If you’ve been on the hunt for Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies that are chewy and delicious – look no further! This recipe is our go to for a good reason – each bite is soft, sweet and delicious with loads of chocolate chips and a secret ingredient you’ll love!
You won’t be shocked to hear that as a food blogger, I like tinkering with classic chocolate chip cookies to put my own spin on them (ahem: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies), which is exactly what I did with these Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies. Because if you wanted Toll House, you could just make the recipe off the bag, right?! I definitely don’t consider myself a baker by any means, but these cookies are my pride and joy! And they’re definitely my kids’ favorite too. More so because this is actually my SON’S recipe, yup you read that right. He’s the one been messing around in the kitchen and I felt like it deserved a spot on my blog! So give a big shout out to my 13 year old because he crushed this recipe!
What Makes These Cookies the Best (For Real)
By now, when you see a blogger say something is the best, your reaction is probably: “Sure, Jan.” But here’s what makes this recipe different (and better!) than the rest.
- A flavor that’s so good…but what is it? You know how sometimes you bite into something and you can’t quite put your finger on the flavor you’re tasting? In these chocolate chip cookies, it’s almond extract. Often an ingredient in sugar cookies, I add it to these chocolate chip cookies to create a little magic.
- Cozy cinnamon. I add a little bit of cinnamon for warmth, but not so much that these end up tasting like snickerdoodles. Like the almond extract, it’s an ingredient that takes these soft chocolate chip cookies to the next level, without dominating their flavor.
- Chocolate in every bite. I use mini chocolate chips, which means more chocolate throughout the cookies so no bite is left without! And I use dark chocolate for more intense chocolate flavor. (You can use this trick in my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies too.)
What You’ll Need
I bet you have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Unsalted butter – Soften this so it mixes easily into the cookie dough.
- Sugar – Equal parts white sugar and light brown sugar. The moisture in the brown sugar is what helps these soft chocolate cookies have the perfect chewy texture.
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature with the butter.
- Extracts – The classic vanilla extract, then the almond extract too.
- Flour
- Salt – If you’d like, you can also sprinkle some flaky sea salt on the tops of the cookies as they cool.
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Dark mini chocolate chips – If you can’t find dark mini chips, you can use semisweet.
How to Make Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
As with most chocolate chip cookie recipes, this one’s super easy!
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Cream the butter and sugars. Use a paddle attachment to combine the white and brown sugar with the butter until the mixture is creamy.
- Add the eggs and extracts. Beat the eggs in one at a time, then after the second egg is incorporated, add the extracts.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Add 1/2 cup of flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix them in until fully incorporated. Stir in the remaining flour.
- Finish the dough. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Bake. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and set, but the centers still feel a little soft.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes more before enjoying.
Tips and Variations
Here are some additional pointers and ways to switch up this recipe.
- Don’t overmix the dough. If you do, your chocolate chip cookies will be tough instead of soft! Mix just until the flour is incorporated.
- Add some chocolate “puddles.” I love mini chips for the chocolate-in-every-bite factor, but if you want the best of both worlds, press some regular size chocolate chips or chocolate discs into the dough after portioning it onto the pan for big bites of chocolate.
- Make them nutty. If you like your chocolate chip cookies with nuts, you can add a handful or two of chopped pecans or walnuts with the chocolate chips.
Freezing the Dough for Later
A common question people ask about cookies is: can you freeze the dough? And the answer for this one is yes! Here’s how I like to do it.
- Portion the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You can crowd the balls of dough pretty close together, as long as they’re not touching.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until the balls of dough are solid.
- Place the frozen dough in a freezer bag or airtight container.
Now you can bake a single soft chocolate chip cookie, a few, or a whole batch whenever you like! Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Wait for the cookies to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze these soft chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw at room temperature or pop them in the microwave for a warm treat.
More Cookie Recipes
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
I have a few tricks up my sleeve that take these easy soft chocolate chip cookies to the next level! Prepare to meet your new favorite recipe.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup of light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cup of flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 cup of dark mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, add softened butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar.
- Mix until creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Next add 2 eggs, one at a time. Continue to mix until smooth.
- Add in both extracts, whisk to combine.
- Add the 1/2 the flour to the stand mixer along with salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Make sure all the flour is completely combined.
- Once combined, add in the remaining flour and stir until well combined.
- Lastly add dark chocolate chips.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking map.
- Scoop batter onto prepared baking sheet .
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool for another 5 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 231
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 233 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 48 mg
20 comments on “The BEST Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever”
I was in a pinch (horrible cookie craving at 10 pm on a school night) and tried swapping oil for butter and my conversion was way off… but it seems like the excess is coming off so I think it won’t be too awful, probably just crispy 🙁 . Can’t wait to make it correctly later!
Yeah it might be crispy on the sides but the center will be soft. Butter in this recipe is a must, but if you wanted to use oil or only had oil do my vegan chocolate chip cookies. They are the BOMB!
I used this recipe for a picnic I had with some of my friends, and they were indeed very delicious! THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF SOFT AND CHEWINESS ♥
Thanks so much Kaylee, pumped you liked them. They are our go to cookie recipe for sure!
I made these over the weekend and they were WONDERFUL. They retained their shape beautifully and were a great texture. I added walnuts and they were a huge hit! Definitely at the top of my go-to chocolate chip cookie list.
Yeah! So glad to hear it! It is my go to chocolate chip recipe, in fact have some I just made the other day in my pantry! The walnut addition sounds killer, perfect for a little crunch! Thanks for the feedback Lauren!
These look PERFECT! I love a good, soft chocolate chip cookie! Pinned!
Thanks Christine! 🙂
These look amazing Krista! I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks Meriem! 🙂
Yep that is exactly how you do it! I use pudding in some of my cookies, but when I am doing a chocolate chip based cookie I never add the amount of butter required. Makes them oh so goo!
totally the best way to eat cookies, and you don’t feel as bad less butter and sugar = awesome!
I like that you added cinnamon! Can’t wait to try these.
Thanks Lara, you will love them! 🙂
Ooooo, I wouldn’t have thought reducing the butter will do that!! These look so soft. The ooey goey melty chocolate is wishing I had a dozen infront of me right now!!
I know right, reducing the butter and the sugar was just the trick and you feel better eating them because there is not as much “bad stuff”. 🙂
I’m all over those- I can never pass up on a good, soft chocolate chip cookie. Which reminds me that I have not made any in a very long time. I am going to wait for our new oven though- whenever we move (or have different kitchen to cook in) the first thing I test is baking chocolate chip cookies. I can’t wait to try these.
I know right! They are totally the best, especially when they are warm and all gooey! So jealous that you are getting a new oven, new toys are always fun! 🙂
Looks fab, I love a soft cookie!
Thanks Paula!