Chocolate chip cookies done this way come out thick, soft and buttery, with melted chocolate in every bite and a pale, tender middle. They are the cookies for an after-school plate, a bake sale or a weeknight when you want something warm from the oven without planning ahead.
How to make chocolate chip cookies: Beat melted butter with white and brown sugar, then mix in vanilla and an egg. Add flour, baking soda and salt, press the dough into a ball and work in the chocolate chips. Roll into 12 balls, bake at 350°F for 9–11 minutes and cool on the pan.
Why You’ll Love It
- No chilling. This dough goes straight from the bowl to the cookie sheet.
- A small batch. It makes 12 large cookies, so nothing sits around going stale.
- Soft centers. The cookies come out puffy and pale, then settle as they cool.
- Basic ingredients. Butter, two sugars, an egg, flour and chocolate chips. No special flour and no mixer attachments to hunt for.
Ingredient Notes
Salted butter. Eight tablespoons, which is one stick. It is melted in the microwave until almost entirely liquid but not hot.
White sugar and light brown sugar. You use both: 1/2 cup of white and 1/4 cup of packed light brown.
Egg and vanilla. One egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, mixed in briefly on low speed.
All-purpose flour. One and a half cups. The dough will look crumbly at first, and that is expected.
Baking soda. A 1/2 teaspoon. Baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable, so check the box.
Salt. A 1/4 teaspoon, even though the butter is salted.
Chocolate chips. Three-quarters of a cup, worked in by hand at the end.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Heat the oven and butter. Heat the oven to 350°F. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds, until it is almost entirely liquid but not hot.
2. Mix the butter and sugars. With a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat on low speed just until incorporated, about 10–15 seconds.
3. Make the dough. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until crumbles form, then press them together by hand into one easy-to-handle ball. Work in the chocolate chips by hand.
4. Portion and bake. Roll the dough into 12 large balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the cookies look puffy and dry and are just barely golden. They will still look pale.
5. Cool on the pan. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 30 minutes. They will sink as they cool.
Do Chocolate Chip Cookies Need to Chill?
Not these. This recipe is written to be mixed, rolled and baked right away, with no time in the refrigerator.
That does not mean every chocolate chip cookie dough can skip the chill. Chilling depends on the recipe. Some doughs call for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, and some chewy-cookie doughs call for at least 2–3 hours and will not work without it. The rule is simple: follow the chilling instruction for the dough you are making.
| Kind of dough | Chill before baking? |
|---|---|
| This soft, thick cookie dough | No. Roll and bake right away. |
| A dough whose recipe asks for a short chill | Yes, for the time that recipe gives, such as 30 minutes |
| A chewy-cookie dough whose recipe asks for a long chill | Yes, for the time that recipe gives, such as 2–3 hours |
What this recipe asks for is patience at the other end. The cookies come out of the oven looking pale, puffy and a little underdone. Leave them on the hot pan for about 30 minutes. They sink and set as they cool, and that is when they turn soft and thick instead of raw in the middle.
Tips for Success
How do I know when the cookies are done?
Look, do not wait for color. They are done when they look puffy and dry on top and are just barely golden. They will still look pale. Check at 9 minutes and give them up to 11.
Why is my dough crumbly?
It is supposed to be at first. After the flour goes in, the mixer makes crumbles. Press them together with your hands and they form one ball that is easy to handle.
How hot should the melted butter be?
Almost entirely liquid but not hot. About 40 seconds in the microwave gets it there. If the bowl feels hot, let it sit for a minute before you add the sugars.
How long should I mix after adding the egg?
Only about 10–15 seconds on low speed, just until the egg and vanilla are incorporated.
Why Cool Them on the Pan?
The recipe leaves the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 30 minutes after baking. They go in the oven as tall balls, come out puffy, and sink as they cool. Moving them early, while they are still soft, can break them. The time on the pan is part of the recipe, so the real start-to-finish time is about 50 minutes: 10 minutes of prep, 10 minutes of baking and 30 minutes of cooling.
Variations
Mixer choice. A stand mixer and hand-held electric beaters both work for the butter and sugar.
Specialty cookies. Brown-butter, double-chocolate, miso and vegan chocolate chip cookies all exist, but each is its own recipe with its own amounts. They are not swaps for this dough.
Storage & Reheating
Once the cookies are fully cool, keep them in an airtight container. They should stay soft for many days stored that way. The cookies can also be frozen. The recipe gives no exact number of days for either, so I will not put one on it.
One safety note: this dough has a raw egg in it, so do not taste it before baking. USDA FSIS lists 160°F as the safe temperature for eggs.
What to Serve With It
For a cookie tray, add carrot cake cookies, chocolate toffee thumbprints and no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. If you would rather cut squares than roll balls, bake oatmeal raisin cookie bars or Easter cake mix cookie bars. For a no-oven treat on the same plate, there are peanut butter and chocolate Rice Krispie treats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to chill this particular chocolate chip cookie dough before baking?
No. This dough is made to be rolled and baked right away. If you make a different dough some other day, follow the chill time that recipe gives.
How to make choco chip cookies at home?
Beat melted butter with white and brown sugar, mix in vanilla and an egg, then add flour, baking soda and salt. Press the dough into a ball, work in the chocolate chips, roll into 12 balls and bake at 350°F for 9–11 minutes.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda?
No. The two are not interchangeable. Use baking soda for these cookies.
Can I freeze chocolate chip cookies?
Yes, the baked cookies can be frozen. Cool them completely first.
Final Notes
I take these out while they still look pale and leave them on the pan for the full 30 minutes, because that is what gives the soft middle. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds, until it is almost entirely liquid but not hot.
- With a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat on low speed just until incorporated, about 10–15 seconds.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until crumbles form, then press them together by hand into one easy-to-handle ball. Work in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Roll the dough into 12 large balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the cookies look puffy and dry and are just barely golden. They will still look pale.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 30 minutes. They will sink as they cool.
