These are my favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Now, I’ve found that chocolate chip cookies are surprisingly controversial. In my opinion, there is no “best” chocolate chip cookie recipe, different people just like different kinds of chocolate chip cookies.
Thin and crispy, thick and chunky, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, with nuts, without nuts, ooey-gooey, well done… you get the picture.
I support anyone else’s chocolate chip cookie preferences and these are how I like mine!
A few notes:
- Cream. The. Butter. And. Sugar. Well. If there is anything you take away from this recipe, it’s to make sure that your butter and sugar are *actually* creamed. This usually takes 5-10 minutes and the resulting mixture should be fluffy and light in color. Skip to 0:46 in the tutorial video to see an example of what I mean.
- But don’t over mix: You can mix this dough as much as you want… until you add your flour. The more you mix the flour, the more the gluten structures will link up, and the tougher your cookie will be. So mix until only just combined to make sure you end up with a light and tender cookie.
- Use dark chocolate chips: My favorite chocolate chips to use in this recipe are these Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate chips. You can use semisweet or bittersweet chips but I think dark chocolate lends itself to a more balanced cookie.
- Leave the dough in the fridge overnight: If you’re able to plan ahead, let your dough sit overnight. This lets your flour fully hydrate and the ingredients blend together resulting in a richer, more flavorful cookie. If you’re making these last minute, two hours will do but the longer the better.
- Top with flake salt: Actually, I lied, if there’s *really* anything you take away from this recipe is to top your cookies with flake salt. Chocolate chip cookies are a beautiful balance of sweet and salty flavors and finishing your cookies with flake salt will elevate them to the next level.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this is mine. The perfect balance of sweet and salty, you'll have to stop yourself from eating the entire tray of cookies in one sitting.
Equipment
- Hand or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ Cup Sugar
- ½ Cup Dark brown sugar
- 1 Egg room temperature
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Vanilla
- 1 ⅔ Cups Flour
- ½ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Add room temperature butter to a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to look whipped.½ Cup Unsalted butter
- Add both sugars and continue to mix on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until completely combined and the mixture is fluffy, scraping down the sides intermittently.½ Cup Sugar, ½ Cup Dark brown sugar
- Add the egg and mix again on medium speed until the mixture has lightened in color and starts to resemble cake batter.1 Egg
- Add in salt, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla and mix again.1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder, 1 ½ tsp Vanilla
- Add in flour, and mix until only just combined. Do not over mix as you will end up with a tough cookie.1 ⅔ Cups Flour
- Pour in chocolate chips and only mix until you get an even distribution, 30 seconds max.½ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- The next day, preheat your oven to 350℉.
- Remove dough from fridge. Role about a tablespoon of dough into a ball and place on a parchment lined or silpat covered baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes.
- Immediately sprinkle with flake salt and transfer to a rack to cool.Flaky Sea Salt
Notes
- Cream. The. Butter. And. Sugar. Well. If there is anything you take away from this recipe, it’s to make sure that your butter and sugar are *actually* creamed. This usually takes 5-10 minutes and the resulting mixture should be fluffy and light in color. Skip to 0:46 in the tutorial video to see an example of what I mean.
- But don’t over mix: You can mix this dough as much as you want… until you add your flour. The more you mix the flour, the more the gluten structures will link up, and the tougher your cookie will be. So mix until only just combined to make sure you end up with a light and tender cookie.
- Use dark chocolate chips: My favorite chocolate chips to use in this recipe are these Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate chips. You can use semisweet or bittersweet chips but I think dark chocolate lends itself to a more balanced cookie.
- Leave the dough in the fridge overnight: If you’re able to plan ahead, let your dough sit overnight. This lets your flour fully hydrate and the ingredients blend together resulting in a richer, more flavorful cookie. If you’re making these last minute, two hours will do but the longer the better.
- Top with flake salt: Actually, I lied, if there’s *really* anything you take away from this recipe is to top your cookies with flake salt. Chocolate chip cookies are a beautiful balance of sweet and salty flavors and finishing your cookies with flake salt will elevate them to the next level.
