These chocolate chip cookies are my go-to everyday recipe. They bake up soft and chewy with lightly crisp edges and plenty of melty chocolate. The method is quick, uses only pantry ingredients, and—best of all—there’s no need to chill the dough. Get your milk ready.
Nothing beats a warm chocolate chip cookie with a cold glass of milk. This everyday chocolate chip cookie recipe is made from simple pantry staples and skips the chilling step so you can bake the same day you decide to indulge. The result is a soft, chewy cookie studded with plenty of gooey chocolate chips.
These cookies aren’t as rich as bakery-style cookies, which makes them a hit with both kids and adults. I call them “everyday” because they’re easy to make on any day of the week—no special ingredients or planning required.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: Use softened but not melting butter. Salted butter is fine if you omit the added salt in the recipe.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar adds flavor and chew, while granulated sugar helps control spread so the cookies aren’t overly dense.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla enhances every chocolate chip cookie.
- Eggs + Extra Egg Yolk: This recipe calls for 2 whole eggs plus 1 extra yolk for extra chew. Use room-temperature eggs for best mixing.
- Flour: Measure properly—whisk, spoon into the measuring cup, and level off, or weigh the flour for accuracy.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Using both gives the cookies a balanced rise and ideal spread.
- Salt: Balances sweetness.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet or dark chips pair nicely with the butter, but use your preferred variety.
Method – with Photos
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent the bottoms from over-browning.
- Cream butter and sugars: Beat the softened butter with brown and granulated sugar until creamy and smooth. Small sugar granules may remain, but there shouldn’t be lumps of butter.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in 2 whole eggs plus the additional yolk from a third egg, and mix in the vanilla. Don’t use three whole eggs.
- Add dry ingredients: With the mixer off, add the flour, then sprinkle in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Start mixing on low to avoid a cloud of flour, then increase speed to medium until combined. The dough will be thick; it should not cling to your fingers—add a tablespoon of flour at a time if needed.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Stir in most of the chocolate chips, reserving about 1/4 cup to press on top of the cookies after baking.
- Portion the dough: Form dough into balls using about 1½ tablespoons each (a medium cookie scoop works well). Place dough balls about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the lined sheets.
- Bake: Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 11–13 minutes, until the tops are just set. Remove and let cool on the pan.
- Finish: For a pretty finish and extra melty pockets, press a few reserved chocolate chips on top of each cookie right after they come out of the oven.
Chilling the Dough
Chilling is optional. If you want thicker cookies or prefer to prepare ahead, cover the dough and refrigerate up to 48 hours. When ready, let the dough sit at room temperature about 10 minutes if chilled overnight to make scooping easier, then form and bake as directed.
Freezing
You can freeze both raw dough and fully baked cookies.
To freeze dough: form balls, chill on a tray until firm (about 30 minutes), transfer to a freezer bag with excess air removed, and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen on a lined sheet at 350°F (180°C); add 1–2 minutes to the bake time. Do not thaw first.
To freeze baked cookies: cool completely, layer in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers, and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Making A Smaller Batch
To halve the recipe, divide all ingredient amounts by two. For the eggs, use 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk. The scaled amounts are listed below for convenience:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk (in addition to the whole egg)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Everyday Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Equipment
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Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk, in addition to the 2 large eggs
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
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In a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy and no lumps of butter remain.
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Beat in the 2 eggs, additional egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
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Turn off the mixer and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix starting on low speed, then increase to medium until combined. The dough should be thick and not tacky; add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
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Stir in about 2 cups of the chocolate chips, reserving 1/4 cup for topping.
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Form dough balls of about 1½–2 tablespoons each and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on lined sheets.
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Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 11–13 minutes, until the tops look just set. Let cool on the cookie sheet. Press reserved chips on top if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition: Nutritional details are estimates per cookie based on 48 uniform cookies.
Nutrition
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