If you’re looking for the original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe from the back of the bag, you’ve come to the right place! Soft and chewy with crisp edges, these cookies are a nostalgic favorite.
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Classic Toll House Cookies
I’ve created, tested (and taste-tested!) countless chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years. And while I love a fancy twist—brown butter, extra egg yolks, espresso powder—sometimes, nothing beats the classic.
There’s just something about a warm, buttery Toll House cookie, fresh from the oven, that tastes like pure nostalgia.
These cookies are everything you want in a chocolate chip cookie: soft and chewy with slightly crisp edges, packed with melty chocolate morsels and rich, buttery vanilla flavor.
And the best part? They come together in under 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients and are easy enough for anyone to make—no special equipment required.
- All-purpose flour: Instead of scooping directly from the bag (which can pack the flour and lead to dense cookies), use the fluff-and-scoop method: gently spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Baking soda and salt: The baking soda helps the cookies rise, while salt balances the sweetness.
- Baking soda: This gives the cookies their lift and golden-brown edges. Be sure your baking soda is fresh, expired baking soda won’t do its job, leaving you with flat cookies.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Butter: Softened butter is key for creating that perfect cookie dough texture. Need to soften it quickly? Cut it into small cubes and let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes. (I don’t recommend microwaving—it’ll melt the butter too fast and change the dough’s consistency.)
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: A mix of both sugars creates the perfect balance of crisp edges and soft, chewy centers.
- Vanilla extract: For the best flavor, I always use pure vanilla extract. Homemade vanilla extract works great, too, if you have it!
- Eggs: Bind the dough together and add richness.
- Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels: The signature ingredient!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
This Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe comes together quickly, and while I use my trusty stand mixer, a hand mixer works just as well.
Kelly’s Note: The original recipe calls for chopped nuts, but I leave them out (check my tips below if you’d like to add them!). I also skip the extra 1-2 tablespoons of flour that it suggests adding when omitting the nuts. After testing, I can confidently say it’s not needed! The cookies still turn out perfectly soft and chewy.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop and drop the dough. Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop, drop 2-tablespoon portions of cookie dough onto your cookie sheets.
- Bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown and set around the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To add nuts to your batch: Mix in 1 cup of your favorite chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachios, etc.) when you stir in the chocolate morsels.
- Switch up the chocolate chips. The classic Toll House cookies recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate chips, but don’t be afraid to mix things up. Try milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate or a mix like Mama Kelce’s cookies.
- Line your baking sheets. The original recipe suggests baking on an ungreased cookie sheet, but I always opt for parchment paper. It prevents sticking, makes cleanup a breeze and helps the cookies bake more evenly—no overly crispy bottoms here!
- Chill for thicker, chewier cookies. You can absolutely bake the dough right after mixing, but if you want a thicker, chewier texture, chill it for at least 3 hours (or overnight). This helps control spreading and deepens the flavor.
- Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt. A few years ago, I started topping my chocolate chip cookies with a pinch of large-flake sea salt, and I haven’t looked back since! It takes these classic cookies from delicious to downright irresistible.
- Make Toll House Cookie Bars. Want to skip the scooping? Spread the dough into a greased 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan and bake at 375° F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Easy, delicious and perfect for slicing into squares!
Storage Instructions
- At room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing baked cookies: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or reheat in a 300°F oven for a few minutes.
- Freezing cookie dough: Scoop dough balls onto a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes.
No matter how many cookie recipes I try, Toll House chocolate chip cookies will always have a special place in my heart (and my cookie jar). Happy baking!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then gradually beat in flour mixture.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto the cookie sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies until they are set around the edges and golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack to cool completely.
Kelly’s Notes
- To add nuts to your batch: Mix in 1 cup of your favorite chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachios, etc.) when you stir in the chocolate morsels.
- For thicker, chewier cookies: Chill cookie dough for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
- To make pan cookie bars: Spread the dough into a greased 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan and bake at 375° F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Easy, delicious and perfect for slicing into squares!
- For high-altitude baking: Increase flour to 2 ½ cups and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.
- Store at room temp: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing baked cookies: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or reheat in a 300°F oven for a few minutes.
- Freezing cookie dough: Scoop dough balls onto a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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My grandkids had a snow day yesterday and asked to make chocolate chip cookies Of course, I said yes! These were so simple to whip up and had the most wonderful buttery flavor. Five stars from everyone!
Love reading this, Georgette!
Absolutely amazing and just like I always remembered. Your tips were so helpful and now this is my absolute go to recipe. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jennifer!
This will be the only recipe I use from now on! My husband and kids loved them because they were a little bit thinner but still soft and chewy, and the edges were crisp.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Elah!
My mom made these cookies weekly when we were growing up! She’d make the dough in the morning before work, stash it in the fridge, and bake the cookies when we got home from school. To this day, my brother always has a stash of this cookie dough in his freezer so he can bake off one or two cookies at a time, and when I make cookies, this is the recipe I use but I always have to Google it. Now, I can print your recipe and put it in my binder!
Love this story so much, Josie! ENJOY!
One word: perfection!! Love all your extra tips and tidbits. My go-to recipe that I’ve bookmarked :)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe (and tips!), Amanda!