BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES – This ‘best chocolate chip cookie recipe’ makes the most perfect homemade chocolate chip cookies! Loaded with chocolate chips, I’ve spent years perfecting how to make cookies that are chewy, soft, and slightly crispy with a slightly crackled top. You’re going to love these award-winning, easy BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
WHAT MAKES A BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE?
Perfect chocolate chip cookies that are soft on the inside, chewy on the outside, with a slight crispy bottom. Easy to make, you’re going to love biting into these best chocolate chip cookies that are loaded with chocolate chips! They really are the best ever, and the only chocolate chip cookie you’ll ever need!
My chocolate chip cookies are ‘The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Ever’ after being challenged into a Twitter Bake-Off in 2009. Loaded with chocolate chips, what sets this chocolate chip cookie recipe apart is the fact they are perfectly soft and gooey on the inside, chewy on the outside, with a slight thin layer of crispiness to the cookies.
Not many people can claim their chocolate chip cookies are award-winning, but I can! So can several other people who’ve used this Best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to enter and win blue-ribbon baking contests – that is the ultimate compliment!
The story of the ‘best chocolate chip cookies ever’ all started when I started blogging. I’d always wanted to share what only my friends and family had only known, “Alice’s best chocolate chip cookie recipe” but up until this point hadn’t shared it with the world.
You see, my chocolate chip cookies are insanely good. The problem is, EVERYONE and their grandma thinks their chocolate chip cookies recipe is the best, too. So, I decided I wouldn’t do a post on my ultimate cookies because it seemed overplayed (putting it mildly). I didn’t have it in me to enter the “I have the best chocolate chip cookies” rat race.
Back in 2009 on Twitter I asked why people believed their homemade chocolate chip cookies were the best. After some friendly trash-talking, Ashley Rodriguez and I would engage in the ” Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever Twitter War,” and the following week we engaged in the ultimate chocolate chip cookie bake-off.
I asked her to post her recipe, and she kindly obliged. I made her chocolate chip cookie recipe that same evening, and I must say they were incredibly good. I reported back my results to her and said, “They’re really good, almost as good as mine.” Her next tweet went something like this, “Almost?” – a.k.a “Say what?!?”
We weren’t the only ones baking our chocolate chip cookies. People who followed our chocolate chip cookie battle on Twitter also baked them sharing their findings on their food blogs. Depending if you like a more sophisticated cookie or the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, the verdict was clear. This perfectly easy cookie recipe was the crowd favorite!
I can tell you she does have a fabulous recipe. But I can also tell you with bold confidence; my homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe is fierce.
Who doesn’t love chewy caramel edges and soft centers loaded with gooey chocolate chips with hints of sea salt? I mean, c’mon. How much more perfect of a cookie can there be?
THE ROLE OF BROWN SUGAR IN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
The reason why I love this chocolate chip cookie recipe so much is the balance of flavor and texture. Not overly sweet, the brown sugar gives the cookie a deeper flavor that only the molasses in the brown sugar brings. It gives it a caramel type chewiness around the edges.
As a result, you get a nice paper-thin crisp bottom, but the rest of the cookie is soft and chewy.
Using coarse sea salt or kosher salt (over table salt) enhances and intensifies the flavor of the chocolate chips bringing a nice balance to the cookie. I will sometimes sprinkle 3 or 4 flecks of sea salt over each ball of uncooked dough before baking just to get a tiny hit of salt amplifying the chocolate flavor to another level.
These are the chocolate chip cookies my Army sister who lives in Germany requests of 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 chocolate chip cookies I will be sending to her in Afghanistan. I once sent her a batch of a new recipe and trusted me, she noticed. I was told not to deceive her again and send this version only.
Moral of the story… Do not trash-talk-tweet if you can’t back it up. And for the record, I can back it up. Enough said.
I hope you enjoy the most best ever chocolate chip cookies in the world!
NOTES ABOUT THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE AND TROUBLE SHOOTING
*PLEASE do not use table salt, the course 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.
-WHY ARE MY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FLAT?-
If you’re cookies are coming out flat and not like the pictures there are probably 4 reasons for this.
#1) Your 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 properties and isn’t reacting properly.
#2) Creaming. It’s 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. This step is crucial as it whips air into the mixture to help the cookies rise properly. This also helps with the crackled top.
If you own a Kitchenaid stand mixer and bake regularly, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the beater attachment with the silicon edge scraper. I’ve own two of these beaters because it saves me a step from having to stop the mixer to scrape the bowl down. I haven’t used the medal attachment for years since discovering the scraper attachment. I hate having to scrape the bowl down when baking and this attachment makes for a better workflow for me. I recommend this KitchenAid KFE5T Flex Edge Beater for Tilt-Head Stand Mixers.
#3) Too little or too much 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. Because all measuring cups are not manufactured exactly the same, weighing the flour is the only real way to measure correctly. If too little flour is used, the fat content in the butter will cause the cookies to spread more than usual. A good inexpensive digital scale (like this one Ozeri ZK14-S Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale) pays for itself in joy and peace. Don’t let too much or too little flour ruin your baked goods you’ve worked so hard on. I own an older version of this scale and I use it nearly daily for weighing ingredients.
#4) Parchment paper vs. silicon mat – I’ve literally baked these cookies a gazillion times and I’ve noticed when I bake the cookies on parchment paper they hold their shape much better than the silicon mat. I get inconsistent results with the mat because of the natural wear and tear on them. A NEW mat will prevent the cookies from spreading a lot better than a really worn one. But parchment paper always yields the the most consistent results! I’ve used Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets Parchment Paper (Non-Stick, 22 Sheets) with very good results!
-Other Notes and Helpful Tips-
* I know most bags of chocolate chips are 12 oz but this recipe requires a lot of chocolate chips to help bulk the cookie up. You’ll need approximately 1.5 bags. I’ve found towards the last of the dough I sometimes add a small handful of extra chips because when we scoop cookies we tend to scrape just dough off the scoop and the last of the dough has a lot less chocolate.
*If you like your cookies to look uniform and the same size, please use a cookie scoop. It makes all the difference and works a lot better than the spoon method. I own this OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop. I’ve had it for 10 years strong and it is my go to tool from scooping cookies to scooping mini-scoops of ice cream.
*For those of you interested in freezing your dough for future use, here’s a great article on HOW TO FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH. Having pre-frozen balls of dough is great when you need to bake a batch for future use.
I PRESENT TO YOU, THE AWARD-WINNING BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE, EVER!
ALICE RECOMMENDS THESE COOKIE RECIPES FOR YOU TO CONSIDER!
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1.5 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp smallish-medium coarse sea salt or kosher
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (12 ounces) If at all possible, please weigh the flour
- 2¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 360 degrees. This is not a typo.. three hundred and sixty.
- Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes on medium-high speed on a Kitchenaid)
- Add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium.
- 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 golden brown. Remove from the 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!
Updated: May 7, 2018
Alice Currah says
Hi Gabby,
Most people will store them in a container with a slice of white bread. You can freeze uncooked dough balls but will need to adjust baking times. You can also freeze them in a sealed container (baked cookies) and let them come to room temperature. They will likely be more soft than chewy though.
Gabby says
I just made these and they are fantastic! I have a gas oven and only needed 11 min. for single tablespoon scoops. The 2 Tbsp scoops I used for my first batch were bigger than I typically like my cookies.
Anyway, I’m hoping they stay chewy for a while.
Can you recommend the ideal means of storing these? Also, how would one freeze them?
Thanks!!
debby says
Absolutely wonderful recipe. Weighing the flour was the trick. My 12 oz. Was about 2 1/4 cup or less. So if iv hadn’t gone by weight I would have had too much flour and the cookies would have been cake like instead of these wonderful crispy chewy ones. I love the sweet savory feel of these with the added sea salt. My only change is I actually used about 2 3/4 cups chocolate chips. And i doubled the vanilla only because my best friend loves tons of vanilla. Sooo good. Thank you for sharing with us all.
Nelda Gay says
Can you tell me if you have a pinterest page or such for your cupcakes?
Princess says
I used light brown sugar and 1 cup of whole wheat flour, the rest white flour. Came out cakey instead. So I will bake the rest @360 and take it out in 9 mins instead of 14 mins to see it makes a difference. The cookies did not spread, so I will pat it down some. If all else fails, I’ll try it again with white flour and dark brown sugar. They look great! Wish I could get it to come out that way.
aysha says
will it effect if i used light brown sugar?
Valerie says
I have searched a long time for a different recipe. This one’s is it. The salt and sugar mixture is the bomb. Don’t let any negative feedback here sway you, this is a keeper!
caitlin says
I thought these were delicious with a few small tweeks: I found they did better at 350 degrees and around 9 minutes. I also used unsalted butter but then sprinkled extra Maldon sea salt on top, and used dark chocolate chunks. These were so delicious even out of the freezer a month later.
Terrianne says
Not even close. I didn’t like these. My husband wasn’t fond of them. My two and a half year old wasn’t smitten either. And he loves chocolate chip cookies. All a matter of taste, I’m sure. What’s more contentious and subjective than the matter of such a lofty assertion: “The best chocolate chip cookies ever.” I will go back to Ina Garten’s chocolate chunk recipe, which I think is divine with a mix of milk and semi-sweet chunks. Thanks for inspiring my willingness to try something new.
alice says
Hi LC,
The weight is listed in the recipe at 12 oz. Hope this helps.
Alice
LC says
You say we should weigh the flour, but don’t give the weight we should shoot for. I don’t have any idea how much flour this recipe should contain. Please let us know this important piece of information.
Jennifer Reyes says
I just wanted to say, i followed this to a T. And they were literally the best cookies I have EVER made, and i have made some damn good cookies. My specialty is cupcakes, and although my previous chocolate chip cookie recipe was pretty great, yours tops that and more! Thank you!
Nikia says
This is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve been able to find – thank you!
Barry says
Easy to follow the recipe. I thought 360 @ 14 minutes was just right. I tweaked the recipe just slightly: 2 cups choc chips plus 1/4 cup chopped walnuts [replacing the 1/4 cup of choc chips].
Also added a little orange zest. Every thing came out delicious.
Vin says
Thank you great recipe. The pictures were really nice too. Thank you for taking your time and posting such a great recipe.
April says
I have to say I made these, and my mother said they tasted like something you would get out of a Bakery. These were AMAZING! The perfect cookie and I no loner need to search for a chocolate chip recipe again. Thank you
Amy says
Delicious! I followed the recipe to the T (see below). Even weighed the flour.
2 questions/thoughts–
1) Do you think 360 could be too high a temp. depending on the oven? I experimented and made the first batch at 360 and baked for exactly 14 minutes. They were a bit darker than I would have liked but fantastic nonetheless. 2nd batch @ 350 for 14 minutes- I ended having to give them an extra 2 minutes of baking but they came out perfect. Just wondering if the oven temperature could vary depending on the type of oven.
2) I am surprised you didn’t recommend sifting the flour. Any reason why or is an accurate weight all that is needed?
I’ll definitely make these again. Thanks! 🙂
Lesley Purmal says
Oh! Forgot to say that I scoop the batter onto a sheet of parchment or plastic wrap, cover and freeze. They store well and I can cook in the toaster oven from frozen dough with no problem. Take out only as many as we will eat and we get hot cookies any time.
Lesley Purmal says
I have been making your cookies for a while now and really love them. Over a year ago I had to go gluten free and thus stopped your cookies, but recently I found Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend (http://www.namastefoods.com/products/cgi-bin/products.cgi?Function=show&Category_Id=4&Id=13) which I find to be the best 1 to 1 substitution flour for gluten free eaters. Your recipe was a fantastic test and they came out AMAZING. I serve them proudly to gluten and non gluten eaters alike! Thanks for the recipe.
Alice Currah says
Mr. Wonderful is a very lucky man!
Alice Currah says
Hi Brenda,
I like 360 because you lose some heat when you open the door and to help the cookies not get flat, I find the extra 10 degrees of heat helps them rise to perfection. Hope that helps.
Brenda Quintana says
Made your cookies last night and I love them. I especially love that you took the time to explain thing like the sea salt. I usually omit all salt out of my recipes, but the sea salt really added to the cookie. I weighed my flour, which I haven’t done in ages and it was just the right amount. I made a similar recipe the week before that had just too much flour. It makes a big difference. I have one question: Why 360 Degrees and not 350? Just wondering. Thanks so much for the FABulous recipe and all the helpful details. 🙂
marybeth says
I have been salting my cookies since before it was “cool” I have a hard time making the same thing over and over – it gets boring. Was asked to bring chocolate chip cookies to my knitting group tomorrow night . . . .so, in the name of adventure, Im going to be making your recipe. i think though, I will be holding out enough dough for 6 or so and add a handful of walnuts . . . .they are Mr Wonderful’s favorite
Simone says
I’ve read dozens of chocolate chip recipes in the past few weeks. I decided to make yours, and I made the right decision. The cookies are unbelievably good. They came out perfectly.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
kristy says
Whats your cookie recipe? if you didn’t like these cookies that apparently everyone is raving about yours must be way better and id love to try them 😉