This soft chocolate chip cookies are the timeless staple chocolate chip cookies of your childhood. They’re light and chewy and taste just as good as they did back then.
As much as I love crunchy, rich adult cookies filled with chopped dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt, I’m convinced there’s still a need for an easy, soft chocolate chip cookie that doesn’t require a lot of work or pretense. At least that’s what my kids tell me every week.
After trying countless chocolate chip cookie recipes, they declared this easy recipe to be their absolute favorite. And every time I make them, I have to agree.– Sarah Kieffer
Why our testers loved this
There’s a whole host of reasons why our recipe testers devoured these soft and chewy cookies. You liked the recipe “Uses common supply ingredients And Prep and bake takes minimal time.”
K. Fox agreed with her comment, “It’s the chocolate chip cookie I’ve been dreaming of for years!” The cookies were soft, the perfect thickness, not too sweet, and just the right amount of chocolate chips (I prefer an equal amount of chocolate and batter in my cookies).”
Notes on ingredients
- baking powder-Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active so your cookies will rise as they bake. To test it, place a small spoonful in a bowl and add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar. If it bubbles immediately, the baking soda is still fresh.
- butter–Use butter at room temperature. It should be cool to the touch and your finger should leave a slight indentation when you gently poke it. If you’re using salted butter, don’t add 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- Chocolate-You can use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for the cookies. Chocolate chips make for a bulkier cookie.
How to make this recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- beat butter Beat in mixer on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
- Reduce the stirring speedadd the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
- Mix in the chocolate.
- Form two tablespoon-sized balls from the dough. Bake until cookies are slightly puffed. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake until the cookies are golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely before removing it from the baking sheet.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these without a stand mixer?
Yes. Our testers successfully used a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Absolutely. Freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet after scooping them out. Once frozen, place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Which type of chocolate is best for chocolate chip cookies?
Depending on your preference, you can use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate for these cookies. Semi-sweet gives the classic chocolate chip cookie flavor while bittersweet gives a less sweet cookie flavor.
What is the purpose of banging baking sheets on the countertop?
Sarah Kieffer instructs bakers to place baking sheets of partially baked cookies on the oven rack to achieve her famous “pan-banging” style of cookies.
If you tap the baking sheets on the rack several times during baking, the cookies will spread and curl and wrinkle around the edges, while still remaining thick and chewy in the middle.
More great chocolate chip cookie recipes
☞ When preparing this recipe or any other dish on LC, consider a reviewA Rating in starsand your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Soft chocolate chip cookies
These soft chocolate chip cookies are the timeless staple chocolate chip cookies of your childhood. They’re light and chewy and taste just as good as they did back then.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, cream the butter on medium speed, about 1 minute. Add the caster sugar and brown sugar and continue beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Scrape the rim of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and beat until well combined. Add the chocolate and stir.
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Divide the batter into 45g balls (about 2 tablespoons of batter) and arrange on rimmed baking sheets. Each rimmed baking sheet should fit up to 8 balls.
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Bake trays at a time until cookies are slightly puffed in the center, about 8 minutes. Lightly tap the baking sheet in the oven and drop it about 3 inches above the rack to deflate the cookies. Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees.
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Continue baking until the edges of the cookies are just golden brown but the center is still soft, 4 to 6 minutes more, or 12 to 14 minutes total.
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Pat the baking sheet in the oven one last time, then place on a wire rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.
When the cookies are removed from the oven, they will look puffy and light-colored, but will gradually flatten out as they cool.
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Devour at will.
- measure flour –For best results, weigh your ingredients. If you don’t have a scale, we recommend aerating your flour before gently dunking and sweeping.
- scoop cookie dough –Use a 1 1/2 ounce ice cream scoop to easily scoop and shape your cookie dough balls.
- Storage-The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze-Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Portion: 1cookieCalories: 189kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 33G (11%)Protein: 3G (6%)Fat: 5G (8th%)Saturated Fatty Acids: 3G (19%)Polyunsaturated fat: 1GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 1Gtrans fats: 1GCholesterol: 19mg (6%)Sodium: 153mg (7%)Potassium: 97mg (3%)Fiber: 1G (4%)Sugar: 20G (22%)Vitamin A: 34IU (1%)Calcium: 19mg (2%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
When you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with a hashtag #LeitesCulinaria. We would love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook and others Twitter.
Recipe tester reviews
When you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with a hashtag #LeitesCulinaria. We would love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook and others Twitter.