Classic Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Optional Flaky Sea Salt
- Recipe Introduction
- Ingredients & Equipment
- Main Ingredients for Classic Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Seasoning Notes — for Brown sugar chocolate chip cookies and more
- Equipment Needed
- Cooking Method
- Prep Steps
- Step-by-Step Process
- Pro Tips
- Recipe Notes — quick thoughts before baking
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Tips
- Variations
- Nutrition Basics
- Final note
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 📝 Recipe Card
Recipe Introduction
Chocolate Chip Cookies have always been my comfort food. Honestly, I baked my first dozen at age 12. That smell of butter and vanilla still gets me every time.
Quick Hook I love a cookie that balances crisp edges with a gooey center. This Classic Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies version does exactly that.
Think buttery caramel notes from brown sugar and warm pockets of melted chocolate.
Brief Overview This recipe is rooted in the 1930s Toll House idea by Ruth Wakefield. It’s simple and timeless. The method is easy.
You cream, mix, and bake. Expect about 45 minutes total without chilling. With a short chill, plan for 30 60 minutes more.
Yield is roughly 36 medium cookies, perfect for sharing.
Difficulty and timing are forgiving. Even beginners can nail it. I’ve messed up a batch by overcreaming. Lesson learned: watch the texture, not the clock.
Main Benefits Top perk? You get chewy, melty centers and golden edges. These are proper Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies the kind you dip in milk.
If you want bakery level results, this is one of the Best chocolate chip cookie recipe approaches I use at home.
Perfect occasions include bake sales, midnight cravings, or weeknight dessert rescues. I once brought a batch to a potluck and people asked if they were bakery style chocolate chip cookies. True story.
What makes this recipe special is the brown sugar chocolate chip cookies twist. A touch of brown sugar brings caramel depth.
Also, try Chilled cookie dough chocolate chip cookies for firmer, more flavorful rounds. For texture play, swap some chips for chocolate chunks.
Chocolate chunk cookies give big melty pockets and drama.
If you like a salty contrast, finish a warm cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Those Flaky sea salt chocolate chip cookies hit so hard.
You can also fold in nuts for a toasted note.
Small tip: underbake slightly. Pull at edges golden, centers still soft. Cookies firm up as they cool. Ready to move from talk to action? Next up: the ingredients list and equipment you’ll need.
Ingredients & Equipment
Fun fact. Ruth Wakefield invented the Toll House cookie. These Chocolate Chip Cookies are my go-to weekend treat. They nail that bakery vibe.
I mean chewy edges and soft middles. Honestly, nothing beats a warm one.
Main Ingredients for Classic Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Unsalted butter, room temperature — 1 cup (226 g) . Use real butter for deep flavor.
- Granulated sugar — 3/4 cup (150 g) . Adds lift and snap.
- Light brown sugar, packed — 3/4 cup (165 g) . This is the chew secret.
- Large eggs, room temperature — 2 (about 100 g total).
- Pure vanilla extract — 2 teaspoons (10 mL) . Fresh vanilla matters.
- All-purpose flour — 2 1/4 cups (281 g) . Weigh it for best results.
- Baking soda — 1 teaspoon (5 g) .
- Fine salt — 1 teaspoon (5 6 g) . Use 1/2 teaspoon if butter is salted.
- Semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate — 2 cups (340 g) . Mix chips and chunks.
- Optional nuts, chopped — 1 cup (120 g) .
- Finishing flaky sea salt pinch per cookie. This transforms sweetness.
Seasoning Notes for Brown sugar chocolate chip cookies and more
Keep flavors simple. Use brown sugar for caramel notes. Add a tiny pinch of flaky salt on warm cookies. For aromatics use pure vanilla.
For more depth try a dash of espresso powder. Prefer spices. Try 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Substitutions work. No eggs. Use 1 tablespoon ground flax plus 3 tablespoons water per egg.
Salted butter. Reduce added salt to 1/2 teaspoon .
Equipment Needed
- Baking sheets, rimmed. Two or more.
- Parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Stand mixer or hand mixer. Or sturdy bowl plus wooden spoon.
- Digital scale recommended for accuracy.
- Cookie scoop 1.5 tbsp or tablespoon.
- Cooling rack and spatula.
Short tip. Chill the dough for better texture. Chilled cookie dough chocolate chip cookies spread less. For bakery style chocolate chip cookies, use chopped bittersweet chocolate.
I once overbaked a tray. Lesson learned. Pull when edges brown and centers still soft. Let them rest two minutes and then cool.
These are the best chocolate chip cookie recipe tweaks I’ve found. Try them and tell me what you think.
Cooking Method
Oh my gosh, these Chocolate Chip Cookies are comfort in a bite. Fun fact: people bake billions of cookies each year.
Seriously, it's a love language. I learned early that a short chill makes all the difference. That turned my cookies from flat to bakery style.
Prep Steps
Get your mise en place ready. Measure flour on a scale. Chop chocolate if using chunks.
Save time by scooping dough onto a tray. Chill scoops together. Then bake straight from the fridge.
Safety first. Handle hot pans with oven mitts. Wash hands after handling raw eggs. Bold reminder: always avoid cross contamination when using raw eggs.
step-by-step Process
- Preheat oven to 350° F ( 175° C) . Line sheets with parchment.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars until light. About 2– 3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla.
- Fold dry mix into wet. Add chocolate and nuts.
- Chill dough 30– 60 minutes (optional but recommended).
- Scoop and bake 9– 12 minutes at 350° F ( 175° C) . Cool 2– 3 minutes on sheet.
Look for visual cues for doneness. Edges should be golden brown. Centers should still look slightly soft. Cookies firm as they cool. That gives you chewy centers and crisp edges.
Pro Tips
Use a mix of chips and chunks for melty pockets. I do half chopped bittersweet. It changes everything.
Avoid overmixing the dough. Overworked dough makes cakey cookies. Also, don’t skimp on brown sugar. It gives that chewy texture.
Want make-ahead options? Scoop and freeze dough balls. Bake from frozen, adding 1– 2 minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid. Weigh flour properly. Don’t skip chilling if you want thicker cookies. Resist opening the oven often.
Honestly, this is my go-to for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies , Bakery style chocolate chip cookies , and also for Flaky sea salt chocolate chip cookies when I’m feeling fancy.
Try chilling overnight for deeper flavor. You’ll thank me later.
Recipe Notes quick thoughts before baking
"Life is short. Eat the cookie." Oh my gosh, true. This Classic Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies dough smells like nostalgia.
I make this recipe when friends pop by. It always wins. The brown sugar gives chew. Chilling helps flavor. I once forgot to chill.
The cookies spread like pancakes. Lesson learned.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm on a simple plate. Stack like bakery treats. For a bakery style vibe, add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Try flaky sea salt chocolate chip cookies for contrast. Pair with a cold glass of milk. Or serve with espresso for grown ups.
For dessert, sandwich two with vanilla ice cream. That combo screams comfort. For kids, dunking is essential.
Storage Tips
Cool completely before storing. Store in an airtight container. Keep at room temperature up to four days. Refrigerate if your kitchen is hot.
For longer storage, freeze dough balls. Freeze scooped dough on a tray, then bag. Bakes straight from frozen with a minute more.
To reheat, warm cookies in oven at 325° F for 5 7 minutes . Microwave briefly for a chewy, melty bite.
Variations
Want gluten-free? Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Try a flax egg for a vegan take. Both change texture slightly.
For seasonal swaps, add cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Or fold in orange zest for winter baking. Swap some chips for chopped chocolate to make chocolate chunk cookies.
Try brown butter or extra brown sugar for deeper caramel notes. If you chill, call them chilled cookie dough chocolate chip cookies.
These small swaps make big flavor changes.
Nutrition Basics
Per cookie it's about 160 calories. That’s a useful stat to know. Each cookie has some protein from eggs and nuts.
Dark chocolate adds antioxidants. Nuts add healthy fats. Portion control keeps treats balanced. These are treats, not daily staples.
Final note
Baking these felt like therapy for me. Try the recipe once. Tweak to taste. Trust the creaming, chill, and gentle bake.
You’ll soon have your best chocolate chip cookie recipe. Go bake and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my Chocolate Chip Cookies chewy instead of thin and crispy?
For chewy cookies, use a higher proportion of brown sugar, cream the butter and sugars until light but not overly fluffy (about 2 3 minutes), and slightly underbake them so the centers remain soft pull them when the edges are golden but centers still look a touch soft.
Weigh your flour (281 g) to avoid adding too much, and chill the dough for 30 60 minutes (or overnight) to reduce spread and deepen flavor. These small technique tweaks give you that classic chewy centre with crisp edges.
Can I make Chocolate Chip Cookies dough ahead of time or freeze it for later?
Yes the dough keeps in the fridge for up to 72 hours and actually tastes better after an overnight chill; chilling intensifies flavor and reduces spread. For longer storage, scoop dough into balls and freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months; bake from frozen adding 1 3 minutes to the bake time or thaw in the fridge overnight first.
This is great for planning ahead or for fresh baked cookies on demand.
Why did my Chocolate Chip Cookies spread too much and turn out flat?
Flat cookies usually come from too-soft butter, under measured flour, warm baking sheets, or not chilling the dough. Fix it by weighing flour, chilling the dough (or the scooped balls) before baking, using room temperature but not overly soft butter, and baking on cool trays also check that your baking soda is fresh.
Small adjustments like these will give you taller, chewier cookies instead of flat ones.
How can I adapt this Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe for gluten-free, vegan, or lower sugar diets?
For gluten-free swaps, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum if your blend lacks it; texture may be slightly different but will still be delicious. For vegan cookies, replace each egg with a flax “egg” (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water) and use a firm vegan butter; note the cookies may be a touch cakier.
To reduce sugar or calories, use less chocolate, swap some chips for chopped dark chocolate (higher cacao), reduce granulated sugar slightly, or try smaller scoops but expect changes to texture and spread.
What’s the best way to store leftover Chocolate Chip Cookies and how should I reheat them?
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 5 days; adding a slice of bread keeps them soft by sharing moisture. Freeze baked cookies in a sealed bag for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature when needed.
To refresh, warm them in a 150°C/300°F oven for 3 5 minutes or microwave a single cookie for 8 12 seconds to recreate that just baked texture add flaky sea salt while still warm if using a finishing salt.
How many calories are in these Chocolate Chip Cookies and are there healthier variations?
On a yield of about 36 medium cookies the estimate is roughly 160 kcal per cookie (≈8.5 g fat, 20 g carbs, ~2 g protein), though exact numbers depend on cookie size and ingredients.
For a slightly healthier twist, use a higher percentage dark chocolate, cut back a little on the chips, swap part of the flour for oats or whole grain flour, or make smaller cookies to control portions.
Remember: portion size and ingredient choices make the biggest difference enjoy with a cuppa or a tall glass of milk in moderation.
Classic Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Optional Fl
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Nutrition Facts:
| Calories | 160 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g |
| Fat | 8.5 g |
| Carbs | 20 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Sodium | 140 mg |
