Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Easy Steps for Delicious Results

This how-to article guides you step-by-step, ensuring you succeed in making the perfect chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

Key takeaways:

  • Choose high-quality ingredients for the best flavor and texture.
  • Gather essential equipment for efficient cookie-making.
  • Cream butter and sugars for light and fluffy dough.
  • Fold in chocolate chips with careful, deliberate strokes.
  • Bake until cookies are golden with slightly underbaked centers.

Inside

Ingredients

chocolate chip cookie recipe

Choosing high-quality ingredients is paramount for the best flavor and texture. Use unsalted butter for controlled seasoning and ensure it’s at room temperature for easy creaming with sugars. Granulated sugar provides structure, while brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel note. Fresh eggs act as an emulsifier and add richness.

For dry ingredients, all-purpose flour is the standard, though some prefer a mix of bread and cake flour for chewiness and tenderness. Baking soda helps the cookies rise, and a pinch of salt balances the sweetness. Pure vanilla extract will give a depth of flavor that imitation extracts can’t match.

When it comes to the star ingredient, the chocolate chips, options abound. Semi-sweet chips are traditional, but consider dark or milk chocolate for different flavor profiles. Size and shape of the chips will affect the texture and chocolate distribution. Optionally, add nuts or dried fruit for variety.

For those with dietary restrictions, there are suitable substitutes such as gluten-free flours, non-dairy butters, and egg replacers, so everyone can enjoy a batch of homemade cookies.

Equipment Needed

Before starting, gather the following items:

  • Measuring Cups and Spoons: Precision is key for balanced flavor and texture.
  • Mixing Bowls: You’ll need at least two bowls; one for dry ingredients, one for wet.
  • Whisk and Spatula: Whisks blend dry ingredients; spatulas fold in chocolate chips.
  • Electric Mixer: Creaming butter and sugar is effortless with a handheld or stand mixer, although mixing by hand is possible.
  • Baking Sheets: These provide a flat surface for even cookie baking.
  • Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat: These prevent sticking and ensure easy removal.
  • Cookie Scoop or Spoon: for consistently sized cookies and to place the dough onto baking sheets.
  • Wire Rack: Essential for cooling cookies to prevent further baking on the hot sheet.
  • Oven with Adjustable Temperature: Precise temperature control ensures perfect baking results.

Keep these tools handy for efficient workflow and optimal cookie-making experience.

Make It

Begin crafting your cookie dough by thoroughly creaming together the butter and sugars, ensuring the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is vital for incorporating air and promises a tender texture in the final product.

Next, incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract, blending until the mixture is cohesive and smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients — flour, baking soda, and salt — to avoid any lumps and ensure even distribution of the leavening agent.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until the dough forms; overmixing at this stage can lead to tough cookies. Fold in the chocolate chips with careful, deliberate strokes until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough. This ensures each cookie will have a generous number of chips, providing chocolate in every bite.

Once your dough is prepared, use a spoon or cookie scoop to portion out dough balls onto lined baking sheets. Spacing the dough balls evenly allows for proper airflow and heat distribution during baking, which contributes to an even bake.

Before placing the cookies in the preheated oven, consider chilling the dough balls for about 10-15 minutes. This step helps solidify the fat within the dough, reducing spread during baking and resulting in a thicker, chewier cookie. Adjust cooking times according to the size of your cookie portions and personal preference for doneness, and remember that cookies will continue to cook slightly once removed from the oven due to residual heat.

Begin by creaming together softened butter and both sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps to incorporate air, resulting in a tender cookie.

Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract, making sure each is fully incorporated to ensure a consistent texture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, ensuring these dry ingredients are evenly distributed before combining with the wet ingredients.

Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined to avoid overdeveloping the gluten, which can lead to tough cookies.

Fold in the chocolate chips last to distribute them evenly throughout the dough without overworking it.

Remember to use a spatula or wooden spoon for this final step to prevent the chips from breaking.

Step 2: Bake Until They Just Barely Look Done

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) before you start mixing your ingredients. This ensures the oven reaches the correct temperature for even baking.

Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet using a spoon or a cookie scoop to ensure consistent size. Providing enough space between each allows for even baking and proper expansion.

Place the baking sheet in the center rack of your oven to promote uniform heat distribution. The middle rack is often the sweet spot for baking cookies.

Monitor the cookies starting at the lower end of the baking time range provided in the recipe. Look for a light golden brown color around the edges with a softer looking center. The center should appear slightly underbaked; they will continue to cook from residual heat after removal from the oven.

Remove cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes. This allows them to set up and makes them easier to transfer to a cooling rack without breaking.

After a couple of minutes, transfer the cookies to the cooling rack to finish cooling completely. This step prevents the cookies from becoming too hard or drying out from overbaking.