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Learn how to make chocolate chip cookies with this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you love a cookie that’s soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and easy to make, then you’ll want to make these Best Chocolate Chip Cookies because it checks all the boxes. This recipe is simple, straightforward and the cookies turn out perfect every single time.

Several chocolate chip cookies scattered on parchment paper.

These Chocolate Chip Cookies are crispy, fluffy, buttery, perfectly sweetened, and out-of-this-world delicious!!

Glass mixing bowls filled with flour, brown sugar, white sugar, chocolate chips and walnuts sit next to 2 sticks of butter and 2 eggs.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This chocolate chip cookie recipe will be your new go-to cookie recipe. It’s easy to make and uses simple pantry ingredients. 

  • Butter. Use unsalted butter at room temperature.
  • Sugar. We use both granulated and light brown sugars for this recipe.
  • Eggs. I like to use large free-range brown eggs. 
  • Pure vanilla extract. What would a good cookie be without the flavor of pure vanilla extract.
  • Flour. Use a good all-purpose flour. To measure, fluff and spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off using the back of a knife. Be sure not to pack the flour into the measuring cup.
  • Baking soda.  Use fresh baking soda to whisk together with the flour.
  • Salt. We use sea salt for this recipe.
  • Nuts. We use raw walnuts, but you could use pecans if you like.
  • Chocolate. We use semi-sweet chocolate chips (Guittard is my favorite) for these cookies.

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

This chocolate chip cookie recipe comes together in about 30 minutes start-to-finish.

  1. Prep Work. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.
  2. Whisk Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar. In a medium bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
  4. Add Eggs and Vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  5. Mix Dry Ingredients, Add the flour mixture one heaping scoop at a time until blended. Don’t over-mix the dough.
  6. Add Chocolate Chips and Nuts. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
  7. Scoop Dough. Using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons, measure about 2 tablespoons of dough (3 tablespoons for larger cookies). Roll the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
  8. Bake Dough. Bake in the oven for 12-13 minutes or until the edges are lighlty browned. 
  9. Cool Cookies. Remove from oven and cool cookies on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with flakey salt (optional).

1. Cream butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar, then mix in eggs and vanilla.

A glass mixing bowl filled with dough and flour.

2. Stir in flour mixed with baking soda and salt.

A glass mixing bowl filled with chocolate chip cookie dough.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts to the chocolate chip cookie dough.

A clear glass mixing bowl filled with chocolate chip cookies dough

4. Scoop chocolate chip cookie dough using a small ice cream scoop and roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. For slightly flatter cookies, you can use two fingers to gently press down on the dough to flatten the balls.  Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Balls of batter on parchment paper.

Tips For Making The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

  1. Make sure butter is at room temperature. If you press the butter gently with your thumb, there should be a slight indent. Butter should sit out at room temperature for about an hour before mixing. If you’ve forgotten to set the butter out, here’s a little tip – cut the butter into small cubes or grate the butter using a box grater to shorten the duration that it will take for the butter to soften.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar well. When cutting into cubes or grating the butter, be sure the butter doesn’t become too soft or you’ll end up with flat cookies.
  3. Don’t over-mix the dough after you have added the flour.
  4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts using a silicon spatula.
  5. Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips if you like, or use a mix of both.
  6. If you like a flatter cookie, towards the end of baking remove the cookie sheet and give it a gentle tap on the edge of the counter (put a folded dish towel on the counter first). This will quickly flatten the cookies. Then return them to the oven to continue baking.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven when they look light brown around the bottom edges and have a little sheen in the center.  They may look slightly under baked on top, but the sheen will set after the cookies rest on a cooling rack. Don’t over bake these cookies. 
  8. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to completely cool.
  9. Sprinkle the cookies with a little flakey salt if you like salty sweet cookies.

Why Are My Cookies Flat?

Here are several reasons why your cookies may come out of the oven flat.

1. Expired Ingredients

If you are using expired ingredients like baking soda or baking powder, this could be the cause. Fresh baking soda and powder release gasses which cause cookies to rise during the baking process.

2. Wrong Oven Temperature

It is important to preheat the oven before baking, but if the temperature is set too high, then the cookies will bake too quickly without having time to rise before they are fully baked. 

3. Hot Baking Sheets

When baking in batches, be sure to use 2-3 cookie sheets. Cookie dough should always be baked on cool cookie sheets, otherwise the dough starts to melt and spread before it even gets placed in the oven.  

4. Improperly Measured Ingredients

Adding too much sugar can cause cookies to come out flat and crispy and if you don’t add enough flour, the dough will be overly wet and this will also produce flat cookies.

  • Dry measuring cups are used to measure dry ingredients like flour, chocolate chips, nuts, beans, rice and oats. One dry measuring cup equals the same amount as one liquid measuring cup. When using a dry measuring cup, it’s customary to fill it to the brim (with say flour or sugar) then level off the top by using the back of a dull knife. For instance, when measuring flour, you would lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and fill it to the brim, then take the back of a dull knife and scrape along the top to scrape away the excess flour.  There are different methods for filling a dry measuring cup, such as scooping sifting and spooning.  A properly measured dry cup of flour, sugar or oats should have a flat surface that is even with the brim.
  • If your recipe calls for your ingredients in measurements in ounces or pounds (such as flour, chocolate chips or nuts), you would need to use a kitchen scale to measure the exact weight of the ingredient. 

5. Over-mixing Dough

When you mix butter and sugar together, it not only helps to dissolve the sugar into the butter and removes grittiness, it also creates tiny air bubbles that puff up cookies and cakes, and other baked goods, creating light and fluffy desserts. If you over-mix the dough, you’ll lose the air bubbles and end up with flat cookies.

6. Dough Pressed Too Thin

Be careful not to press down too much on the rolled cookie dough before baking.

Many baked treats scattered on bakers paper.

Should I Use Salted Or Unsalted Butter?

Professional bakers always recommend using unsalted butter. Whether you use salted or unsalted butter is a matter of preference. If using salted butter, you can reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe (or omit it altogether). Using unsalted butter gives you more control over the saltiness of your cookies. 

How To Store Chocolate Chip Cookies

Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them. Spread the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then remove from the freezer and transfer to a freezer bag. Store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Several chocolate chip cookies scattered on bakers paper.

How Do You Freeze Drop Cookie Dough?

Drop cookies are made from dough that is scooped and dropped on a baking sheet like chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies.  First you need to chill the dough in the refrigerator before scooping it. After the dough is chilled, scoop the dough and roll into balls. Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet making sure they don’t touch each other. Cover the baking sheet with foil and place in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and transfer the frozen balls to a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Be sure to label the freezer bag or container with the cookie type and date made. Store the frozen cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Several chocolate chip cookies on a wire cooling rack.

Looking For More Sweet Recipes?

Several chocolate chip cookies scattered on bakers paper.
Yield: 20 cookies

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Learn how to make chocolate chip cookies with this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you love a cookie that's soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and easy to make, then you'll want to make these Best Chocolate Chip Cookies because it checks all the boxes. This recipe is simple, straightforward and the cookies turn out perfect every single time.

Ingredients

  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies
  • 1-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicon mats.
  3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
  5. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  6. Add the flour mixture one heaping scoop at a time until blended. Don't over-mix the dough.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts using a silicon spatula or wooden spoon.
  8. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough (3 tablespoons for larger cookies) using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons. Roll the dough in a ball and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
  9. Bake in the oven for 12-13 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. 
  10. Remove from oven and cool cookies on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
  11. Sprinkle with flakey salt (optional).

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

  1. Make sure butter is at room temperature. If you press the butter gently with your thumb, there should be a slight indent. Butter should sit out at room temperature for about an hour before mixing. If you've forgotten to set the butter out, here's a little tip - cut the butter into small cubes or grate the butter using a box grater to shorten the duration that it will take for the butter to soften. When cutting into cubes or grating the butter, be sure the butter doesn't become too soft or you'll end up with flat cookies.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together (about 2 minutes).
  3. Don't over-mix the dough after you have added the flour.
  4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts using a silicon spatula.
  5. Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips if you like, or use a mix of both.
  6. If you like a flatter cookie, towards the end of baking remove the cookie sheet and give it a gentle tap on the edge of the counter (put a folded dish towel on the counter first). This will quickly flatten the cookies. Then return them to the oven to continue baking.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven when they look light brown around the bottom edges and have a little sheen in the center.  They may look slightly under baked on top, but the sheen will set after the cookies rest on a cooling rack. Don’t over bake these cookies. 
  8. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to completely cool.
  9. Sprinkle the cookies with a little flakey salt if you like salty sweet cookies.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 5g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.

© Deborah @The Harvest Kitchen
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert