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Stack of chewy chocolate chip cookies with golden edges and melted semisweet chips on a wooden board

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Perfectly Every Time

Soft, thick chocolate chip cookies with crisp golden edges and chewy centers. Chilling the scooped dough for 30 minutes keeps them from spreading.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 14 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 226
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 270 g, spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
Dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 227 g, 2 sticks, softened to about 65°F
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 165 g
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 g
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons alcohol-free vanilla extract
Mix-ins and Topping
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 340 g, divided: 1 3/4 cups for the dough, 1/4 cup for the tops
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Two 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • 2-tablespoon cookie scoop
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Kitchen scale

Method
 

  1. Before starting, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. When the dough has 15 minutes of chilling left, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl for 30 seconds, until evenly pale with no lumps. Chef's Note: Press out any baking soda lumps against the bowl to avoid bitter spots.
  3. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and sandy tan with no loose sugar. Chef's Note: Longer creaming whips in air that collapses in the oven and makes flat cookies.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, about 20 seconds each, then add the vanilla. The batter should look glossy with no yolk streaks.
  5. Add the flour mixture in two rounds on low speed, 15 seconds each. Stop while a few flour streaks remain.
  6. Fold in 1 3/4 cups of the chocolate chips with a spatula using 10 to 12 turns, until chips show in every spot you cut. Chef's Note: Fold gently, since pushing hard toughens the dough.
  7. Scoop 2 tablespoon mounds onto the lined sheets, 12 per sheet and 2 inches apart. Press 3 or 4 reserved chips on each, then chill both sheets for 30 minutes, until the tops look dull and feel firm.
  8. Bake the first sheet at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers look puffed, pale, and slightly soft. Sprinkle with flaky salt right away. Chef's Note: Slightly underdone centers finish setting on the hot pan.
  9. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, until a cookie lifts without bending, then move the cookies to a wire rack.
  10. Bake the second chilled sheet the same way, 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers are pale and soft.

Notes

Weigh the flour (270 g) for the best texture. A scooped cup can weigh 20 to 30 g more than a spooned one.
For softer cookies pull them at 11 minutes. For crispier edges add 2 minutes.
Storage: airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. Scooped dough keeps 3 days in the fridge. Baked cookies and dough balls freeze up to 3 months.