Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is by far the best recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies! Soft baked, the perfect balance of chocolate, and practically impossible to mess up with my help!

I’ve perfected the chocolate chip cookie recipe and am ready to share it with the world! I have a handful of tips and tricks to make sure you can make the best batch of cookies ever. Plus a how to on keeping them soft and how to freeze them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let me be the first to tell you, not all chocolate chip cookie recipes are created equal. I know, shocking right? Some are too flat, not sweet enough, crispy. Bleck! Well, don’t worry because I’ve done the hard work for you. I tested countless chocolate chip cookie recipes and settled on one to tweak (you can find it referenced in the recipe card below).

So, I tweaked and I altered but most importantly, I changed the method for making these. Which is extremely important when making any cookie recipe. Don’t believe me, try it for yourself. 😉

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients

I’m pretty positive we all have these common ingredients on hand 24/7 so we can make chocolate chip cookies whenever we want! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Butter – I usually use salted butter but if all you have is unsalted that’s fine too.
• Granulated and Brown Sugar – two kinds of sugar to make these cookies sweet. There is more brown than white to keep things moist.
• Egg and Egg Yolk – the egg is for structure and the extra yolk is for creaminess.
• Vanilla – try to use real vanilla extract for the best tasting cookies, but if all you have is artificial extract use that. Don’t skip out on this ingredient!
• All-Purpose Flour – flour can make or break your cookies so make sure you check out the flour section below.
• Baking Soda – this is the leavening agent.
• Salt – to balance out all the sweetness going on.
• Chocolate Chips – I used two types of chocolate here which I’ve outlined below. I highly recommend using both.

Key Ingredient: Flour

Okay now let’s talk about chocolate chip cookies and flour. Soft baked cookies require the perfect balance of flour and butter. Too much butter leads to a flattened out crispy cookie. Too much flour results in a hockey puck.

How can such a simple recipe vary so much?! It all comes down to how you measure your flour. Here’s how to do it right every time:

1. Fluff your flour. This is done by scooping flour into a measuring device and dumping it back out. Do this 5-6 times!
2. Spoon your flour into the measuring cup. This is to make sure you don’t create any air pockets.
3. Level the top. Do this with the back of a spoon or the back of a butter knife.
4. And VOILA! You have properly measured flour that will yield perfect chocolate chip cookies every time.

Chocolate Variations

For these chocolate chip cookies, I used two types of chocolate. Semi-sweet and milk chocolate. The best blend of sweet but not too sweet. My go-to brand is a classic, Nestle Toll House. Even though I highly recommend the combination of these two types of chocolate you can sub them out for other types. Here are a few suggestions:

• dark chocolate chips
• bittersweet chocolate chips (a good substitute for semi-sweet, Ghiradelli is pretty good)
• white chocolate chips
• chocolate chunks (any kind)
• any kind of chocolate bar/chocolate candy bar that can be chopped up

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the softest most flavorful chocolate cookies make sure to follow these helpful tips.

• Use melted butter: I never remember or have time to use softened butter, so instead melt it! It’s quicker and easier.
• Two kinds of sugar: two types of sugar mean your cookies are sure to come out sweet and soft.
• Use an egg and an egg yolk: not only to stabilize your cookies but to also make them creamier.
• Use two kinds of chocolate chips: the perfect blend of sweet but not too sweet.
• Let the dough rest: allow the butter to absorb into the flour for at least 20 minutes. This helps with overspreading as well.
• Bake the cookies at 325: this helps to keep the cookies soft (and NOT crispy).
• Use light-colored baking sheets: light-colored baking sheets usually result in more even baking. Thus softer cookie edges.
• Cool cookies on the baking sheets: my favorite cookie tip is to let your cookies finish baking on the hot baking sheet outside of the oven!

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now that you know all my chocolate chip cookie secrets, you can make them! Never doubt the power of good directions. For full details see the recipe card below.

1. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars together.
2. Next add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir.
3. Now slowly incorporate the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips by hand. And that’s the cookie dough!
5. Preheat your oven and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Scoop cookie dough onto pans and bake.
7. Remove your cookies from the hot oven and allow them to cool on the hot baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to cooling racks.
8. Enjoy warm with milk!

Keeping Chocolate Chip Cookies Soft

Since you put in all that hard work to bake soft baked chocolate chip cookies, you’re going to want to keep them soft! I got you covered on storing the leftovers too. Simply store any leftover cookies in an airtight container with a slice of plain sandwich bread resting on top. The bread and cookies equalize their moisture as time goes on.

These cookies should last up to 3 days. But who really has enough cookies to last three days, certainly not my family. We gobble them up!

More Cookie Recipes to Try!

• S’mores Cookies
• Edible Cookie Dough
• Cranberry Orange Cookies
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies