Chocolate Chip Cookies: the best recipe for classic buttery, chewy chocolate chip cookies

There's nothing better than homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. This easy cookie recipe is always a popular treat to make, whether you want to satisfy your sweet tooth or are looking to slip a homemade snack into your kids' packed lunch.

With their buttery, sweet flavor and crispy around the edges and chewy on the inside texture, it's no surprise why everyone loves classic chocolate chip cookies.

These cookies are super easy to customize. No matter what you do, don't forget a big glass of milk or cup of tea to wash them down!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Origins

This popular cookies were first invented by American chefs Ruth Graves and Sue Brides in 1983, when they owned the restaurant Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. According to rumors, this recipe was created by accident, when pieces of chocolate dropped into the cookie dough by mistake.

On the other hand, Wakefield stated that he added a chopped semi-sweet Nestlé chocolate bar to the cookie dough. This was how the so-called Toll House Cookies was born. The same original recipe is also known as Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies as referred in Wakefield's cookbook Toll House Tried and True Recipes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

To make the best chocolate chip cookies, you'll need flour, brown sugar, white sugar, and butter. Salted butter will give your cookies better flavor while mixing brown and white sugar will give the cookies a more nuanced taste and softer texture. You can use all brown or all white sugar if you prefer.

You'll also need an egg, some vanilla extract, and of course, high-quality chocolate chips.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips are always delicious, but milk, dark or white chocolate all work as well.

Finally, don't forget the baking soda. This will help leaven your cookies while they're baking and give them that wonderful soft texture.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch

Making these ultra-soft, perfectly sweet chocolate cookies is a breeze. Start by heating your oven to 350F and lining a baking tray with parchment paper.

Making the Cookie Dough

To make the cookie dough, grab your hand-held mixer and whisk the melted butter and both sugars until the mixture becomes light and creamy. Mix in the egg and vanilla, beating until just combined – don't overbeat the egg! This will make your cookies hard and stiff. Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips

Rolling the Cookie Dough 

To shape the dough, grab bits of dough and roll them between your palms to form 12 equally sized balls.

Baking the Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake your chocolate chip cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until lightly golden in color. Be careful not to overbake them as this will make them hard. Take the tray out of the oven and let the cookies cool before digging in.

Tips for the Best Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

If your cookies are flattening out, try chilling the dough so the butter doesn't spread as easily when baking – this is what causes the cookies to flatten. About 30 minutes should do, but you can keep them in the fridge overnight.

Puffy cookies are usually caused by butter that hasn't melted properly or the addition of too much flour.

For softer, moister cookies, use all brown sugar.

Don't overbake your cookies. This will make them hard instead of lovely, soft, and chewy.

If you like cakey-like cookies you should try adding an extra egg as the yolk proteins make the dough super soft.

If you decide to use unsalted butter, add a little extra salt to your dough.

Don't overbeat the egg when adding it to the butter mixture otherwise, your cookies will be stiff.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Variations

To make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, use your preferred gluten-free flour in place of AP flour.

To make vegan chocolate chip cookies, swap out the butter for oil, use silken tofu or a flax egg instead of a chicken egg, and use plant-based chocolate.

Add other delicious ingredients to your cookies like chopped nuts, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, toffee, M&Ms, or dried fruit. Get creative.

How to Store Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Keep cooled chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Can You Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Of course! Frozen chocolate chip cookies will last up to 3 months. Thaw them out overnight when you're ready to enjoy them again.

You can also freeze the dough before baking the cookies. Frozen chocolate chip cookies dough will last between 9 months to a year. Let it thaw out slightly before baking it.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the butter in a large bowl.

Add the white sugar.

Add the brown sugar.

With an electric mixer, beat the ingredients until light and creamy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla until the mixture is just combined.

Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Mix well.

Shape the dough into 12 balls.

Place them on the baking tray.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until lightly golden in color.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients to make your chocolate chip cookies.