Description

There’s nothing quite like biting into a thick, golden-brown chocolate chip cookie that’s crisp on the edges, chewy in the center, and packed with gooey chocolate chips. This recipe takes everything you love about your favorite bakery’s cookies and makes it accessible for your home kitchen. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion, prepping for a cozy weekend treat, or satisfying your midnight craving, these cookies are sure to impress.

The inspiration for these cookies comes from the nostalgia of visiting a local bakery as a child. The smell of warm chocolate and buttery dough wafting through the air was irresistible. Replicating that experience at home allows you to create those same memories with your loved ones, and the best part is that you can enjoy these cookies fresh out of the oven.

Ingredients

Scale

3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (200 grams) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (340 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Prepare the Dry Ingredients
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures your cookies bake evenly with no clumps of baking soda.
Cream the Butter and Sugars
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. This step is essential for achieving the cookie’s soft texture, so take your time—about 2-3 minutes.
Incorporate the Wet Ingredients
Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Overmixing can make your cookies tough, so stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
Add the Chocolate Chips
Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula, ensuring they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Chill the Dough
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This step is crucial for getting that bakery-style thickness and depth of flavor.
Shape and Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or your hands to portion the dough into large balls (about 3 tablespoons each). Place them on the baking sheets, leaving 2-3 inches of space between each cookie.
Bake to Perfection
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly underbaked. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.