The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
Posted Feb 11, 2018, Updated Dec 23, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
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 theyโre out-of-this-world delicious!
Plus, thereโs 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.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
Letโs walk through how to make chocolate chip cookies step-by-step, and donโt forget to watch the video.
Make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
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.
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 itโs 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.
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.
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.
Portion & Roll Dough
Once the cookie dough is finished, itโs 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.
How To Freeze Cookie Dough:
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:
- 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!
- 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.
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 โ 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 wonโt 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
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.
FAQs about Chocolate Chip Cookies
The trick to making this best chocolate chip cookie recipe gooey is to not over-bake them.
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.
If your cookies didnโt flatten, here are a few things that couldโve been the problem. I have never had this happen to me in 10 years, so here are my educated guessesโฆ
1) The ingredients/cookie dough was too cold. Cold dough doesnโt 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 (itโs 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 wasnโt fully creamed. Try creaming the butter and sugar together for longer.
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.
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.
Yes, you can add walnuts or pecans with great success. Simply decrease the amount of chocolate chips slightly to accommodate the extra nuts. See these recipes: Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies and Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies for the ratios!
This is one of the most-asked questions I receive, and itโs a complicated one to answer. While 120 grams is the โacceptedโ value for 1 cup of flour. If you measure flour like most people do (scoop and level), then 1 cup rarely (if ever) weighs that amount. It typically ranges from 130-140 g. For me, itโs always 135 grams. So, the metric measurements in this recipe are exact (based on 1 cup of flour really being around 135 g). I made 10 batches using 410 grams of flour and they all came out perfectly.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
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.
- Butter. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter would also be great. I just recommend tasting the dough to ensure that itโs 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 doesnโt matter what you use, as long as you use 2 cups.
More of our favorite cookie recipes!
- The BEST Cut Out Sugar Cookies โ Perfect for Christmas (or any holiday really)!
- Make this giant chocolate chip chocolate chip cookie cake โ better than store-bought and perfect for any occasion!
- For an easy and irresistible dessert, try this Skillet Cookie (Pizookie) recipe! Itโs like eating warm cookie dough and it comes together in 20 minutes flat!
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies have three different forms of chocolate!
- You have to try our Oatmeal Cookie Recipe โ itโs seriously the BEST!
- Classic Soft Peanut Butter Cookies โ My personal favorite kind of cookie!
- Classic snickerdoodles! This is my grandmaโs recipe, you will love them!
- Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
- The BEST Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies (EVER)! My favorite Christmas cookie!
- Flourless peanut butter blossoms
- Candy Stuffed Cookie Bars
- No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And donโt forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube โ be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz)
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
- 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 ยฝ 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 doesnโt matter what you use, as long as you use 2 cups. Choose your favorite variety: milk, semisweet, dark, etc.
- 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).
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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, โthe cookies you brought are SO delicious, how did you make them?โ 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 didnโt look great. There were no heartbeats, and although it was early (7 weeks) we were fairly certain that it wasnโt 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 havenโt taken one single day of my kidsโ 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 wouldnโt 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. Thatโs my motto!
The links in this post are affiliate links, thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine.
These cookies are SO GOOD. This is my first time making completely homemade chocolate chip cookies, and it was pretty easy/straightforward. I spent a long time looking for the perfect cc cookie recipe, and this is it! The only thing I will add is I made this recipe with the exact amouts written, making 2 tbsp balls, and it made 26 cookies rather than 36. That is still a lot of cookies, but just a note in case someone needs to make a certain amount. Also, I used 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks, and 1 cup milk chocolate morsels. Both Nestle Tollhouse. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much, Heather!
Hey Laura, I just had a question about the shape. My cookies turned out kind of like a dome instead of flat. Why would you say they came out like that?
Itโs possible you added too much flour. Or, you may need to bake for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Maybe itโs my cold Canadian kitchen, but 10 mins for me made a VERY undercooked cookie. Like, not gooey the you want โ just raw cookie dough centers! Popped them back in for an extra 5 mins on the next batch and turned out well. Thanks!
Every oven bakes differently (just like womenโs jeans sizes across brands are always different โ so frustrating but I digress haha), Iโm glad you found a time that works for you!
I found this recipe 6 weeks ago and Iโve made 3 half batches since then. I can stop searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookieโค๏ธ
Iโm so happy you love them Amber!
Giving a 5 although mine didnโt quite turn out right.. wondering what I did wrong (mind you it was my first time ever making home-made scratch choc chip cookies!)
Only thing I can wonder is I used Morton salt and used 1 full tsp (which was a tad too salty) and I used my kitchen aid pretty much like the video and followed the steps. But I rolled by hand and made some semi- uneven cookies. Baked 9-11 min and the result was most of them sprawling out really flat but still being doughy & uncooked in middle and tops. Any ideas? I feel like I was super close maybe I needed a scooper and smaller cookies but something was def off! hope itโs better next time! Still yummy with Lilโs dark choc chips and Ghirardelli choc chips
There are a couple reasons for flat cookies. 1) baking soda or baking powder (or both) arenโt fresh. 2) Maybe you didnโt use enough flour! Try using the metric measurements for flour!
For baking from freezing, does the 15 minutes start when you put the cookies in or when the oven is preheated?
You put the cookies in the oven, start preheating, and set the timer all at the same time!
What type of chips do you like most , these cookies were good but I used Ghirardelli semi sweet and I feel they werenโt as bitter/chocolately as I liked! Wondered whatโs your favorite !!
I have used all types of chips. I really love dark chocolate (60-70%)!
Rlly good
Iโm glad you like them, Melia!
Turned out great. Was easy to make for a nice treat for the kids to come home to after school. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Have a great day!
Thank you so much!
Can i use smarties in place of or along with chocolate chips?
Hey Cathy, I donโt think Smarties would be a great mix-in for this recipe if Iโm being totally honest!
I have a feeling theyโre talking about Canadian or UK Smarties, which I had the pleasure of trying during a visit to Canada about a decade ago. I described them as the marriage between an M&M and a Nestle Crunch bar, lol. Theyโre not the disgusting, chalky pucks we have here in the States. Since theyโre chocolate, perhaps they could work as a mix-in (and of course, all of this is assuming they are talking about the international Smarties. I seriously hope so, lol!)
That makes much more sense Amanda!!! When I read it I was a bit confused! If weโre talking about UK smarties, it sounds like they would work well as a mix in! ๐ For anyone else reading this, hereโs a link to the non-us smarties.
I think she might be referring to smarties, the UK version of M&Mโs?
Apparently I need to try this international version of smarties. When I think of smarties I think of the US version, which I absolutely wouldnโt recommend as a mix-in in cookie! ๐ I do have an M&M cookie recipe for some guidance on the amount that could be used!
Cathy, that is the wildest question Iโve ever heard.
Best regards, Jake
Hey Jake, I completely agreed when I first read it. But apparently there is a candy called smarties, which is more like an M&M. Learn something new every day! Hereโs a link: Chocolate smarties.
Personally Iโve used smarties in my recipes and even though the color might fade, itโs so much better
I assume the smarties youโre referring to are the candy coated chocolates. Yes you absolutely could substitute them for chocolate chips! In the states smarties are something completely different
Yes, I have absolutely learned something new thanks to Cathyโs question!
Hey Cathy! After many others replied to your comment I realized I was thinking of an entirely different product. US Smarties are not something Iโd recommend putting in cookies (or eating at all, in general haha), but if these Smarties are what you mean, then yes you can put them in these cookies!
Okay omg so I LOVE FONDUE ๐ that recipe is amazing ๐คฉ