These soft chewy chocolate chip cookies are so amazing! You won’t want to eat just one.
It is time to make the “King” of the cookie. This classic homemade chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe is my favorite cookie recipe to make and eat and I really do think they are some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had.
Looking for something to make to bring to the neighbors or family members? Make these!
Time to impress your friends and family with these amazing cookies. If I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get baking! π
For more cookie recipes click here.
Step 1: Gather all the ingredients
In order to make these fantastic chewy chocolate chip cookies you will need:
- Flour – I always use All-Purpose flour (plain flour).
- Butter – I generally use unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter. If you do, just reduce the salt that is added. Butter gives the cookies texture, and flavor, and helps with the structure.
- Brown sugar – The brown sugar contains molasses which helps add moisture to the cookie. In turn, making the cookie chewier.
- White granulated sugar – is an essential ingredient for making the perfect cookie.
- Eggs – The eggs will add structure to the cookies as well as a bit of leavening and essential moisture.
- Vanilla extract – this will add lots of flavors and enhance the flavor in the other ingredients.
- Salt – Use a good table salt.
- Baking soda – is the main leavening agent for the cookies.
- Chocolate chips – chocolate chips are the key ingredient in chocolate chip cookies. You can use all kinds of different chocolate chips if you like.
- Nuts – If you want to add another texture, you can add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.
Tools/Equipment
- Silicone Baking MatΒ or parchment paper
- Whisk or Sifter
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Spoons or ice cream scoop
- Spatula
- Mixing bowls
Step 2: How to make soft chewy chocolate chip cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (177 C).
Then cream together the softened butter with the white and brown sugars with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Don’t have a mixer? That is okay, you can use a wooden spoon.
TIP: If your butter is not quite soft enough, go ahead and put it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or place it in the oven for a little bit.
Scrape the sides of the bowl afterward to make sure everything gets mixed in.
Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract to the chewy chocolate chip cookie dough and mix until combined. Again, scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
NOTE: While you can leave the vanilla extract out, I don’t recommend it. The vanilla adds so much flavor as well as enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
In a separate medium bowl whisk or sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
Then add it about a third at a time mixing it into the main bowl. Before adding the last bit of flour, add your chocolate chips, the star of the dish. You can use whatever kind of chocolate chips that you want, I usually add semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips.
NOTE: If you would like to add chopped nuts, you can add them at this point.
And there you go the chewy chocolate chip cookies dough is ready. The cookie dough will be nice and thick.
Step 3: Bake those soft chewy chocolate chip cookies
Time to clean those beaters. I just use my spatula to push the dough away from the beaters.
When I was a young kid and would make cookies with my mom, cleaning the beaters was my favorite part, because she always gave me a taste. However, she never gave me quite as much as I would have liked. I don’t recommend eating raw cookie dough, even though I did all the time as a kid and still do on occasion, haha.
You may bake the cookie dough now, or chill it for about 30 minutes. I don’t usually have the patience to chill the dough first. If you run into an issue with them spreading really thin and flat, try chilling the dough first, it should help.
Now take a spoon or small cup or ice cream scoop, and get about 2 tablespoons worth of dough, depending on the size of the cookie that you want, and then place on your cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or an Artisan Mat (Silicone Baking Mat).
I absolutely love my baking mats, it lasts a super long time, is very easy to clean, and helps to prevent the cookies from burning on the bottom. Parchment paper will work great too. Read my silicone baking mat review here if you want.
Bake the cookies in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 to 16 minutes depending on the size of the cookie, start with 10 minutes and go from there.
Bake them until you see the edges getting brown. For soft chewy chocolate chip cookies bake them for a little less time than you think.
It’s always a good idea when trying out a new cookie recipe to do a trial bake with three or four cookies, so you can get the time down.
Step 4: Finished chocolate chip cookies
Once the cookies come out of the oven, you will notice a little browning around the edges and a bit on the tops. Let the cookies sit on your cookie sheet for about 3 more minutes, then transfer to a cookie rack to cool completely.
Serve them warm, or cool if you like. Notice the bottom of the cookie, nice brown color. π Enjoy those cookies with your friends and family!
How long do soft chewy chocolate chip cookies last?
If stored in an airtight container or zip lock bag, the cookies will last a few weeks at room temperature. After a few days, they won’t be as soft, but they will still be super yummy.
Can I freeze the leftover chocolate chip cookie dough?
Yep, you sure can! What I recommend is to form all the chewy chocolate chip cookie dough into cookie shapes and then place them on a pan, they can be close together. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze it for a few hours.
Once frozen they can be moved off the pan and into a freezer bag and stored in the freezer that way. As opposed to just freezer the leftover dough as one big ball. Then when you want to bake some you have individual cookies all ready to be baked.
Why did my chewy chocolate chip cookies turn out cakey?
One reason your cookies may have turned out cakey is you might have added too much flour. When measuring the flour, loosely scoop the flour and then level the top of it. Be careful not to pack the flour in. You can always try adding 1/4 cup less flour and see if that helps.
You also may have added a bit too much baking soda. Don’t add a heaping teaspoon of baking soda, make sure it is only 1 tsp. Or slightly under even. You may also add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter which will help. Don’t use baking powder for this recipe only use baking soda.
Why did my chewy chocolate chip cookies turn out flat?
The most common reason for chocolate chip cookies going flat is the butter was melted or much too soft. First, try chilling the cookie dough for 1 to 2 hours and see if that helps. Also, avoid putting the cookie dough on a warm or hot cooking sheet. Another reason is you may have not added enough flour.
Try adding a few tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough. It is always a good idea to try baking 2 or 3 cookies first to see how they turn out. Then if needed you can adjust the chewy chocolate chip cookie dough.
What if I don’t have brown sugar, can I use all white granulated sugar in the cookies?
Yes, you can use all white granulated sugar if you like. The cookies will turn out a bit differently and not be quite as chewy. Brown sugar has more moisture content than white granulated sugar and lends to the chewiness of a cookie.
You can try adding a tablespoon or two of molasses along with the white granulated sugar if you have it, and that will help.
Here are a few other recipes you may like:
Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Silicone Baking Mat
- Whisk or Sifter
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- spoon
- Spatula
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 300g
- 1 cup of unsalted softened butter 225 g
- 1 cup of packed brown sugar 200 g
- 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar 100 g
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. of vanilla extract 10ml
- 1/2 tsp. of salt 2 g
- 1 tsp. of baking soda 5 g
- 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate about 2 cups or 350g
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (177 C). Cream together the softened butter with the white and brown sugars in a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Now add the vanilla extract and the eggs and mix until combined, then scrape the bowl again.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Then we add the flour about a third to a fourth of it at a time to the dough, mixing in between, and scraping the sides as needed.
- Next, add the chocolate chips and nuts if you want nuts. Add the remaining bit of flour and mix again until combined. The dough is dough. Clean the beaters. No need to chill the dough, but you can at this point.
- Take two spoons or ice cream scoop, and get about 2 tablespoons worth of dough, depending on the size of the cookie that you want, and then place on your cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 10 to 16 minutes depending on the size of the cookie, start with 10 minutes and go from there. You will bake them until you see the edges getting brown.
- Let the cookies sit on your cookie sheet for about 3 more minutes, then transfer to a cookie rack to cool completely. Serve them warm, or cool if you like. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Made these today and they turned out absolutely perfect! My second time making chocolate chip cookies, first time followed another recipe but the cookies turned out too sweet and the texture wasn’t as good. So today followed this recipe step by step, except I added a little bit less chocolate chips, but everything else was just as Matt wrote. And ahhh guys, these are amazing! Sweet but not too sweet, the flavour is amazing, the texture even better! Boyfriend also said these were absolutely perfect and a lot better than the first cookies I made from another recipe. Just love it, I’m so happy! π
Thank you Matt! β€οΈ Your recipes literally never disappoint!
So glad you made them and liked them, Linda!! π π And thank you so much!!
Yooooo! You killed it with this recipe bro! This is the third one that Iβve tried and itβs the truest. I can tell by the color, texture, and taste of the dough. I have it in the freezer while I clean up the kitchen. I already know these are gonna be so delicious! Thanks Matt! ??????
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! π You are very welcome!
Love these cookies!!! Since we are still in quarantine and lock-down and a no visitors allowed policy, I made them as a treat for myself for my birthday. Hubby’s b’day is tomorrow and these are his favorite too!! Now we can celebrate with the cookies together!!!
So glad you like them and keep making them! π π Happy Birthday to your hubby! And happy late birthday to you!
i am using all purpose i used 2 cups of flour and then i did another 1/2 cup of flour
And did you use baking soda this time? how are you measuring the flour? Don’t pack the flour in the measuring cup.
i used baking soda this time im using a mesuring cup
Again, it sounds like you are measuring too much flour. Don’t mound the flour in the cup and don’t pack the flour in. Just scoop the flour with the cup and level it off. But you can leave 1/4 cup of flour out and that will be fine. Also, what size eggs are you using? Only use large eggs, not extra-large eggs or medium eggs, those will all effect the texture of the cookie.
im using regular eggs
There are no regular eggs. π They all have different sizes. Look at the cartoon of eggs, it will give the size. Believe it or not but the size of the egg makes a difference.
is there something else i could try i used the right ingriedents this time we went to the store and got it but as soon as i got done baking the cookies they came out cakey and werent flat at all i followed everything
It sounds like you are still using too much flour. Are you using American standard cup measurements or metric? Try leaving out 1/4 cup of flour. Are you sure you are using all-purpose flour? Or did you use different flour?
and one more question how much cups do i use for flour?
2 and 1/2 cups of flour. It is listed in the recipe π make sure to scroll all the way past the blog post for the printable recipe that has the ingredients listed and amounts.
I just noticed i used baking powder instead of baking soda and then i used salted butter instead of unsalted butter lol, and one quick question is it ok if i use organic vanilla?
Yep, baking powder will make it puffy! haha, definitely use baking soda. π π The salted butter is fine, but then you need to reduce the actual amount of salt added by half. π And sure, organic vanilla extract is great to use. π
these didnt turn out good they werent flat and they were nasty i used the correct items
Sorry, you had a bad experience with it. But most likely you didn’t use the correct ingredients. They weren’t flat? You probably used too much flour which is the common cause. Are you using American Standard measuring cups or metric? Or not enough butter, or didn’t use real butter is another common error. Are you sure you used baking soda? Or did you use baking powder instead? Did you use both brown sugar and white granulated sugar? I have made them literally 100’s of times and always turn out great. Take a look at the other reviews and comments from others. See if their experiences help. You should try them again, and make sure to read the whole post as well, not just the printable recipe part. That may help too. π Otherwise, it is hard for me to figure out what might have gone wrong without being there.
Hi Matt
These cookies are absolutely delicious to make. I want to make double chocolate chip cookies. In this recipe, how much cacao powder should I put.
Thank you! Just use this recipe! It already has cocoa powder in it. π https://inthekitchenwithmatt.com/chocolate-cookies-recipe
Hello Matt!
These cookies are wonderful and I’ve made them many times. I also mail them to my granddaughter, she’s away going to nursing school and she’s always sooo excited to receive them.
I follow your recipe as is and they’ve never failed to disappoint. Thank you for adding the weight in grams, very helpful.
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes!
That is so nice to hear, Lyndi! π So nice of you to mail them to your granddaughter as well. π I am glad you keep making them! haha π And you are so very welcome.
Hi Matt, i made this recipe before with chocolate chips and it turned out great. Can I also use M and Mβs to replace chocolate chips?
Glad you tried it and liked it! Yes, you can use M&Ms if you like. π
OMG Iβve been trying to do cookies over quarentine, but they always ended up super hard and not good. But this recipe, like IM TELLING YOU these are the best cookies Iβve ever made IN MY LIFE. I 100% recomend this recipie, they are amazing, awasome job!!!!
Hi Laura! Such a nice compliment, I am so glad you tried them and liked them. π Thank you!! And you are welcome. π
Fantastic cookies! My family loves them. Just like Friehofers cookies we grew up with!
Thank you, Sue!! So glad you tried them and that your family loves them. π
These are yummy and sooo soft!!! I wish they wouldnβt have been so flat but delish none the less.
So glad you liked them, Paula! Is it possible you measured the flour a bit off? That can be the culprit. You can chill the dough first, and that can help prevent them from getting too flat. did you use melted butter by chance? That can be a culprit as well. Did you make any substitutions to the sugar? Too much white sugar can make them flat. How old is your baking soda? Those are a few troubleshooting tips you can work through for the next time you try them. π
Is it recommended to freeze the cookie dough before baking? Does it lessen the dough in spreading out flat?
Hi Julie, you can certainly freeze the dough, especially if you want to store it long term. Form it into cookie portions and then freeze them. They won’t spread out as much if frozen or cold when baked. It just depends on the kind of cookie you want. I personally just make the cookies right away after making the dough, for the most part. I only freeze it if I want to store it.
I’ve made so many different chocolate chip cookie recipes in my lifetime and this is by far the best one I’ve ever made! No longer need another other recipe! Thanks, Matt π
Aww, thanks so much for the compliment!! I am so happy you made them and liked them, Emma! π
Hii, I was wondering which is better to use Light brown sugar or Dark brown sugar for this recipe??? π please let me know!!
I always use light brown sugar, but dark works great too. Dark just has a bit more molasses in it. You can’t go wrong with either.
Thank you so much! I want my cookie more chewier so i guess ill use dark brown sugar?
You are welcome, Lea! π
Hi, Iβm going to try this recipe soon. What would the effect of me using melted butter be? Also, for the brown sugar can I use half light brown and half dark brown? But I donβt wanβt to ruin the recipe.
Thanks!
Hello, I have made it with both softened butter and melted. Melted butter will encourage the cookies to spread and be a little thinner. Which also gets crunchier sooner while baking. Yes you can use half light brown and half dark brown sugar! π The dark brown just has a bit more molasses in it. Good luck, Selina! Let me know how they turn out. π
Hi Matt!! I have a doubt, can I use just 1 egg or less butter cuz I donβt want my cookies have that buttery taste or super greasy, what can I do? And whatβs the key to not let them being flat when we put them into the oven??
Good vibe from Mexico!!
Hello! These cookies don’t have a buttery taste and aren’t greasy. Honestly, I recommend trying them as is first. Cookies can be finicky when you start decreasing ingredients. If you don’t want them as flat, chill the cookie dough for at least an hour before baking them. Also don’t over mix the cookie dough. Thank you, happy you found this recipe in Mexico! π I need to get down there and buy some vanilla extract haha, my liter of it that I bought awhile ago from Rocky Point is all gone.
OMG!!!!! Thank you so much for reply me so fast!!! I saw your YouTube video and I fell in love with your cookies and then I found the recipe on Pinterest and thought βOk, this is a signal I have to try THIS recipeβ and you know what, Iβm gonna do it like you said, with all the exact ingredients and everything, I was concerned if they will taste buttery but thank you to tell me that they donβt taste like that! Iβm gonna comment you back soon to tell you how was the cookie experience ????
You are very welcome! Yes please try them out and let me know how they turn out. π π
Hello again! I have a really huge doubt. Can I freeze the dough 30 min before I bake them? I planned make the cookie dough balls and put the in the freezer, cuz I donβt have a lot of time to wait 1 hour or more π or what can I do?
Hello, yes you can freeze the cookie dough balls before baking them. π I do it all the time.
I’m always curious, which is best to use and when – golden vs dark brown sugar? I’m about to make your chocolate chip cookies but I’m curious if you are using the golden brown sugar or?
Hi Ana! I usually use golden or light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar works great as well. It adds a touch more molasses flavor. But light and dark brown sugar are interchangeable in most recipes.