Active Time
35 minutes
Total Time
2 hours
We all know the saying “as American as apple pie,” but a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe is perhaps the most iconic American dessert of all. Served warm with a glass of milk, this beloved treat is bound to bring up Proustian childhood memories of grandmothers’ kitchens, after-school snacks, and family celebrations.
Opinions vary about what makes the best chocolate chip cookie. Some people like their cookies crispy, while others prefer a chewier texture. This recipe splits the difference, giving you soft cookies with golden brown, crisp edges. And because this variation is so classic, it’s also extremely flexible. If your perfect chocolate chip cookie is slightly crunchy or more on the tender side, experiment with the range of bake times below, cooking just one or two cookies at first to see exactly how to get them just right. If you’re into bold chocolate chunks, you can opt to use chopped chocolate bars instead of chips. Is big crunch your thing? Fold in a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts. Lover of salty-sweet? Sprinkle on some fancy salt just before baking.
For cookies with even more nuanced flavor, chill the cookie dough overnight before baking—this will also keep the dough balls from spreading too much on the cookie sheet. You can use a cookie scoop to portion your dough or a measuring cup, but make sure to moisten your palm before you flatten the cookies out, so they don’t stick to your hand.
All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
KitchenAid Ultra Power 5 Speed Hand Mixer
$80 At Amazon
KitchenAid Stand Mixer, 5-Quart (Red)
$294 At Amazon
Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, 10 oz. (Pack of 6)
$21 At Amazon
Misen Aluminum Half Sheet Pan
$25 At Misen
Parchment Paper Baking Sheets
$15 $14 At Amazon
Le Creuset Stainless-Steel Measuring Cups, Set of 4
$52 At Amazon
Ingredients
Makes about 28 large (4½-inch) cookies
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Step 3
Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1¾ tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips.
Step 4
Scoop ¼ cup batter for each cookie, arranging mounds 3 inches apart, on 2 baking sheets. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using moistened palm of your hand. Form remaining cookies on additional sheets of parchment.
Step 5
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in the October 2003 issue of ‘Gourmet’ and first appeared on Epicurious in August 2004. For more of our best cookie recipes, head this way →
Cooled cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.
Leave a Review
Reviews (573)
Back to TopTotally delicious and perfect texture and flavor. Made exactly as recipe called for and am so happy with this cookie.
Lisa
Austin, TX
11/6/2023
I've made cookies using the recipe off the back of the chocolate chips several times, but for whatever reason, this recipe surpasses those. If it's the same recipe, I have no idea how to explain it...but I'll take it!
Aunt Webbie
Allen, TX
6/10/2023
make me feel funny yucky
Anonymous
10/24/2022
Delicious!
Vicky
Chennai
10/20/2022
Wonderful cookies come from this easy recipe.
Woospoint
Vaughn, WA
1/16/2022
Great recipe! I did shorten the baking time to 11 minutes and made them a lot smaller. I flattened them out only slightly and omitted the 3/4 of the eggs( I don´t like caky cookies), I also sprayed the baking sheet. I halved the recipe because it asked for 16 oz of chocolate, which is totally wrong, so now I will do the whole recipe because my family ate them all in only one day! 16 oz translate to 453 grams and it was a lot less than that. But all in all a great recipe! Really easy and quick.
Sigurros
Iceland
12/13/2021
My go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe! Always delicious. It's also my grandmother's recipe so... :)
katniss10
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2021
This is a great cookie, but the cooking time is way too much. I recommend 10 minutes instead of 13-15 minutes. I also didn't like how big the cookies were when I used 1/4 cup, so I used 1/8 cup instead.
xjhopeeex
Durham, NC
5/22/2020
These cookies are amazing! I made a few changes since I love dark chocolate. I substituted dark chocolate chips, 53% cacao, for the suggested chips. I scooped 1/4 cup batter for each cookie, arranging the mounds 3 inches apart, with 6 cookies on each baking sheet. I did not flatten the cookies and baked them for approximately 13-15 minutes at 375. I let the cookies cool on the baking sheet to maintain these huge cookie's (5" diameter) shape. They were a great hit with my dinner guests and family that same night and still wonderfully delicious the next day!
Anonymous
Vermont
2/17/2019
Really good, straight forward recipe, easy to repeat. I added a bit more salt on the second go around. I also used a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips we had and that seemed to be an adequate quantity of chips.
grubermack
Saint Paul
11/5/2018
What ever you do, do not overcook these cookies. They can be delicious cooked the right amount of time and unedible if not (for me is 9 minutes with refrigerated dough). There might be something to the dough being refrigerated for a day or two.
SBrownCooking
1/5/2018
I'm not sure where I went wrong. I put all eggs together and didn't split them, blended with flour added at the same speed as the sugar, egg mixture bc I didn't have a speed option and I put cacao nibs instead of the chips in the recipe and ended up with hard, cake like cookies. Read others reviews before making bc I think it's a picky recipe. I wasn't able to wing it with this one.
SBrownCooking
1/2/2018
First, let me get this out of the way: DO NOT BAKED WITH WAXED PAPER. I have absolutely no idea why this would even be listed as an option in any baking recipe let alone this one. I noticed in one review here that someone actually used wax paper to bake on and they were none to pleased (for obvious reasons). So...now that I've gotten that out of the way (heh)... I REALLY like the potential this recipe possesses after attempting these only once. I intend on making the following adjustments on the next batch: * Reducing baking time to 10-12 minutes from 13-15 because the bottoms got a little too done; not by much, but just enough to notice (a bit too hard and almost on the verge of burning) * Reducing vanilla extract from 1 1/2 tsp to either 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp (I'll try both at some point) because I felt that the vanilla competed with the other flavors in the finished product. Personally, I don't like things that are too sweet...especially unnecessarily so...but that's my palette. Nor do I believe that vanilla extract should stand out as a specific flavor. Besides, I'd rather taste more of the butter, which is one of my favorite elements in a cookie. * Reducing chocolate chips from 16 oz to 12 oz (possibly even 10 oz) because it felt really excessive. Plus, it felt like the dough struggled to accommodate the entire pound. Plus, you'll need the room in the dough should you decide to add nuts (I would incorporate no more than 3/4 cup) and, if this is the case, I would strongly consider using only 10 oz of chips. * Using only two eggs thus eliminating the 1 3/4 tbs of the third egg. I feel that this will make the cookie a tad less "cake-y". Again, this is based solely on my personal preference toward a slightly more chewy textured cookie. Over all, I have to say I really like these. I will come back to report the results of my changes next time I make these. JD 24 Feb 17
jdypwick
Minneapolis
2/25/2017
Excellent cookie
fwipper
melbourne beach,fl
1/18/2017
I am always on the hint for a great cookie recipe and I can say without a doubt this is one of the best. I followed the directions exactly but I added a 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and tsp of espresso. These ingredients added a very subtle flavor that perfectly enhanced the chocolate. I also did a combo of bitter/semi/and milk chocolate I feel like that adds a subtle depth to the flavor as well. I had to refrigerate the dough due to spur of the moment need to take of my mother and was concerned this would change how it baked, but they came out perfect. Mine baked for 13 minutes on the nose for each batch. The cookies came out crunchy on the outside and chewy inside, not too gooey and not too cakey, just perfect! I recommend this recipe highly!
Anonymous
Boston, MA
1/17/2017
See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
83 Melty, Chewy, Crunchy Cookies to Bake This Winter
When you're looking for the best cookie recipes, chocolate chip is only the beginning.75 Incredible Chocolate Recipes for Cookies, Brownies, Cakes, and More
Proceed with caution: These rich, indulgent recipes are for pure chocoholics only.Our 21 Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ready your ovens—these are the all-time best versions of the world's most classic, crowd-pleasing cookie.NFL Diet Diary: Ryan Pickett of the Green Bay Packers
We caught up with Green Bay's star defensive end to talk pregame meals.7 Ways to Build a Better Chocolate Chip Cookie
Because just when you think these cookies can't get any better, they do.11 Foods That Taste Amazing When They're Frozen
We don't care how cold it is outside, these straight-from-the-freezer treats are so good we'll eat them anytime of year.5 Things You Didn't Know About Chocolate Chip Cookies
Like, who invented chocolate chip cookies?
