The best chocolate chip cookies are actually within reach. Soft, chewy, perfect every time. Use melted butter, don’t over mix. Huge cookies made just right.
I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies forever, searching for the perfect recipe. After many years of trying, I’d pretty much given up. I wasn’t even looking anymore, actually… then one day I came across a recipe on Pinch of Yum where Lindsay shared a recipe for her “most favorite cookie recipe of all time”. Well of course, if she was making that claim, I had to give it a try, and let me just say…
This is now MY favorite cookie recipe of all time. I’ve made these cookies now for so many people and been getting more compliments than I can count. Here’s my favorite- After taking these cookies to my parents’ house, my stepdad called me… “If you never make anything else for me, just make these cookies for the rest of my life”. Well, there you go.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe 🍪
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Quick and simple: No complicated steps — just melt, mix, and bake. Perfect for when you need cookies now.
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Soft and chewy texture: They bake up thick, slightly gooey in the center, and stay soft for days.
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Balanced sweetness: The mix of granulated and brown sugar gives just the right hint of caramel flavor without being too sweet.
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Perfectly buttery flavor: Melted butter makes the dough rich and flavorful while giving that classic bakery-style chew.
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Customizable mix-ins: Use semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips — or swap in white chocolate and macadamia nuts for a fun twist.
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Minimal chill time: No need to refrigerate the dough — you’ll be eating warm cookies in under 30 minutes.
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Foolproof results: This recipe has been tested again and again for perfect cookies every time.
- Crowd-pleasing favorite: Whether you make them classic or with add-ins, these cookies always disappear fast!
Let’s get you started with The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies — because sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones you’ll love the most.
Ingredients in the Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies 🍪
If you’re wondering what makes these the best soft chocolate chip cookies, it all comes down to the balance of simple, everyday ingredients — and how they work together for soft, chewy perfection. Here’s what you’ll need:
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Salted Butter: Melted butter is key for that rich, buttery flavor and chewy texture. Just be sure it’s melted, not hot, so your dough stays soft.
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Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the edges bake up slightly crisp while keeping the centers tender.
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Light Brown Sugar: Brings a hint of molasses flavor and extra moisture that keeps these cookies soft for days. Dark brown sugar works too for deeper caramel notes.
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Pure Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavor with that warm, bakery-style sweetness you expect in the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
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Egg: The secret to structure and that soft, chewy texture — just don’t overmix after adding it.
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All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookies their shape and structure. Use the spoon and level method to avoid adding too much flour.
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Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise slightly and stay soft in the middle.
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Salt: Balances all the sweetness and enhances the buttery, chocolatey flavor.
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Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Classic and crowd-pleasing — they melt into pockets of rich chocolate in every bite. Try mixing in a few chocolate chunks for even more gooey goodness.
I didn’t really change Pinch of Yum’s recipe much at all, but I have some definite “must dos” to insure perfection every single time. Some of the tips I got from the original recipe, and a few I gleened from making the cookies for what now seems like 100 times. This recipe is a snap but you have to follow a few easy rules to get it right. So let’s go…
First off, this recipe uses melted butter. Barely melted but not hot is what you want. 30-40 seconds in your microwave should do it. This is great because you don’t have to think hours ahead and take out butter to soften. Besides, depending on the temp in your kitchen is it ever softened enough, or did it soften too much?
Use good-quality, real vanilla (actually, buy all the ingredients for your baking recipes at the best quality you can afford, you won’t regret it). This Madecasse Madagascar vanilla is my favorite. Use your own preference, just make sure it’s the real deal.
Another tip that Lindsay gives in the original recipe is not to overbeat the egg once it’s added. Only beat if for 10-15 seconds before adding your flour mixture because if you overbeat the egg, your cookies will be too stiff. Next, once the flour mixture has been added and before you toss in the chocolate chips, your dough should look like this, not quite wet but definitely not too dry. It holds together as shown above. Remember my note about using the best possible ingredients for this recipe and all your baking? I have to recommend King Arthur Flour here (they are not a sponsor). I can definitely tell the difference in the quality of their product compared to others I’ve used. To ensure you measure the flour accurately, make sure to use the “spoon-and-level” method.
I’ve tried semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, bitter chocolate, and a combination of chips and chunks. The most popular cookie has come from using semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pinch of Yum uses a combination of chips and chunks and when I did likewise, the cookies seemed no different than when I made them using chips alone, so unless your going for a mixed texture look, use one or the other. Milk chocolate was just too sweet for us, bitter was only liked by my husband who’s a connoisseur of 100% cacao chocolate.
If you make cookies often, then having a cookie scoop is a must. For this recipe, I used my 2″ scooper for nice big cookies. Scoop them loosely and easily. My awesome friend Mel, who’s the writer of another incredible food blog Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, has a great post about the uses for different sizes of cookie scoops.
Like I said, scoop them loosely. You can roll them by hand, just don’t pack them and if you want to make smaller cookies, I’ve done that too. Golf ball size dough is perfect after about 8 minutes baking. If you’re wanting to get even more cookies out of your efforts, this recipe doubles beautifully as well.
Here is probably the most important tip- Don’t overbake the cookies! They need to come out of the oven looking ‘not done’. They’ll be white and poofy and that’s just what you want. Take them out at this point and leave them to continue cooking/cooling on the baking sheet until completely cooled.
As you see, they’ll sink down and darken as they cool. They still look kind of underdone here but will become less wet and more chewy over the next hour or so.
Since discovering this recipe for the Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, I’ve made them so many times I know the recipe by heart and I get them perfect every time. And you can do the same. My printable recipe might seem long to you but don’t fear. The recipe is a snap, I just give very detailed instructions to help you out.
Here’s the cookie sliced after about 30 minutes out of the oven. This is still a bit wet and will become perfectly chewy in no time. Even this wet, I have a hard time keeping them in the kitchen… husband and son can’t resist them.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies 🍪
How do I make my chocolate chip cookies soft and chewy?
Using melted butter, a mix of brown and white sugars, and not overbaking the cookies keeps them soft and chewy. Letting them rest on the baking sheet after baking also helps set the texture without drying out.
Can I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
Yes! Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor and slightly chewier texture. Either option works in this recipe.
Do I have to chill the dough before baking?
No chilling is required — these cookies are designed to go straight into the oven for quick, bakery-style results.
Can I substitute the chocolate chips?
Absolutely. Use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even a mix of chips and chunks. You can also fold in nuts like macadamias or pecans for extra texture.
How do I store these cookies to keep them soft?
Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Adding a slice of bread to the container can help retain softness even longer.
Can I freeze the dough or baked cookies?
Yes — scoop dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet, then store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Baked cookies also freeze well and can be reheated briefly in the oven for that fresh-baked feel.
These cookies are soft, buttery, and filled with melty chocolate chips — the kind that make everyone smile. They’re quick to mix up, no dough chilling required, which means you can bake them anytime a craving hits or someone needs a little cheering up. Whether it’s a thank-you treat, comfort food, or a late-night snack for hungry teens, these cookies deliver every time. Simple, sweet, and always irresistible.
Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies {ever!}
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter one stick
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
- 1 generous teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour use the spoon-and-level method
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ -¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees, place oven rack at middle position and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt ½ cup butter in microwave for 40 seconds until barely melted. You want the butter melted but not hot.
- In a large bowl, using hand mixer, or in bowl of stand mixer, combine melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix on low until creamy. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.½ cup salted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar, 1 generous teaspoon vanilla
- Add the egg and mix only for 10-15 seconds, still on low speed. This is important as over beating the mixture with the egg will make for a too-stiff batter. Turn off the stand mixer or beaters.1 egg
- In small bowl or parchment envelope, combine flour, baking soda salt.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt
- Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix on low for just a few seconds, the flour won't be completely mixed in. Continue to add flour mixture until fully incorporated and beat, still on low until completely mixed. Your cookie dough, at this point, should hold together easily when pressed together, but not be too wet. If it seems too wet, feel free to add another tablespoon of flour at a time until it resembles photos (I've never had to do this, though).
- Add chocolate chips and mix on low about 5 seconds, just until mixed throughout. If you like a lot of chips in your cookies, add an additional ¼ cup chips.½ -¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Using a 2" cookie scoop, loosely scoop dough and place 2 ½" apart (6 cookies per baking sheet). Place one cookie sheet in the oven on middle rack and bake for 9-11 minutes until cookies are poofed and still white. They will not look done, you might barely see golden color around edges of some cookies. (I've tested these over and over and with my oven, 10 minutes is exactly perfect. The cookies become completely poofed and white at about 9 ½ minutes, an additional 30-45 seconds ensures additional cooking inside while still being soft when cooled.)
- Remove cookies from oven and leave on baking sheet for additional 15-30 minutes. While one baking sheet is cooling, bake the remaining 6 cookies on the second baking sheet in same manner.
Notes
Recipe barely altered from Pinch of Yum.
Wow! This recipe deserves 10 stars. I’ve been searching for a soft chocolate chip cookie recipe and the hunt was well worth it. My husband said the cookies taste like a lost recipe that belonged to his grandmother. He couldn’t be happier and it was a hit in my home. I’ll be making these cookies often!
Thanks, Diana! I’m so glad you liked the cookies. We pretty much feel the same about them at my house. 🙂
These are my go-to last minute dessert. Takes only a few mins to make the dough and they always come out perfectly! I like to double the recipe and freeze half the scooped dough for an even easier go-to dessert. Thanks Sally 💜
Hello, ive done your recipe around 3 times, and just did one batch to help with the quarantine jitters we all get, thank you for having this blog still and providing such useful information, greetings from Santiago, Chile! P.s
How much is a serving? One cookie? That’s definitely Not what I want you to answer, how about 5!
Naty, hello to you in Santiago! Thanks for this great comment and I’m so glad the cookies are helping you get through quarantine. I’m going to make a batch here soon, myself. Yes, a serving is one cookie ;D
Hello, I tried to enter your giveaway however was only directed to a site to purchase them. If there is any way you could enter me into the contest I would so appreciate it, I would love to win. These Chocolate chip cookies sound delicious and I am going to make them this evening. Thank you so much Jacque Zannini.
Jacque, I’m sorry as you will see on the post, the giveaway is from a few years ago. The cookies are delicious, I hope you try them.
My family absolutely loved these cookies, great quatentine snack. I accidentally made a mistake for one of the steps but they still turned out lovely and delicious. I would definitely recommend these to everyone I know.
That’s awesome, Alyssa. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. I’m glad they turned out for you!
These cookies are insanely delicious! I’ve always been looking for a good soft cookie recipe, and I’ve finally found it! Thank you ☺️
Bridget, you just made my day! I’m so glad you liked the recipe and I have to agree with you. They’re my family’s absolute favorite. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!!! So easy, and so perfectly soft and chewy. I love these too much.
Thank you for this 🙂
Thanks so much, Kristen! 🙂
These were PERFECT!
I took them to my daughter’s bday party in school and all the kids asked if there was more! Definitely my go to cookie 👌🏻
Thanks Jaclyn! That is so great to hear. It means a lot that you’d use it for your daughter’s birthday party. I’m honored. 🙂
Hello, I would love to try this recipe, however, I realized I only have salted butter. Is there a way to substitute salted to unsalted butter?
Hi Sophia, my recipe calls for salted butter. If you meant that you only have unsalted butter, I’d add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the dough, rather than 1/4 as mentioned.
i’m a lil confused cuz my cookies turned out like dry domes, idk what i did wrong. I’m pissed. I followed the directions perfectly
Wes, try baking them for less time. Oven temperatures can vary and maybe (like mine) yours bakes hot? Try giving them a look around the 8 minute mark and take them out when they are domed but still look kind of wet. Also, maybe remove about a tablespoon of flour before adding to the ingredients to make sure your dough is wet enough as well. Hope this helps.
Hello! I’ve made this recipe multiple times, and the cookies are delicious. However, mine always end up coming out a bit dry, and dont spread as much as the picture shows. I make sure I don’t overbeat when adding the eggs, and I follow the ingredients list to a t. Do you have any idea as to why the cookies aren’t turning out the same? Maybe I’m adding too much flour? If anyone could get back to me on this, it would greatly appreciated! I want my cookies to live up to their full potenional 🙂 thanks!
Hi Rachelle! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and I do have a couple of thoughts. Strangely enough, I just made these yesterday and they turned out exactly how you described your cookies. I make them on a regular basis and less than 10% of the time, they’ll do exactly what you described with your batches. I decided that yesterday mine definitely had too much flour. I was in a rush and didn’t use the usual method when scooping my flour (check out the link for the best method in the recipe). Also, I don’t know if this matters and I’ve not mentioned this in the recipe before but for the first time ever, I didn’t line the pan with parchment paper as I was out. I don’t know if the parchment helps the cookies spread more but it is worth noting and I’m going to add this thought to the recipe. But in the past, the very few times my cookies haven’t spread enough like in my pictures it’s because of two things: 1) too much flour, or 2) overbaking. Only 30 seconds too much can do it. I hope this helps you. Thanks again for making the recipe and let me know if my reply helps you. Sally 🙂
It does thank you! I’ll definitely try being more careful with my flour measurements and maybe reducing the cooking time next time around. Thank you so much!
I’ve been looking for a perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe to bake at elevation for years. I live in Mammoth Lakes, CA, at around a 7,895 feet. The search for a chocolate chip recipe is over. These cookies are the tiniest bit crispy on the outside and so soft and chewy on the inside. Simply said, AMAZING!!!!
Janel, I’m SO glad these worked out for you especially because they’re pretty much our favorite cookie. Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Looks delicious and the cups are so cute! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
30 or 40 seconds in the microwave to melt the butter seems like a real long time… Is that at full power in your microwave?
Hi Laura, Yes that is at full power. Of course the time it takes could depend on individual microwave wattage, etc. but I’ve made this recipe a LOT and 30 seconds is good for me. Obviously, just keep an eye on it. Thanks for considering my recipe!
So I made them according to recipe however I try to take them out looking like they are still not done just like you advise, but the shape does not flatten out. They still stay semi round and not completely flat- any advice?
Hi Merna, how long was the baking time for these cookies? It sometimes takes a little tweaking but don’t give up. Once you reach the perfect combination of baking time, flour in the recipe, etc. they are worth it and you’ll have them right every time. Try to take them out about 30 seconds sooner and make sure the dough looks like shown in the pictures after adding flour. Maybe add all but about a tablespoon of flour, check the dough and then add the rest of the flour if it seems too wet. Let me know how this does for you. I’ve had many, many friends and readers make this recipe with success and I’m thinking just a touch sooner to come out of the oven will be perfect for you.
I saw these on Pinterest tonight and they looked so good I had to try them. I have to tell you they are my new ‘go to’ Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!! They were sooo good!! I almost never write reviews, but these were the best cookies I have made in a long time. Thank you for sharing them!
Hello Tara! I’m honored that you took the time to write a review here and so glad you like the cookie recipe. 🙂 Hopefully you received my email response when I was out of town and unable to access the comments on this recipe.
I’ve made these cookies twice this weekend already. The BEST cookie recipe I’ve ever made/eaten!!!
Hi Megan, I know what you mean. I can’t even count how many times I’ve made these cookies for my family or friends now. Be prepared for them to be requested often! I’m glad you liked them and thanks so much for taking the time to comment. It means a lot. 🙂
At last we made a batch. Scrumptious!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Ann. And I must agree with you!
I have made a lot (and ate a lot) of chocolate chip cookies in my day and this recipe is hands down the best I have ever made. The recipe is so easy it makes these cookies almost dangerous because they are so easy and so good! You will be a favorite for sure for everyone you make these for!!
This just might be my favorite comment on this recipe. Thanks so much, Ronnie! 🙂
These look amazing! I love chewy chocolate chip cookies. I can’t be bothered with chilling the dough so this seems like the perfect recipe for me.
So excited to try these!
I am still searching for the best beef stew recipe for my crock pot!
They look relish! Always looking for new chicken recipes because hubby is allergic to beef?
Kathy Jo, you should give my Chicken with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce a try. http://gooddinnermom.com/chicken-with-tomato-and-basil-cream-sauce/
Look at the comments. It’s a good one. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, it means a lot. And good luck in the giveaway.
I’m still looking for a perfect beef chili recipe. I’ve made plenty that are good, but I still haven’t found “the one!”
Sally, please check the weight measurement of the flour in this recipe. 12 ounces is way more than 1 1/2 cups. Thank you!
Done! Thanks, Ruth.
Yummy! We all loved them!
I just made these cookies, they are AMAZING!! Followed the recipe to a T. Thanks Sally!!
Jessica! Thanks for making them and taking the time to stop by and comment. Glad you liked them. 🙂
For me, I am often on the search for vegan, paleo baked good recipes. Most require eggs at the very least, and although I know how to cook with egg replacers, I can never quite replicate the original. So I continue to search for the perfect ones!
We had a local place in my town that had a delicious beef dish. It was thinly sliced strips of beef that were so tender! The sauce on them was sweet but savory. They closed down 2 years ago and I am still trying to recreate it!
These are amazing cookies! Definitely a recipe to memorize! Comfort cookies make bad days brighter!
I couldn’t agree more, my friend. 🙂
I am always searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, I can’t wait to try these! I’ve seen them on POY but have not tried them yet…now I definitely will. Also, your method for making hard boiled eggs has changed my life, thank you!!??
Excellent, Jill! And I’m so glad the hard boiled eggs worked out for you too. 🙂
Oh yum! The recipe from Americas test kitchen uses melted butter, too! These look awesome and I especially liked you Father in Law’s response to the cookies!
Looks delicious and the cups are so cute!