Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
Updated Oct 25, 2026
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With 14,000 5-star reviews, you can be sure that you’ve found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! No unique 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 – and it is seriously the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever.
I’ve been making this recipe for years, and it has become a favorite for literally millions of home bakers. With 14,000 five-star reviews, and over 100 million page views since 2016 it’s the recipe that will end your search for the very best chocolate chip cookies.
It’s seriously so easy. No chilling, no weird ingredients, and no complicated steps. Just simple ingredients that come together in 5 minutes to make the most perfect chocolate chip cookies with crispy, chewy edges, gooey centers and plenty of chocolate chips in every bite. They’re doughy yet fully baked, buttery and perfectly sweet. Trust me (and millions of others who have made them too), this is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need.
As a former chemistry teacher, I combined my love of baking and science (and cookies) and perfected this recipe before sharing here. From the ingredients and their ratios to the baking method, every detail has been tested and perfected so they turn out perfectly for you every single time.
“Ok, I consider myself an expert on chocolate chip cookies after 50 + years experimenting with different recipes. This one is the best, search no more!! Thank you for sharing this recipe and your story with us.”
– Karla
Why These Are The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thousands of people have told me they became known as the “cookie person” after making this recipe for friends and family. It’s so easy to make that you won’t believe such a simple recipe can yield better-than-bakery-quality chocolate chip cookies.
- So easy. The dough comes together in 5 minutes.
- Simple ingredients. In amounts you can memorize. Butter, sugar, eggs, vanialla, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. That’s it.
- The perfect texture. They’re gooey (which is a must) but still fully baked. Chewy edges but soft centers. And they stay soft for days after baking.
“I have made many different chocolate chip cookie recipes trying to find the perfect one. Does one exist? Well, this is it. These cookies are delicious: chewy, flavorful and hold their shape. Finally, this is the end of my search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks for sharing!”
– Sue
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
The only ingredient I recommend changing in this recipe is the mix-ins! You really can put anything in here and they’re delicious, chocolate chips, sprinkles, peanut butter chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc. Do not change anything else in this recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies. However, here are some tested substitutions.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well, you do not have to add more salt. No dairy? Make my dairy-free chocolate chip cookies or vegan chocolate chip cookies. Want to brown the butter? Make my brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
- Eggs. If you’d like to find great egg substitutions that still make perfect cookies – see my eggless chocolate chip cookies recipe.
- Granulated Sugar. You can use white sugar or organic cane sugar. Or, make brown sugar chocolate chip cookies and only use brown sugar.
- Light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar also works really well, it just imparts a slightly bolder molasses taste.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make these chocolate chip cookies. To make gluten-free cookies, use all-purpose gluten free baking flour. Or make my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
- Fine sea salt. I exclusively bake and cook with pure, fine sea salt. Sea salt is different than table salt (that is iodized). If using iodized table salt, decrease the amount to ½ teaspoon.
- 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.
- Want to add oatmeal? Make these oatmeal cookies.
- Would you like to add nuts? Try pecan chocolate chip cookies, walnut chocolate chip cookies or pistachio cookies!
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 for further guidance. You can see what the dough should look like, etc!
Make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
The first step in making these easy chocolate chip cookies is to to combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized 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. Or click on the “metric” button in the recipe card and measure the flour in grams using the exact measurements listed.
Next, cream together butter and sugars for 1 minute. 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.
After one minute, add the eggs & vanilla and beat for an additional 1 minute, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Then, add the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed 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 the Chocolate Chip Cookie 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 cookie 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. When I use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, the cookie dough balls end up being 40-45 grams each.
Bake Until They Just Barely Look Done
To bake the chocolate chip cookies, space the cookie dough balls evenly apart on a baking sheet (about 1.5 to 2 inches apart) and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 8-10 minutes.
Do not over Bake
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. Trust the process, I promise.
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 that’s good. The chocolate chip cookies 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
How To Freeze Chocolate Chip 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. Alternatively, you can just freeze the dough in a single layer in a bag or airtight container.
How to Bake Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
There are two ways to bake frozen dough:
- Thaw it first: 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 hour depending on the temperature of your kitchen) bake as directed in the recipe (at 375 degrees Fahrenheit – 190 degrees Celsius). SO easy!
- Bake from frozen: Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, put the cookies in the oven and start preheating it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and set the timer for 15 minutes. Do all three of these things at the same time. You bake while the oven is preheating. (ONLY if you are baking the frozen dough) Remove the cookies after 15 minutes. The top will look a little more brown than usual, but they will still taste amazing.
Cool the Chocolate Chip Cookies
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)!
How to Store Chocolate Chip Cookies
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.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some common issues people run into when making chocolate chip cookies, and how to fix them.
My Cookie Flattened and Spread Too Thin
Here are the most common reasons chocolate chip cookies turn out flat and how to fix them.
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 ½ cup of hot water, ¼ teaspoon vinegar and ¼ teaspoon 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 ½ teaspoon of baking powder to ½ cup of hot water. It should bubble & react immediately. If not, then you need new baking powder.
2. Over-mixing The Dough
If you over-mix the ingredients in this chocolate chip cookie recipe you may end up with flat cookies. Set a timer for the mixing steps so you don’t mix too long.
3. Ingredients are Too Warm
If your butter got too soft or your kitchen is warm and humid, the cookies could come out flat. The solution is to chill the dough for 30-60 minutes before baking.
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 an inexpensive oven thermometer to check the temperature. If your oven is baking too hot or too cold, then the cookies will flatten too much. This happened to me recently. I noticed my cookies baking too flat and sure enough my oven wasn’t heating hot enough so I had to get it fixed.
My Cookies Didn’t Flatten At All.
If your cookies didn’t flatten, here are a few things that could’ve been the problem.
You 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. Or, better yet, use the metric measurements listed in the recipe card (click the “metric” button) and weigh the flour in grams for the perfect result every time.
The Dough Was Too Cold
Cold dough doesn’t spread as well as room temperature dough in the oven. The solution is to bake for an extra 1-2 minutes so they do flatten in the oven.
The Dough Wasn’t Creamed Enough
Make sure to cream the butter and sugar for 1 minute. Then add the egg and vanilla and cream for another 1 minute.
My Cookies Turned Out Dry
This is most often caused by over-baking. Please be very careful and do not over bake these chocolate chip cookies. It’s also possible you used too much flour. See the step above on measuring flour.
Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe FAQs
The trick to making this best chocolate chip cookie recipe gooey is to not over-bake them.
See my troubleshooting tips above for an in-depth answer to this question. But the top reasons are: 1) You didn’t use enough flour (measure using grams). 2) Your baking soda or baking powder are expired or past their prime. (replace them). 3) Your ingredients or kitchen were too warm (chill the dough). 4) Your oven isn’t heating properly (get an oven thermometer to check).
See my troubleshooting tips above for an in-depth answer to this question. But the main reasons are 1) You used too much flour (measure in grams). 2) Your dough was cold (bake 1-2 minutes longer so they do flatten in the oven). 3) You didn’t beat the dough enough (follow the exact instructions on creaming).
Yes, you can do this! Here is the best way:
Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, put the cookies in the oven and start preheating it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and set the timer for 15 minutes. Do all three of these things at the same time. You bake while the oven is preheating. 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, or even smaller, make my mug cookie recipe!
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 questions I get asked most often, and the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. While 120 grams is the “accepted” 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, it’s 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.
Yes, I do this all the time. You can make the dough and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bake according to the recipe instructions, although if the dough is cold you may need to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time!
Yes! Follow my chocolate chip cookie bars recipe or make my chocolate chip cookie cake recipe – both are adapted from this chocolate chip cookie recipe so you know they’re good!
Yes, to make mini chocolate chip cookies use a ½ Tablespoon (7.5 mL) cookie scoop, roll into balls and bake for 5 or 6 minutes.
To make large cookies, use 4 to 6 Tablespoon of dough and bake for 10-11 minutes.
Yes, use gluten-free baking flour – make my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Yes, you can use brown butter but you have to slightly adjust the flour to account for the moisture loss when you do. Make my brown butter chocolate chip cookies recipe which was adapted from this chocolate chip cookie recipe!
I do not suggest tampering with this recipe because it’s absolutely perfect as-is. That being said, some readers have decreased both sugars by ¼ cup each with great results. But please, first make the recipe exactly as it is written.
More of My Favorite Cookie Recipes
- The BEST Cut Out Sugar Cookies – Perfect for Christmas (or any holiday really)!
- Make this giant chocolate chip cookie cake – better than store-bought and perfect for any occasion!
- For an easy and irresistible dessert, try this Skillet Cookie (Pizookie) recipe! It’s 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 my Oatmeal Cookie Recipe – it’s seriously the BEST!
- Classic Soft Peanut Butter Cookies – My personal favorite kind of cookie!
- Classic snickerdoodles! This is my grandma’s recipe, you will love them!
- Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
- The BEST Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies (EVER)! My favorite Christmas cookie!
- Brown butter chocolate chip cookies are so good.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 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
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt*
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). 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 the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed for an additional 1 minute. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until just incorporated.
- Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- 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. (Note: with 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, the cookie dough balls weigh 40-45 grams each).
- 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 transferring to cooling rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well and you do not have to change the amount of salt. Coconut oil and vegan butter are also good substitutes. Or, use browned butter. For a vegan version, make this recipe: vegan chocolate chip cookies, for a dairy free version make my dairy free chocolate chip cookies.
- Eggs. No eggs, no problem – see my eggless chocolate chip cookies for many possible egg substitutions.
- 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. Sea salt is different than table salt (that is iodized). If using iodized salt use ½ teaspoon.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My Story – Why These Cookies are So Special to Me
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!
Can I make this a day ahead and store in the refrigerator? I’m making these for my wife’s book club and I can’t make the day of.
Yes, I suggest making the dough a day ahead and baking the cookies fresh if you can. And if you’re baking them a day in advance I suggest storing them at room temperature in an airtight container, not in the refrigerator.
Took these to work yesterday and they were a hit! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Happy holidays xx
Happy Holidays to you Esther!
I’ve been using this cookie recipe for just over a year now, and I just came back to your page and read through its entirety. I’m so sorry for your twin loss, as a twin mom of just over a year, I thought I’d share that this recipe got me through post partum, as I baked a lot during maternity leave, and not all days were good. This recipe had stayed with me and now I share these cookies with family and just made some for our Neigbors this past week and it always gets a compliment, and actually won my husbands cooking baking contest for his job this year. I basically just wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe!
It brings me great joy to know that this recipe got you through a difficult postpartum season, ad what a gift to have sweet twins! How awesome that your hubby won a baking contest too! I’m so glad this recipe has brought your family so much joy Andrea!
Just wanted to thank you for the amazing recipe. As a stay at home Dad/caregiver, I’ve been slowly expanding my cooking, and baking was always something that I had difficulty with until I started grasping the basics – that said, I’d tinkered with my own recipe for a while, but wasn’t quite getting it. Finally gave in and looked up a recipe and saw the thousands of comments on this, and knew it was going to be good. They’re perfect chocolate chip cookies. Thank you again for sharing with the world.
I’m so happy you love them!
Hi! Can you use unsalted butter and can you use kosher salt? Can’t wait to make these😊
You can use unsalted butter. Make sure whatever salt you use is fine – not coarse.
Amazing recipe! My family absolutely loved these cookies. Perfect!
Thank you Sharon!
Hi Laura, I am starting my journey as a mom and am building a baking repertoire to capture memories of our family. Thank you for this simple recipe! I’ll confess that I made the big mistake of leaving them in too long! It’s wild the difference a minute makes! Still yummy but not consistently chewy 😅 I saved some extra dough so I’ll be trying this again in hope of redemption. Wish me luck!
Well, as a mom it’s VERY easy to miss a timer – I did it with a batch of gingerbread cookies yesterday! It’s true, baking time really matters and I’m certain your next batch will be perfect!
Out of context, but can we just appreciate how she’s still answering comments? Truly adorable. Also, I can’t wait to come back to this and bake my first CCCs EVER after my finals will finally be over <3
Hey Elene! I love answering comments – it’s something I will *always* do because I create all the recipes so I’m the best one to answer any questions people might have. Also, I truly love hearing from the people who make them! Also, finals over Christmas should not be allowed! 😉 I hope you ace all your finals and then enjoy these cookies!
Aww, it’s really sweet to see how much you value these interactions. Still, I have to say – answering the comments after more than SEVEN YEARS of publishing the post is beyond amazing – you’re truly awesome! Also, thank you so much for your kind wishes, God bless you and your beautiful family. Happy holidays! 🤍🎄
Thank you Elene! It’ll be 10 years in January! I have other people help me with photography now (who are way more talented than I am) but some things I just can’t give up like the writing and comments and creating! 🙂 Happy Holidays!
SO GOOD! Best chocolate chip cookie ever seriously
Thank you Sasha!
Thank you so much for sharing both the recipe and the story behind it. I found this recipe while baking cookies with my daughter for our neighbors, and they turned out beautifully—the best cookies I’ve ever made. We made more to share with loved ones who supported us after welcoming our newborn, and my daughter shared them at church with her Christmas cards.
When I later read your story at the end of the recipe, I was deeply touched, because “sharing with loved ones” was exactly what we were doing. Thank you for making it possible for us to bake, share, and bless others in this way.
I also felt a deep connection when reading your story. During my second pregnancy, we experienced the loss of a baby at seven weeks when no heartbeat was found. It was a very difficult time, but we are thankful for the support of friends and for the strength and hope we found in our faith in Christ. Because of the true meaning of Christmas, we can celebrate the lives of all our babies—including those we were not able to hold.
Merry Christmas to you and your family. May God fill your home with His love, grace, joy and peace.
Merry Christmas Abigail. I’m tearing up reading your comment today. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your story with me. I’m so, so sorry for your loss. I’m so glad you and your daughter are sharing these cookies with, and bringing joy to, so many. I read something the other day that touched me – it said, “Imagine opening your eyes for the first time in heaven and hearing a voice you’ve never heard before say “Mommy.” I truly believe we will meet our babies again one day. Merry Christmas.