decorvow Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Video)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Servings:

36

Yield:

3 dozen

A soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie is a comforting and nostalgic treat—especially when it's as good as this one. In this, our most popular cookie recipe, we use plenty of unsalted butter and a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar to make our very best soft cookies. The butter-to-brown sugar and granulated sugar ratio creates the perfect soft texture. The molasses in the brown sugar contributes to the chewiness of these irresistible cookies. Using good-quality chocolate chips for this recipe can make all the difference, and don’t over-mix the cookie dough to ensure the cookies come out tender.

Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies — Credit:
Bryan Gardner

What Makes Cookies Chewy or Crispy?

Whether your cookies will be chewy or crispy all comes down to the amount of butter and sugar in the dough, and the ratios of the types of sugar used. This Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe uses less butter (2 sticks) than our Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies (2 1/2 sticks), but more butter than our Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies (1 3/4 sticks).

We use twice as much light brown sugar (1 cup) as granulated white sugar (1/2 cup), for these soft and chewy cookies—that's what gives them a chewy texture. Our crisp cookie recipe reverses the ratios, using more granulated sugar (1 3/4 cups) than light brown sugar (3/4 of a cup). The cakey cookie reduces the sugar overall, with just 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and only 1/4 cup of light brown sugar.

How to Freeze Cookie Dough

Freezing chocolate chip cookie dough to bake and enjoy later is always a good idea—and it's very easy to do:

Portion out the dough on parchment-lined baking sheets, as specified in the recipe.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until the cookies are firm.
Transfer the frozen cookies to freezer-safe bags.

This technique gives you the freedom to bake just a few—or a few dozen—cookies whenever you like because they are already portioned out.

Directions

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients — Credit:
Grant Webster

Preheat oven and prep baking sheets:

Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower third positions. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour with baking soda:

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Beat butter and sugars:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Add salt, vanilla, and eggs:

Add salt, vanilla, and eggs; mix to combine. Reduce speed to low.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Add flour mixture gradually:

Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Mix in chips:

Mix in chocolate chips.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Portion cookies onto baking sheets:

Using a tablespoon measure or a small ice-cream scoop, drop heaping portions of dough about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.

For uniform cookies, we like to use a small ice-cream scoop to evenly portion the dough.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Bake cookies:

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Cool and store:

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Credit:
Grant Webster

Storing Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Once completely cooled, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. When choosing which container to store them in, ensure it seals properly. How you store cookies makes all the difference in taste—a loose seal can make your cookies go stale fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips?

You should use semisweet chocolate chips for this recipe. Semisweet chocolate has a higher cacao content than milk chocolate but still tastes sweet. If you prefer darker chocolate or less sweet treats, try using bittersweet chocolate chips—the dark chocolate will be offset by the sweet dough and you may find you prefer this combination.
Should you use chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate?

You should use chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate for this recipe. While this recipe calls for chocolate chips, you can swap in the same amount of chopped chocolate if you prefer. Chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape during baking and contain less cocoa butter and more of the emulsifier lecithin than a bar of chocolate does.
How do I prevent cookies from burning?

The best way to prevent cookies from burning is to make sure the oven is preheated to the temperature the method states and use an oven thermometer to ensure it stays at that temperature. Then monitor the cookies as they bake; If they look like they are browning too quickly on top, move the baking sheet to a lower rack or reduce the oven temperature slightly.
What role does baking soda play in cookie dough?

Baking soda plays a very important role in this cookie dough. First, it works as a leavener, reacting with the molasses in the brown sugar to release carbon dioxide. Baking soda also causes cookies to spread and brown more quickly, resulting in a better overall texture and flavor.