Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I have made hundreds of chocolate chip cookies over my time as a food blogger and I can confidently say that this is the best recipe I have ever tried. This Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is incredible, and this post will teach you how to make it perfectly every time.
I have always loved to bake, so when I tell you that I have made chocolate chip cookies hundreds of times, it’s no exaggeration. All of these baking sessions have helped me narrow down what I want and don’t want in a perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. So when it finally came time to figure out my own personal recipe, I had an easy list to target!
My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Is:
- A chewy cookie with a lot of brown sugar
- Some chocolate chips but not too many chocolate chips
- A cookie that spreads and turns pillowy while baking
- More than an average amount of vanilla
I tested this recipe quite a few times, making tweaks here and there until I really feel like I got it perfect! It now checks all of my must-have boxes. I can’t wait for you to try it and experience the perfect Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
- Butter: I use unsalted butter because every brand of salted butter has a different amount of added salt, and I want to be able to control the salt content in my baked goods. Your butter should be room temperature which, if you use a meat thermometer, measures an internal temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brown Sugar: I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe. You can use dark brown sugar for a more molasses-y flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Using 2 parts brown sugar with 1 part granulated sugar is what makes for an extra chewy cookie.
- Egg: I use a large egg.
- Vanilla: I prefer some extra vanilla which is why my recipe calls for 2 teaspoons. Most chocolate chip cookie recipes of this size call for 1 tsp of vanilla, so feel free to reduce if that is your preference.
- All Purpose Flour: Make sure to use the scoop and level method for measuring out your flour so that your cookies turn out the same as these photos!
- Baking Soda: Baking soda in cookies makes for a chewy cookie while baking powder creates a cakey and airy cookie. That is why I am only using baking soda in my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.
- Salt: This is my personal preference on salt content… enough to draw out the flavors of the cookies and balance the sweetness, but not enough to taste the salt. If you love a sweet and salty flavor, feel free to add some flaky sea salt to the top of your cookies.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips: Feel free to substitute dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips if you prefer (use less than 3/4 cup if you are using mini chocolate chips).
Tools
- Stand Mixer: I prefer using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for making these Chocolate Chip Cookies. You can also use a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer.
- Wooden Spoon: Only use this to mix in your chocolate chips. Do not use your electric mixers to mix in your chocolate chips, as it will break the chips.
- Baking Sheet: Your baking sheet will affect the cook time of your cookies. If you have a dark baking sheet, they will likely be ready in 12-15 minutes. If you have a light baking sheet, it may take up to 18 minutes before your cookies are ready.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Wet Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Add the egg and vanilla into the cookie dough and beat again until just combined.
Step 2: Add the Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Step 3: Scoop and Bake
Scoop the cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using a #24 cookie scoop (about 2 ½ Tablespoons each).
Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes or until the edges turn brown but the centers are still soft.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- I use about 3 Tbsp of dough to form my cookies and bake 6 on a tray at a time.
- For picture perfect cookies, remove the cookies from the oven and use a spoon to push the edges until the cookies are perfect circles. Then hand-place chocolate chips strategically on top of the cookie.
- Do not overbeat after you add the egg. An over beaten egg will cause the cookies to be too cakey.
Variations on this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe
There are so many ways to adjust this chocolate chip cookie recipe to make it your own! Here are some adaptations to try out:
- Different Chocolate Chips: Try white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, or mini chocolate chips!
- Nuts: Walnuts or pecans would be delicious. You can also experiment with adding slivered almonds.
- Other Mix Ins: Try out different candies, oats, toffee, potato chips, or anything else that sounds delicious.
- Extracts: This recipe just uses vanilla, but you can also add almond extract, butter extract, or maple extract.
- Toppings: I added extra chocolate chips to the top of my Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies. You can also sprinkle them with some flaky sea salt, coconut, or dried fruits.
Recipe FAQs
You can store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days (if they last that long!).
You can also freeze them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to remove them from the freezer and leave them on the counter for at least 10 minutes before you want to eat them!
Parchment paper spreads out the heat of the oven so that you get an even bake on your cookie sheet. If you have an old cookie sheet that bakes unevenly or an oven with hot spots, parchment paper might be helpful to getting an even bake on your cookies. But in most cases you can use an ungreased cookie sheet without parchment paper.
If you accidentally leave your cookies on the counter for too long and they get stale, you can save them! Lock them in an airtight container overnight along with a slice of bread. The next morning the bread will be stale and the cookies will be back to perfectly soft.
Did you love this Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Key Lime Cookies
- Traditional Italian Pizzelle Recipe
- Fast and Easy Maple Cookies
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla into the cookie dough and beat again until just combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using a #24 cookie scoop (about 2 ½ Tablespoons each).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes or until the edges turn brown but the centers are still soft.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Butter: I use unsalted butter because every brand of salted butter has a different amount of added salt, and I want to be able to control the salt content in my baked goods. Your butter should be room temperature which, if you use a meat thermometer, measures an internal temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brown Sugar: I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe. You can use dark brown sugar for a more molasses-y flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Using 2 parts brown sugar with 1 part granulated sugar is what makes for an extra chewy cookie.
- Egg: I use a large egg.
- Vanilla: I prefer some extra vanilla which is why my recipe calls for 2 teaspoons. Most chocolate chip cookie recipes of this size call for 1 tsp of vanilla, so feel free to reduce if that is your preference.
- All Purpose Flour: Make sure to use the scoop and level method for measuring out your flour so that your cookies turn out the same as these photos!
- Baking Soda: Baking soda in cookies makes for a chewy cookie while baking powder creates a cakey and airy cookie. That is why I am only using baking soda in my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.
- Salt: This is my personal preference on salt content… enough to draw out the flavors of the cookies and balance the sweetness, but not enough to taste the salt. If you love a sweet and salty flavor, feel free to add some flaky sea salt to the top of your cookies.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips: Feel free to substitute dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips if you prefer (use less than 3/4 cup if you are using mini chocolate chips).
- I use about 3 Tbsp of dough to form my cookies and bake 6 on a tray at a time.
- For picture perfect cookies, remove the cookies from the oven and use a spoon to push the edges until the cookies are perfect circles. Then hand-place chocolate chips strategically on top of the cookie.
- Do not over beat after you add the egg. An over beaten egg will cause the cookies to be too cakey.
Oh my goodness!! I made these for the first time tonight, I been looking for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe and these are it! They came out perfect and delicious, used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet, made them smaller so I got 18 instead of 12 approximately a Little over a tablespoon scoop. Definitely need to double the recipe next time lol thank you for this recipe I love them.
This makes me so happy Nicky, I’m so glad that you loved them!! Thank you for the review 🙂