Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
A classic soft, chewy, chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is such a popular chocolate chip cookie recipe!
My incredible readers here on Modern Honey know I have written a blog post or two (okay...dozens!) about chocolate chip cookies. They are my favorite food to make and I am always on the quest to try new techniques, new ingredients, and to perfect the chocolate chip cookie.
All of this started at a young age when all I wanted for my birthday was a bunch of cookbooks. This was before the internet so I would sit and read cookbooks for hours and be one happy girl about it.
After I was married, my friends would tease me because when I would go over to their house, I would ask to see their cookbooks, and precede to lay on the floor with a stack of cookbooks and just read as much as I could.
But the first thing I would do when opening a cookbook was to look at their take on a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Most of them became a variation of the classic Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie. I wanted to switch things up!
So I created recipes like my Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies which has a unique baking temperature and different types and combinations of ingredients and they have become a hit!
I get readers asking me all of the time for just an easy, classic, simple chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is the recipe for you! I made a few changes to make them extra soft and chewy. I hope you love these classic chocolate chip cookies!
How to make the perfect Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Cream butter and sugars together for 4 minutes. This is an important step as it helps to adds pockets of air that aerate the batter and gift it loft when baked. This air puffs up the cookies as they bake, giving them a lighter texture. It also helps to ensure you don't end up with grainy cookies! I love to use my KitchenAid for all of my baking and you can find them HERE.
- Add eggs and vanilla. I use large eggs in all of my baking recipes and pure vanilla extract. I love to use Nielsen-Massey Vanilla or this Mexican vanilla.
- Fold in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. The baking soda gives the cookies a nice rise and the cornstarch helps to keep them nice and soft -- even days later.
- Fold in your favorite type of chopped chocolate bars. You can use chocolate chips or chocolate bars. The reason I love to use chocolate bars in my cookies is that they melt beautifully. Chocolate chips are made to keep their shape but sometimes you want some ooey gooey melted chocolate throughout your cookies. I always have at least four Trader Joe's Pound Plus Bars in my kitchen in both Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate.
- If you want to take an extra step to make your cookies even better, CHILL the dough. Roll into balls and then cover well and place in the refrigerator to chill. It is best to chill for 24 hours, if you can wait that long! I have tested cookie dough and the cookies get even better if you let it chill for 36-48 hours.
- Bake on light-colored baking sheets. These baking sheets are my favorite and will last you forever! I also love to use these parchment baking sheets for easy removal of cookies and easy clean-up.
If you love Chocolate Chip Cookies, check out these other Popular Cookie Recipes:
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies -- the recipe that started Modern Honey. A large, thick yet soft, and chewy bakery chocolate chip cookie. This is the OG and 5-Star Rated for good reason. It is not your typical chocolate chip cookie recipe.
MJ's Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies -- this is a chocolate chip cookie recipe made entirely in a saucepan. This is perfect when you don't want to get out the mixer. This has a slight toffee flavor due to the melting of the butter in the saucepan. It has a less flour ratio so you can really taste the butter and chocolate in this cookie. It is a thinner cookie but still has some loft to it.
Charmina's Chocolate Chip Cookies -- this is a combo recipe using half melted butter and half softened butter. It is a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie with a medium loft.
One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies -- you don't get much easier than these chocolate chip cookies! No mixer required. This recipe is made in one bowl and the butter is microwaved so it is melted so you don't need to cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer. Kids can easily make this recipe!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies -- a hearty, soft, chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe with a perfect amount of oats and chocolate.
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Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter (softened)
- 1 ½ cups Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 ¾ cups Flour
- ½ teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Chocolate Bars*, chopped or Chocolate Chips (milk or semi-sweet or a mix of both)
- Sea Salt Flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 385 degrees (unless you are chilling the dough before baking). In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 1 minute longer.
- Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and only mix until combined to avoid over-mixing. Fold in chocolate chunks or chips*.
- Roll into balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I suggest using light-colored baking sheets. Don't overcrowd the cookies and give plenty of room for spreading. If you would like to chill the dough before baking, roll into balls and then cover tightly and allow to chill for 24-48 hours.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Don't overbake. Watch for the edges to start to turn a light golden color and the middle still slightly gooey. The cookies will continue to set up after you remove them from the oven.
Notes
- I use Trader Joe's Pound Plus Bars and like to do a mix of milk and dark chocolate to give variety.
- You may also use chocolate chips. My favorite brands of chocolate chips are Guittard milk chocolate chips and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Donna A Pollock
Hey Melissa,
I have made these cookies a few times. They are truly so good. I follow your recipe to the letter, especially creaming butter and sugars, very important step. Mine have always came out so nice, big cookies too, I have had people think I bought them at a bakery. When I tell them I made them..........they just look at me and say "are you sure?" They are so good, very tasty. Melissa thank you very the recipe. My 2 sons love these cookies, and I do too.
Sarah
So good! Using the TJ's chocolate makes all the difference.
Judith
I just made these and they were delicious and I will only use your cookie recipes from now on. Thank you
Miss. K
I've made this recipe multiple times (omitting the Trader Joe's chocolate with Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips) and lemme' tell you: ...they're absolutely DELICIOUS?! Oh-so soft and decadent, they're everything I would ever come to expect from a homemade cookie (and MORE)! They were an instant hit with my family, and heck, even my neighbors were raving about them! All in all, an absolute fantastic recipe that any cookie-lover is sure to enjoy!!! °˖✧★—10/10—★✧˖°
Beth
I am planning to chill the dough ahead of baking, so can you tell me what temperature to bake the cookies at and the length of time? Thanks!
John
I love, love, love these! The good chocolate along with chiling the dough made these better than any other traditional chocolate chip cookie I have ever had.
Mary
Love the Trader Joe's chocolate it definitely makes a difference! I could eat so many of these cookies in one sitting it is dangerous making these!
Sandra
Do you think I could use margarine in place of butter?
Bonnie
Any idea why these spread so much? I've made them before and don't remember this happening. This time I refrigerated the dough for 2 days. That's the only difference. Thanks