Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Dark brown sugar, pure vanilla extract, and plenty of mouthwatering chocolate chips (and chunks!) make up these Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chocolate chip cookies are my very tip top favorite dessert by miles. I’m talking about a perfectly soft on the inside, crispy on the edges, chocolate chip cookie recipe. This cookie has the ideal balance of sweet + buttery + salty goodness… and it is, of course, LOADED with delicious chocolate chips and chunks. These Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies will be your ideal go to recipe for a quick and easy chocolate chip cookie that is classic and delicious.

What you’ll need to make these Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Salted Butter

Dark Brown Sugar (light or golden would work too!)

Large Eggs

Granulated Sugar

Baking Soda

Salt

Pure Vanilla Extract

All Purpose Flour

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (milk, dark, or white would work too!)

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks, optional

The Dough

These Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with all pure ingredients. You will want to choose top notch butter, flour, eggs, extracts, and chocolates, because they truly make a difference in the flavor (read: quality) of your baked goods. The ingredient ratios are also SPOT ON. This is my amendment of the classic Nestle Tollhouse cookie, and as good as that cookie was, I just felt that it was lacking a little something overall. I played with the measurements and came up with a recipe that turns out perfect every single time.

It is best if all ingredients are room temperature, especially the butter and eggs. If your ingredients are straight out of the fridge, simply microwave your two sticks of butter on high for nine seconds, then turn them over and microwave them another 5-9 seconds. You want the butter soft, but not melted. For the eggs, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes or so while you gather up the other ingredients. This should be enough time for them to warm up a little. I have also used cold eggs when I was in a hurry and it was not detrimental. The butter is the important one to have at room temp.

Cream the butter and sugars well. The mix will look light and fluffy, and will help to ensure that your cookies do not spread and become thin and flat. Mix in your eggs and vanilla, and then move onto the dry ingredients. When scooping your flour, I like to advise a gentle “dip and scoop” method, then level it off with a butter knife. This ensure that your flour isn’t just spooned into the measuring cup (a method that can generate less flour than a recipe calls for, unless the recipe states to use this method), and you aren’t packing the flour in there either. It’s actually quite similar to weighing your flour.

Add the flour, the salt, and the baking soda. Mix until no powder remains. Add in your choice of chips. Now this is the fun part. I give measurements because it’s always best to do that in a recipe, but if I’m being perfectly honest, I NEVER measure chocolate chips. I dump as many as I want into the dough and that is that. 😉 I am of the opinion that you can never have too many chocolate chips in a cookie, and the more types the merrier. I used a combination of semi-sweet chunks, milk chocolate chips, and mini semi sweet chips in this recipe because that is what I had on hand. You can use whatever you like best, just ensure that you measure (or dump!) at least two cups of total chocolate chips for the best flavor.

Using a three tablespoon scoop, I made 20 cookie dough balls exactly. I rolled the tops of the balls in extra mini chips since I had a few leftover, and it used up my chips. This is optional and definitely not necessary. Bake these cookies at 375° for 12 minutes, and they will be perfectly soft on the inside and crispy on the outside edges.

Now if you make smaller cookies, say two tablespoons worth of dough per cookie, bake them for 8-10 minutes or until you see that they are done. Some people like their cookies crunchier (more time in the oven) and some like their cookies doughier (less time in the oven). They key here is to find your oven’s perfect bake time to create YOUR best baked cookie. Always start with less time if you are unsure, or are using a new / unfamiliar oven. It is easier to add time, and overdone cookies cannot be undone. Keep an eye on them until you know the best time to bake them for.

The Dietary Substitutions

I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest. 

As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.

Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour. 

Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change. 

I have also made these with the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Egg Replacer, which in combination with the dairy free butter and vegan chocolate chips, makes this recipe completely vegan.

Enjoy Life makes a dairy free + allergen friendly semi sweet chocolate chip that would work great in this recipe.

I hope you love these classically Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies! Enjoy, and check out some of my other favorite cookie recipes below. Happy Baking!

XO,

Heather

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Easy No Chill Cutout Sugar Cookies

Easy Gingerbread Cookies with Less Molasses

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