
- How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Key Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 2 Major Success Tips
- Can I Freeze This Cookie Dough?
- The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Common Questions
- Final Cookie Thoughts: Try It, You’ll Love It
Chocolate Chip Cookie cravings hit weirdly hard sometimes, right? Like, you’re just sitting around, maybe watching TV or scrolling your feed, and bam: only a soft, gooey cookie will do. That’s exactly why I’ve spent actual years (ask my friends, it’s embarrassing) testing out recipes hoping to find my forever favorite cookie method. If you’re on the hunt for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that always delivers none of those sad, cardboard-tasting flops stick with me. I’ll spill my best tricks for chewy middles, crisp edges, and those melty chocolate bits. Oh, speaking of, you should check out this classic, never-fail chocolate chip cookie recipe or maybe jump into a different adventure with chocolate chip banana bread. Just saying, options are good!
PrintIrresistible Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You’ll Love
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!
- Prep Time: 10minutes
- Cook Time: 8minutes
- Total Time: 30minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
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In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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Cream together butter and sugars until combined.
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Beat in eggs and vanilla until light (about 1 minute).
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Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
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Add chocolate chips and mix well.
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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.
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Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown.
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Let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
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. For a vegan version, make this recipe: vegan 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. 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 in this website.
How to Bake Frozen Dough
There are two ways to bake frozen dough:
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- 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).
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- 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 Size: 1cookie
- Calories: 183kcal
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 153mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 27mg
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let’s keep it real: cookies aren’t rocket science, but a couple moves make a world of difference. I start with softened butter (room temp, trust me), cream it with brown and white sugar in a bowl. Might seem basic, but it’s a step you don’t wanna rush. That fluffiness brings the right chew.
Next up, egg and vanilla swing in stirring just until it’s moody and a little shiny. Don’t overthink it. Dry ingredients jump in next: flour (spooned and leveled please don’t dump and pack it like gravel), baking soda, and salt. Gentle fold, not a wrestling match.
Now, magic time. Chocolate chips I go crazy mixing dark and milk, sometimes toss in a handful of chopped bar for mega-chocolate vibes. Plop dough balls onto a tray, give ’em some space, and, oh, pop them into the oven. Wait, wait! Don’t wander off. These bake up fast. The house will smell like a five-star bakery (and your family/roomies/neighbors will hover suspiciously). Pull ’em out when the edges are golden but the middles still look soft. That’s perfection. Okay. Hungry yet? Me too.
“These cookies were the only thing my picky nephew would eat at our family reunion. Now my entire family asks for them every year!” – Sarah T.

Key Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Wanna know the not-so-secret to chewy, bakery-style cookies? It’s all about these:
- Butter (salted or unsalted, but always soft and never melty)
- Brown sugar for that caramel-y taste, white sugar for some crisp
- Egg you need it for binding and richness, one large, room temp (makes a big difference!)
- A heap of chocolate chips or chunks the more the merrier
- Sub out half the flour for bread flour if you want even more chew (seriously, try it once)
My mom tried swapping in coconut oil; eh, the flavor was fun, but I gotta say, classic butter’s hard to beat. Same goes for tossing in a sprinkle of sea salt right before baking trust me, it POPS. The whole house gets that buttery vibe, and noses start peeking out of every room.

2 Major Success Tips
Alright, two tips that changed my whole chocolate chip cookie game.
First, chill that dough. I’m not saying you gotta wait all night (who even has patience for that?), but even thirty minutes in the fridge lets the flavors cozify and the texture gets mega-good. I’ve skipped this and, ugh, the cookies puff up weird and go flat too soon.
Second, don’t overbake. Take your cookies out when they look underdone in the center but have set edges. Trust leave `em on the tray for five more minutes and they finish up perfectly. If you bake too long, you’ll get crunchy hockey pucks. Nobody wants that (except maybe my dad, but he likes weird stuff).
One more wild trick: add a little sprinkle of sea salt when they’re fresh outta the oven. Next level delicious.
Can I Freeze This Cookie Dough?
Heck yes. One of my favorite time-savers! If you’re all about warm cookies on a whim (late-night snackers, this is for you), here’s how:
Scoop balls of dough onto a baking sheet. Don’t bake, just freeze ‘til solid. Drop ‘em in a zip bag and stash in the freezer. Then go wild bake straight from frozen, just add a couple extra minutes to the oven time. Dough lasts for months. Like, magical instant cookies on demand!
Seriously, nothing beats popping a few in the oven after a crazy day. Instant homemade vibes, always a win.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
Lots of folks ask if you can swap or substitute stuff in this chocolate chip cookie recipe. I say, you do you, but a few notes:
I use all-purpose flour for my base, but like I said swap a little for bread flour if you crave chew. Butter is gold, but melted coconut oil will work if you’re out (expect sweeter flavor and a hint of coconut).
Eggs? Large please. Don’t have one? Sub two tablespoons of milk and a touch of baking powder but results will not be quite the same. Always, always use fresh baking soda.
Chocolate chips are classic, but chopped chocolate bars or dark chocolate chunks get those epic puddles of goo. White chocolate works, too…but that’s a whole debate in my family.
If you’re curious about other fun spins, there’s cottage cheese chocolate mousse and peanut butter cookies out there for when you’re feeling adventurous.
Common Questions
Why did my cookies go flat?
Usually it’s a butter thing too soft or melted, or maybe too little flour. Try chilling your dough a bit longer and be gentle with how you measure the flour.
Can I double this recipe?
For sure! Just make sure your mixer can handle it. If not, split it up and mix in batches.
Can I use dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet chips?
Absolutely. It gives a deeper, almost fudgy effect (this is my preference!)
How long do cookies last?
Up to a week in a tight container, but honestly, mine never make it past three days before vanishing.
Can I bake smaller or bigger cookies?
Yep. Bake time just changes. Big ones need a little more, mini ones a little less. Watch the edges!
Final Cookie Thoughts: Try It, You’ll Love It
Is there anything better than pulling a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies from the oven? They fill your kitchen with joy and let’s be real, everyone’s got their own trick (and strong opinions). If you’re ever curious about tweaks, tricks, or even totally different cookies, check out resources like The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever – JoyFoodSunshine or Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (Popular Recipe!) – Sally’s Baking for even more ideas. My advice? Get in there, try it out, and if your first batch turns out messy—well, that’s what milk is for. The perfect cookie is all about trial, error, and a little bit of fun. Happy baking!

Hi, I’m Lina! I’m a 43-year-old home cook and mom of two, serving up easy, soul-hugging recipes for real-life families. Join me for delicious and reliable baking recipes. Everything from cakes, brownies, cheese cake and cookies to bars, quick breads, and more. Every recipe is tested, perfected, and made to inspire confidence in your kitchen. Happy baking!
