Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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Discover the BEST chocolate chip cookies recipe: ultra-chewy centers, crisp edges, melty chocolate, and a secret cornstarch trick for bakery-style perfection every time. Easy, no-fail, and freezer-friendly—bake now! Updated 2026.
This best chocolate chip cookies recipe delivers everything you want: golden crisp edges, ultra-chewy soft centers, pools of melty chocolate in every bite, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt that takes them over the top. Made with simple pantry ingredients and a few smart tricks (hello, cornstarch!), these are the cookies people beg for at parties, bake sales, and late-night cravings.
I’ve been perfecting this exact chocolate chip cookie recipe for more than 25 years, and it’s still one my most-requested treats — just like my Best Chocolate Cake. So many home bakers have now made them with 5-star results, and I’ve added even more tested tips in this 2026 update so yours turn out perfect every single time.
Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned baker, you’ll love how forgiving and customizable this recipe is. Ready in about 40 minutes (including a quick chill) and completely freezer-friendly. Let’s bake the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever tasted!
My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies!
I think everyone needs a great chocolate chip cookie recipe – and I’m honored to share mine with you!
I’ve made these cookies for many years, and it’s one of my go-to baking recipes – just like my Best Chocolate Cake recipe – that I can make from memory! I can’t wait for you to bake these easy, yet decadent chocolate chip cookies – I know you are going to love them too!
There’s something extra special about a warm, delicious chocolate chip cookie!
Why You’ll Love This Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Perfect texture: Soft, chewy centers with crisp edges — never cakey or dry.
- Rich chocolate flavor: Two full cups of chocolate (chips or chunks) in a 50/50 dough-to-chocolate ratio.
- Bakery-style results at home: The cornstarch trick + optional chill give you thick, incredible cookies that stay soft for days.
- Make-ahead magic: Dough freezes beautifully for fresh cookies anytime.
- Highly customizable: Gluten-free, egg-free, nutty, toffee, or extra-dark chocolate versions all work great.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Butter: Softened, use salted or unsalted butter for a rich flavor. If using unsalted, I recommend adding a sprinkle of salt on top. See How to Soften Butter.
- Brown Sugar: Packed, gives a caramel-like depth and moist chewiness.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and crisp edges.
- Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature for a smooth batter.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla gives the best flavor; avoid imitation vanilla.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives structure and a tender crumb.
- Cornstarch: Lightens the flour for soft, chewy cookies and is one of my special ingredients.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavors; use half if substituting table salt.
- Baking Soda: Ensure it is fresh for a proper rise.
- Chocolate Chips: A mix of two types, such as a combination of semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips (or chunks) for balanced sweetness.
- Flaky Sea Salt (optional): For a gourmet finish.
Ingredient Swaps
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like Cup4Cup.
- Egg-Free: Replace eggs with egg replacer (such as Bob’s Red Mill). See Egg Substitutes.
- Chocolate Options: Use milk chocolate, white chocolate, or rough-chopped chocolate bars as one of the two types. (Both all milk chocolate and all white chocolate may be too sweet.)
- Add-Ins: Replace 1/2 chocolate chips with chopped roasted pecans or walnuts, toffee, or M&M’s.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
This straightforward recipe ensures bakery-style chocolate chip cookies every time.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, and baking soda) in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients (softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar) in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix until combined, about 1 minute.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients by adding the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Cover and chill blended dough (optional) for 20 minutes to prevent spreading, or up to 4 days for make-ahead cookie prep.
- Scoop cookie dough and bake. Scoop dough (about 2 tbsp per cookie) with a large cookie scoop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing apart as directed. Reserve a few chips to press into dough balls to make even prettier! Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are golden and centers are soft but set.
- Finish with flaky salt (optional). Sprinkle warm cookies with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
Pro Baker’s Tips for Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Every Time
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs for even creaming and better rise.
- Measure your flour correctly — scooping packs too much and makes dry cookies.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch — it tenderizes the dough, prevents spreading, and gives that signature soft-chewy bakery texture.
- Chilling is the secret to bakery-style chocolate chip cookies. The cold butter melts slower in the oven so the cookies set before spreading.
- Slightly underbake — centers will finish cooking on the hot sheet.
- Fresh baking soda is essential for proper lift.
Storage & Freezer Tips
- Room temperature: Airtight container up to 3 days for the freshest cookies.
- Freeze baked cookies: Cool completely, then freeze in a zip-top bag up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or warm in 300°F oven 5 minutes.
- Freeze dough: Scoop balls, flash-freeze on a tray, then store in freezer bag up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen (add 1–2 minutes).
Delicious Recipe Variations
- Nutty: Replace 1 cup chocolate with chopped toasted pecans or walnuts.
- Toffee Crunch: Swap 1 cup chocolate for toffee bits.
- Double Chocolate: Add ½ cup cocoa powder and extra dark chips.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches or Whoopie Pies: Use with vanilla ice cream or buttercream.
The Science Behind These Cookies (Why They’re the Best)
Brown sugar adds moisture and chew. The cornstarch weakens gluten just enough for tenderness without toughness. Chilling hydrates the flour, mellows the sweetness, and concentrates flavor. All of these small details add up to cookies that taste like they came from your favorite bakery — but better because they’re homemade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chilling is highly recommended for thicker, chewier cookies that spread less. You can skip it for slightly thinner cookies that are still delicious.
It tenderizes the dough, reduces gluten development, and creates the soft, chewy bakery-style texture everyone loves.
A mix of semi-sweet and dark (or chocolate chunks from bars) gives the perfect balance of sweetness and richness. Premium brands like Ghirardelli melt beautifully.
Yes! Swap the all-purpose flour 1:1 with a good gluten-free baking blend.
Don’t overbake; remove from the oven when the cookie edges are golden, but the centers are still soft. I highly recommend including cornstarch in this recipe, as it also helps create the best cookies.
Warm dough, too much sugar, over-creamed butter, or old baking soda are the usual culprits. Chill the dough and measure accurately.
Yes — they’ll be a bit thinner and faster to bake, but still taste amazing.
Chill the dough at least 20 minutes (or overnight) and use a large scoop so the dough stays tall.
Yes — the recipe halves perfectly. Or bake only what you need and freeze the rest of the dough.
Egg-free: Use a commercial egg replacer. Dairy-free: High-quality plant butter works well (results may be slightly softer).
Ready to bake the best chocolate chip cookies? Make a batch today and tag @addapinch on Instagram — I love seeing your photos!
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment below. Your feedback helps other bakers and keeps the recipe fresh in 2026!
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Happy baking!
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Cookie Scoops large preferred
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (213 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup (198 g) sugar, granulated
- 2 large (100 g) eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, (spoon + level)
- 2 teaspoons (6.6 g) cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon (1.95 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
- 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips, semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate or 2 (1.45 ounce) chocolate bars broken into chunks
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda, until well combined. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed, cream together the softened butter and the sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to make sure that the butter and sugar are well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Mix wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on a low speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the chocolate chips. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Chill. Cover the mixing bowl and chill the cookie dough for 20 minutes up to 4 days.
- Bake. Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet with a large cookie scoop, spacing the cookie dough about 4 inches apart to allow room for the cookies to lightly spread as they bake. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes, until the edges are slightly crispy, the cookie is overall lightly golden brown, and the center is set but not overcooked. Allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and / or Store. Serve the cookies while they are warm and gooey or store for late enjoyment. To store, transfer them to an airtight container and store on the counter for 3 days or in the freezer (in a freezer-safe container) for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw on the counter.
Notes
- Store Baked Cookies: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 7 days.
- Freeze Dough: Scoop cookie dough into balls, freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Bake desired number of cookies from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to bake time.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Cool completely, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Reheat: Warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes or microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Can I use this recipe for cookie cut outs?
Wyncia, I have never tried making cut out cookies with this recipe but I don’t think this recipe is the right consistency for cut out cookies. Look at my Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe.
Thanks so much Robyn for this delicious recipe. I’ve made it so many times and it’s simply the best. Had a quick question please. If am using unsalted Butter, how much salt should I be adding?
Shamz, many people make these cookies with unsalted butter without adding salt. They are delicious with either type of butter. However, typically you can add 1/4 teaspoon salt for every 1/2 cup of butter.
This recipe, like the chocolate cake recipe, has become a staple in our household and a fan favorite! My daughter and her middle school friends can’t ever get enough (so I lowered the sugar a bit!
– getting the butter and sugar creamy and fluffy is important.
– chilling the dough properly is important!
We like making the dough into 1tbsp and 1/2tbsp sizes. 1tbsp is not too big, not too small… 1/2 tbsp is perfect for our kids (ages 1-11yrs)
We also reduced the sugar successfully to roughly a heaping 3/4c of each sugar, instead of the full cup. We love freezing the dough or the cookies themselves… the batch is perfect for a cookie jar, holiday gift, party favor, etc.
Dear Robyn Stone from AddAPinch, this is another one for the recipe books I’ll be handing down to my children. Thank you!
Leslie, I always love to hear when families and their friends love one of my recipes. I’m thrilled that your daughter and her friends love these cookies. They have been a favorite of my son and his friends for years. Thanks for letting me know.
I am a chocolate chip cookie enthusiast, and I collect every recipe I can find on the internet. Then a make them one at a time for me and my family to taste test. We never seem to all agree which is the best. AND THEN…..I came to yours. OMG! Hands down, we all agreed we had to look no further! The perfect ingredients and the sea salt on top are exquisite!!! Thank you so much for sharing this truly amazing cookie!
Thanks so much, Nancy. I love that this chocolate chip cookie recipe is a favorite for all your family. That sea salt does make a difference, doesn’t it?
I don’t see any reference to sea salt in the recipe or directions. Where does the sea salt come in?
Debbie, I didn’t include the sea salt in the recipe but did mention in the post that you can add a sprinkle of sea salt to the top of the cookies or use flaked sea salt.