North American Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Chocolate Chip Cookies
Delight in the ultimate treat: warm, chewy cookies bursting with melted chocolate chips in every single bite. Their golden edges and soft, gooey centers make them absolutely irresistible!
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 2
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar using a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- 3
Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- 4
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually blend this dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined (do not overmix).
- 5
Gently fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
- 6
Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are nicely golden brown but the centers are still soft and slightly gooey. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
78/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving705
Calories
7 g
Protein
93 g
Carbs
35 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
The chocolate chip cookie originated at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts in the 1930s, when Ruth Wakefield reportedly chopped a bar of semi-sweet chocolate into her butter cookie dough expecting it to melt into the batter. It stayed in distinct chips instead, and that accident became the standard American cookie recipe still followed today.
Listahan note
This version creams softened butter with brown sugar for a full few minutes rather than melting the butter, since that creaming step is what traps the air that gives the cookie its structure and slightly cakier chew instead of a flatter, greasier crumb.
Technique cues
- Properly softened butter, giving slightly when pressed but not shiny or greasy, traps air during creaming that melted butter simply can't hold.
- Brown sugar's molasses content is hygroscopic, pulling moisture into the cookie as it cools, which is what produces the chewy center rather than an all-the-way-through crisp texture.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips balance the sweetness already coming from both sugars; milk chocolate chips on top of that sugar level can push the finished cookie toward cloying.
- Whisking the baking soda thoroughly into the flour before it meets the wet ingredients prevents small bitter pockets that form when baking soda isn't fully distributed.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Preheat the oven and line baking sheets while the dough rests in the refrigerator; everything will be ready to bake at the same time.
- Make-ahead
- Shape dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a zip bag; bake from frozen at 375F for 2-3 minutes longer than the recipe states.
- Leftover move
- Crumble day-old cookies over vanilla ice cream or blend into a milkshake for a quick dessert.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Line baking sheets with parchment for near-zero cleanup; soak mixing bowls immediately before the dough residue hardens.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
Fat and structure base
Purpose: Properly softened butter traps air during creaming, which gives the cookie structure and a slightly cakier crumb compared to melted butter.
Handling: Leave butter at room temperature for 30-60 minutes; it should give when pressed but hold its shape and not be shiny or greasy.
Adaptation: Brown butter (cooled to solid) adds a nutty, toffee-like depth that upgrades the flavor noticeably without changing the technique.
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
Moisture, chew, and depth
Purpose: The molasses in brown sugar is hygroscopic, pulling moisture into the cookie as it cools and producing the chewy center texture.
Handling: Pack firmly into the measuring cup; loosely packed brown sugar changes the sugar ratio enough to affect texture.
Adaptation: Dark brown sugar in place of light brown increases the molasses flavor and makes cookies slightly darker and chewier.
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Primary flavor and texture contrast
Purpose: Semi-sweet chips balance sweetness from both sugars; milk chocolate chips can make the overall cookie too sweet.
Handling: Reserve a small handful to press into the tops of shaped dough balls before baking for visible chips in the finished cookie.
Adaptation: Chopped chocolate bars instead of chips melt into irregular pools rather than holding their shape, producing a different and many prefer superior texture.
1 tsp baking soda
Leavening and spread control
Purpose: Baking soda reacts with the small amount of acid in brown sugar to produce lift and also promotes browning at the edges.
Handling: Whisk thoroughly into the flour before adding to the dough so it distributes evenly; pockets of baking soda produce bitter spots.
Adaptation: Baking powder can substitute at 3 tsp but produces a puffier, more cake-like cookie with less spread and edge browning.
2 large eggs
Binding and moisture
Purpose: Eggs provide the structure that holds the cookie together and the yolk fat adds richness that water or flax eggs cannot replicate.
Handling: Use room-temperature eggs so they incorporate smoothly into the creamed butter; cold eggs can make the mixture look curdled.
Adaptation: One extra yolk in place of a whole egg produces a richer, slightly denser cookie with a more golden interior.
Technique notes
- Reserve a small handful of chips to press onto the tops of the shaped dough balls before baking, so the finished cookies show visible chips rather than only ones baked from within.
- Room-temperature eggs incorporate smoothly into creamed butter; cold eggs straight from the fridge can make the mixture look curdled and separated.
- Chopped chocolate bars instead of chips melt into irregular pools rather than holding a round shape, which many bakers prefer for the texture it gives the finished cookie.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend; add an extra tablespoon of butter to compensate for the slightly drier texture GF flour produces.
- Dairy-free option
- Use vegan butter sticks (not spread) and dairy-free chocolate chips; the cookies will be slightly crispier and less rich.
- Egg-free direction
- Replace each egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water; let the mixture sit 5 minutes before adding; the cookies will be denser and slightly gummy.
Serve alongside
- Cold whole milk for classic dunking
- Vanilla bean ice cream for sandwich cookies
- Cold whole milk
- Hot coffee or espresso
- Hot chocolate
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; a slice of sandwich bread in the container keeps them softer longer.
- Warm individual cookies in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to refresh the just-baked texture.
- Unbaked dough balls freeze up to 3 months; bake directly from frozen with a 2-3 minute extension on the bake time.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer for proper creaming of butter and sugar
- Cookie scoop for uniform portions
- Rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper liners
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