Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
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A few tweaks to the classic Nestlé® Toll House® recipe make these the best chocolate chip cookies ever.
The simplest recipes are typically the hardest to get right, and classic chocolate chip cookies are a prime example. The most widely-used recipe is found on the back of the Nestlé® Toll House® chocolate chip bag, but if you follow it to the letter, the cookies often come out flat as pancakes. Over the years, I’ve experimented with various techniques in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie, from resting the dough for days to browning the butter to using different types of flour. However, I found that these methods didn’t produce a noticeable improvement in taste and texture—and, honestly, who wants to go to all that trouble for cookies?!
Instead, I tweaked the classic and easy Toll House® recipe to make it more reliable and tastier. These chocolate chip cookies are thick with a chewy, moist center and slightly crisp exterior, and they strike the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavor. Before you start baking, be sure to read my best baking tips to ensure success.
Table of Contents
“I was a bit skeptical that these would be ‘the best’ as I have many recipes that make really good chocolate chip cookies. I was wrong! OMG, these cookies are outstanding.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step-by-Step Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the butter and both sugars.
Beat on medium speed (or high speed if using a hand mixer) for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Add the vanilla and eggs.
Beat for 2 minutes more, then scrape down the bowl.
Add the salt and baking soda and beat briefly until evenly combined, then add the flour.
Mix on low speed until the dough is uniform.
Add the chocolate chips.
Mix until evenly combined.
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 or overnight. (Alternatively, if you don’t want to wait, form the dough into balls as instructed below, arrange on the baking sheets, and chill in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes.)
Drop the dough in firmly packed 1.5-tablespoon balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop.) For thick cookies, it’s important to really pack the dough in the scooper or with your hands.
Pro Tip: If you’d like to see the chocolate chips on the surface of the cookies, hold back about 1/3 cup chocolate chips and dot them on the dough balls, pressing them in slightly, before baking.
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 will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe will work using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. However, you will have even better results making my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, which are the best I’ve tried.
King Arthur All-Purpose Flour has a higher protein content compared to other brands, around 11.7%, which gives the cookies more structure. The flour’s ability to absorb more moisture means your dough is less likely to spread too much, giving you plump, delicious cookies.
This recipe is specifically designed to prevent excessive spreading, incorporating the correct flour-to-fat-to sugar ratio, especially if you use the recommended King Arthur Flour. Additionally, it’s important to make sure your butter is soft but not melted, and chill the dough before baking. Chilling solidifies the fat, which helps the cookies maintain their shape better as they start to bake.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate chip cookie dough, and it’s a great way to have fresh cookies on demand. Portion the dough into individual cookie balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, you can bake the frozen dough balls directly from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Video Tutorial
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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
A few tweaks to the classic Nestlé® Toll House® recipe make these the best chocolate chip cookies ever.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) 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 into measuring cup and leveled off (see note)
- 2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, best quality such as Ghirardelli
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed (or high speed if using a hand mixer) for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping 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 mix on low speed until the dough is uniform. Mix in the chocolate chips.
- 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 or overnight. (Alternatively, if you don't want to wait, form the dough into balls on the baking sheets as instructed below, and chill in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes.)
- 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.
- 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.) For thick cookies, it's important to really pack the dough in the scooper or with your hands. 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 the remaining cookie dough, refrigerating the dough between batches. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Note: I highly recommend King Arthur All-Purpose Flour for this recipe – it's higher in protein than other brands and helps the cookies plump up and hold their shape.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 1 hour, 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
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- Per serving (40 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 69
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 36 mg
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
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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AMAZING 🤩
Thank you so much for these! My husband is a VERY HAPPY man and these are the prettiest and tastiest CCC’s I have ever made!
Jenn, your tweaks and tips take what is often a ho-hum standard to new heights. Deeply flavorful toffee notes shine and mesh beautifully with the chocolate. Neither one overpowering, both sharing the spotlight.
The cookie has the perfect lift, texture and mouthfeel. Each savory yet sweet bite leaves you wanting more.
Thank you for reminding us why this recipe became a classic in the first place.
Hi, Jenn! I have a question about the metric flour measurement. Per the King Arthur website, they list all purpose flour as weighing 120 grams. Using their weight 2 1/2 cups of flour would be 300 grams. The recipe here is converting to 325 grams. When using King Arthur all purpose flour, which measurement is the best one to use?
Hi Terri, I know there’s some variability out there in terms of how many grams one cup of flour is. I use the spoon and level method for measuring flour and have weighed it many times. I consistently come up with 130 grams per cup so that’s where that number comes from and what I’d recommend. Hope that clarifies!
These are AMAZING! Family loves them!
These are fantastic.
These cookies taste great, but I live at altitude and they came out of the oven flat with chocolate chip bumps. Any suggestions on how to make them hold their shape better? I followed the recipe exactly.
thank you.
Hi, . I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
I only have Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips. Will those work for this recipe? Thanks!
Sure 😊
Finally found a ccc recipe that turns out delish – soft and very tasty cookie. I used plant based butter as I have to avoid dairy at the moment, and subbed coconut sugar for granulated since I didn’t have the latter. I also used semisweet chocolate chips as a personal preference. YUM. This will be my go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Oh I also enjoyed the raw cookie dough even though I shouldn’t have :/. Reminded me of the pillsbury cookie dough. 🤤
YES! Finally cookies that don’t flatten out as soon as I put them in the oven. My cookies weren’t quite as puffy as the pictures, but they maintained a respectable shape and taste delicious – thank you for sharing!
Definitely the best. Found I did not have enough brown sugar, so subbed white for most of it, still good. Had only a small amount of Ghiradelli choc chips, so added in some Trader Joe’s rather larger ones. Even better, more chocolate! I found the dough very stiff, so rolled out cookie balls and put in refrigerator before cooking. I find using a hand mixer more work, but this time actually checked temperature of butter with instant read thermometer first (60F), much easier to cream butter and sugar. It took quite a long time to warm up. Will try adding walnuts next time.
Hi Jenn, I was a bit sceptical that these would be “the best” as I have many recipes that make really good chocolate chip cookies. I was wrong! OMG, these cookies are outstanding. I ate at least five right out of the oven. I followed the recipe EXACTLY as written. This is my new go-to recipe for cc cookies. I’ve made many of your recipes, Jenn, probably at least 50+ (some from website and some from each of your cookbooks) and every single one of them has been phenomenal! Not a dud in the bunch. Outstanding efforts on your recipe creations. Many thanks!! Julie from Waterloo, ON, Canada
Great recipe and, or me, forgiving… I did not chill the batter and it still worked perfectly. I only used one cup of chocolate chips, and added Heath Bar Toffee bits. New favorite chocolate chip recipe – delish!
wanted to try a new CC cookie recipe. Found this one to result in a cookie that spreads way too much producing a greasy flat cookie that is soft in the middle and crisp on the edges. I put the dough in the fridge and will try again to see if the dough firms up a bit maybe the cookies will hold their shape. Can I adjust the flour/butter ratio in some way so the cookie doesnt spread or will putting refrigerating the dough before baking help?
Thanks.
Hi Ellen, So sorry these didn’t turn out for you! It’s very important that the dough is chilled – for the first batch, did you chill the dough initially as instructed in the recipe?
Hi, Jenn. My cookies did the same thing – thin/flat/cooked around the edges. The taste was wonderful! I went through the recipe again to double-check I did as instructed. I chilled overnight (really chilled/firm when I popped them in the oven), and a crepe-like cookie came out! I’m going to try again…
Hi Libby, sorry you had a problem with the cookies flattening out. What brand of flour do you use? If you don’t already, I’d suggest trying King Arthur all purpose flour. It’s got a higher protein content then many other brands, which helps to give baked goods more structure. You could also just try adding another tablespoon or two of flour to the cookie batter. Hope you have better luck the second time around!
I made these last night. Delicious, and those I’ve shared some with said the same. Next time I might try milk chocolate chips instead or a mix of both.
This recipe has the salt and baking soda added directly to the butter/sugar/egg before the flour instead of first combining the dry ingredients. Is that by design? I’ve always used a whisk to blend the dry ingredients and am surprised the soda and salt can get evenly distributed through the dough.
Hi Robin, I typically do that, especially when there are a lot of dry ingredients (just to stay organized), but sometimes you can get away with adding them to the to the wet ingredients as I’ve done here. Saves a step and a bowl to clean.
Hi Jenn,
How do I access your video tutorial for the chocolate chip cookies?
Thank you, Rose Kidd
Hi Rose, I just took a look and see that the link isn’t working — I will look into it and fix it as soon as possible. Sorry for any inconvenience!
Hi Jenn!
Have you ever tried Nestle Toll house chocolate chip lovers cookies? They are different than their original chocolate chip cookie. I am wanting to make a cookie as similar to the chocolate chip lovers as I can and am wondering which of your two chocolate chip cookie recipes will be closer (this one or your best chocolate chunk cookies). Would love to hear back from you, thanks!
Hi Jess, I wish I could help, but I’ve never tried the Nestle Toll house chocolate chip lovers cookies. Sorry!
My family loves these cookies! They are on a weekly rotation here 🙂 My granddaughter has been diagnosed with a gluten allergy, can I substitute gluten free flour?
Rosie North Vancouver BC
So glad they’re a hit with your family! You could try gluten-free flour, but instead, I’d use this recipe. Hope you enjoy them just as much!
It’s another winner! This is always my go-to spot for recipes new and reimagined classics. Jenn, you’ve once again perfected a recipe I’ve been making for years! I also have tried browning butter and a number of other crazy things to elevate the original recipe, but usually it comes out very inconsistent. A bonus is that I only needed to dirty up one mixing bowl, unlike the classic recipe that requires dry ingredients mixed separately. My only adjustment was substituting vanilla bean paste for extract (just a flavor preference). I will never make chocolate chip cookies differently!
Hi Jenn,
My husband loves walnuts and I want to add a generous amount to this recipe… like a heaping cupful. Can I just add to it without further adjustment? Thank you for you recipes and love your cookbooks!
So glad you like the cookbooks! Yes, you can add the nuts without any other modifications. Hope your husband enjoys. 🙂
PERFECT COOKIE My family loved them. Thanks
I baked these today and they came out amazing! I followed Jenn’s instructions to the letter re: mixing time and what a textural difference it made. I did use pastel colored M&Ms in place of chocolate chips and so pretty! 🙂
These turned out perfectly. Chocolate chip cookies are not even my favorite but because they are crispy outside, soft centered, and not overly sweet, I found them delicious. Thanks for going to the trouble to answer every conceivable question within the recipe instructions. It’s like you read my mind! And it makes all the difference because I don’t always have every kitchen tool or ingredient on hand. The make-ahead and storage information is also invaluable. Thanks again for another great recipe.
I didn’t think the Tollhouse recipe could be improved on. Well, you proved me wrong! I used a smaller scoop to get more cookies out of this, and I cooked them for less time to compensate. Worked out great. Each cookie was perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
I made these cookies for the first time, and I thought they were really good. For second opinion, I took a few over to my neighbor who had just gotten back from a cruise. He called me about an hour later and said these cookies were better than any cookie that he had while on the cruise ship. That’s quite a compliment!!!
This recipe was so easy to follow and the cookies came out great.
Made these cookies a couple of days ago and they are a wonderful cookie. There is a a little crunch on the edge while the middle is soft. Shared with my neighbors and they are in agreement.
Hi Jenn, just noticed that the recipe calls for two eggs, but the video shows three being put into the mixing bowl. Is two the correct number? Thanks.
Oops – that must be a mistake in the video! Yes, you just need 2 eggs. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Thanks for the update. Off to make them now. 🙂
Upgraded chocolate chips, good butter but marginal vanilla- why not use a good vanilla extract? I use Nielsen Massey and it really improves the taste of my cookie.
If you use the medium gray colored cookie baking sheets, the cookies come out crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle, perfect! If you’re using aluminum baking sheets (the light silver ones) I would use the parchment paper.
I also use the Ghirardelli bitter sweet chocolate chips. Everyone raves about my cookies. The semi sweet chocolate chips seem too sweet for me.
If you use the medium gray colored cookie baking sheets, the cookies come out crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle, perfect! If you’re using aluminum baking sheets (the light silver ones). I also use the Ghirardelli bitter sweet chocolate chips. Everyone raves about my cookies. The semi sweet chocolate chips seem too sweet for me.
I like the recipe but I think it needs a kick from either pecans, or if you don’t want nuts, try Heath Bar bits which are in the same section as the Ghiradelli (or Hershey) chips. I think it’s worth the cost to up the quality of the chocolate and the extra flavor from the Heath bits 🙂
Heath bars actually have nuts in them – almonds! I only just learned this because my daughter is highly allergic and ate one. Just wanted to comment in case someone reading this thinks they are nut-free. 🙂
I like more golden cookies, if I bake them longer or at higher heat will I wind up with dry cookies?
Unfortunately, they’ll end up dry.
Wow! These cookies are a sublime! Thank you for leveling up my cookie game.
These really are the BEST chocolate chip cookies you will ever make! I’ve always used the Toll House recipe but this is sooooooo much better. Key is chilling the dough so when baked, they hold their shape. Another winner. Thanks, Jenn!
I would cut the salt by half, just my preference. Get the aftertaste too much
The best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever, omg! I added toasted pecans and they are ah-mazing. What I think I love most is prep one day, bake the next! Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
These cookies are nothing short of rapturous. Thank you @onceuponachef
Your recipes are just consistently magnificent!
Was wondering if you have used monkfruit sweetener instead of regular sugar in any of your recipes.
Hi Sara, No, I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact recipes. (If it helps at all, I have read plenty of comments from readers who have said they’ve replaced some or all of the sugar in a recipe with sugar substitutes and have had good results.) Hope that helps at least a bit!
So Very simple and my favorite recipe! Thick, chewy and not too sweet. I added walnuts. Keeper!
I made this recipe with the only substitution was to change the chips chocolate chips from two cups to one and a half and added 1/2 a cup of butterscotch chips only change.
Just made these yesterday. This is my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. They don’t flatten out after baking and are very moist. I like my cookies a little underbaked so I pulled these out of the oven as soon as they browned slightly around the edges. Next time I won’t leave the dough in the frig as long as I did, will leave in just long enough to firm up and not sticky. Going to make tomorrow with milk choc. chips, my favorite. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this recipe.
Enjoy