Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
These thick, chewy chocolate chip cookies are the perfect mix of gooey centers, crispy edges, and rich chocolatey goodness. Whether you chill the dough or bake them right away, they’ll be your go-to treat for family nights, bake sales, and every cookie craving in between!
Servings: 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup); softened at cool room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir through chocolate chips and set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Reduce speed to low and blend in eggs and vanilla extract until combined - do not overmix.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not overmix.
- Optional chill: EITHER wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. OR continue immediately with recipe, yielding slightly less chewy/thick but still perfectly delicious cookies.
- Shape cookies: Scoop dough into 3 tablespoon-sized balls, and space 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. (If dough was refrigerated, allow to soften enough at room temperature to be scoopable. If dough was scooped without chilling, freeze dough balls on baking sheets for 10-15 minutes, while oven preheats.)
- Bake cookies: Heat oven to 375°F. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, in the preheated oven for 9–12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden and tops are just set. Thoroughly chilled cookie dough may need 1-2 minutes longer to bake.
- Cool on pan: Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter; if using salted, reduce added salt to ¼ tsp.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips create a perfect balance; swap in dark, white, or chopped chocolate as desired.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar adds softness; dark brown gives deeper flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla is best, but imitation works in a pinch.
Recipe tips
- Soft butter: Use butter softened at cool room temperature for the best texture.
- Measure carefully: Fluff, spoon, and level flour to avoid dense cookies.
- Chill or freeze dough: Chill for thicker cookies or freeze scooped dough for 10 - 15 minutes before baking.
- Don’t overbake: Pull cookies when edges are golden and centers look soft; they’ll set as they cool.
- Bake one sheet at a time: Ensures even baking for perfect results.
Storage tips
- Countertop: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days; add a slice of bread to keep them soft.
- Freezing dough: Freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
- Freezing cookies: Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven.