Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rainy Sunday afternoons were made for cookie baking in my childhood home. My brother and I would crowd around the kitchen island, fighting over who got to lick the bowl. Mom always pretended not to notice the stolen dough, even though chocolate was inevitably smeared across our chins. Now my own apartment fills with that same buttery warmth whenever these cookies emerge from the oven.

Last December my neighbor texted at midnight asking if I was baking. She could smell the butter and vanilla through her apartment vents. I brought over a warm dozen, still soft from the cooling rack. Now she leaves little thank you notes on my door whenever the scent drifts through the building.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Provides the structure that holds those puddles of chocolate in place
• Baking soda: Helps achieve that perfect rise and spread
• Salt: The secret that makes all that chocolate sing
• Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature for effortless creaming
• Granulated sugar: Creates crisp edges and structure
• Light brown sugar: The hero behind moisture and chewiness
• Eggs: Bind everything together while adding richness
• Pure vanilla extract: Never skip this aromatic backbone
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: The classic choice that balances sweetness perfectly

Instructions

Preheat and prep:

Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the dry team:

In a medium bowl combine flour baking soda and salt until well blended.

Cream the butter and sugars:

Beat butter granulated sugar and brown sugar together until light and creamy about 2 minutes.

Add eggs and vanilla:

Beat in eggs one at a time then mix in vanilla until fully incorporated.

Combine it all:

Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined being careful not to overmix.

Fold in the chocolate:

Gently mix in chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Scoop and space:

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared sheets leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake to perfection:

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden but centers still look slightly soft.

Cool completely:

Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

Save

My roommate once tried to speed things up by skipping the parchment paper. We spent twenty minutes chiseling cookies off baking sheets with a butter knife while laughing so hard we cried. Now theres always parchment in our drawer a small investment in kitchen sanity.

Getting The Texture Right

The ratio of white to brown sugar makes all the difference here. More brown sugar means softer chewier cookies while leaning heavier on white sugar creates crispier results. I love this balance because you get both qualities in one perfect bite.

Customization That Works

Sometimes I toss in a handful of chopped pecans for crunch or swap half the chocolate chips for white chocolate chunks. Dark chocolate creates a more sophisticated flavor profile that adults seem to gravitate toward at dinner parties. Milk chocolate makes them sweeter which kids absolutely love.

Make Ahead Wisdom

Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking intensifies the flavor and helps prevent excessive spreading. You can also scoop the entire batch onto a baking sheet freeze until solid then transfer to a bag for fresh baked cookies anytime. My freezer is never without a roll of this dough.

• Room temperature butter creates the best texture so plan ahead
• A cookie scoop ensures uniform baking every single time
• Warm cookies are irresistible but they slice cleanly once completely cool

Save

Theres something profoundly satisfying about homemade cookies that store bought versions can never quite capture. Maybe its the warmth or the memories they carry but these never last long in my kitchen.

Recipe FAQs

→ What makes chocolate chip cookies soft and chewy?

The combination of brown sugar and butter creates moisture and tenderness, while slightly underbaking keeps centers soft. Creaming the butter and sugars properly introduces air pockets that contribute to the chewy texture.

→ How do I know when cookies are done baking?

Look for golden edges while centers appear slightly soft and underbaked. The cookies continue cooking on the hot baking sheet during the 5-minute cooling period, resulting in perfectly chewy centers.

→ Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Absolutely. Scoop dough onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time. Frozen dough keeps up to 3 months.

→ Why chill cookie dough before baking?

Chilling for 30 minutes solidifies the butter, resulting in thicker cookies with enhanced flavor development. The flour hydrates properly, creating a more complex taste profile and preventing excessive spreading.

→ What's the best chocolate for cookies?

Semi-sweet chocolate chips provide the classic balance. For deeper flavor, try dark chocolate chunks. Milk chocolate offers sweetness, while white chocolate creates a creamier variation. Mix different types for complexity.