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Crisp, golden brown edges, thick, soft and chewy centers, and plenty of melty, gooey chocolate chips make these easy chocolate chip cookies a family favorite! If you’re looking for a quick version of the classic dessert — which doesn’t sacrifice flavor or texture — then this is the recipe for you. The best chocolate chip cookies don’t require an electric mixer, softened butter, or an extended chilling time. They’re ready in less than 1 hour, and perfect with a cold glass of milk!
Table of Contents
- How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies | 1-Minute Video
- What Makes this Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Easy?
- What is the secret to a chewy cookie?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How to Store Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How to Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies | 1-Minute Video
Homemade chocolate chip cookies have been a staple in just about every kitchen and bakery for almost 100 years because they’re quick, easy, and a perfect combination of buttery dough with rich, gooey chocolate. While every home cook has her preferred version, this is our family’s new favorite! Not only do they taste incredible and have that soft and chewy texture that we love, but they’re the easiest chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. Win, win, win!
What Makes this Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Easy?
This recipe is slightly adapted from a recipe that one of my boys found in a children’s cookbook published by America’s Test Kitchen. I was initially intrigued by the cookies because of their ease, so imagine my surprise when we realized how delicious they taste, too! Here’s what makes these homemade chocolate chip cookies particularly simple:
- No softened butter. It might seem silly, but planning to make cookies usually requires remembering to leave the butter out to soften overnight or at least for a couple of hours — something I don’t usually think to do in advance. This recipe uses melted butter instead of softened butter, automatically eliminating one hassle.
- No electric mixer. Since we’re using melted butter instead of softened butter, there’s no need to pull out the stand mixer or electric hand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Instead, a hand whisk and a rubber spatula are the only tools that you need to bring the dough together.
- No extended chilling. To prevent most cookie doughs from spreading too thin in the oven, it’s often recommended that you chill the dough for at least a couple of hours (or overnight) before baking. But who can wait that long? These cookies chill for about 15 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the pans, and that’s it!
What is the secret to a chewy cookie?
Melted butter, rather than softened butter, is the key to an ultra chewy cookie! This is because butter is about 20% water, and melting the butter allows this water to mix more easily with the flour to create gluten — the proteins that make the cookies chewy.
Since more moisture yields a chewy cookie, another way to achieve this desired texture is to use more brown sugar than granulated sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar draws in more moisture, making the cookies thicker, softer, and chewier.
Using a lot of dough also helps to keep the cookies chewy, so don’t aim for little bites here. Finally, pull the cookies out of the oven while they’re still slightly underbaked — they will continue to firm up as they cool. The edges of the cookies should be lightly browned, while the centers should be soft and puffy.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of easy chocolate chip cookies for kids. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step baking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the dough.
- Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and puff up.
- Salt: to enhance the sweet flavors in the cookies. I use table salt in this recipe rather than kosher salt.
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: to sweeten the dough. Using more brown sugar than white sugar gives the cookies a softer, chewier texture.
- Melted butter: we like salted butter for that sweet-and-salty contrast, but you can substitute with unsalted butter if that’s your preference.
- Eggs: give the cookies structure.
- Pure vanilla extract: for flavor.
- Chocolate chips: semi-sweet chocolate chips are my first choice, but milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or dark chocolate chips will all work well.
How to Make Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These warm cookies will be on your table from start to finish in less than 1 hour!
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. When measuring the flour, remember to spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife so that you don’t get too much flour in the bowl.
- Whisk together the sugars and melted butter in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes while you heat oven and prepare the baking sheets.
- Use a cookie scoop to roll the dough into portions that are about 2 tablespoons each. Arrange the cookie dough balls on rimmed baking sheets that are lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the cookies in a 325°F oven until the edges are set and beginning to brown, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack for 5 minutes, then enjoy with a cold glass of milk!
How to Store Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last on the counter for about 3 days. To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months.
How to Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
You can freeze the cookie dough before baking. This dough freezes best if you portion it into dough balls first. Arrange the dough balls on a cookie sheet, freeze, and then wrap tightly in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, just pull a couple of frozen dough balls from the oven and bake in a 325°F oven. You’ll need to add about 1-2 more minutes to the baking time since you’re starting with frozen dough.
Recipe Variations
- For an ultra-chewy texture, add an extra egg yolk to the dough. You can also swap out half of the all-purpose flour for bread flour, which has a higher protein content and therefore creates a chewier bite.
- If you prefer a crispy chocolate chip cookie, use more granulated sugar than brown sugar and bake the cookies for a few extra minutes.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic addition to chocolate chip cookies; however, you can substitute with any chocolate chips that you like. Try milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or coarsely-chopped chocolate bars as well.
- Small batch: to prepare fewer cookies, just cut all of the ingredients in half.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Allow the melted butter to cool slightly before using it in the recipe. This will help the cookies spread less in the oven, and will make the dough less sticky and easier to scoop.
- Don’t Overmix. Mixing the ingredients too much can add excessive air to the dough, causing the cookies to collapse and spread in the oven.
- Line the Baking Sheets. Spraying the baking sheets with cooking spray or greasing with butter or lard creates a slippery surface that causes cookies to spread. Instead, line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat for “grip,” so that the cookies stay thick and chewy.
- Shape into Large Round Balls. Placing a rounded ball of dough onto the baking sheet yields a taller, thicker, softer, and chewier cookie.
- Don’t Over-Bake. Pull the cookies out of the oven as soon as the outside edges are set and lightly browned. The inside centers should still be puffy and soft. While they might look under-baked, the cookies will firm up as they cool, maintaining that great soft and chewy texture that we all love! Baking them for too long yields a crispy cookie.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes to Try
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {Soft & Chewy!}
2 hours hrs 26 minutes mins
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 hours hrs 24 minutes mins
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir just until the ingredients are combined (and you don’t see any dry pockets of flour).
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and chill for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheets.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough between your hands to form a round ball. If the dough is still sticky and hard to work with, let it chill in the fridge until it's more firm. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 15 minutes. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, so be sure that you don’t overbake them or they’ll be tough and crunchy.
- Use a spatula to transfer the cookies directly to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Allow the melted butter to cool slightly before using it in the recipe. This will help the cookies spread less in the oven, and will make the dough less sticky and easier to scoop.
- Don’t Overmix. Mixing the ingredients too much can add excessive air to the dough, causing the cookies to collapse and spread in the oven.
- Line the Baking Sheets. Spraying the baking sheets with cooking spray or greasing with butter or lard creates a slippery surface that causes cookies to spread. Instead, line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat for “grip,” so that the cookies stay thick and chewy.
- Shape into Large Round Balls. Placing a rounded ball of dough onto the baking sheet yields a taller, thicker, softer, and chewier cookie.
- Don’t Over-Bake. Pull the cookies out of the oven as soon as the outside edges are set and lightly browned. The inside centers should still be puffy and soft. While they might look under-baked, the cookies will firm up as they cool, maintaining that great soft and chewy texture that we all love! Baking them for too long yields a crispy cookie.
- Recipe slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
The perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe! Crispy on the outside but soft in the middle, chock full of chocolate chips. So good!!!
Yay! Thank you, Andrea!
Don’t look like the picture very very thick
Hi Kas,
We’re sorry these didn’t turn out how you expected. Did you measure two tablespoons per cookie? It might also be helpful to flatten them out just a bit for a thinner cookie. Also, for the best results, we highly recommend using a food scale to measure the ingredients. Hope this helps and you give this recipe a second chance!
Unsalted or salted butter
Salted
I love this recipe. These may be the easiest cc cookies I have ever made and the taste is out of this world good. I also added an extra egg yolk for chewier. These are a hit for our family. Thank you for sharing it
Thank you, Deb!
Just made these today and they were delicious … love the light crispy outside and soft inside. No more flat-as-a-pancake cookies for me!
We’re so happy to hear this, Joanne!
Tried this recipe to bake for my mother for mother’s day! They were delicious. Exactly how the recipe described them! Crispy on the outside and gooey and soft on the inside. My mom loved them!
That’s awesome, Kamberlyn! I know that your mom must have appreciated them!
I didn’t have brown sugar so I used coconut sugar instead. Great recipe. Cookies were delicious.
Awesome! Thank you, Camisha. I’m glad to know that it works well with the coconut sugar. 🙂
I might have missed it but how many cookies does this make?
30! The serving sizes are always listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
I don’t think I’d make these often because THEY’RE TOO DELICIOUS!
I nearly ate half the cookies in one day.
Jokes aside, this was my first time making cookies from scratch and I chose this recipe because it seemed pretty easy.
10/10 recommend.
Hah, thank you, Dosh! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. They disappear fast in our house, too!
Delicious! I made these and was pleasantly surprise. My son loved them! They taste great and are very light.
Thank you
Wonderful! Thank you, Yadira!
Can you add peanut butter to the mix and how much would you Incorporate
Hi! We haven’t tested it and can’t guarantee the results, but you should be able to add 3/4 cup of peanut butter. You’ll likely need to add an extra 1/4 cup or so of flour! Please let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Yesss the job has be done, and they turned out perfect!!!! I used a little less than 3/4 cup peanut butter maybe half cup. The flour I used 1/4 plus a tablespoon and a half. I wish I could post a picture of them, they are a hittttttt for my peanut butter lovers this one is it. It doesn’t get any better then chocolate and peanut butter together in a cookie
We agree and are so glad you enjoyed them!
Yes the family did have you tired them yet if not I encourage to unless allergic hahaha and I would use half cup peanut butter if u want stronger peanut butter taste