Since I started blogging I’ve always wanted to do a post on my chocolate chip cookies. You see.. my chocolate chips are all that and a bag of pretzels. But the problem is, EVERYONE and their grandma think their chocolate chip cookies are the best. So I decided I wouldn’t do a post because it seemed overplayed (putting it mildly). I just didn’t have it in me to enter the “I have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe” rat race.
But months ago I had asked the question on Twitter on why people believed their recipe was really the best. And from that moment on, Ashley Rodriguezand I would engage in the “Chocolate chip cookie Tweet wars”. I asked her to post her recipe and she kindly pointed me to her beautiful site. I made her recipe that same evening and I must say they were incredibly good. I reported back my results to her and said this.. “They were really good, almost as good as mine.” Her next tweet went something like this, “Almost?” – a.k.a “Say what?!?” Because we’re good friends and lovingly joke around a lot with each other, I can tell you that she really does have a fabulous recipe. But I can also tell you with bold confidence, my recipe is pretty fierce – if I do say so myself. The reason why I love this recipe is because it is not overly sweet and primarily uses brown sugar. The brown sugar gives it a more caramel type chewiness and more depth than the traditional Toll House type of recipe. As a result, you get a nice crisp bottom, but the rest of the cookie is soft and chewy.
These are the cookies my sister who lives in Germany asks me to send her because they are all she can think about when she thinks of home. They are the same cookies she shared with her platoon in Iraq and the same cookies I will be sending to her in Afghanistan. I once sent her a batch of a new recipe and trust me, she noticed. I was told not to deceive her again and send my version only.
But last night it happened again. It all started out so innocently. A typical night of tweeting and before I knew it, somehow I had trash tweeted my way into a chocolate chip cookie bake off with my good friends Lorna Yee and Ashley Rodriguez. If I recall correctly, the conversation went something like this.
Me to Ashley: Bring It!
Ashley to Me: Oh I’ll Bring It!
And before I knew it, other people were arranging a bake off. Moral of the story.. do not tweet and trash if you can’t back it up. And for the record, I can back it up. Enough said.
I present to you my favorite and original Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Enjoy!
| The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe EVER! |
|
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour *If at all possible, please weigh the flour
- 3/4 tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes on medium-high speed on a K-5). Add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface. Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
*please do not use table salt, the sea salt gives the cookies a nice flavor and hints of texture. If you only have table salt, use 1/2 tsp. *When using sea salt, you will get small crunchy flecks of salt when you bite into the cookie. If you do not like this taste, go with 1/2 teaspoon of table salt.
*I realized grocery stores sell bags of chocolate chips in 12 oz bags but this recipe really needs every last chip. Otherwise you’ll get cookies with only a few chips in each one and this recipe requires lots of chocolate to bulk the cookie up. You’ll need about 1 1/2 bags.
*Troubleshooting*
-If you’re cookies are coming out flat and not like the pictures there are probably 3 reasons for this.
#1) Baking powder and Baking soda is old. If your baking powder and soda is older than 1 year and has not been in a sealed (preferably air tight) container, it has lost some of it rising qualities.
#2) Creaming. It is not enough to just cream the butter and sugars until it has come together. This recipe requires you to beat it with a mixer for 3 minutes until the texture of the butter and sugar turns to light and fluffy-just like the picture.
#3) Flour. Flour should be weighed. This can make or break the recipe because just scooping flour into a measuring cup will never yield ideal or consistent results.
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I was skeptical, but these really are the best choc chip cookies I have even made and I have made A LOT. Thanks, Alice!
I just made these this weekend, and you’re right – they’re wonderful! I just posted about them on my blog actually. However, mine turned out pretty thin and crispy. Is that they way they are supposed to be? It seemed like they spread a lot on the parchment paper. They tasted amazing, but I”m just wondering if I did something wrong or if they are just a thinner cookie.
Hi Megan,
Glad you liked the cookies -Your cookies look great!
The cookies will be thinner than a traditional bakery style cookie. The chocolate chips is what helps “bulk” up the cookie. If you are looking for a more thicker cookie, you can play around with adjusting the baking soda by an additional 1/2 tsp, add more chocolate chips, and even toss some nuts in there. Hope this helps!
-Alice
I just tried these and they were AMAZING! I did add the extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and they were nice and thick, just the way my roommates and I like them
Thank you so much for the recipe!
I chose this recipe because they’re supposed to be thin, but mine still came out thick and fluffy? Any idea of why this would happen? They are still tasty with a nice texture!
Thanks.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your comment and question. I don’t know why yours came out so thick and fluffy.. the only thing I can think of is the amount of flour. Did you weigh your flour or just use a measuring cup? If you used a measuring cup, often times it is much more than what it would weigh by weight of cup. And more flour would make it denser. Get back to me if this is not the case.
Thanks!
Alice
I found this recipe and website in a google search. I will try it and et you know. Sounds amazing and more reasonable than other recipes I have seen out there… Just a question: do you let your dough sit overnight? I read a couple of articles about it and it kind of makes sense…
What do you think?
Hi Serena,
I know some recipes like the famous NY Times recipe requires it to sit 36 hours. My recipe is super easy (no-full). Just make the dough, scoop some on a cookie sheet, and bake. Hope that helps!
I just tried this recipe and LOVE it! I must admit, I was a bit skeptical when I found the recipe. I am one of the pickiest cookie bakers ever. I like cookies that look bakery worthy and taste amazing. These cookies fit right into that category.
I was short on brown sugar so I did 3/4 of a cup of brown and the rest regular sugar and it worked out fine. I did large cookies that took about 16 minutes to bake and only fit about 6 cookies on a half sheet pan but hey, I probably couldn’t eat more than 6 in 16 minutes so it worked out perfectly.
I made these tonight and they truly were one of the best cookies I have ever eaten. I have tried so many choc chip cookies recipes and these were fabulous! I halfed the recipe and it was great. Perfect!
Those choc chip cookies from Alice r really the best! I love to cook and bake, and these are wonderful. The coarse sale is such a winner.
So, Alice, I really think we must be friends.
Cutie blogger…is really not even the best title for you. You’re the best. Your twitter fight with Ashley made ME laugh out loud.
And these cookies ARE the best. Thanks for claiming the title. I will let people know how right you are.
I just made these and they are scrumptious, and the prettiest cookies I’ve ever made. I don’t have a cookie scoop, so I rolled them into little balls prior to baking. I used 3/4 tsp of Kosher salt in lieu of Sea salt, since I had none. I also threw in a half cup each of dried cherries and chopped walnuts. Mmh, this is a perfect cookie recipe. Thank you!
Did you really mean 360 degrees? It worked great, though I’ve only ever heard 350.
Calli,
Yes the temperature of the recipe is 360. I learned this tip from Ashley Rodgriguez. When you open the oven door after pre-heating, you will lose some heat. This way your cookies will bake at 350!
Hi Alice,
Thanks – that’s a great tip!
PS – I cooked mine for 15-17 minutes.
-Calli
Alice these were amazing! i like how they are not too sweet yet still delicious! Im bringing them in for a presentation, and i hope everyone else will enjoy them as much as i did! xD
Yup, these are awesome! Do you recommend light brown or dark brown sugar?
OH MY! I was skeptical, but these are just devine.
My boyfriend and I got creative – we made half the bater w/large milk chocolate chips and the other half we added 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips, 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, 3 TableSpoons of coco powder & 1 tsp. of pure almond extract…the results of the triple chocolate almond cookies, were sooo good! Must try it! All of them came out just perfect…and tasted just as good after they cooled! Nice and chewy like we like!
THANK YOU!
I usually use Wendy G.’s recipe, but these were better. I was afraid of using so much more flour than usual, so I did 2.5 instead of 3. They came out so chewy and delicious.
Just made a 1/2 batch – fantastic! I always have a hard time with the too thick/fluffy thing, too – I’ll try weighing the flour next time. Thanks for the recipe!
For the record, this recipe rocks. Thanks for sharing.
I tried this recipe this evening. My dough turn out to be watery. What do i do wrong? Please help! Thank you
I made these cookies yesterday but subbed in Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free flour and xanthan gum, lactose-free margarine, and chopped Ghirardelli dark chocolate (which doesn’t have dairy ingredients) because of dietary reasons. I also used the extra 1/2 tsp of baking soda and a bit more brown sugar and less of sugar than the recipe calls for. The cookies came out flat, but with perfect texture. By far the best cookies I’ve ever made.
I happened to stumble on this recipe in a search on the internet. Boy, what a find! The BEST chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had and I can’t believe they came out of my kitchen! Thank you Alice for this amazing recipe!
the best cookie ever. My family loves them. I will always use this recipe. thank you so much
Hey!
I haven’t made these yet, but I’m wondering how many cookies the recipe makes. I was looking for a simple recipe b/c some friends and I are going to be making a huge batch. We want 200-300 cookies.
Thanks!
Hey Alice, its my sister’s birthday this weekend and instead of the normal regular drop cookies, she wants a big cookie cake. Do you have any suggestions as to how long I should bake it or how high the heat should be?
I did not like this recipe. I fallowed it excatly as you had it and it came out crumbly the only thing I did different is that I did not have a beater. I didnt have my grandmother’s recipe so I tried this because it came as close to it as any other I found did. I have mixed hers up by hand and it still came out great. Im not really shure why this did not come out correct.
Alice,
Im having issues with my dough rising. I added the extra 1/2 tsp of baking powder and they still came out flat. Maybe the altitude? I’m at 5000 ft.
Any suggestions?
Mariah: I get about 48 cookies per batch using a smallish-medium sized cookie scoop. Hope that helps.
Paolo: Sent you an email.
Holly: I’m sorry you did not like this recipe. It really does require the use of a beater and preferably a kitchen scale to weigh the flour. The beater gets the dough very light, creamy, and fluffy so when you bake it, it rises slightly higher and everything comes together. The use of a kitchen scale also helps make sure not too much flour is used.
Audrey:Here are my thoughts re: rising issues. Sometimes cookies and other baked goods will not rise as much as it can due to baking powder/baking soda being too old and not creaming butter and sugar long enough. These cookies will be kind of flat.. similar to Toll-house. Although I have not baked in high altitude, I am guessing it isn’t an altitude issue. If the baking powder is new and you creamed until it looked really fluffy (not just coming together) then I would suggest it is altitude issue.
I’m so looking forward to trying this recipe tonight
I second Jeff’s question–dark or light brown sugar, do you think?
Thanks for posting the recipe. Your blog is lovely
Hey Alice!
The recipe is amazing! You just made 100 kids in morocco really really happy!
Thank you soo much! I’ve been looking for the perfect recipe for years
Hey Alice, These are the best cookies I have ever made! Thank you so much!!!!!!! Its a keeper!!
Alice, MmmI just had one for my self!! Thanks you so much! you are TRULY amazing! I know this is a weird question but did you make up this cookies! If so, keep up the good work. Also thanks you so much for the wonderful tips and everything!! I could go on and on and on and on!!!! But I just want to say thank you again!!!!!!!!!
I’m going to try this recipe, but I thought I’d add my high-altitude baking experiences. When baking at high altitude you need to decrease (rather than increase) the leavening to get proper results. The air inside the baked goods expands too fast, so it will fluff up and then fall flat before it’s finished. Try making the recipe as-is, and see if that works for fluffy cookies.
I am at 6000 ft. and almost always cut the leavening in half in order to get proper results!
Yes, these are truly great. Mine baked up awesome, and I used a hand mixer and carefully measured the flour (didn’t have a scale). Thanks so much for sharing a classic recipe!
Ok Girl, you have earned your bragging rights! I baked these cookies earlier today and they are pretty incredible. I will be baking them again 2 more times this week for different events. The batter tasted great. My kids & husband say this is the best batch I have ever baked. I only ran into 1 issue, I think the kosher salt I used may have been too coarse and some of the cookies are a bit too salty. What is the best remedy, regular table salt? Also, what should I do if I want a chewier cookie? Your troubleshooting tips are a must.
Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe .
Elsa: Either reduce the coarse salt down by half.. or just use 1/2 tsp. of table salt. Hope that helps, glad you enjoyed them!
I was searching and comparing chocolate chip cookie recipes and found yours. You are right – everyone thinks their recipe is the best… depends on your perspective and what you grew up. Some people like thick n chewy, some people like thin and crisp…. I would not say my cookies are the best (my brownies are however) but people always ask me to make them and have actually sold my cookies for parties and events….
Just wanted to add another reason for cookies spreading out too much… could be the temperature of the butter…. Cold butter warms up when creamed because of the friction… which breaks down the fat. If you start out with room temperature butter, the fat is broken down even more and your cookies will spread out. This break-down can also be from over-creaming the butter and sugar (yes – you can overbeat). It’s also important to check your oven temp with a reliable oven thermometer.
Years ago I worked as the “muffin, cookie, brownie” chef in a national chain. Whenever the corporate muckity-mucks were coming to test for quality control, I was always the one baking because my “stuff” was consistently the best. I had repeat customers that only came in to buy when they knew I was working. I’m not trying to toot my own horn here – just been baking since I was a kid and have picked up some tricks here and there… and no – I’ve never been to culinary school. Just adding my two cents.
Happy baking and eating!!
**addendum
I tried your recipe yesterday – is is very good… almost a caramel-buttery taste. I added dried cherries which made the perfect combo of sweet and tart. However I need to adjust the baking time – a little too crisp (I like soft n chewy). My only problem is I no longer have a stand mixer so it took a while to cream the butter and sugar…. my arm is tired today.
A great chocolate chip cookie recipe!!!
… oh… and I did weigh the flour. it came out to 2 1/4 cups. Since I was chopping a high end chocolate, 2 cups was far less than 16oz (actually about 12oz). With your recipe, I wasn’t certain whether you meant volume or weight for the chocolate…. so I went with volume.
Wow. The chocolate chip cookie recipe I have searched for my whole life. Very exciting. The crunchy outer ring and soft, chewy center. The way the dough drapes thinly over the chips accentuates their shape. An absolutely delightful cookie.
hello! i want to make this as a gift for my daughter’s classmates this coming holidays. i have a question though, what is the equivalent of the flour in weight?you mentioned three cups, but better if it would be weighed in. how much would that amount using grams?i’m sorry all i know is using cups, im really not into grams so i really don’t know what is the equivalent of three cups if weighed.. i hope you could help.thanks so much!
Farrah: It would be the equivalent of 12 oz. or 340 grams. Not sure about the oatmeal.. could sub out 1 cup of flour for oatmeal.. and I would just add up to a cup of chopped nuts without reducing flour. Let me know how it goes!
hello again! can i add oatmeal or nuts to this for some variation?do i have to adjust the recipe?thanks!
hi! i mader this just now and i must say they were good.however, mine turned out to be cakey..im looking for a texture just exactly like what you have..but they were so cakey..do you know what went wrong?thanks!
hi! i used everyting that you listed. though i halved the recipe because i am still on the testing stage.would it matter that i halved the recipe? i was so excited as i was waiting them to be baked because i was expecting them to turn out like what you had. unfortunately it did not. it tasted good but the texture was really off. i hope you could help.thanks so much!
Made them this morning for co-workers and I could not be happier with the results. Delish!! Well done.
Well, I must admit.. These were the best cookies I’ve ever baked consistency wise. They wouldn’t turn out flat the way the recipe on the back of the Hershey’s bag does. They’d be somewhat plump with a nice soft chewy center and a crispy outer layer. I’m so in love. My addition would be adding macadamia nuts to the plain chocolate chip recipe, or adding walnut, oats, and cinnamon altogether. This is gonna be my recipe to make forever
Thanks a lot! I do agree that they’re the best ever chocolate chip cookies!
Might I just ask what difference would occur from using the sea salt? I’ve never tried that… I’d use table salt as I don’t have sea salt at home..
I found this recipe on Tuesday in a Google search for “the best ever chocolate chip cookies). Now I know that this is going to sound crazy, but since Tuesday, I’ve made your cookies three times. I told you it was crazy. So here’s how it went:
The first time, I messed up. I didn’t have sea salt on hand, so I used the 1/2 teaspoon of table salt that you suggested. I also didn’t have salted butter so I just added a little more. Also, I don’t have a kitchen scale so I used the 3 cups of flour. The cookies turned out puffy and slightly dry, but they still tasted great. I read through some of the comments and saw your suggestion about using less flour.
I decided that I’d give the recipe a fair chance (using the correct ingredients this time) and try it again. I guessed on the flour, though, and used about 2-3/4 cups the second time around. I also used the sea salt. The results were much better, but still slightly dry and they just didn’t look like the ones in your picture.
So last night, I tried once more. I was determined to get it right. I knew that the flour was the problem. I decided to use my pyrex measuring cup with the ounce measurements on the side. Not sure why I never thought of that before. According to that, 12 ounces is exactly 2-1/2 cups. I tried it. Success!!! Sweet, sweet success. Finally. They turned out perfectly. I added chopped Heath bars to half of the dough. Amazing. They turned perfect cookies into even better perfect cookies.
Thank you so much, Alice, for sharing this recipe. I’ve been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for years and I am now pleased to announce that, thanks to you, I have finally found it.
P.S. I love your blog! One of these days, I’ve got to spend some time browsing through more of your recipes. I’ve got a feeling that I could spend a very long time on here.
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