Being voted the best chocolate chip cookies is no joke. These are award-winning cookies many times over, and I'll tell you how to make them from scratch. Better than your favorite bakery, better than your friend's, and better than mom's chocolate chip cookies! These are truly the best in the world.
My goodness I love chocolate chip cookies. When asked what my favorite food is, the answer is always "chocolate chip cookies, preferably right out of the oven." So you'd better believe I have a pretty glorious recipe in my back pocket.
I know, as a former food editor and blogger, people expect me to tell them my favorite food is something like garlic ramps or beef bourguignon, but it's simply not true. Almost every form of chocolate chip cookies hits the spot for me.
Jump to:
- Tried and true
- Award winning chocolate chip cookies
- For Martha Stewart
- Tools to bake the best chocolate chip cookies
- The best chewy and crispy chocolate chip cookie
- Baking secrets:
- Freezing dough:
- Why chilling the dough makes it better
- Can I make these gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies?
- Can I make these vegan chocolate chip cookies?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Tried and true
I realize saying that this recipe is the best in the world is a bold statement, but hey, I'm a professional, I can call it like it is!
I have shared this recipe for more than 20 years, to whomever wants it.
It's the only recipe I know off the top of my head, and I have texted it, emailed it, shared in social situations (literally standing around at parties I get asked for it) and on phone calls, more times than I can count. Here it is for YOU!
You can even make gluten free chocolate chip cookies from this recipe. Click on the heading in the box below to jump right to that section.
Award winning chocolate chip cookies
Every year for many years, I have attended an annual chocolate chip cookie contest hosted by my dear friend. The first year I was invited I was asked to be a contestant.
There was a lot expected of me because I cook for a living! Since I always make these perfect chocolate chip cookies for friends, I decided to create another, different recipe.
I laminated flaked chocolate into a rich dough enhanced with molasses. Chilled it overnight and baked each one perfectly. They were my take on the luscious Jacques Torres CC Cookies sold at his bakery up the street from my house.
I loved them and thought they were the ultimate chocolate chip cookie! I thought for sure that recipe would win. It didn't!
My friend Nikki won. You know what recipe she used? THIS recipe. This very recipe you're looking at right now! That perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe I had baked for 20 years and passed over like it wasn't good enough.
I had given the recipe to her years before. She made my recipe (perfectly I might add!), and won the contest with it! (So can I say I won? By association maybe? Wishful thinking!).
And this recipe won for about 3 more years and is still always a top contender!
Now Nikki and I host the annual chocolate chip cookie contest. We have a blast group-taste-testing 16 cookies every year, announcing the winner, and celebrating this perfect, award-winning treat!
For Martha Stewart
The image above is of the gorgeous cookie I styled when I shared a version of this recipe with Martha Stewart. I was an editor there at the time and shared many of my personal recipes in the pages of her magazine, as well as created new ones.
At the time I was just not wanting to share my special recipe with the world of Martha Stewart subscribers! I created a different version, about half the recipe I use now. It was part of a magazine story I developed on all different kinds of chocolate chip cookies!
So for those lovers of cakey chocolate chip cookies, chewy and crispy, the story covered them all!
Find out why the best chocolate chip cookies are shared all over the globe, win contests, and are everyone's go-to cookie!
Tools to bake the best chocolate chip cookies
My favorite baking sheets for chocolate chip cookies: Vollrath Rimless Baking Sheet. They are worth the money and really amazing. They are heavy gauge and will last forever.
Great measuring cups for baking: Stacking Measuring Cups. I like that they are not super deep so the flour doesn't get packed into a tall cup.
Perfect measuring spoons because they fit in small jars! Spring Chef Measuring Spoons
A set of Three Cookie Scoops so you can choose your own size.
The best chewy and crispy chocolate chip cookie
I created this recipe in college and have tweaked and perfected it over the years. To me it is the absolute greatest in the world.
When done just right it is soft, with a tiny bit of chewy gooey in the middle and a little buttery, sugary crunch right around the edges.
Along with the special mix and ratio of the ingredients, the step of chilling the dough makes a difference. You can certainly bake these right after mixing, but read more about chilling below.
Here is what I did to make this soft chewy creation with those crisp edges.
Brown Sugar
To me chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar would be a sin. I mean no judgements really, but why? Cookies with just white sugar are sugar cookies, or shortbread!
- This is not a CC cookie without brown sugar. In fact, I changed the ratio of brown sugar and white sugar to include more brown sugar.
- Increased brown sugar gives the cookies a hint of dark, caramel flavor and keeps them chewy and soft because of the moisture in the brown sugar.
- In fact, for a fun twist you can even swap in a little dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar!
Butter
- Oh the amount of butter is heavenly! Three sticks of butter adds flavor, moisture, and the milk solids needed to create those crispy edges.
- I use unsalted butter because that's what I typically buy. It's the freshest butter on the shelves and I love the creaminess. You can use salted butter if you'd like. Feel free to reduce the salt, or keep the 1 teaspoon I call for. Either way, these keep their crispy- chocolate-chip-cookie qualities.
Chocolate Chips
Bring on the chocolate! "The mix", to me, is perfection. I love the sweetness and rich chocolate flavor milk chips bring. But I need that punch of dark chocolate to balance it all out. Oh, it's heaven!
- I mixed semi sweet and milk chocolate chips for the chocolate in these cookies.
- Now I know there are going to be some naysayers here. Those of you who are committed to their mother's recipe--the cookies they grew up with, that had either just milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips.
- I didn't grow up with the semi-sweet chocolate called for in Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies. And mom always used milk chocolate chips in hers. But I'll argue a mix is the best anytime.
- Also, chopping your own chocolate (I love the big 1 pound bars at Trader Joe's) into chunks, or using chocolate disks is truly amazing. Try it!
Vanilla Extract
- Adding loads of vanilla extract also enhances these cookies to perfection. I don't use the typical 1 teaspoon. Up it to 1 tablespoon and you'll get an amazing, balanced flavor.
Baking secrets:
The secrets for how to bake chocolate chip cookies are really not secret! I'll share all I know.
The best way to bake chocolate chip cookies is a matter of preference. Changing the temperature yields different results.
A cookie baked at 300ºF until done, results in a flat, crispy cookie. 375ºF creates a cookie with a browned outside and soft inside. I wanted the best of both worlds and stick with an oven-thermometer-tested 350ºF temperature. I get chewy, gooey cookies with a bit of crispness around the edges.
Knowing how long to bake chocolate chip cookies is almost an art! I prefer cookies that are quite soft and gooey, so I under bake my cookies by about a minute, and let them rest until almost cool on the baking sheet. They continue to cook with the heat of the pan, but not the surrounding heat of the oven.
You will have to experiment with your timing. It will be different for each oven, and the temperature of the dough. Just remember to let them rest on the baking sheet for several minutes.
Use parchment. The thin layer of non-stick parchment paper lets the bottoms of the cookies bake evenly and not get overly browned. It is also a great way to transfer still warm cookies from the baking sheet to keep cooling. Just slide the entire paper off the sheet and onto the counter.
Freezing dough:
This chocolate chip cookie dough freezes beautifully. In fact, I usually keep a roll or some pre-formed balls in the freezer at all times...never knowing when the baked cookie mood will hit!
For any chilled or frozen cookie dough, you'll want to add some baking time to account for their extra chill.
The bake will be different. Depending on your dough, and what shape you freeze it in, the cookies may spread a lot or a little. Practice baking one or two to get the timing down and know how you like them.
Easy ways to freeze the dough are:
- Roll portions of the dough into a 1 ½ to 2 inch diameter logs, wrap in parchment or foil and freeze. Let thaw at room temperature for a few hours before slicing and baking.
- Scoop balls or half balls of dough and freeze on a baking sheet. When frozen, transfer to a freezer zip-top bag.
- Fill a freezer zip-top bag with dough, seal and flatten.
Why chilling the dough makes it better
These glorious chocolate chip cookies can be baked right after mixing up. They'll be delicious. But chilling cookie dough changes it in some spectacular ways. This is how you make chewy chocolate chip cookies!!
In fact, the cookies in my pictures on this post were chilled. The same great tasty chocolate chip cookies result, but the color is deeper and the texture is balanced.
It's not needed, but if you let the dough sit in the fridge overnight (or keep a batch in there for a week like I do) it mellows and becomes like a chewy bakery cookie. Really delicious.
Chilling dough:
- Allows the flour molecules and sugar to absorb the moisture in the dough.
- Gives the sugar time to dissolve and melt into the dough.
- Solidifies the fat (butter) in the dough so the spread is not too much and not too little.
- Creates more browning. (which ultimately means more caramelized flavor, while still staying chewy).
- Balanced flavors result. Nothing pronounced, but there's no immediate flour taste.
Just increase the baking time when the dough is cold.
Can I make these gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies?
These really do make the most delicious GF cookies I've ever tasted.
My brother has to eat gluten free, and years ago, before there were special flours and recipes, we were struggling to make classics and comfort foods he missed.
This chocolate chip cookie recipe was one of the first that we made to taste so close to the original you can hardly tell them apart! We blended our own flour, and experimented with the amount of xantham gum for texture (there were some major mess-ups that were eaten with a spoon off the baking sheet!)
Now, thanks to the perfect blend of Cup4Cup all-purpose gluten free flour, it's a simple swap. Make these cookies gluten-free by simply substituting the all-purpose wheat flour I've had the best success with that brand!
You'll read in the comments that some other brands create grittiness or have too much cornstarch and the cookies are dry or don't spread.
Can I make these vegan chocolate chip cookies?
This recipe is super successful as dairy free chocolate chip cookies, but not vegan. You can experiment with egg substitutes if you'd like, but I have not.
I have made this recipe dairy free and it's great! One of my summer interns was dairy free and gluten free, and we experimented.
We found the best swap was Miyokos butter, a cultured dairy free butter substitute. And dairy free chocolate chips (found at the health food store).
Brittany wasn't terribly allergic to dairy, so she opted for Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips because the dairy free chocolate chips do have a slight aftertaste.
Pin this recipe for reference
Chocolate chip cookie nutrition facts
These are good chocolate chip cookies, maybe just not good health food! They are certainly a treat. But really not bad in my book.
The calories on one medium-sized cookie are under 100, coming in at 92 calories.
There are 21 grams of carbs in one cookie as well.
If you're counting those calories and carbs you won't be disappointed. You can indulge in these gems-of-goodness without guilt.
Check out my other Tara Teaspoon recipes for chocolate chip cookies:
- Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Brownies
Here is the printable for World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe:
📖 Recipe
World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, (softened)
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 12-oz pkg (2 cups) milk chocolate chips
- 1 12-oz pkg (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets at 350ºF. Medium and small cookies bake until golden around the edges and just set in the center, 10 to 12 min. Don't overcook! They continue cooking on the pan out of the oven. Let cool slightly (if you can wait) and remove from pan.
- If cookie dough has been chilled they will bake 12 to 14 minutes.
Video
Notes
- FLOUR! Everyone measures flour differently. If you tend to have a heavy hand make sure to sift your flour prior to measuring.
- PICTURES: The photos in this post are of cookies made with dough that had rested in the fridge for 24 hours. This creates a certain texture and look. Let the cookie dough sit overnight in the fridge to intensify the flavor and texture.
Nutrition
I've had a few other good cookies lately. If you're in the baking mood try some out.
Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie
Cookie Recipes from Tara Teaspoon
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Photographs primarily by Ty Mecham. Reproductions should not be made without permission.
Rumannah says
Tried this recipe twice and it came out AMAZING both times!! Definitely is the best choc chip cookies in the world ??❤️ Just two questions: how big do you usually make the cookies? And do you grease your baking tray? Thanks
Tara says
I'm so glad they were a hit! I make mine with approximately 3 tablespoons of dough. It's not exact. Sometimes I use a cookie scoop and sometimes just grab dough with my fingers. I also like to make them mini, about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. No I don't grease my baking sheets. I bake on sheets of parchment 99% of the time so it makes for a non-stick surface and easy cleanup.
Bea says
Hello Tara!
I have a question about the flour measurement. How do you use so much flour without the cookies turning out cakey? Do I put the flour through a sifter? Thanks.
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi!
Yes. In both the ingredients and notes of the recipe I mention sifted flour and sifting the flour. That is the best insurance that one isn’t using a heavy hand for the 4 cups of flour.
Tara
Karolina Lipnik says
I had to come back today and leave a review for these cookies! I came across this recipe on Dec 24th when I was looking to make cookies with my 3 year old for Santa.
This recipe is titled very accurately, it is the absolutely best chocolate chip cookie.
Now I did have a couple things I did different only due to the lack of ingredients on hand.
Used old fashioned brown sugar and cane sugar and I only had 3/4 of a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips.
Even with those subs these cookies are awesome. Now this morning my husband and I can't stop eating them solely due to their taste.
Thank you for sharing this great recipe !
Tara Teaspoon says
So great to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe as much as I do! Happy New Year. Tara
Myrna Bolton says
Haven’t made yet but today is the day. There r so many receipts out there I wanted the very best. Making for charity. Will let u know..Ms Bolton
Alicia says
Made these just now! They are great for my pregnancy cravings because they are perfect, not too sweet. Amazing. Thank you for sharing!!❤️
Tara says
Oh this is the best thing to hear! So glad you liked them. And congratulations on the little one, so exciting! That little baby will come out liking chocolate chip cookies!
Bob Donnie says
I starved to death before I found the recipe scrolling though this website. RIP me
Mama Swan says
There’s a convenient “jump to recipe” tab at the top…for future reference 🙂
Brittany Smart says
These really are the best chocolate chip cookies in the world!!
Margie says
I just made these they look nothing like your picture, followed exact instruction:(
Tara says
Hi Margie, There are a lot of factors that may play into that! The darkness of your brown sugar. Whether you chilled the dough before baking, or not, etc. Tell me a bit more about the difference or if they were unsatisfactory.
Veronica says
Mine too ☹️☹️☹️
It’s not thin either... I used light brown sugar and everything exactly as the recipe says.
Tara says
I'm sorry you had that experience. Please follow my suggestions in other comments for measuring flour, and letting the dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours. Thanks for commenting.
Mary Bench says
Everyone in my neighborhood makes these!!!! THE BEST!
Tessa says
Um, YES! These ARE the best chocolate chip cookies ever! I love the milk chocolate chips with the semi-sweet chocolate chips! Keep the chocolate coming!
Tara says
Oh good! they are delish, I agree!
Shirley Morgan says
Oh my gosh! These cookies are the bomb! They don't go flat and they taste amazing. Thank you!
Tara says
Shirley you just made my day! I'm so happy you love them like I do!!!
Julie says
These were delicious however mine didn’t spread and are little nuggets. Any suggestions?
Tara says
Hi Julie! Yes, I have a solution based on your description. I don't specify how to measure flour because I am not a technical baking website. However, in my experience, if you did not change any other elements in the recipe, the nugget issue would be because of the flour. Your flour may have been settled in your container, or scooped into your measuring cup. Both of these could result in quite a few tablespoons or ounces of extra flour, making the batter dry. I often fluff or sift my flour and then spoon the flour into my cup. If you want to be fail-safe: The weight of your flour should equal 120g (or 4 1/4 ounces) per cup. If you haven't baked them all, you can knead in a few tablespoons of water or milk and chill the dough overnight. They should be more chewy cookies after that. Hope this helps.
Yosi says
Just the info I was looking for! Different websites have different info on the conversion of flour from cups to grams so this is very helpful indeed. Thank you! I'm going to try make these soon 😊
Yosi says
One more thing, can you tell me how many grams is in 1 cup of light brown sugar, please?
Tara Teaspoon says
213 grams is what the King Arthur website says.
Jennifer says
I’m excited to try this recipe! My kids are severely allergic to dairy (I used to be such a butter snob!). Should I substitute the butter with margarine or butter-flavored shortening?
Hayley says
I've made this recipe a few times, it has become my go-to cookie recipe. The first time I tried it, I was in awe. The next time I wanted to make cookies I tried a new NYT recipe that came out and I found myself longing for *this* recipe while eating the other cookie (imagine that!!! craving a cookie while eating a cookie...). I found myself comparing it to this recipe.
I now only make this one, and have stuck to refrigerating the dough for a full week. The cookies are...to die for. There is nothing like them. I roll the dough into cookie "balls" and freeze them (because this recipe is huge). It makes the perfect snack, just baking a cookie or two at a time.
This time I'm going to try replacing 1 cup of bread flour and see how they come out.
Beth Sklar says
This has to be my daughter Hayley, who lives in Israel! I can tell by the name and writing style!
Amanda says
I had high hopes for these! Unfortunately they didn’t turn out for me like they’re pictured. I used GF all-purpose flour (Namaste) which is likely why, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. They tasted very “flour-y” and didn’t spread out/turn golden at all. Bummer! (I used lightly sifted flour so didn’t over measure on that.) Any ideas as to why? I baked 2 versions with big scoops vs smaller scoops that were flattened out and still turned out the same.
Tara says
Oh Amanda I'm so sorry! I did a little investigating because I've made them GF a lot with success. I'll be honest, I've always used Cup4Cup GF all-purpose flour. I looked at Namaste brand and it seems to have a ton more tapioca starch than Cup4Cup. This could be a big reason for the cookies lack of spreading. Namaste would probably be great for quick breads and biscuits though! I hope you'll try them again if you ever get Cup4Cup. In the meantime it makes a ton of cookie dough, so if you have any leftover press it into a pie tin or square baking pan about an inch high and bake it as a cookie bar, don't over bake it. Should be a tasty bar with that texture. Thanks for letting me know your issues.
Tatiana says
Just made these, and also got poor results. They did not spread out, and even though I had to leave them in longer they where very white.
Tara Teaspoon says
I’m sorry to hear this. The not spreading comes from too much flour. I talk about measuring flour in the post. If anyone ever feels like they have a heavy hand with scooping flour I suggest lightly spooning your flour into the cups, not tapping down, and gently evening the top before adding.
For the color I’m not sure how to help trouble shoot that. If you use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar you will get a bit more color. All brands of brown sugar are slightly different and perhaps you used one lighter in color?
If you’d like a quick fix, you can mix a little milk into the cookie dough to soften it a bit. Or, press the dough into a cake or brownie pan and make a cookie bar.
John Rohde says
Hi Tara - We are sheltering in place - looked for a chocolate chip cookie recipe and found yours - made your recipe two days ago and the family went nuts and demanded I make them yesterday - so good!!! Thanks
John
Tara Teaspoon says
Your family has amazing taste! I have to admit, I think these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! Enjoy and stay well - Tara
Kirsten says
Hello! Me and my 6 year old have been looking for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and were so excited to try this one, unfortunately, the cookies didn’t spread out at all and aren’t very chewy. I did use all dark brown sugar (that’s all we keep at home) and I did not sift my floor, just scooped it out of the bag with the 1 cup measuring cup. Are either of these possible the culprit? We had super high hopes because the dough was delicious to eat raw! As the dough was sitting in the bowl while the first batch cooked it did start to dry out and get quite crumbly.
Tara says
Kristen yes! Thanks for walking me through your process. By not fluffing the flour or lightly spooning it into your measuring cup, I'm afraid that would be the culprit. Everyone measures flour differently for sure. These cookies are somewhat forgiving so I don't include a lesson on flour measuring in the post. But anytime you scoop flour right our of your bag you are running the risk of adding a lot of excess flour. Several tablespoons extra with each cup, because it has settled and compacted down into the bag. With four cups of flour in the recipe, that may be a lot of extra flour. To insure your flour is being measured correctly you could sift the flour before measuring it. I hope this helps. I am glad you liked the dough! The other tip is to let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. I wrap mine in plastic to keep it from drying out. The flour will absorb the moisture in the dough and be more balanced.
Aubree says
half milk, half semi-sweet chocolate chips is the way to go! LOVE
Carly P says
My friend has celiac disease and we’ve eaten a lot of mediocre gluten-free treats. We made this recipe with gluten free flour and they were amazing! Such a treat to finally have a delicious gluten free cookie. We did notice that they don’t brown up the same as regular flour so you need to be careful to not let that trick you into over-baking. We baked them for 10 minutes and they were perfect.
Emily says
How long can I freeze it for
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi Emily, I've had success freezing these for a couple of months, so my recommendation would be to freeze for up to 2 months. Enjoy! Tara
Miriam says
HO-LY COWWWWWWWWW!!
54 years old and the search is over! I thought searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie was going to be my life’s work but now I can safely move on to another challenge!
I am a crispy cookie kinda chick and I won’t try a recipe unless there’s are brown crispy wrinkles on the outer ring in the photo. Check. I’m not not sure where to go after that!
I used some dark brown sugar as you suggested ...1/2 c dark, 1 c reg brown. I only had a few TBSP of milk choc chips so I used a mix of what I had in the baking pantry and added 1 c of chopped roasted pecans.
Used the medium (2tbsp) OXO scoop and got 6 doz cookies. Baked for 14 mins for browned perfection!
Totally amazing! I’m about to do some porch popping to surprise people with some cookie perfection!
Thanks for a FANTASTIC recipe...I wish there were more stars to award 😁
Tara says
Well you have made my day...week...year! What a lovely comment and I am just elated that you found a recipe that makes you happy. This is my happy recipe too. I created it over 20 years ago and it's been through a few tweaks, but it is my tried and true love. Ohhh you are so sweet to leave such a nice review and note. So thoughtful. May you cookie days be plentiful and delicious forever!!!
Miriam says
🍪❤️😁 i just sent you a photo of the perfect cookies you created!
Miriam says
Well, it’s been a year since I found this recipe and have been bringing cookie joy to everyone I know!
Funny yet long story about our air conditioning tech who was here the first time I made this this recipe. He got a goodie bag to go home with and upon a return visit two weeks later, also declared these the best CCC he has ever had. Fast fwd to this year, he was assigned to us again for our AC maintenance. He walked in with a trainee, smiled big and said “ahhh, this is the lady that makes the best CCC!” How could I NOT bake a batch for them in the time they were here!
I do have a question about baking in a sheet pan...how much dough would use for a half sheet pan? Half the dough? I’m going to make these for a Memorial Day get together and wanted a quicker turn around than baking 6 doz separate cookies. When is my husband going to buy me a commercial oven for Christmas? 😆
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi Miriam I'm so thrilled you love this recipe and keep sharing it!! LOVE that story!!! So I would be hesitant to bake this in a half sheet pan because the edges would get quite done and the middle would not. Just the nature of a big pan like that. The center needs the heat of the edges. I'd suggest baking it in a few quarter sheet pans (or 9x13 pans). As far as how much dough, I haven't tested it, but you'll probably want at least a 1/2 inch thick layer of dough in the pan. You could go slightly thicker if you'd like. I love the idea of a bar cookie and it should bake wonderfully in a smaller pan like a quarter sheet pan.
Miriam says
Thank you for the reply! I have the quarter sheet pans so will bake them up and report back!
Thank you again!
Miriam says
I did end up making these as a bar cookie and they turned out great!
With 1/2 the dough I added white Ghirardelli chips and 1 cup of salted chopped macadamia nuts...baked these off as cookies - these were absolutely INSANE and I don't even like white chocolate! I made them for my hubs who was a happy happy guy!
With the remaining dough I added choc chips and chopped pecans baked off half as reg cookies. The last 1/4 of the dough went into a 1/4 sheet pan with parchment and baked for 20 mins to crunchy/chewy perfection!
They are so good that we are not even sharing with our grands today! I made them an ice cream cake! LOL
Tara Teaspoon says
This sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Mary says
Hi Tara! So, since the pandemic, I was on the search for the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie. My search has ended. They were just PERFECT!! I loved that the recipe made ALOT. I love having cookie dough in the freezer for many reasons. So when I saw the ingredients, and how much it made, I got real excited and knew I had to try it. I rolled the whole batch and stuck them in the freezer, left a few out to bake. Now I just have to take them out of the freezer and into the oven. Doesn’t get any easier than that. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, it truly is amazing! ☺️
Denise says
Can I use King Arthur’s bread flour for the flour in these chocolate chips?
Tara Teaspoon says
Denise I haven't tried it but knowing that bread flour has more protein and can create stronger gluten structure, my guess is it would change the texture of these cookies. They may not spread or they may be too dry. You could try it and use 1/4 cup less flour. That would be my only suggestion for bread flour.
Marie says
Really! These cookies are so warm and gooey! I usually eat 3 in a row. My whole family loves them and we even swap out the flour for gluten free and you can't even tell. Seriously, the best chocolate chip cookie ever!!
Dallin Inouye says
This recipe is so good that I now have it memorized. That's saying something since I can't even remember my own name sometimes. Even on good days. Seriously though, this recipe has helped get me through the Coronavirus pandemic!
Dallin Inouye says
I meant to give it 5 stars, but it didn't go through the first time!
Cyn Taylor says
You are so right, Miriam. Since I have been making this cookie (I use Tara's gluten free version) everyone I bake them for throws out their old recipe. And no one believes they are gluten free. Tara always has a nice surprise for me every time I read her recipes and make them.
Tara Teaspoon says
Thanks for the lovely comment Cyn and I'm so glad you are enjoying the GF variation of this recipe. Cheers, Tara
Megan Palmer says
These are sooooo goood! What a great recipe!
Tara says
Thanks so much Megan!!
Brit says
I think I died and went straight to heaven. Don't tell my mom, but these really are the best! Tara, you're a genius. The brown sugar is crucial.
Beth Sklar says
I love this recipe! This time I replaced 1/2 cup of the AP flour with bread flour for some extra chew, and I also made a second batch with white chocolate chips, dried cherries and macadamia nuts. Amazing!
Tara says
Oh yum! Great substitutions and additions! Love your creativity. Thanks for your comment and rating!! I hope you share it with everyone!
Rachel says
TARA THANK YOU!
My sister had a birthday at the beginning of May and she mentioned wanting Oreo stuffed cookies. I immediately started hunting for a GOOD chocolate chip cookie recipe. Made a test batch with your recipe and forgot to halve the recipe. Turns out it was a good mistake as by the end of the night they were devoured by my siblings. Everyone was saying how it was THE COOKIE. So happy as it was my first time actually baking real homemade cookies.
Made the batch again and stuffed them with Oreos. Also a hit. My sister was extremely happy with her birthday cookies.
Following week made another batch of cookies for my coworkers.
Tonight made ANOTHER batch to do a drive by in the morning for my aunt.
It's also been a real treat to spend time with my family in the kitchen. So thank you really!
Tara says
Rachel thanks so much for the comment! Made my day!! These cookies truly make me so happy and I'm glad they are doing the same for you and your family. I wish you many more delicious creations and cookie-bakes with this recipe. The oreo stuffed version sounds divine!!
Edna Webber says
Amazing! I made it about five times already. My boys’ favorite chocolate cookies. I added a tbsp of taster’s choice instant coffee and on one batch I made and it came out so good. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Miriam says
Ohhhhh, that addition of coffee sounds fab! On my list to add!
Thanks for sharing!
Mary says
Hi Tara! So, during the pandemic, I was on the search for the “perfect” Chocolate Chip Cookie! Well, I can now say my search is over! It was absolute PERFECTION! I also got excited that it made a lot! I knew I just had to try it, as I like to have the freezer well stocked with cookie dough. I kept a few out to bake, and then I rolled the rest of the dough and put them in the freezer. Now All I have to do is take how ever many I want out of the freezer and into the oven. It doesn’t get any easier than that. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. 😀
Sheila says
Made these cookies for my family. They are the best chocolate cookies ever. I added walnuts and pecans. I have two who don’t like chocolate chips, made a batch without. Loved, loved, loved these cookies.
Hayley says
Tara, this is the greatest CC cookie recipe in the world. I've made it countless times, and actually made a *different* ccc recipe, decided it wasn't as good, and am here to say I will never use another recipe again...
Have you ever weighed your ingredients (specifically the flour) to see what it comes to? I prefer baking with weights so am curious to know what your 4 cups of flour comes out to. Thanks!
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi Hayley! Wow, what a compliment, thank you! Unfortunately, unless specified, I don't test my recipes using ingredient weights, but according to King Arthur Baking Company, 1 cup of flour = 120g (or 4.25 oz.) of flour. I hope that helps. Tara
Debbie says
Do you mix with a mixer or by hand?
Kim says
Great tasting cookies! Do you bring your dough back to room temp after chilling? I just didn’t get the spread I was hoping for... my cookies turned out quite a bit thicker. I always measure out my flour in grams, so I know that wasn’t the culprit, so I’m guessing it’s probably the temperature when going in the oven? Thanks for a tasty recipe!
angela says
I made these today and my dough seemed very dry and hard to mix. I sifted the flour and followed the directions exactly. Used the best ingredients. I have looked at many other recipes and none of them call for as much flour as this recipe. Any one else have this problem? I had to add a little water to the dough. Haven’t made them yet because I am letting my dough go 24 hours in the fridge before baking. Disappointed in this recipe.
Tara says
Hi Angela, It's true, this recipe calls for a lot of flour. It's got a lot of butter in it too so it's a nice balance. Sorry you were disappointed. For troubleshooting I saw that you said you sifted the flour. If you like sifting, you would need to sift the flour THEN measure it. Four heavy cups of flour sifted, is still 4 heavy cups of flour. If you don't sift the flour I always suggest lightly spooning flour into your measuring cups or fluffing the flour before lightly scooping it into the cups. You can also find weight measurements for flour online if you choose to weigh it for accuracy. The dough in general is very thick and dense. It shouldn't be dry. After chilling in the fridge you should have great success!
Austin Mahone says
32 ounces of flour!??!?!?!? Isn't that a lot? Can I use less than that?
Austin Mahone says
oHHHHHHH wait, I think I looked at the wrong measurements. 1 cup is equal to 8 liquid ounces, right?
Tara T. says
Ahh, yes! Glad you caught that. 1 cup of flour is just over 4 dry ounces
Tara T. says
Hi Austin, I didn't give an ounce measurement for flour. Not sure where you got 32 ounces. I call for 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Each cup typically weighs just over 4 ounces. So you will probably be at a total of 18, max 20 ounces of flour. This is a big batch of cookies and the flour is key to the texture. Let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Jenni says
When calculating the calories, it's different even using less chocolate chips, same serving size they come in at 182 calories per cookie; the only difference being I used 1 1/2 cup of each bag of chocolate chips. I'm not sure if kcal is a different unit or if there were more wholesome choices made with ingredients but just thought I'd share just in case anyone is counting their calories. 🙂
Tara Teaspoon says
Thanks for sharing your notes and research! The recipe's nutrition calculations are based on the program built into my site. It is pretty reputable, but could certainly be off slightly depending on the types of ingredients used. The program calculates using generic ingredients.
Sara says
I’m trying this recipe for the first time. I sifted the flour into the measuring cup, chilled the dough overnight, used parchment paper, and switched 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar. Baking at 350 for 12 minutes resulted in my 2 test cookies being too dark on the bottom. Is it the dark brown sugar or should I reduce to 10 minutes?
Jenni says
Hands down best cookie I've ever had in. My. Life. My husband was blown away. God I cannot believe I thought letting the dough sit was pointless, it's a NECESSITY my cookies looked just like yours (less circular). I rolled them into rectangular logs to freeze since I'm not sharing with anyone but my husband. Chefs kiss! Honestly thank you this is going in the family recipe book with your name on it 🥰
Jenni says
I thought I'd make another note to clarify, you are 100% correct about the texture. Crispy on the outside the VERY outside. And chewy soft and perfectly chocolate-y on the inside. The recipe looks standard but is anything but! Tons of amazing buttery chocolate-y goodness without the flour taste. I never realized I could taste the flour until I ate this cookie.
Tara Teaspoon says
It's true! Some CCCookies you can totally taste flour, or too much white sugar, etc. I'm happy you like the balance!
Tara Teaspoon says
AMAZING! I love that you love this recipe. It's truly my favorite. Yay!! Happy to hear it.
kajal says
Wow, you have beautifully decorated this post. I really appreciate it very much. People like you also exist in the world. Who share everything. And there are some people who do not share anything with anyone. I wish today's youth wrote your kind post, thank you very much.
Carrie says
These truly are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had let alone baked myself. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
DANIEL says
will be glad if this company will have a branch in GHANA
Jen Scales says
Delish! Made these tonight. They were perfect. I made no adjustment. Next time I will try and make the dough in advance and chill overnight. SO good!
Tara Teaspoon says
Thank you Jen!
Tara Teaspoon says
Thank you for the comment Thomas. I do call for sifted flour in the ingredient list, but maybe it got missed. Tara
Ella says
FAST REPLY!!!! Hello. i do not have much time to make these therefore limited chilling time, but I would like these to turn out good with limited spread. Most times i make cookies the spread a lot and become very flat. What is the recommendation for chilling time and what is the minimum time to chill the dough. should the butter be softened? thank you.
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi, The butter should be softened but NOT melty. The dough is a thicker dough and shouldn't spread excessively. They are not super thick cookies like Levain or Crumble copycats, but a classic, normal texture, chewy and crisped cookie. You can certainly bake them without chilling. I do that all the time. Tara
ella says
What size cookie scoop do you use
Tara Teaspoon says
Any size is fine, just adjust cooking times. I believe a standard cookie scoop is #16. I've made mini cookies and standard cookies with this recipe. If you like them please give me a 5 star rating!! Tara
Eric says
Made dozens of chocolate chip cookies over the years and they'd get eaten without thinking too much about them. Made this recipe and immediately my wife, who is not easily impressed, said, "Whoah, what recipe did you use?" Thanks for the keeper! Go Aggies!
Sheri L. says
I was craving chocolate chip cookies and stumbled upon this recipe. The baker in me always loves trying out new recipes, searching for THE perfect cookie and this is it! It's everything I want in a chocolate chip cookie (chilling the dough was crucial). Luckily I was smart enough to freeze some (otherwise I would have eaten them all - they are addicting!). I'm so happy that I can now just bake a few cookies in the future whenever my craving hits!
Melody Bennion says
Loved this recipe they were delicious Kids had very precise plans for the cookies remaining after the initial bake. One a day each, divided by how many kids equalled how long they would last. So bonus, they can make your kids do math !
Tara Teaspoon says
I love this story! Thank you for sharing and so glad your family enjoyed these cookies as much as mine does. Tara
Amy says
Love these cookies! I am pretty sure I neglected to put in the baking soda, so not beautiful, but still delicious. This recipe is awesome and my family just wanted to eat the cookie dough!
Tara Teaspoon says
Thank you Amy. Hoping this recipe becomes a regular for your and your family. Tara
Lindsy says
These really are the best chocolate chip cookies…ever. You know they are amazing when you hide these away from the children on the counter top and somehow the one year old still manages to climb on the counter top and steal THREE of them at different times. Yeah, they are that good.
Tara Teaspoon says
What a great story! Thank you for sharing and for trying my recipes. Tara
Amanda says
Hi I was wondering can I use this recipe for a cookie cake ?
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi Amanda. You can absolutely use this recipe for a cookie cake! I press the dough into my desired size pan, making it about 3/4 inch deep. Bake to desired doneness (I like to underbake it just a little, but make it sturdy enough that you can work with it). Make sure to line your pan(s) with parchment or foil so you can lift the cookie out. Layer the cookie layers with frosting, or keep it as a single layer and decorate it with piped frosting.
Chris says
I've now made these twice. The first time I followed the recipe exactly and the cookies were cakey and didn't spread at all. Flour was fluffed and measured by volume using a measuring cup. The second time, I weighed the flour using King Arthur's conversion for all-purpose flour. Then I did basic math that anyone can do - 18 ounces (4.25 * 4). Yep - did the math wrong. It should be 17 ounces. The cookies spread a bit more, but were still a bit too tall. However, they were amazing and golden. I also used brown butter (3.5 sticks). It came out just shy of 1.5 cups so I added a tablespoon of regular butter to make up the difference. I chilled them overnight. For the next batch I was planning on 17 ounces of flour until I figured out I messed up the math and 17 is actually the correct amount. These are now my go-to CC cookies. Incidentally, 4 cups of fluffed flour by volume (in my kitchen with King Arther AP flour) weighed in at a whopping 21 ounces. Recipe calls for 17 ounces, so the difference is huge between volume and weight. I hope my experience helps the next person.
Tara Teaspoon says
Thanks for sharing your notes Chris. Glad these are now your go-to cookies!
Carol says
These were the absolute best Chocolate Chip Cookies I have made, thank you. We have been inside due to the smokey weather from the Candian fires I got bored so I decided let me bake something and OMG, they were soft in the middle with a slight crunch on the edge, just the way my husband likes chocolate chip cookies. I had never tried adding two different flavors of chips before, I have found my forever recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Carol says
I had hunted and tried so many many Chocolate Chip cookies and decided I would give your recipe a try. OMG, these are the best and I think the ratio of brown sugar and granulated sugar is what makes these the very best. Your helpful hints were appreciated and now I have the best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!!!
Lindsay Steele says
These are my go-to classic chocolate chip cookies. They are easy to make and turn out delicious. I took these to a party and they were gone so fast. Thanks Tara for this recipe!
Sarah Jensen says
I just pulled up this recipe to make these for the umpteenth time, and after seeing some of the old complain-y comments below, I had to leave my own. I made these once or twice and was not particularly impressed. Then I started measuring my flour and some of the other critical ingredients and just being even more precise all the way around, and the difference was astonishing. And for the record, I am naturally a very precise person already with cup measurements, etc. But now that I make them weighing key ingredients, they are amazing every time and the only recipe I make consistently! They don’t look exactly like the picture but are so good and get consistently great reviews from others. Thank you for a predictably delicious recipe for the perfect basic chocolate chip cookie! ❤️
Tara T. says
Sarah thanks so much for taking time to let me know! I love that this recipe is a success for you. It's always been one of my favorite and most popular recipes; tried and true! Please share the cookies with everyone and the recipe! Thanks a million! Tara
Sarah Jensen says
Whoops, I meant I started WEIGHING the flour! It made all the difference, and I do it with everything now!
Tara T. says
It's quite amazing how weighing the flour can make such a significant difference. Enjoy!
Laura says
These were so delish! I made these for my son's Valentine's Day school party. They were a huge hit! I used half whole wheat flour and half regular also just one cup of chocolate chips were plenty. Probably the best chocolate chip cookies I've made to date. Thank you!
Tara Teaspoon says
Oh I'm so happy to hear you loved them!! And fun that you made some adjustments and they worked well! Love it.
Steve Burness says
Hi Tara what is 4 cups of sifted flour in grams. Why am I getting so many different amounts quoted on the internet??
What
Tara Teaspoon says
Steve I have found the same thing. There is no standard weight for a cup of flour. When I wrote my cookbooks I chose 128g/cup as the weight I preferred. This was from weighing cups of flour that I spooned and scraped, and I consistently got around this weight. I also have recipes that use 130g/cup as the weight. This recipe is forgiving and so with those two weights in mind, you can use 512g or 520 grams and it will still be great. Because this recipe is forgiving I don't write in that weighing the flour is necessary.