The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
How to make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. These are hands down the most perfect chocolate chip cookies!
This has been a recipe I have been tweaking for months and months! You know how serious I take my cookie recipes. The cookie recipes I post need to be absolute perfection! If you have been following Modern Honey, you know how much I LOVE chocolate chip cookies. It has been my favorite thing to whip up in the kitchen since about 1979.
Since my Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are the most popular cookie recipe on Modern Honey, I wanted to experiment with the recipe a little. Since Levain Bakery cookies are huge, I wanted to try making them smaller, reducing the baking temperature, adding vanilla, and a tad less flour. The result was the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe EVER!
This chocolate chip cookie has a perfectly chewy center and crispy edges. You can make them in any size but I usually make them between 3-4 ounces.
I made the chocolate chip cookie dough and then experimented with different oven temperatures. I tried 385 degrees, 395 degrees, 400 degrees, 410 degrees, and even 425 degrees in a quest to find the ultimate baking temperature for these chocolate chip cookies. The winner was 400 degrees! It allowed the cookies to get those crispy edges while keeping the middle a perfect texture.
I also experimented with chilling the cookie dough. If you’ve read my posts about chilling cookie dough, you will find that I believe it is a pretty important step. When you chill cookie dough, something pretty spectacular happens and it just gets better with time. The flavors meld together, the dry ingredients absorb the butter and sugar, and the cookies become richer and more decadent. So if time is on your side, chill the dough for at least 24 hours!
How to make the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Start with cold butter, cut into cubes. If you want thicker cookies and less spreading, use cold cubed butter. You can also take the butter out of the refrigerator, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and put it in the microwave for about 5-8 seconds. It needs to be firm enough to cut into cubes but just soft enough to mix well with the sugars.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. This helps to create a creamy texture and to wrap the butter around the sugar. It also whips air into the cookie dough which gives the cookies some extra rise.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy.
- A secret leavening ingredient is to use BOTH cornstarch and baking soda. The cornstarch gives the cookies such a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to add to cookies!
- Bring on the chocolate chips. I love to make my cookies extra chocolatey so I add some extra chocolate chips. Use your favorite type of chocolate chips — semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or a mix of both. I also love to chop up a high-quality chocolate bar since it melts so beautifully. My favorite chocolate chips brands are Guittard and Ghirardelli.
Here are my favorite baking tools that I can’t live without:
Light-Colored Baking Sheets
Parchment Paper Liners
Silpat Silicone Baking Sheets
Cookie Scoop
KitchenAid Mixer
If you love chocolate chip cookies, here are some of the most popular recipes:
- Levain Bakery Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies
- MJ’s Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Charmina’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Here's a tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe that will impress everyone!
- 1 cup Cold Butter (cut into cubes, if you want a slightly thinner cookie...microwave for about 5-8 seconds)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 3/4 cups Flour (may use all-purpose or 1 cup cake flour and 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 - 2 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips (semi-sweet or mix of milk chocolate and semi-sweet)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if not chilling the dough). Check your oven temperature using an oven thermometer since some ovens run hot. If you suspect your oven runs hot, preheat oven to 385 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Mix for 1 minute longer.
Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
If time permits, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours. If not, scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets. I suggest using parchment paper or Silpat silicone baking sheets on light-colored baking sheets. If you using dark colored baking sheets, the bottoms of the cookies may brown quickly and can burn. I suggest using light-colored cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-11 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn a light golden color. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.
**If you chill the cookie dough, make sure to tightly wrap it so it isn't exposed to air. Once you are ready to bake the cookie dough, let the dough sit out for at least 15-30 minutes to allow to come to room temperature. Depending on how long it has been chilling, it may be a little crumbly. Press together with hands to form balls.
I hope you love these perfect chocolate chip cookies! Thank you for following along!
This is so timely because I’ve been testing a million tweaks to your recipe for a smaller 4 oz non-walnut version! My biggest struggle has been with the outside cooking before the center, leaving them overly gooey until they’ve cooled for 40+ mins. Maybe letting the shaped dough come to room temp before baking is the only way. Have you ever had success baking straight from the fridge?
So I made these last night and i left mine in for maybe 12 minutes and they were perfectly fine ! i also tried flattening them out a bit so they weren’t so tall and they were also perfectly fine – soft on the center and only a little harder on the outside
If you do not let your cookies bake after they have reached room temperature, you will more than likely mess up your cookie because it will not cook evenly due to the coldness.
I have baked these stright from the fridge, and mine have always came out so good. they stay a little bit puffy and crunchy edges soft chewy centers I love this recipe. It really makes a great cookie
When making your choc. Chip cookies, may i form the cookies and rgen chill the dough? Thank you,Bobbe
For the “best chocolate chip cookies”, do you recommend dark or light brown sugar. I defer to light but wanted to get your opinion. 400 degrees seems quite hot but I will give it a try – I usually back chocolate chip variations at 375 degrees.
Just joined your “group”. Made the Snickerdoodles – will try the browned butter version and also looking forward to baking the lemon sugar cookies and those with white chocolate.
Thanks!
What is the “group?” Is it on facebook? Oh my gosh – I love Modern Honey’s Snickerdoodles! The best ever!
Oh my gosh, I am so excited that Julie’s Eats and Treats introduced us to your blog! I cannot believe all the amazing recipes I’m going to make. The first one will be the Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! Everything looks sooo good…
I love your recipes! Levin, all of them deserve the Rock Star title for sure! So glad to see this recipe. Question: In the Levin recipe I think you put the dough in the freezer for a bit before baking. For this recipe, can you make the cookies into balls, put them in the frig for 24 hours and then put them directly into the over to bake? Or, do the balls of cookies need to be room temperature before baking?
Chilling the dough REALLY DOES make a difference!!! The “immediate bake” batch is good but the chilled ones had much more depth of flavor and color.
I also froze a dozen dough balls for later single-serve 😉 Thanks for all your awesome recipes, I enjoy making and EATING them!!
I love you are using cornstarch in this recipe. Also like the idea of mixing AP and Cake flours. Quick question on using baking soda – Some cookie recipes insist 1/2tsp lemon juice is needed to activate baking soda. Other cookie recipes don’t use lemon at all. I was always told that baking soda required lemon for a chemical reaction. Whats the story here?
Yes to chilling the dough! When people say you don’t have to, they haven’t done their homework! And if they can’t taste the difference…they need their taste buds checked. It makes a huge difference. Of course, the biggest complaint: I want cookies NOW. Okay then, this is what I do – prepare the dough, bake off 2-4 cookies to satisfy that craving right away, then chill the rest of the dough for the next day or two. Best of both worlds. To be ultra scientific, I’ve occasionally taken one of those same day cookies, frozen it, then saved it to compare with the properly chilled dough. You can always see and tell the difference. AND (I don’t know if this is entirely true, need to research more) I recently read that the original Wakefield recipe for CCC that started it all did call for some kind of chilling time. So there you go:)
I can never seem to find the right recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies, but this one has blown me away. The cookies are the best texture and they taste amazing! I would highly recommend this recipe.
Good recipe! Although I prefer the Ghiradelli chocolate chip cookie recipe over any other I’ve tried.
I was looking for THE Best Chocolate Chip Cookie. Well I found it with these! Although I didn’t notice they needed to be chilled , which I couldn’t do as I was making cookies with my young grandson. Although they weren’t chilled they turned out AMAZING!!! Thank you for your hard work and the fantastic recipe!
So if I do chill the dough, what temperature do I put my oven on?
Why corn starch never saw that in chic chip what does it do?
And why mix cake flour with all purpose
I misread the recipe and only used 1 cup of cake flour. After I baked my cookies they came out flatter than a pizza (it was pretty funny). Do you think I could still add in the additional 1 3/4 cup of flour? The taste is there just that I messed up on the recipe.
Thank you for the recipe! I needed to come up with a good choc chip cookie recipe quick before my husband and my adult rookie hockey game. I promised cookies to the guy running it. They were a hit! He kept going to the score box and grabbing more cookies while he was officiating the game! haha The rest were devoured after by all of the other players. I didn’t have enough brown sugar so I used 1/2 c b.sugar and the rest natural raw sugar. My first batch was almost over cooked at 9 minutes so I started taking them out at 8 and they flattened more, as well. My son loves m&m’s so I used the extra dough from the bowl and made a monster cookie with the candy added after. My MIL decided she like the dough as it was even without the chips. I may play with the dough with different add-in’s. This will be my forever cc cookie recipe!
I made this recipe yesterday for the first time. I added an extra 2 Tblsp of butter because I love the flavor. I rolled the dough into balls, which made a thicker, soft cookie after baking. I tried 9 min. baking at 400 degrees, which wasn’t quite enough. So, I baked them at 400 degrees for 11 min., and they are PERFECT! This is the absolute best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Do you use unsalted butter
Do you use SALTED or UNSALTED butter??
My guess is that the butter is unsalted because there is already a good amount of salt included in the recipe. You could use salted butter though and likely omit most of the salt listed in the recipe. Taste testing the dough if you’re unsure is greatly encouraged 🙂 Hope this helps!
100% unsalted in ALL baking!! omg you’re not gonna have a cookie if you use salted butter you’e gonna have a salty ass biscuit lmao
I am different when it comes to my cookies. I like a balance of sweet and salty. Without the salt there is sweetness with no flavor. B
Best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!! Turned out perfect!!
Thanks for sharing CJ
Mellissa girl you have done it again!! okay 3rd recipe I have tried and now I am hooked on you web site..(I have my eye on those vanilla cupcakes, but that is next week) this week I did the cookies I was so nervous because I have real taste testes at home and my hubby is honest not matter what (and I mean that) and I am very much aware that I am bakingly yumminess challenged (yes I just made that word up, but in other words I am learning to bake) when he said the flavor is outstanding I knew I hit a home run. My son loved them too! this recipe made a good amount of cookie dough do so I did half with walnuts and the other half as is and it is great perfectly chewy center with slightly crisp edges. I chilled the dough overnight then after I set the dough out and rolled into balls and let set at room temperature for about 30 min then baked at 385 for 10 min on parchment and let cool on the sheet completely. Oh I did the combo of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips which really balanced the sweetness of the cookie itself.
Hi Celeste! You are so sweet! Thank you so much for your comment. It made my day! I appreciate you trying so many of my recipes and I am so glad you love them. Have a great night! — Melissa
These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever!!! They not only taste amazing, they look beautiful!!! I’m taking them to a friend that’s in the hospital tomorrow and I’m so excited to give them to her! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!
Oh my gosh! These really ARE the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!!!! My adult son asked me to bake him a batch to take to his shop! He said they were the best I’ve ever made… and my last ones weren’t terrible!!!!
I made these a few weeks ago and my husband said they were perfect. My problem is that there are only 2 of us and I try to watch my calorie intake. If I bake a whole batch, I cant help but grabbing one everytime I get near them. If I make up a batch of these, can I bake a few and form the rest into balls (slightly flattened) and freeze them so I can take 4 or 5 out to thaw and bake for my husband and squash my temptation to eat them all at once?
This IS the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe EVER, and so effortless to make!
Thank you, Melissa, for perfecting this recipe, that will be shared and used for decades to come!
I never worry about calorie counting because each time I whip up a batch, I’m doing so to spread some joy and brighten someone’s day by sharing 😀
Almost all cookies are given away — whether it’s to the early-morning front desk guys at the gym; or my gym buddy for her tea break; and once the Lindt chocolate store staff (where I buy the Ghirardelli chocolate chips); or the staff at my hair salon, who hints at getting more each time I visit (I’ve created a monster).
The baked cookies also freeze very well.
Can’t wait to try the new Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Copycat Recipe next.
Keep up the great work, Melissa!!!
These are very much the bakery style chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have been on the search for!!!
Thank you for sharing all your hard work!
Hi! So how much all purpose flour do you use? And why type of brown sugar? Light or dark? Light leaves a soft middle and a less chewy cookie, dark leaves a chewy cookie.
Wow! These were amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Turned out great and easy to follow recipe
I have never left a comment on any recipe I’ve found online and there have been many great ones! This is hands down the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made!!! They were AMAZING!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!! I’ll definitely be trying some of your other recipes.
This is unclear to me. 2 3/4 cups Flour (may use all-purpose or 1 cup cake flour and 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour)
Are you trying to say 2 3/4 c flour then maybe 1 3/4 c flour ? Very confusing
How’s that not clear? Haha. Either use all All purpose flour or a combination of cake flour and all purpose flour. They all end up being 2 3/4cup flours.
nasty reply, hope someone hugs you today.
Thank you so much, Melissa!
I am super picky about cookies, and recipes in general, and these are amazing.
I thought your instructions were perfect, also. Good work!
I usually use salted butter. Is this okay for this recipe or should I adjust the amount of salt? Thanks for your help.
Just made the best chocolate chip cookies! Delicious!
I refrigerated the dough overnight, I don’t know if that’s what made the difference but they are thick and delicious. This will be my go-to chocolate chip recipe from now on. Thank you!
I have made these before, and they are the BEST, but wanted to say, I started baking the other day and realized I was out of SUGAR! Happened to have some very fine coconut sugar that’s supposed to be used for baking, and I subbed that for the sugar. Put the dough in the refrigerator for about 36 hours and then just baked them this morning…. the coconut sugar gave them an amazing and even more rich caramel taste. I am totally in love with these cookies, and I would eat the whole batch myself, but they are supposed to go to a local food pantry for a holiday cookie drive. I guess I’ll have to make another batch for myself!
Made these today, turned out perfect, taste delicious! Definitely our new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks!
I made these with a dairy free stick butter, and dairy free chocolate chips, and they were amazing. Perfectly shaped and perfectly cooked. Got lots of compliments too, especially from my dairy allergy friend. Thanks for working so hard to perfect this recipe, it’s a keeper!
This is my 2nd time making these cookies & they are the BEST EVER!!! Chilling is the key! Thanks you for all the tips and a great recipe!
I’ve always looked for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and this is it. I have made it 3 times this holiday season so far for 3 different get togethers and lost count of how many positive comments I got about them. They stay soft and chewy for days and are absolutely delicious. Well done!
These always come out great and everyone loves them, made them for Thanksgiving a few months back and have been making these almost every week since. The whole family loves them.
Great recipe for bakery style chocolate chip cookies! Mine turned out a little flatter than the cookies in the pictures, but I only chilled them for three hours before baking. 400 degrees seemed high to me, but it provided the perfect crisp on the outside. I baked mine for 400 degrees for 11 minutes (too long), 8 minutes (too short) and finally 9 minutes for the perfect cookies!! Thanks for sharing with us!
These are the best homemade chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made, and I’ve made A LOT. Normally I’m pretty unimpressed by homemade chocolate chip cookies, they never taste as good as the soft store bought ones and they’re more work. This recipe changed my mind!! What I love most is that it doesn’t ask you to jump through hoops or have any weird ingredients either, it’s just a normal chocolate chip cookie recipe that produces EXTRAORDINARY cookies!! We were too impatient to chill the dough, so we made one batch to eat right then and chilled the rest to cook later. The first batch was still delicious, but the chilled dough did produce a smoother, even tastier cookie!
I used the combination of cake flour and regular flour and my cookies came out looking like little puff balls lol they taste delicious but idk why they came out looking like balls instead of flat normal shaped cookies…any ideas of where I went wrong?
Too much flour, maybe packed a bit too much. If they end up flat that means not enough flour.
I’m cookie challenged but I’ve read the above.
I’m about to bake these and another recipe combined together today with my adult sons to keep our sweet teeth satisfied during the Covid-19 lockdown.