THE perfect chocolate chip cookies! These cookies have chewy, caramelized edges, soft and gooey centers, and they’re loaded with chocolate. Plus, I’m giving you all my best tips and tricks for baking perfect cookies every time!
Okay so here’s the deal. I’ve had it in my head for a while that I needed to dedicate some time to developing a recipe for perfect chocolate chip cookies. Why? Because a good (nay, great) chocolate chip cookie is the crux upon which any good baker hangs their reputation.
This seems a tad dramatic. But I couldn’t move forward with any other baking endeavors until I had created the recipe for perfect chocolate chip cookies & sealed it in my arsenal. Really, I just want the best for you guys, and this recipe, my friends, yields the best.
I’ll do my best to explain what I have in mind when it comes to chocolate chip cookie perfection. First of all, perfect chocolate chip cookies are BIG cookies with great texture. I once read this in an article, and it holds true: larger cookies have more surface area, and therefore are more texturally interesting cookies. Right? Ugh, it’s so right. You get that diversity of the caramelized, chewy edges that fade into a soft, gooey center. So dreamy.
Second of all, perfect chocolate chip cookies have some depth to them. What do I mean by this? Depth of flavor and a deep, golden color. Toffee and caramel undertones, a little sweet, a little salty, a lot of chocolate. This depth comes from a longer chill time of up to 24 hours. I know, I know, that’s a long time to wait for cookies, but I promise you it’s worth the wait. Baking science magic happens when you chill your dough, and creates a deeper, more flavorful cookie. See my notes below for all the baking science deets.
Third of all, perfect chocolate chip cookies must contain both chopped chocolate and chocolate chips. Seems finicky, but it makes a difference. The chopped chocolate melts, which creates pools of chocolate throughout the cookie. The chips, on the other hand, are studded pretty evenly throughout, which ensures a bit of chocolate in every bite.
So there you have it. Perfect chocolate chip cookies. And guess what? I developed that recipe and turned my visions into cookie-reality. BUT I don’t just want to give you guys a recipe. I’ve also included lots of my best tips and tricks for baking up perfect cookies every time. Be sure to read through my notes so you too can share in chocolate chip cookie bliss. Bakery-worthy cookies aren’t just for the bakery anymore- you can do this right in your own kitchen!
Happy baking, friends!
What you’ll need to bake these cookies:
Butter: For flavor, moisture, and helps the cookies spread in the oven.
Brown sugar: Adds depth of flavor and chewiness.
Sugar: Granulated sugar of course adds sweetness, but also helps cookies spread and caramelize in the oven.
Eggs: For binding and structure. An additional egg yolk adds extra richness, moisture, and chewiness.
Vanilla: For added flavor.
Flour: For structure.
Kosher salt: To balance out all the sweetness.
Cornstarch: Gives the cookies a softer texture.
Baking soda + baking powder: For leavening power.
Chopped semisweet chocolate + semisweet chocolate chips: I like to use a mix of chopped chocolate and chocolate chips in these cookies. The chopped chocolate melts, giving you pools of chocolate throughout the cookies, while the chips ensure a bit of chocolate in every bite!
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
What size cookie scoop should I use? For these cookies I like to use a #16 (1/4 cup) scoop. Yes, this makes for a pretty big cookie, but who’s complaining? I like the larger size scoop because it makes for a more interesting and diverse cookie- you get the caramelized, chewy edges and a soft center. If you decide to go with a smaller scoop, just be sure to reduce your bake time and watch for cues to know when they’re done.
Why did my cookies not spread in the oven? This typically happens if you use too much flour, which makes the cookies too cakey. It’s best to weigh your ingredients to avoid using too much flour.
How can I get perfectly round cookies? When the cookies are hot & fresh out of the oven, use a round cutter larger than the size of the cookies and give the edges of the cookies a little nudge to even them out.
My best tips & tricks for perfect cookies every time:
Weigh your ingredients. This is my best tip, not just with cookies, but across the board. Recipes are scientific formulas, which means precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and furthermore, the way each baker uses measuring cups is even more variable. This is especially important when it comes to measuring ingredients like flour and brown sugar, which are often measured incorrectly, giving you widely inconsistent results.
Make sure your butter is the right consistency. The right consistency for softened butter is soft, but still firm to the touch. When you press your finger into the butter, it should leave an indentation, but shouldn’t be greasy or shiny. If you really want to get technical, use an instant read thermometer- your butter should be between 65-67°F. If you think your butter is a little too warm, pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes or so.
Use room temperature eggs. Eggs should be room temperature, not cold. If you mix cold eggs into the butter, it will cause the butter to seize up, causing the batter to split and take on a grainy consistency. Here’s my tip on bringing cold eggs to room temperature quickly: place the eggs still in their shells in warm water for 5 minutes. Voila! Room temperature eggs ready to bake with.
Don’t overmix your dough. Overworking the cookie dough will cause the gluten in the flour to overdevelop, leading to a tougher cookie. After you’ve added your dry ingredients, make sure to keep your mixer on low speed & mix until the ingredients are just combined. Then fold in chocolate chips by hand.
Chill your dough. Chilling cookie dough is like a magic trick. The longer the dough chills, the better. Here’s why:
- Better flavor. As the dough chills, it loses moisture which concentrates the flavor. Time in the fridge also allows the flour and eggs to break down into their component parts, which contain sugar, thus giving you that deep, toffee-like flavor.
- Better texture. Chilled dough spreads less in the oven, giving you a thicker cookie with a softer center. Also, because the dough has lost some moisture, the sugar content is more concentrated, which gives you those chewy, caramelized edges.
- Better color. All that concentrated sugar? It caramelizes in the hot oven, which creates that beautiful, golden color.
Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens aren’t calibrated correctly, and when they say they’re preheated to a certain temperature, they’re actually not. For instance, when my oven dings at me to say it’s officially 350°F, its usually at about 300°F. The best way to know that your oven is heated to the correct temperature is to use an oven thermometer, like this one. If you don’t have an oven thermometer, I recommend waiting 15-20 minutes to use your oven after it says that it’s preheated.
Bake one cookie sheet at a time. This ensures evenly baked cookies every time. When in “bake” mode, your oven produces heat from both the bottom and the top. If you have more than one cookie sheet in your oven, placed one rack above the other, the heat can’t evenly reach each cookie sheet, producing variable results.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 1 to 24 hour chill time)
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 31 minutes (plus 1 to 24 hour chill-time)
- Yield: 15–18 large cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Description
THE perfect chocolate chip cookies! These cookies have chewy, caramelized edges, soft and gooey centers, and they’re loaded with chocolate. Plus, I’m giving you all my best tips and tricks for baking perfect cookies every time!
Ingredients
- 226 gm (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened*
- 250 gm (1 1/4 cups, lightly packed) light brown sugar
- 100 gm (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 312 gm (2 1/2 cups, spoon & leveled) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 113 gm (4 oz) high quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 165 gm (3/4 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
- Optional garnish: flakey sea salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar, and sugar and beat on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Mix in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, making sure that the first is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 2 additions, mixing on low speed until just combined; be careful not to overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped chocolate and chocolate chips.
- Tightly cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour, preferably up to 24 hours (TIP: the longer you chill the dough, the more flavorful and golden the cookies will be!).
- About 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. If the dough has been chilling for longer than a couple of hours, set it out on the counter to soften a bit (this will make it easier to scoop!)**. Using a #16 spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 to 4″ apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and centers are set. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Top with flakey sea salt, if desired.
Notes
* Softened butter: The right consistency for softened butter is soft, but still firm. When you press your finger into the butter, it should leave an indentation, but shouldn’t be shiny or greasy. If you really want to get technical, use an instant read thermometer: your butter should be between 65-67°F.
**Tip for scooping chilled dough: The longer your dough chills, the more moisture it will lose, which in turn can make it a bit harder to scoop. Don’t worry! Losing a bit of moisture is one of the magic tricks in making the cookies have deeper flavor and color. If the dough is too hard to scoop after it’s been chilling for a while, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften a bit. I sometimes use a metal spoon to break the dough up to make it easier to scoop as well.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing: First chill the dough for 1 to 24 hours (the longer the better) prior to freezing. After the dough has chilled, scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until the cookie dough is frozen solid. Place frozen dough in a freezer-safe container or zip top bag for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, just add 1 to 2 minutes to your bake time!
