Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Cream butter and sugars, beat in eggs and vanilla, mix in flour and baking soda, fold in chocolate chips, and bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes. Pull them when the edges are set but the centers still look underdone — they'll firm up as they cool.

Jump to Recipe

Chocolate chip cookies are mostly a negotiation between crisp edges and a center that still knows how to bend. This version leans chewy: brown sugar holds moisture, an extra egg yolk adds richness without pushing the dough toward cakey, and a full three minutes of creaming the butter with both sugars builds the structure that helps the cookies spread without turning flat and greasy. Once the flour goes in, enthusiasm becomes the enemy. Mix only until it disappears, fold in the semisweet chips by hand, and portion the dough onto parchment-lined pans. The oven is set to 375°F, so the outside can brown while the middle stays soft. Pull them when the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underdone; they continue setting on the hot baking sheet after they leave the oven.

A little flaky salt on top is technically optional in the same way pants are technically optional when checking the mailbox at 6 a.m. You can skip it. You may also discover consequences. That pinch of salt cuts through the butter and sugar and makes the chocolate taste more pronounced, which is why one warm cookie has a habit of becoming three before anyone has located the cooling rack.

Prep15 minutes

Cook11 minutes

Total26 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling time)

Serves24 cookies

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks / 227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (165g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (340g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt for finishing (optional but not really optional)

Instructions

1Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Do not skip the parchment — that's not a suggestion, that's an intervention.
2Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
3In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 3 full minutes. You want it light, fluffy, and noticeably paler than when you started. If you only go 60 seconds, you will know it and the cookie will know it.
4Add the 2 whole eggs plus the extra yolk one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. The extra yolk is the move — it adds richness and chew without making the cookie cakey.
5Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix once the flour is in. The dough should look shaggy and then suddenly come together.
6Fold in the chocolate chips by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon.
7Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. One hour is better. Two hours is best. Overnight is for people who have more patience than I do, and the cookies will reward them for it.
8Scoop the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
9Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are golden and set but the centers still look slightly underdone and glossy. Pull them at underdone. I am telling you. Pull them at underdone.
10Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will continue to set as they cool and reach their final chewy texture.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 cookie (recipe makes 24).

240Calories

2 gProtein

31 gCarbohydrates

12 gTotal Fat

8 gSaturated Fat

1 gFiber

20 gTotal Sugars

110 mgSodium

40 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Weigh your flour if you can. Scooping flour directly from the bag packs it down and you can end up with 20-30% more than the recipe calls for, which is how you end up with a cookie that tastes like a regrettable decision.
Room temperature butter matters. If yours is straight from the fridge, cut it into small cubes and let it sit for 30 minutes. If it's melted, you'll get a flat, greasy cookie that spreads across the pan like it was trying to escape.
The 30-minute chill is not optional garnish. Cold dough spreads slower in the oven, which gives the cookies time to puff up before they flatten out. The difference between chilled and unchilled dough is the difference between a cookie and a cookie-adjacent situation.

Substitutions

unsalted butter → salted butter Works fine — just reduce the added salt in the recipe to 1/2 teaspoon

semi-sweet chocolate chips → dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar Chopped chocolate creates irregular melty pools throughout the cookie, which is genuinely superior if you want to commit to the bit

all-purpose flour → bread flour Higher protein content increases chewiness — use the same amount, expect a slightly denser, chewier result

eggs → flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg, rested 5 min) For a vegan version alongside vegan butter — texture will be slightly softer and less chewy but still very good

light brown sugar → dark brown sugar More molasses flavor and slightly more moisture — great if you want a deeper, more caramel-forward cookie

Storage Instructions

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a slice of white bread in the container — it sounds bizarre, but the cookies pull moisture from the bread and stay soft. Refrigerating baked cookies dries them out and is not recommended. Freeze baked cookies in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Make Ahead

The raw dough can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours before baking — flavor improves with time. For longer storage, scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until solid (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 13-14 minutes. No thawing required, which is the best thing I can say about anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes. Mix the cookie dough ahead and keep it covered and refrigerated until you are ready to portion and bake. You can also bake the cookies ahead and store them only after they have cooled completely.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a slice of white bread in the container — it sounds bizarre, but the cookies pull moisture from the bread and stay soft. Refrigerating baked cookies dries them out and is not recommended. Freeze baked cookies in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Can I freeze it?

Yes. See the storage section on this page for exact freezing and thawing directions — most versions of Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe freeze well for up to 2–3 months when cooled fully first and portioned into airtight containers.

Can I adjust it for what I have on hand?

Yes. Tested adjustments on this recipe include unsalted butter → salted butter; semi-sweet chocolate chips → dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar; and all-purpose flour → bread flour.

What's the most common mistake to avoid?

Weigh your flour if you can. Scooping flour directly from the bag packs it down and you can end up with 20-30% more than the recipe calls for, which is how you end up with a cookie that tastes like a regrettable decision.