pyrex liquid measuring cup). Then, measure flour by scooping it into a measuring cup and leveling it with a knife.

two photos showing How to make chocolate chip cookies - mixing dry ingredients

Next, cream together butter and sugars, make sure to soften the butter early by taking it out of the fridge at least two hours before baking so it’s ready to go when you need it. You can also warm it in the microwave for about 7 seconds, but be very careful not to melt it.

Once butter/sugar mixture is beaten well, add the eggs & vanilla and beat to combine.

two photos showing How to make chocolate chip cookies - combining butter and sugar, adding eggs & vanilla

Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Then add the chocolate chips and beat until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Use LOTS of chocolate chips. You want at least two gooey chocolate chips in every bite.

two photos showing How to make chocolate chip cookies, adding dry ingredients and chocolate chips

The chocolate chip cookie dough should be easy to roll and not sticky. It should not be dry or crumbly. See photo below for the optimal texture.

overhead photo of a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough

Portion & Roll Dough

Once the cookie dough is finished, it’s time to portion and roll the dough. I know many people eyeball it when making cookies, however I highly recommend using a cookie scoop.

Using a cooking scoop ensures that all the cookies are uniform in size so that they bake evenly. I love this stainless steel cookie scoop and use it every time I make cookies.

At this point you can either bake your dough or freeze it.

photo showing How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies - portioning cookie dough with a cookie scoop

Since this chocolate chip cookie recipe makes so many cookies, I always make a full batch and freeze some. That way I have dough on hand for unexpected guests or whenever the cookie craving strikes.

I prefer to flash-freeze the cookie dough before putting it in an airtight container. To do this, roll the cookie dough into balls and space them out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then put the baking sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until the dough slightly freezes.

Once the dough is slightly frozen, transfer the cookie dough balls to an airtight container or plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

How to Bake Frozen Dough

There are two ways to bake frozen dough:

  1. Thaw it first: I love having dough ready to go in the freezer for impromptu guests. When you want to bake them, remove the dough balls from the freezer, set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a light cloth towel or napkin to let them thaw. Then, once they reach room temperature (after about 1-2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen) bake as directed in the recipe (at 375 degrees F). SO easy!
  2. Bake from frozen: Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (ONLY if you are baking the frozen dough) and put the cookies in the oven in the beginning of the preheating time. (So put the cookies in the oven as you preheat it). Set the timer for 15 minutes and remove the cookies after 15 minutes. The top will look a little more brown than usual, but they will still taste amazing.
two overhead photos showing How to Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - left shows dough flash-frozen on a pan, right shows dough in a plastic bag

Bake Until they just barely look done

If you are baking the cookies immediately simply roll them into balls, place them evenly apart on a baking sheet (about 1.5 to 2 inches apart) and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

The most important piece of advice I can give you is – DO NOT over-bake these chocolate chip cookies! They will not look done when you pull them out of the oven, and that is GOOD.

At the end of the baking time, these chocolate chip cookies won’t look done but they are. They will look a little doughy when you remove them from the oven, and thats good. They may be lightly browned in a few places, which is exactly how you want them.

They will set up as they sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes. I never bake them for more than 9 minutes

two photos showing How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies before and after baking on a baking sheet

Cool

Cool the chocolate chip cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely (or just eat them warm while the chocolate chips are melty)!

Store

Store these chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

front view of chocolate chip cookies cooling on a copper wire cooling rack

FAQs about Chocolate Chip Cookies

How do you make gooey chocolate chip cookies? 

The trick to making this best chocolate chip cookie recipe gooey is to not over-bake them.

Why do cookies spread & flatten?

There are a few main reasons for this that I have found in my experience:
1) Expired leavening agents. If your baking soda or baking powder are past their prime, your chocolate chip cookies will likely flatten and spread. Even if the date on the container checks out, it still might not be good. That would be the first place I would start.
How to test if your baking soda is active: Combine 1/2 cup of hot water, 1/4 teaspoon vinegar and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. When you add the baking soda a reaction should take place immediately. If not, then you need new baking soda.
How to test if your baking powder is active: Add  1/2 tsp of baking powder to 1/2 cup of hot water. It should bubble immediately. A reaction should take place immediately. If not, then you need new baking powder.
2) Over-mixing. If you over-mix the ingredients in this best chocolate chip cookie recipe you may end up with flat cookies.
3) Ingredients are too warm. Sometimes over-mixing can also lead to your ingredients becoming too warm. If you notice this happening, you can chill the dough before baking to return the batter to room temperature.
4) Incorrect oven temperature. I recommend baking with an electric convection oven. If your cookies and other baked goods are not turning out properly, invest in a cheap oven thermometer to check the temperature. If your oven is baking too hot or too cold, then the cookies will not turn out well.

Why didn’t my cookies flatten? 

If your cookies didn’t flatten, here are a few things that could’ve been the problem. I have never had this happen to me in 10 years, so here are my educated guesses…
1) The ingredients/cookie dough was too cold. Cold dough doesn’t spread as well as room temperature dough.
2) You accidentally used too much flour. Be sure to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a pyrex liquid measuring cup), and measure the flour correctly by scooping and leveling.
3) The oven temperature is incorrect. I recommend using an oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven (it’s only $7), because it can often be different than the reading it gives on the display or what the dial is set at.
4) The butter/sugar mixture wasn’t fully creamed. Try creaming the butter and sugar together for longer.

Can you bake chocolate chip cookie dough from frozen? 

I have tested baking this recipe from frozen more times than I can even count. I have gotten the best results when I place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (ONLY if you are baking the frozen dough) and put the cookies in the oven in the beginning of the preheating time. Set the timer for 15 minutes and remove the cookies after 15 minutes. The top will look a little more brown than usual, but they will still taste amazing.

Can I halve this recipe?

Yes, this recipe halves easily. Simply decrease the ingredients by half and the recipe will make 18 cookies. Or, try this recipe for small batch chocolate chip cookies that makes 8 cookies.

side view of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever one cookie with melty chocolate chips surrounded by three other cookies and chopped chocolate

The only ingredient I feel confident that can be changed up is the mix-ins. Chocolate chips, sprinkles, peanut butter chips, etc. Do not change anything else in this recipe. If you do I cannot guarantee they will turn out. However, here are some tested substitutions.

overhead photo of the ingredients in thsi Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
  • Butter. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter would also be great. I just recommend tasting the dough to ensure that it’s salted to your liking.
  • White Sugar.  You can use granulated white sugar or organic cane sugar.
  • Brown sugar. I use light brown sugar in this recipe for the best results.
  • Flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make these chocolate chip cookies. Many readers have used gluten-free all-purpose flour with excellent results. Or, try these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. 
  • Sea Salt. I exclusively bake and cook with pure, fine sea salt. Sea salt is different than table salt (that is iodized), so if you use salt other than sea salt I recommend testing the recipe first with 1/2 tsp and then adjusting to your taste.
  • Chocolate Chips. As you can see from the photos, sometimes I use chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips. It doesn’t matter what you use, as long as you use 2 cups.
Overhead view of one chocolate chip cookie torn in half with melty chocolate chips surrounded by three other cookies and chopped chocolate
Front view of a chocolate chip cookie cut in half with melty chocolate chips

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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever

Laura
This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. No funny ingredients, no chilling time, etc. Just a simple, straightforward, amazingly delicious, doughy yet still fully cooked, chocolate chip cookie that turns out perfectly every single time! 
4.99 from 11682 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 cookies
Calories 183
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • Cream together butter and sugars until combined.
  • Beat in eggs and vanilla until light (about 1 minute).
  • Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
  • Add chocolate chips and mix well.
  • Roll 2-3 Tablespoons (depending on how large you like your cookies) of dough at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown.
  • Let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Video

Notes

Recipe information calculated based on this recipe making 36 cookies – 2 Tablespoons of dough a piece)
Metric Measurements have been updated to be exact.
Do not over bake
When you remove the cookies from the oven they will still look doughy. This is the secret that makes these cookies so absolutely amazing! Please, I beg you, do not over bake!
Convection oven
Decrease baking temperature by 25 degrees if using a convection oven.
Ingredient Substitutions
  • Butter. unsalted butter, coconut oil and vegan butter are all good substitutes. Or, use browned butter.
  • Granulated Sugar. organic cane sugar works well too.
  • Light Brown sugar. Dark brown sugar works well, but imparts a stronger molasses taste.
  • Flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make these chocolate chip cookies. All-purpose gluten free flour works very well too.
  • Sea Salt. I exclusively bake and cook with pure, fine sea salt. Sea salt is different than table salt (that is iodized), so if you use salt other than sea salt I recommend testing the recipe first with ½ tsp and then adjusting to your taste.
  • Chocolate Chips. As you can see from the photos, sometimes I use chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips. It doesn’t matter what you use, as long as you use 2 cups. Choose your favorite variety: milk, semisweet, dark, etc.
How to freeze chocolate chip cookie dough
Portion dough, roll into balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. 
Store
Store these chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
To make a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake use this recipe: homemade chocolate chip cookie cake. 
How to Bake Frozen Dough
There are two ways to bake frozen dough:
  1. Thaw it first:  Remove the dough balls from the freezer, set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a light cloth towel or plastic wrap to thaw. Then, once they reach room temperature (about 1 hour) bake as directed in the recipe (at 375 degrees F). 
  2. Bake from frozen: Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (ONLY if you are baking the frozen dough) and put the cookies in the oven in the beginning of the preheating time. (So put the cookies in the oven as you preheat it). Set the timer for 15 minutes and remove the cookies after 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!
up close overhead view of one chocolate chip cookie

These cookies hold a special place in my heart. My friend brought me a meal after my first miscarriage (more on that below) and brought these cookies for dessert. They were so perfect I was convinced they were slice and bake, so I slyly said to her, “the cookies you brought are SO delicious, how did you make them?” Lo and behold they were from scratch and she shared the recipe with me!

Her sweet gesture (literally) took a very dark season in my life and made it a little brighter. You see, after our daughter Bethany turned one-year-old we were ready to have another baby! We found out I was pregnant with twins, but  things didn’t look great. There were no heartbeats, and although it was early (7 weeks) we were fairly certain that it wasn’t a viable pregnancy. We waited two weeks just to be sure, and then I was scheduled to have a D&C and say goodbye to our babies.

This began one of the most difficult, trying times in my life. I was in a cloud of postpartum depression with no sweet baby to snuggle the blues away. My friends and family came alongside of me and I began to heal. I experienced another miscarriage and then got pregnant with my son, Gabe.

Losing three babies in such a short time changed me forever. I haven’t taken one single day of my kids’ lives for granted. They were chosen to be mine. I have some babies I never got to hold, so I cherish holding the ones I do. These cookies remind me of the sweetness and importance of friendship. I wouldn’t have made it through without a handful of close friends who I cherish. So make these cookies and share them with people you love.

Life is too uncertain to take a minute for granted.  Spread love, make cookies. That’s my motto! 

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9,864 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These cookies were AWESOME!!!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

    Few questions. These cookies have been requested by elderly diabetic people and I promised them to bake it using Splenda brown sugar blend or something that doesn’t hurt them a lot. Can you please provide me measurements of how much sugar to take?

    2nd question: I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips, but I would like the chips to melt. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

    1. Hello Tina! I am so sorry but I do not bake with sugar substitutes like splenda – however you can search the comments because many people have used it with success. The brand of chocolate chips shouldn’t matter, they should melt. Are you saying your chips did not melt in the oven?

  2. 4 stars
    OH my best recipe ever, cookies were EXCELLENT!! Use half the sugar & half brown sugar (homemade molasses & sugar ) that was recommended & added a bit of milk (batter too thick ) BUT SO YUMMY!! Thank you!