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This is the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and the only one you need, seriously. Over a million people have seen this recipe and it has over 500 5-star reviews! One bowl, no mixer, a soft cookie with crisp edges and tons of gooey chocolate chips – this is the recipe YOU need to make.
Why are these the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies?
THIS chocolate chip cookie recipe is the only one that you need. It’s a soft and chewy cookie, full of chocolate, tons of flavor with the best taste, crisp edges and soft, gooey centers. They’re easy to make with no weird ingredients and you can change up the recipe to make any kind of cookie recipe you want.
Important Ingredients Needed
- Butter – I use unsalted butter in all my cookie recipes, unless otherwise specified. I like being able to control the amount of salt added. But you can also use salted butter, just cut down on the added salt. I use MELTED butter in this recipe to create a rich toffee-like flavor, plus you don’t need a mixer!
- All Purpose Flour – be sure to measure it correctly. All-purpose flour is important for cookies – it helps create the structure and softness you expect. Too much and the cookie will be dense, to little and they will spread. Type of flour is also important – I don’t recommend substituting other flours in this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips vs Chocolate Chunks – use your favorite milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips – chocolate chunks work too. Or chop up a chocolate bar!
How to you make Chocolate Chip Cookies like a pro
- Prepare your ingredients: Melt your butter in a large bowl. You don’t even need to use a mixer unless you want to. Measure your sugars correctly and if you remember, allow your eggs to come to room temperature.
- Mixing Process: Add white sugar and brown sugar to the melted butter and stir until combined. Add a whole egg, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. Stir. It’s important to mix the sugars with the butter first, to allow the sugar to start to dissolve to create that toffee-like flavor. Combine flour into the wet ingredients. Again, you don’t need a mixer unless you want to use one. Stir in chocolate.
- Baking to perfection: Use a cookie scoop to scoop 1- or 2-tablespoon balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a baking mat. Chill the dough at least 30 minutes! Chilling the dough allows the butter to harden so they stay soft in the oven and don’t flatten too much, and it also allows the flavors to come together. Once chilled, space cookies 2-inches apart on baking sheet bake at 350° until they’re just no longer glossy and light golden around the edges.
Freezing Cookie Dough
Scoop the balls of chocolate chip cookie dough onto your cookie sheet, cover with plastic, and freeze the cookie sheet until the dough balls are frozen. Then place them in an airtight container and store in freezer.
How to bake cookies from frozen cookie dough:
- You can bake these directly from frozen as directed. Place them spaced on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat baking mats and bake until they just loose their glossy sheen.
- You can also let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 30 minutes before baking. They’ll turn out perfect!
Storing & Freezing Baked Cookies
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days.
- Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container after they’ve cooled.
Tip From Dorothy
Tips For Perfect Cookies Every Time
Secrets to Thick & Chewy Cookies
- Do not skip the chill step! Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading and flattening too much. It also allows the gluten to rest and form which keeps the cookies soft on the inside.
- Melted butter is key to giving this recipe its unparalleled flavor with the brown sugar and helps avoid over mixing (which can affect texture). Brown sugar also keeps the cookie thicker – granulated sugar causes cookies to spread more.
Achieving the Perfect Texture
- Measure the flour correctly! Be sure not to pack your flour. I like to use a spoon to spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off. Too much flour makes a cake-like or dry cookie.
- Be sure not to over bake! These cookies are done as SOON as you notice that the top looks no longer glossy and the bottoms are just slightly golden brown. They’ll settle as they cool and finish cooking; if you wait to take them out until they’re all the way golden they’ll be over baked.
Variations
- You can double this cookie recipe, make the cookies as big or small as you want.
- You can turn them into pan cookies or cookie cakes and add any mix-ins you like. Think of the recipe as a blank canvas.
- Be sure to use the types of chocolate chips you like.
- I also like sprinkling these with sea salt for salted chocolate cookies.
FAQ about Chocolate Chip Cookies
Be sure to chill them: if you bake them too soon after mixing they will spread out because the melted butter needs to firm up before going into the hot oven.
Other reasons cookies spread and flatten: too much baking soda or not enough flour, but don’t worry – this recipe has been tried and tested so many times I know it’s the perfect amount.
They might be TOO cold! If you’ve chilled them longer than an hour or two, or if you’ve frozen the dough, then they might be so cold the heat of the oven can’t catch up. What to do: press them slightly with the palm of your hand before they go into the oven. This helps start them to spread out – but don’t worry they won’t spread too much!
You can freeze cooled cookies or freeze the cookie dough balls before you bake them.
Do not over bake these – they are done as soon as the edges are light golden and the center is no longer glossy.
BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (104g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (255g) chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)
Instructions
- Note: This dough requires chilling.
- Place melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Add granulated and brown sugars and mix on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Mix in egg and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Mix in baking soda and salt, then slowly mix in flour and mix just until the batter is smooth and comes together. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl during mixing. Slowly mix in chocolate chips.
- Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Spacing doesn’t matter because you will be chilling the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a second cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove the chilled cookie dough balls from the refrigerator and space them 2-inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake (2 tablespoon sized cookies) for 11-15 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden and the tops are no longer glossy. Let cool on the cookie sheets at least 10 minutes before removing.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- How to freeze: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to two months.
- Freezing cookie dough: Freeze balls of cookie dough in a single layer. Once frozen you can put them in an airtight bag or container. Bake directly from frozen as directed (allow cookies to thaw on cookie sheet while oven preheats).
- If your cookies don’t seem to be flattening, you can press them lightly before or during baking with the palm of your hand to help them along. This happens sometimes when they are very cold, and it can also happen with different brands of ingredients.
- Try using white chocolate chips or a combination of milk, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips instead of all one flavor. You can even substitute butterscotch or peanut butter chips, or add your favorite nuts. Just keep the amount of add-ins to 1 1/2 cups.
- Want chewy cookies? Try my BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.
Recipe Nutrition
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Last Updated on March 9, 2024
Please help…I always second guess the time to bake. I was going to try a batch of PB/CC mix chips.
Depends on the size but I always bake the 2 tablespoon balls for about 15 min in my oven.
I’ve been searching for the perfect cookie recipe for years! These are truly the **BEST** in my book. Thanks so much!!
Thank you for this recipe it was so easy and the cookies were scrumptious… I had to ship some to my oldest daughter to keep us for eating them all up.
Love you receipts.
Was this recipe recently updated? I’ve been using this for years and recently came back to it after some time and the sugars to butter ratio felt off and the cookie itself is noticeably more savory. If the measurements have changed do you mind sharing the past measurements?
The recipe hasn’t changed. I’m not sure why it seems savory – there is a LOT of chocolate in it.
Agree and I LOVE chocolate!
haven’t started – was psyched that the notes ready to chill for half an hour – then in more comments mentioned chilling for an hour or two. Then the actual recipe says to chill for two hours. I thought I had time before work but guess not!
As long as you chill them at least 30 minutes they’re fine. I like chilling them longer for the flavor to develop.
Best ever chocolate chip cookies. I made them several times and it’s always a success. Thank you so much for the recipe and the tips.
I stumbled across your recipe today and decided to give it a try. Wow! I knew they were going to be good when I tasted the dough. This is the best recipe I’ve found. Kudos to you!
So glad you like them!
AMAZING! This cookie recipe is my new favorite basic cookie recipe. It was a one bowl recipe, which I love, because its minimal dishwashing, and it was also very low mess as well. The insides are gooey, rich, and very chocolate-y. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I cannot stop eating this.
Not great. Mediocre.
I’m sorry you didn’t like them! Everyone’s taste are certainly different. Can you let me know what you didn’t like?
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