Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Now, I have tried a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years — I mean a lot. I've made the one off the back of the Toll House bag probably a hundred times (nothing wrong with it, bless its heart), I've tried fancy versions with browned butter and sea salt flakes, I've made thin-and-crispy and thick-and-cakey and everything in between. And after all of that experimenting, this is the one I always come back to. It started with a tip from my neighbor Vera back in maybe 1991 — she mentioned that she used a little extra brown sugar and let her dough rest in the fridge overnight. I thought, well, that's interesting, and I spent the next year tinkering until I got exactly what I was after: a cookie with golden, slightly crispy edges, a soft and chewy center, and enough chocolate that you get some in every single bite. Sam declared them the best cookies in the state of Ohio, and Sam has very strong opinions about cookies, so I'm taking that as official. 💛
The secrets here are the extra brown sugar for moisture and that deep caramel flavor, melted butter (no waiting for softened!), and a mandatory 30-minute rest in the fridge before baking. I know, I know — but trust me, friends, that chill makes them thick and chewy instead of flat and sad. These go beautifully on a plate alongside my Sunny Lemon Bars for a cookie tray that people absolutely cannot stop talking about.
Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional but highly recommended)
Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted (and slightly cooled) butter with both sugars until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and whisk until the mixture is thick, smooth, and lighter in color — about 2 minutes of good whisking.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 72 hours — the longer the better for flavor and texture).
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into balls about 1.5 tablespoons each (I use a cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. If using flaky salt, sprinkle a tiny pinch on top of each ball before baking.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and shiny. They will firm up as they cool. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
I bake a batch of these every time the grandkids come to visit, and within about four minutes of those pans hitting the counter the whole kitchen is full of little people with chocolate on their faces and I could not be happier about it. If you're making a big dessert table, my Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake is another chocolate lover's dream — together they make for a seriously impressive spread. Happy baking, friends! 💛
Comments (3)
Margie!! I've made so many chocolate chip cookie recipes and these are genuinely the best I've ever made at home. That extra egg yolk and the chilling time — game changer. My kids are already requesting a second batch.
I let the dough sit overnight like you suggested and oh my goodness — I don't know exactly what happens during that rest but these cookies are something else. My husband said they taste like cookies from a bakery. High praise!
Diane, isn't that overnight rest just magical?! Something about that resting time deepens all the flavors — the brown sugar especially. I'm so glad your family loved them! Tell your husband he has excellent taste. 💛
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