These are the Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies! No dough chilling required—just mix, bake and enjoy. Grab your favorite chocolate chips and get ready to make the best cookies ever!
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Let’s talk chocolate chip cookies. I’ve tested more recipes than I can count, and while I’m all for a kitchen adventure (hello, Mama Kelce’s cookies!), sometimes you just want a good ol’ classic cookie. Enter this recipe. It’s the one you’ll turn to when you need warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies now, without needing to hunt down any obscure ingredients or plan ahead.
And let’s be real, there’s something so satisfying about whipping up chewy, soft-centered cookies with crispy edges that bake in under 15 minutes. The best part? They’re loaded with your favorite chocolate chips (or chunks, if you’re like me and love big pockets of gooey chocolate!). Trust me, once you try these chewy chocolate chip cookies, they’ll become your go-to, because why complicate perfection?
What Makes This the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe?
As much as I love my secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies, sometimes you just need something simple. No fancy ingredients, no long chill times. Just classic chocolate chip cookies you can whip up in a flash. That’s where this recipe comes in! Here’s why it’s the best:
- Soft, chewy centers with perfectly crisp edges. The secret? Using more brown sugar than white sugar. I first discovered this magic ratio while developing my soft-baked M&M cookies recipe, and now it’s my go-to for that perfect chewy texture every time.
- No chill time. The dough goes straight from the mixing bowl to the oven. The trick? Use slightly softened, yet still chilled butter.
- Loaded with chocolate. Need I say more?!
- You’ll have freshly baked cookies on your table in less than 30 minutes.
- Butter: We’re using unsalted butter, but the trick here is to keep it softened, yet still cold enough to beat into the dough. This little hack helps the dough hold its shape while baking, keeping the cookies from spreading too much.
- Brown sugar & white sugar: As I mentioned above, the higher ratio of brown sugar gives us those soft, chewy centers, while the white sugar adds just enough crispiness to the edges. It’s the perfect balance!
- Eggs: Cold eggs straight from the fridge help the dough stay thick and prevent it from becoming too soft, which is exactly what you want for chewy cookies that don’t require chilling.
- Vanilla extract: Always go for the real stuff!
- All-purpose flour: Using too much flour can result in cakey cookies, which often happens when it’s packed into the measuring cup. To avoid this, make sure to measure it by fluffing, spooning and leveling it off. Check out my video tutorial for a demonstration of how to measure flour accurately.
- Baking soda & baking powder: A blend of both helps the cookies rise and spread evenly.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors.
- Chocolate chips: Use your favorite kind! My go-to chocolate mix is half semisweet chocolate chips and half dark chocolate chunks.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Cream the butter and sugars together. Take your time with this step; it should take about 2 minutes for the butter and sugars to become light, fluffy and very pale in color (if you’re using a stand mixer set to medium speed). This creates air pockets for a fluffy texture and more cookies per batch.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Incorporate the cold eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract. Keep the mixer on low so that you don’t beat any air into the eggs (this can cause the cookies to be cakey).
- Add the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Scoop and bake. I use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to get evenly sized cookies that bake uniformly. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes in a 375°F oven, rotating the pans halfway through.
Tips for Cookie Perfection
- Don’t overbake! The key to soft chocolate chip cookies with crispy edges is to underbake them. Remove the cookies from the oven when the centers are just barely set, then let them finish baking on the hot cookie sheets outside the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
- Use cold eggs and butter. This is crucial. Since we’re skipping the dough chilling, using cold ingredients helps prevent too much spreading.
- Before baking, press a few chocolate chips onto each ball of dough for a photo-worthy finish.
- Use a round cookie cutter for perfectly round cookies. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place the cutter (or a wide-rimmed drinking glass) over each cookie and gently swirl it around. This trick smooths out uneven edges like magic.
- A light sprinkle of large-flake sea salt as soon as the cookies come out of the oven is my secret to the best chocolate chip cookies. It adds an amazing contrast that elevates the flavors. Trust me, this is a total game-changer.
- Chill the dough for extra-thick cookies. If you love thicker cookies, pop the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This helps control spreading and intensifies the flavors.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Cookies
To keep your chocolate chip cookies soft and fresh for up to 3 days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze the baked cookies by letting them cool completely, then sealing them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. A quick bake at 325°F for 2 to 3 minutes will bring them right back to life.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
Whether you want to bake just one or a whole batch, having frozen dough on hand is your answer for freshly baked cookies on demand. Here’s how I do it:
- Form the cookie dough into balls and line them up in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Pop the sheet pan in the freezer until the dough is frozen solid, about 2 to 3 hours.
- Once firm, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag, squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Bake Frozen Cookie Dough
No need to thaw! Just bake the frozen cookie dough balls at 375°F for 10 to 13 minutes. Adding a few extra minutes to the bake time ensures they cook all the way through. Fresh, warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the freezer anytime.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, cold
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (See Kelly’s Note)
- Sea salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat just until combined, then beat in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing each mound at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until they are slightly crispy around the edges and barely set in the centers. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Kelly’s Notes
- My go-to chocolate mix is half semisweet chocolate chips and half dark chocolate chunks.
- The key to chewy, softer cookies that taper into crispy edges is to underbake the cookies. Remove them from the oven when they are barely set in the centers then let them continue baking on the hot cookie sheets outside the oven for 5 to 7 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
- Freezing cookie dough: Form cookie dough into balls and freeze in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 2 to 3 hours. Once solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag, removing excess air. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls at 375°F for 10 to 13 minutes. No need to thaw—just add a few extra minutes to the bake time for perfectly baked cookies.
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These are truly the best chewy chocolate chip cookies! Thick, soft and chewy. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. TY!
So glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Beautiful, they taste amazing and easy to follow
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Sophia!
Hi
What brand of semi-sweet chips and dark chocolate chips did U use in this reciepe.
Hi Jackie! I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate chunks and Tollhouse milk chocolate chips.
I am about to use this recipe for my school cooking. It looks wonderful. Thank you.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Mila!
Excellent cookies! I’ll be using this recipe from now on!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Kaley!