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Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Chocolate chunk cookies

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Tender, puffy, and fudgy with perfectly crisp edges — these chocolate chunk cookies taste better than Toll House and are more reliable.

chocolate chunk cookies

I’ve been baking chocolate chip cookies since the fifth grade, and have yet to come across a recipe that’s markedly better than the back-of-the-bag Nestlé Toll House version that everyone knows and loves. It’s not for lack of trying – I’ve rested the dough overnight to develop flavor, browned the butter, experimented with different varieties of flour, and so on. But to me, the difference in taste never justifies the extra time or effort. That said, the Toll House recipe isn’t perfect (sorry Toll House!). If you follow the recipe as is, the cookies often come out disappointingly flat. Over the years, I’ve tweaked the recipe to make it more reliable and just a little bit tastier. I use less sugar, more flour, two types of high-quality chocolate instead of ordinary chocolate chips, and I always chill the dough before baking. The result is a chocolate chunk cookie that’s tender, puffy, and fudgy with perfectly crisp edges.

What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Chunk Cookies

ingredients for chocolate chunk cookies

How To Make Chocolate Chunk Cookies

To begin, combine the butter and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer.

butter and sugars in mixing bowl

Beat until light, fluffy, and cafe au lait-colored. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.

creaming butter and sugar

Add the vanilla and eggs and beat for 2 minutes more. Scrape down the bowl.

adding eggs to butter and sugar mixture

Add the salt and baking soda and beat briefly until evenly combined.

beaten mixture with baking soda and salt

Add the flour and both chocolates.

adding flour and chocolate chunks to the mixing bowl

Mix on low speed until the flour is completely blended and the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

mixed cookie dough ready to scoop

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or scrape the dough into an airtight container and let rest in the refrigerator until firm, a few hours. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop the dough in 1.5-tablespoon balls onto prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. (I use a #40/1.5-T cookie scoop with a wire trigger.)

scooped chocolate chunk cookie dough ready to bake

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden around the edges but still soft and pale in the center. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

baked chocolate chunk cookies on cooling rack

Enjoy! For more classic cookie recipes, check out my Oatmeal Brown Sugar Cookies with Raisins & Pecans and my Crave-Worthy Sugar Cookies.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies on serving platter

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Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Tender, puffy, and fudgy with perfectly crisp edges — these chocolate chunk cookies taste better than Toll House and are more reliable.

Servings: About 3 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes, plus a few hours for the dough to chill (see note)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar (fine to substitute light)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2½ cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled (preferably King Arthur flour - see note)
  • 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghriardelli, roughly chopped
  • 2 oz milk chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars for 3 minutes, or until light, fluffy, and cafe au lait-colored (use high speed on a hand mixer and medium speed on a stand mixer). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat for 2 minutes more. Scrape down the bowl. Add the salt and baking soda and beat briefly until evenly combined. Add the flour and both chocolates, and mix on low speed until the flour is completely blended and the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or scrape the dough into an airtight container and let rest in the refrigerator until firm, a few hours. (Alternatively, if you don't want to wait, form the dough into balls on the baking sheet as instructed below and chill in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes.)
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Drop the dough in firmly packed 1.5-tablespoon balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. (I use a #40/1.5-T cookie scoop with a wire trigger.) Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until golden around the edges but still soft and pale in the center. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  5. Note: Some readers have had issues with the cookies being flat. This can happen as a result of using a "softer" flour. I highly recommend King Arthur All Purpose Flour for this recipe -- it's high in protein and gluten, and helps cookies hold their shape.
  6. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 143
  • Fat: 7g
  • Saturated fat: 4g
  • Carbohydrates: 19g
  • Sugar: 12g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 2g
  • Sodium: 76mg
  • Cholesterol: 24mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Forgot to mention, In Australia we don’t have King Arthur flour. I just used the cheapest plain old flour from the supermarket and I was still very impressed with the results 🙂

  • These are really the best cookies I’ve made in ages. I love a chocolate chip cookie but over the past few years I’ve felt there has been something lacking in each recipe I use. So many end up hard and unappealing in the end. These, however, are tender, perfectly balanced and completely delicious! They also look beautiful once baked 🙂 I ended up decreasing the granulated sugar by a couple tablespoons and used only 54% callebaut chocolate chips and they came out so good. My work friends said I should open my own cafe and serve your baked goods 😉 Thank you Jenn!! I will always come back to this recipe from now on.

  • I made these for the Super Bowl party I attended and they were a hit. Jen your recipes always come out great for me. I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of your new cookbook. I have it waiting to ship in my Amazon account. Happy New Year to You!

    • — Jacqueline Patrick
    • Reply
    • You too Jacqueline! 🙂

  • Hi Jen, could I use dark chocolate instead of the milk chocolate. I don’t really like milk chocolate. I can’t wait to make these😊

    • Sure, Toni. Enjoy!

  • Hi Jennifer,
    Since the dough needs to be frozen before baking, do you think I could use browned butter in this recipe? I love the extra flavour it brings.
    Thanks, Sheila

    • Unfortunately not, Sheila. In order to brown the butter, you’d need to melt it, and melted butter won’t work for the creaming step necessary in the recipe. Sorry!

  • Hi Jen. I’m baking for myself and would rather not make 3 dozen cookies in one sitting. How long can I keep the batter in the fridge before I have to throw it out? Thanks in advance. 🙂

    • HI Rosa, you could keep the dough in the fridge for about 5 days. You can also freeze the dough or the baked cookies.

  • These cookies are terrific ! Even so, do you think if I reduced the sugar by half, would they keep their form when baking or would other ingredient adjustments need to be made?

    • Hi Beth, glad you like the cookies! I think you could decrease the sugars by a few tablespoons, but wouldn’t suggest more than that as it could affect the texture of the cookies. No other modifications would be necessary.

  • Hi Jenn,
    I love your recipes and use your site regularly. A quick question, can this cookie dough be frozen?

    thanks, H

    • Sure, Haema. Glad you’re enjoying the site! 🙂

  • Best chocolate “chip” cookies ever! One question: can these be made into bar cookies? If so, how do I adjust the recipe?

    • Glad you like them, P. 🙂 For bar cookies, I recommend using this blondie recipe – and you can sub chocolate chunks for the chocolate chips, if you like.

  • My grands loved the chunky chocolate chip cookies, they keep asking for more.

    • — Wanda g brooks
    • Reply
  • Flat cookies – I am trying these again. I think the issue could be that I took a large spoon and poured the flour (King Arthur) into the measuring cups. The instructions say, “spoon” so I think I did not add
    enough flour. We shall see…….

    • Hi Kimberly, Sorry to hear the cookies turned out flat. What I mean by spooning the flour into the measuring cup is that instead of digging the measuring cup into the flour to scoop it up (which can compact it), you should use a spoon to put it into the measuring cup and then use a straight edge (like a knife to level it off). But if you think you used too little flour, it does fit that the cookies came out flat. Hope you get better results next time!

  • I finally found a. Chocolate chip recipe my teenage triple boys all love. I make this recipe once or twice a week and they continue to ask for them .
    Thank you!

  • Outstanding! Made these for a picky group and everyone LOVED them. Actual comments/why they liked them so much: Impressively Soft, Not Overly Sweet, Light and Airy yet still substantial; Great Flavor; So Fluffy! One person asked me how they get so light and fluffy. I really was not sure–was it the difference in adding a little extra flour and decreasing the sugar? Was it the chilling over night? Another Huge Hit, Jenn. Thank you for sharing such great tips and techniques!! Makes such a positive difference.

  • I am interning abroad this summer and would like to make these for a dinner party. Unfortunately I do not have access to any kind of electric mixer. Will it work if I just mix by hand? As an alternative I am also considering your Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans since they seem to be more fool proof. Also, my landlord’s flour has been sitting around for a long time… not sure if that would make a difference…

    On another note, I have tried many of your recipes and they are all amazing! This is my favourite recipe website!

    • Hi Carly, For either recipe, you can make them by hand — the cookies will just be a bit denser and chewier. Be sure the sugars are well combined before adding the butter (with no lumps of brown sugar); then add the butter in soft globs. The flour should be fine…and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂

  • I live in the UK … should I use bicarbonate of soda or baking powder? Thanks

    • Bicarbonate of soda– hope you enjoy!

  • Hi Jen
    I’m sorry to say that this recipe didn’t work for me. I followed the instructions exactly, but they turned out quite flat. The dough was left in the fridge overnight, my oven was at the precise temperature (oven thermometer) and though I don’t have access to King Arthur flour, the flour I did use has a comparable protein content. I am an experienced baker and I can’t figure out why I got this result. I have made many of your other recipes and they have always turned out perfectly (thank you!).

  • Hi Jenn,
    I made them they are delicious but I left them in the cooling rack for about 6 hours. They got soft again. Did I leave it too long?
    Can I make ahead of time and keep it in the airtight container and serve them next day?
    Thanks Ruth

    • Ruth, I don’t think letting them sit out for too long would’ve caused them to get too soft. Perhaps they were just a little under baked. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

  • DELICIOUS! Didn’t have milk chocolate on hand, so my chip combo was bittersweet & semi-sweet. Almost addictive, and the finished product looked ROUNDED & GORGEOUS> Just served at party & literally not one left. Everyone loved them! Thanks very much for the tips!

  • Hi Jen!
    I made these cookies and although they tasted great, they were rather flat… As the reviews and your notes had warned. I live in India and we don’t get king Arthur products here. What do you suggest I use to give the cookies more height? Maybe adding ng some proportion of whole wheat flour might help?

    • Hi Vanita, sorry to hear they were a bit flat. I don’t think it needs to be whole wheat, but you could add about 1/4 cup more flour to the batter to give the cookies a bit more volume.

  • I’m making these right now and have to admit I was worried based on the reviews. These are the best, thickest, delicious cookies I have ever made! They came out beautifully. Keeping them cold is key. Used the flour I had on hand and I’m pretty sure it was Gold Medal or Pillsbury. They look like they are from a bakery! Best recipe ever. Thanks so much!!

  • Made these yesterday. I fall into the category of never being able to make a chocolate chip[ cookie that gets puffy. I have tried butter, shortening, chilling, etc. These cookies tasted excellent. I used Giradelli bittersweet chips cut in half. The first batch were kind of flat but by the second batch as the oven was hotter they puffed up much better.
    Note:
    Just because the oven reaches temperature it does not mean it will not get hotter. All the walls and bottom have to heat too. Best to reach temperature and allow another 15 minutes before baking.

  • Jenn,
    I made your steakhouse burgers for my family the other night and they were the best burgers we ever sunk our teeth into. They are definitely better than any steakhouse burger we’ve ever tasted! I had to cut the recipe since we only used 1 lb. of meat, so hopefully I split the ingredients correctly. The only thing I know, is that they tasted DIVINE! I can’t wait to make them again……simple and delicious! Also, I made your a Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake. Thee are no words to describe the taste, but “AWESOME!” Thank you so much for the great pictures also. I call myself a “gourmet cook” since I’ve been cooking since I’m twelve ( that makes it 42 years of cooking for me!). I learned from my Italian mom who cooked amazingly each and every night for all 8 of us. I must say, your recipes top some of hers (sorry mom). I will be trying them all, so keep them coming! Thanks again!

  • These were pretty easy and turned out well. Mine were plenty thick and yummy! I have a convection oven and live at high altitude so cooked at a little lower temp a bit longer. Very pleased!

  • Hi Jenn!
    I love just your recipes !!! My family will be visiting to celebrate my moms 90th bday and I want to bake up these cookies in small batches each evening. Do you think I make a large batch of dough and keep it in the fridge and just bake up small batches each evening over a weeks time?

  • Hi Jen,
    Unfortunately I also experienced the cookies baking flat. I followed the recipe as stated, making sure they were chilled so I’m not sure what’s happened. The flavour is great but they looked more like pancakes than cookies. I’ve never had problems with any of your recipes before, and I’ve made a LOT!

    • Hi Nicole, So sorry your cookies came out flat! I’m scratching my head on this one…I’ve made these cookies so many times and they always come out puffy. Can I ask what brand of flour you use?

  • I made these exactly as the recipe called for. They were delicious, but I also did not get the height I was expecting. When I went back and looked at the picture, perhaps it’s the angle of the photo that made me expect these cookies to be fatter. But they are definitely yummy!

  • I’ve never refrigerated cookie dough before. Do I let it come to room temperature before cooking? Or scoop/measure it out while still cold and hard?

    • Hi Sheri, Definitely cook the cookie dough cold – otherwise the cookies will be flat. Enjoy!

      • Thanks – they came out delicious, but still decidedly flat. Though I had dough for one extra cookie and baked it on a silicone mat and it definitely had more height. Will use all silicone instead of parchment paper next time. Thanks again!

  • Hello, I made these cookies and followed the recipe to the T; however, they turned out very cakey. Any suggestions?

    • Hi Donna, When you say cakey, do you mean they were soft?

      • Hi Jen!
        As usual: Thanks for the great recipes! Really waiting for the cook book 🙂
        I experienced the same problem. Cakey for me to mean extremely crumbly and soft. I added the bake time so that they wouldn’t fall apart but they were deliciois:-) Any ideas?

        • Hi Sarah, I’m sorry you had a problem with the cookies being too crumbly and soft! Did you wait for them to fully cool/set before you ate them?

          • Hi Jenn
            Yes I did. Now the only thing is my husband still loves them so much! I will try the recipe out again and see. Its the first time I have used a stand mixer(always use hand): maybe I got something wrong: either way though: they are still a hit even as they crumble! I will definitely keep trying. Next time I’ll use a different All purpose flour brand and see. Thanks so much for your response Jenn!!

            • — Sarah
  • These cookies were (as in they have all been eaten up) delicious!

    Due to my impatience the first batch was disappointingly flat; I didn’t refrigerate the dough. So I followed the directions and chilled the dough overnight in the fridge. It truly was the trick to getting the puffy cookies in the picture! My #40 scoop was broken, so I made them a bit smaller with my #20 scoop and baked a few minutes less. They proved to be just the right size cookie for us.

    (I did use light brown sugar and semi-sweet chocolate chips though.)

    Thanks for such a great recipe…especially enjoyed by my son and his friends! It is a keeper!

  • Hi Jenn, thank you for all the wonderful recipes:) I plan to bake these cookies but was just wondering if I could replace the dark brown with granulated brown sugar? Would it affect the final result much?
    Thank you and keep up the good work!:)

    • Hi Elisa, It should work but be sure to measure by weight, not volume. Please come back and lmk how they turn out!

  • These cookies are amazing. Best I have ever made. Can I make these ahead and freeze them?

    • — Mariellen Etter
    • Reply
    • Glad you liked them! Yes, they can be frozen.

  • Tasty cookies, but I had mixed results and I’m not sure why. I used King Arthur flour, am pretty confident I used the correct ingredient amounts, and chilled the dough 24 hours. (I did substitute dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips.) I even put the dough back in the frig once the cookie sheets were filled. Anyway, some batches baked like yours and some were flatter. A mystery! But still tasting like good chocolate chip cookies.

    • Hi Maret, Glad you enjoyed them! Sounds like either your oven temp was fluctuating or the batter was not mixed evenly.

  • This is my go to chocolate chuck cookies. I like baking stuff like this so I can share it with my husband’s coworkers and my kiddos. It tastes amazing! I always make extra to freeze and pull them out when I need them, it stays fresh too.

    • — Elizabeth Perez
    • Reply
  • Love this recipe! My boys enjoy baking chocolate chip cookies and excited to share them with friends.

    • — Jasmine Lacsamana
    • Reply
  • Absolutely DELICIOUS! I’ve tried several of your cookie recipes and so far each and every one of them has been perfect. I usually plan a nice sit-down dinner for Mother’s Day and will be making a pretty cookie sampler with a variety of your cookie recipes for guests to take home. Thank you so much for such great recipes! So glad I found your blog.

  • Made a batch of these cookies over the weekend for family. They came out beautifully, were simple to make and tasted delicious!

  • Made these cookies last night. I loved the fact that you can make the dough one night , clean up and just cook them another time. These cookies were the best. Just the right amount of sweetness and loved the different flavors of chocolate. Before last night, I was a toll house chocolate chip baker. But, this is my new go to recipe. In fact, I doubled the recipe and froze half the dough for later.

  • I baked these with my 8-year-old daughter this afternoon and they are so good! I might add a little more chocolate next time but other than that, perfect.

  • Thank you!!! Finally, a chocolate chip cookie with the texture I have long been searching for. My kids have requested that I use semi-sweet chips the next time, but other than that tweak, this recipe is perfect.

    • — Jacquie Rohricht
    • Reply
  • Mine flattened. They taste good but look like crepes. I followed the recipe to a ‘T’. Did anyone else experience this? What did I do wrong?

    • Hi Jennifer, So sorry you had a problem with the cookies flattening — is there any chance you could’ve made a measuring mistake? They should definitely not flatten out like crepes. How long did you let the dough cool in the fridge?

      • I don’t think I made any measuring mistakes. I am going to reattempt the recipe to be sure. I let the dough chill for 14 hours before baking. I have tried so many recipes and always end up with flat cookies! I don’t understand it. I use a lot of generic/store brand staples. Could that be the problem? You might also try investing in a digital kitchen scale – it’s the best way to get accurate measurements for baking. This is the one I have.

        • Hmmm, that’s definitely long enough in the fridge! I’d be surprised if generic ingredients made that big of a difference but if you want to give it another try, I highly recommend King Arthur All Purpose Flour for baking. Some other thoughts: is it possible you used baking powder instead of baking soda? Are you using standard measuring cups? Could your oven temp be off?

  • Love this recipe! These cookies are crispy on the edges and chewy in the center. One question, though: Why are my cookies not puffy? I love the way they turn out, but they do not stay puffy once I take them out of the oven to cool.

    • Hi Pam, glad you like the cookies! If they flattened out once you removed them from the oven, it may be that they need just a few more minutes of baking time. (If they flatten when they cool, it usually means they haven’t completely set.)

  • As soon as I saw the picture of these cookies, I knew I was going to make them. They did not disappoint! I thought they might be too sweet with this amount of sugar, but they were just perfect. They kept a nice, round shape and stayed chewy in the center, which I love. They took 12 minutes in my gas oven on a dark cookie sheet with parchment paper. Highly recommended! Thanks, Jen 🙂

    • — Vicki Frederick
    • Reply
  • Absolute perfection. This is how chocolate chip cookies should taste. This will be my go to recipe. Thank you!!! I made a second batch and added 1 tbls of bourbon…..only because my boyfriend asked me to. They were good too, but not as good as your original.

  • Absolutely amazing! I sprinkled mine with Maldon salt before baking. I thought they would be too “adult” tasting for my kids but they gobbled them all up immediately. This recipe does NOT contribute to my weight loss! This definitely replaces the Nestle recipe. Thank you!

  • Why don’t you have the print out of the recipe set up for a 3 by 5 or 4 by 6 card. It would be much easier to put in a recipe box.

    • I’ll look into adding that feature, Jeanne. Thank you for the suggestion.

  • I’m looking forward to trying this recipe as I also had the “flat cookie” syndrome and gave up making Toll House cookies. However, since I have plenty of chocolate chips on hand (semi-sweet and dark), I’m wondering if I could substitute them without adversely impacting the overall results. I realize they wouldn’t have the taste of better quality chocolate.

    • Hi Maret, You can absolutely use chocolate chips here – the cookies will still be wonderful. I’d use about 1-1/2 cups.

  • Another “Blue Ribbon Recipe” Jenn! These were delicious and easy! I love that you can keep the dough in the fridge for a while and make a dozen cookies fresh each day. Thank you for another great recipe!!

  • Made these today and they are fantastic. Best chocolate chip I’ve made In a long time. Letting the dough rest in the fridge definitely made a difference.

    • — Jennifer Weinberg
    • Reply
  • Love that you used both brown and granulated sugars!! The texture difference it made was huge!!! I also am a big fan of using a mix of chocolate in cookies. Some people in our house are milk choc fans and others aren’t. I like my cookies a bit “under baked” and gooey, so my baking time was more in the 9-10 min range, but so so good!!

  • Just made these.
    And it is all gone.

    • — Sarah Sali-Serio
    • Reply
    • Lovely cookies, I left them in the fridge overnight and the turned out amazing. Very fluffy, I did find that they are very sweet so next time I make them Im going to try putting less sugar in. Overall lovely outcome and very easy to make,

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