Intro
You better believe me when I tell you that you have just found the last Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe you will ever need. I know. I am not the first person to claim this weighty statement. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that this recipe was spreading as quickly as that nasty stomach virus that infected our entire family over Christmas.
In actuality everyone’s definition of the perfect chocolate chip cookie is different. Asking 20 people what qualities define their perfect cookie and I am sure you are going to get as many different responses. I will say however that I have converted many followers to my recipe. In fact, just recently I was told that I had ruined someone from ever eating another cookie that wasn’t this one. And for that I am not sorry and I am not surprised.
My perfect cookie is varied in texture. The exterior rim, the color of golden brown sugar, is perfectly crisp. Beyond the crunch there lies varying levels of chewy gooey-ness. I remove the cookies from the oven just when the edges start to brown. People think I’m crazy and question my timing as the cookies appear under baked. But I assure them that I am a professional I have done this thousands of times. The cookies continue to bake on the tray and as they cool the gooey center transforms to a perfectly chewy interior. Cookie eaters question no longer.
updated photo
The dough, although perfectly flavored with salt and a high proportion of brown sugar, exists to hold the chunks of chocolate in place. That’s right I said chunks and not chips. The funny, (more sad than funny) thing about chocolate chips is that they are filled with substance similar to wax. I don’t know about you but I don’t really enjoy eating wax. The reason for the wax in the chips is so that they do not melt – they hold their shape, which is quite cute but I’ll take taste over cuteness any day. Using couverture (fancy name for quality chocolate that is used for coating truffles and such) allows the chocolate to melt and pool. If you were to break these cookies in half you would see layers of chocolate and dough – similar to the layers in puff pastry, and you all know how crazy I am about those layers.
Look how much Roman loves cookies (actually he wasn’t eating the cookies he just always looks that happy)
I use large chunks of bittersweet chocolate, lots of brown sugar, a touch of Turbinado sugar, and sprinkle of salt on top – making these this the last chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need.
THE Chocolate Chip Cookie
2 sticks butter (8 oz)
1/4 cup white sugar (2 oz )
1/4 cup Turbinado sugar (2 oz )
1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (12 oz )
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (1/4 oz)
3 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (1 lb. )
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 lb. chocolate (use the best quality chocolate you can afford. With a serrated knife cut chocolate chunks roughly 1/2 inch)
1/2 teaspoon good quality salt, for sprinkling on top before baking
Cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate.
If you so choose, and I do recommend that you do, sprinkle a very fine dusting of good quality sea salt. Fleur de Sel or Murray River Pink Salt are my recommendations.
Bake at 360* for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.
Mmmmmm, they sound really delicious! The color in your pictures are incredible, by the way!
I have been making this recipe for several years since finding it on your website. These are without a doubt the best chocolate chip cookie ever! I get compliments on them all the time. Thank you!!
I could not agree with you more about taking the cookies out a bit “early”….they do in fact continue to cook on the tray. I love a bit of crunch around the edges and softness in the center…these look lovely!
I totally agree with you on how the texture should be. One thing, though, is that while I prefer chunks instead of chips, I detest trying to chop up the choocolate. The big hunks are cheaper by the pound than thin bars but I find it so hard to cut up and it makes a big mess. Any hints??
Oh, bless you! How did you know that the depressing winter has left me in dire need of chocolate chip cookies?
I did know that cookies continue to cook on the sheet. It’s one of the useful tricks I picked up at a cafe job in college. It’s kind of fun to picture the cooking going on inside the cookie after you remove them from the oven. Like a kid, wanting more time on a pop quiz. One more minute! I’m not quite finished!
Woo hoo! I loved these cookies! Thanks for sharing! I’m with Ellen, I have to admit that cutting chocolate is one of my least favorite kitchen tasks! But, to achieve the wonder of these cookies, I’ll do it happily!
How did you know I was going to be searching for a chocolate chip cookie recipe this morning? We’re off to get the ingredients, because really what else can you do on a sunny day after a giant snow storm? Boots and mittens and a walk downtown for cookie stuffs!
that is a happy boy!!! priceless!
Wow! These cookies look fantastic! This I’ve got to try. Just a quick question: how many cookies do you get out of this recipe? Just so I know roughly what sort of size you are talking about for the stated bake time. Thanks so much!
You’re right… that “best” words floats around a lot. And I’m never against trying out a new one. After I finish the ones I baked last week, we’ll give these a try. I’ll just add another mile to my walk today. 🙂
These cookies look awesome!! Great baby photo, too 🙂
I could cry thanking you. I have got to try this because I’m still lost on the perfect cookie. High proportions of brown sugar and butter are on my list but I can’t pin down the perfect chocolate type and baking length of time. These look divooon.
Mmmmm….. I totally made these and they were totally awesome. They turned out perfectly.
My neighbor’s on the other hand…. didn’t turn out quite right despite following the recipe exactly. We’re not sure what happened although I’m guessing it’s her brand new oven. My old cratchety one was feeling the cookie love.
Just made these. They are stinkin’ awesome. TY!
I made these (a half batch) yesterday and they were gone by this morning! I have to agree 100% that these are by far the best chocolate chip cookies I have made. I went a little cheap on the ingredients… but plan on going full-throttle the next time I make them! Can’t wait to see the results– thank you so much for the recipe! (I’ve re-posted it to my blog, please let me know if that’s not all right.)
I’ll have to give these a try. Just a few days ago I made what I believe are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made or eaten that were homemade.
Here’s the link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Award-Winning-Soft-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx
I also accidentally used 3/4 stick less better than the recipe called for, 1 full tablespoon vanilla extract, and 1 tsp baking POWDER, not soda. It came out DELICIOUS!
But I will give this recipe a go the next time I have time.
Gig’em!
We’ve been through the ringer this week; I am thinking a batch of might bode well for the weekend. They look amazing. Bookmarking now.
Tara – I’m so glad you liked the cookies. Your photo of them is gorgeous.
Hi Ashley
Is the oven temperature right 360″ or is that a typo error. I would not know how to judge that 360 temperature on my over thermometer.
Jackie – It is not a typo. It is also not absolutely crucial to the recipe. Your cookies will still be delicious if your oven is set to 350*. I have found that I like the way they bake when the oven is slightly hotter.
I now HAVE to try this… thank you!!
First of all- I LOVE this cookie! It really is the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Secondly, I have made these twice- the first time they did not fall very much, and the cookies were rounder and thicker. The second time the cookies fell, and were completely flat. As far as I can tell, I cooked them in the same way, with the same ingredients. Any idea what could cause this change to flatness? Thanks for the great recipe!
Jaime – I’m so glad you like the cookies.
There are so many factors that could have affected the outcome. Did the dough sit longer? Flat cookies are often because of amount of baking soda, temperature of the butter when mixing, or baking temp. There are other factors but those are some of the main ones. Baking can be so finicky. I wish I could help more. Did you use different type/box of baking soda?
Ashley- I believe it was the same box of baking soda, though it was a couple months older when I used it the second time. I also admit that I don’t think I let the butter come to room temperature before using it. I didn’t realize at the time that this could affect the shape of the cookie! I’ll buy a new box of baking soda, and let the butter come completely to room temperature for the Thanksgiving batch. Thanks again for the great recipe!
I randomly came across your recipe yesterday and knew that I just had to make them today! They just came out of the oven a little bit ago but seriously, no seriously, they are THE BEST COOKIES I HAVE EVER MADE. PERIOD. Thanks for my new life long recipe 🙂 You rock.
oh my goodness these sound amazing. and you have put me off choc chips foreverrrrr
OK these are like crack! I made a full batch and they were gone in 24 hours! I gave some to my neighbors as a thank you gift and they brought back the empty plate the same night! Thanks for sharing this! They are wonderful!
I have been known for my chocolate chip cookies for over 20 years…it’s been a little variation of the old standby Nestle recipe…I will use that recipe no longer! I have finally found the perfect Chocolate Chip cookie thank you!
would you recommend using salted or unsalted butter? I love a good salty chocolate chip cookie but am not sure whether salted butter would add too much salt. Suggestions?
The King Arthur Flour baking store used to, and probably still does, sell a doodad that looked like a big fork with skinny tines, for breaking huge chunks of chocolate into manageable choppable bits. They have a ton of great baking stuff– check them out!
Wow. I’m a cookie person and these have left me slightly speechless. Truly delicious – I will treasure this recipe. I added some pecans and had to use part dark brown sugar – incredible.
Hey Ashley… how many cookies does this recipe make?
Hey, That is almost identical to my recipe. How awesome is that? :O) I will have to try mine with the sea salt and see how I like it. You know what they say, “great minds think alike.’ LOL :O)
I can’t remember whether I knew about this recipe before I went to your cake class or if I found it after… in any case, I just made a batch and they’re pretty perfect. Totally worth the $11.95 I spent on Guittard 61% cocoa wafers at Sur la Table. The best thing about them is that they’re so easy; no browning butter, separating egg yolks, resting and chilling the dough… just mix and bake. Fool-proof. I’d say the super secret ingredient is the turbinado sugar. It gives the finished product a crunchy, sweet bite that puts the whole experience over the top. I had mine warm off the cookie sheet with pecans and vanilla ice cream.
Oh my…. best ever
Yum! I made these yesterday. They are definitely the best looking chocolate chip cookies I have ever made!
These are a great Gourmet Cookie
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. As a few others I modified my second batch. 1/4 tsp Mint extract, 1/4 tsp fine ground Cheyenne pepper, 1 tsp Pure Maple Syrup. The Mint, Pepper and Maple added just small hints to a great base. Thanks again.
These were amazing. I spotted them through Dana Treat’s blog which led me here. They came out perfect, even though I usually have trouble with baking! I am so excited to make these over and over. Thanks for sharing. I hope you do not mind if I repost this recipe on my blog (with attribution of course). I think EVERYONE needs to know about this recipe!
Cookies!!!!!!!!
I’m writing this comment as I’m making the cookies. I didn’t have enough brown sugar to I replaced the remaining 1/4 cup with the Turbinado sugar. I didn’t have a fancy sea salt so I’m going to toss some regular sea salt on top of the cookies. Ok…they’re baking now. I sprinkled salt on top of them before they went in…I hope that was the right thing to do. The oven light is on and they’re looking awesome! OK, I just tasted one….you are amazing!! Thank you for this recipe!!!
Kalena – best. comment. ever. award. goes to YOU! I love it!
@ Ashley thank you, once again 🙂 My family nearly slapped me for making these cookies. My sister ate so many that she didn’t talk to me for a day because she blamed me for causing her to gain weight LOL. I told them where I got the recipe from and they made me insist on not making them again until the Christmas holiday and when I do, to make tons of them.
Kalena – Hilarious! Thanks for the comment.
Ashley, I’ve made your recipe twice and it came out great both times.
I made two changes though, which I thought I’d let you know about:
1. I use a mix of milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate.
2. I add two tablespoons of decaffeinated coffee – make the chocolate taste a bit richer.
John – sounds great. Thanks for commenting!
Baked these tonight. The smell of Turbinado sugar already makes me weak in the knees. Putting it in cookies?? Bliss!!! I used a melty dark chocolate. We’ll see how long these last in the house. The recipe made over 30 cookies…
Jana – So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for commenting.
These look amazing! Quick question – do you sprinkle the salt over the cookies after you have dropped them on the cookie sheet, or do you mix it into the dough?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try them!
I love this cookies
Very interest blog, I will be back again.
My search for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie just ended. Thank you so much for the perfect recipe. Not only do they taste fantastic; they look beautiful and have the perfect blend of textures.
Hi Ashley, wow this is one good chocolate chip cookie. I have to ration them if not I’ll end up eating the whole batch!! I cheated and used Callebaut chips so I didn’t get that gooey goodness. Next time, I’ll go that extra mile to use couverture. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I’ve been using Turinado sugar and light brown sugar in my cookies for years now. I use Mexican Vanilla and Ghiardelli Semisweet bars to cut into chunks. I prefer pink Himalayan Sea Salt. I use a rolling pun to crush it. I’ve been putting it on my cookies for a long time ever since falling in love with sea-salted caramels. I use unsalted butter in mine and a bit more vanilla. I usually undercooked my cookies as well.
@Elise – My kind of cookies!
I so want to try these but I have 2 questions:
1. Is your butter softened or cold for this recipe?
2. Do you let the dough chill before baking?
Thanks, Regina
@Regina – Hope you got the email and had cookie success!
Hi Ashley
I don’t bake much and this recipe sounds divine. What happens once you’ve made the dough – how much do you spoon out for each cookie? Can you keep the rest in the fridge and make a a tray a day?
I have tried at least 50 chocolate chip cookie recipes including the New York Times version. I must say that this one is the best. It is slightly deceiving because coming out of the oven they don’t look very special…but one bite…oh my goodness…and you’re hooked!
My go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe has failed me so many times that I decided I needed to move on. I am hosting the reception after an old-timey radio show that my good friends and I put on and I just tested out this recipe. I can’t wait to make these and give them out to everyone! Honestly the best cookie recipe I’ve ever made. Thank you for sharing!
@Nikki – Yay!! I love this.
I have tried this recipe once exactly as written and my son and I passed them around at our local town parade last weekend. They were a hit! I wanted to bake again this weekend but didn’t want too many sweets in the house. I had a box of hot cereal packets, the super whole grainey all natural crunchy stuff that I didn’t care for cooked, but it had a great texture and honey and cinnamon flavor I thought might taste good in bar form. So I made your cookie dough base, (sans the turbinado as it was full of natural sweet stuff) and added an extra egg and made a grainy sweet buttery granola cake. I wasn’t sure it was going to work out, but my husband, picky eater trophy winner 43 years and running, loved it!! My 4 year old loved them too, but was confused as to where the chocolate was. Thanks for the great recipe and even better blog!
I baked these cookies today, with the help of my delightful, yet slightly over-enthusiastic 2-year-old son. I’ve been searching for THE chocolate chip cookie recipe for too long now and not one of them has wowed me. Until today. I have called of the search. THE recipe has been found. My only dilemma now is: do I make the uninspiring cookies that never tempted me to eat them; or do I use this recipe exclusively and resign myself to buying a larger size in jeans every season……
Good info! keep it up
Yes the chocolate is the best choice for all . i think that
i would really like 2 try dis…but i cant get the turbinado sugar…can i substitute it with something else?
These cookies look amazing. I baked a batch and they didn’t quite turn out the same. Do you use parchment paper on your baking sheets? My batter seemed a little dry- I used large eggs, would extra large be better? I did sub regular sugar for the Turbinado. Also, 12 minutes didn’t seem long enough as they didn’t seem to cook too much more on the sheet as they cooled. The added salt is a very nice touch. I did use regular semi-sweet chunks as I also find it challenging to chop chocolate in consistent chunks. Any other advice would be very helpful- I want to end my search for the perfect cookie recipe!
Thanks!
@Nina – I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out. I do use parchment on the baking sheet. If you don’t have parchment use pan spray. Try extra large eggs next time to see the difference. The regular sugar shouldn’t have made too much of a difference. The turbinado is there for flavor and a textural difference. As all ovens are different it is hard to create a very accurate baking time. For my oven at 360* 12 minutes is perfect. But there are so many variables – is your oven accurate? How big are your cookies? etc. The other thing is that I like my cookies very soft internally, others may not.
Don’t worry about the chocolate chunks being consistent. The idea is that the chocolate melts into the cookie. You can have chunks as big as 1″ with everything still turning out beautifully.
I hope this helps!
Ashley, Thanks so much for the quick feedback. Yes, I do use parchment paper, so luckily that is the same. I will switch to extra large eggs next time. I will make the cookies a little smaller, too. Good to know big chunks shouldn’t make a difference. I do like my cookies soft and chewy on the inside, too. So, I hope to get them right. My oven is pretty accurate, but that can always be tricky. I was surprised that there are 3 1/2 C of flour- I think that is the most I have ever used in a cookie recipe (with proportion to eggs). But, I (and my husband, kids and coworkers) am more than willing to keep experimenting to get it right! Thanks again.
BTW- I love the peony photo on your blog- my favorite flower and it brightens my day every time I visit!
I made these last night for my husband’s birthday. They were so incredible we ended up eating them for “dinner”. I had to put the leftovers in the freezer before things got really out of hand.
I do agree that the chocolate chips do taste very waxy.I’m switching over to the other chocolate,should be fun slicing up the chocolate.I have the Miele wall oven so I’m going to bake them at the convention oven temperature.
I made these and my husband normally doesn’t eat cookies but loved them! He had like 4 cookies!
First, I need to tell you that these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. I even found that when I accidentally left them in the oven a bit too long, the chocolate and sugar caramelized, making, what I thought would be a sad, slightly burnt batch, a success. So THANKS!
However, when I bake the cookies, my chocolate oozes everywhere, and I end up losing a lot of the chocolate from actually being in the cookie. They’re still fabulous, but I’d rather not sacrifice my chocolate to the bottom of the cookie sheet. Any suggestions? Do you think this is has to do with the kind of chocolate (Ghiradelli & Lindt bars, chopped) I’m using? Or the size of my chocolate pieces?
Had an office party dessert social and was looking for something to make. I did use the three different kinds of sugar but the two things I did different was 1) lessen the salt and did not put any salt on top of the cookies, and 2) used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. I was a bit skeptical about the 12 minute cooking time but boy oh boy I’m a believer now! The cookies turned out great. Your recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I wanted to let you know I stumbled on this recipe this fall and have made it countless times since! I am so happy to finally have found the perfect chocolate chip cookie! The dough is easy to mix up and always bakes up great. I have experimented by adding coconut extract and coconut to make coconut chocolate cookies, and peppermint extract and baking cocoa to make chocolate mint cookies and they have all been delicious. Thanks so much!
I’m excited to try this. Can anyone comment on salted v. unsalted butter. I’ve read through the comments and notice it was asked once but not answered and I don’t see anyone mention which type they used. Many thanks!
@Erin – Personally I use salted butter in all of my baking except for laminated doughs (puff pastry, croissants, etc.) or recipes that contains a lot of butter. I find the amount of salt pleasing but others may not agree. It’s a matter of taste.
Delicious! I baked 1/2 of the dough and rolled the rest up like a log within saran wrap and froze for later use. Just as good!
How much dough do you scoop out for each cookie — that would help to determine baking time. Do you leave the baked cookies on the sheet until they’re completely cooled, or do you transfer them to a rack at some point? How far apart do they need to be? Is parchment necessary? Thanks.
@Beth – About two tablespoons of dough or so, I usually use spoons to scoop or roll into a 2″ log then cut about 1/2″ thick. I bake at 360* for 12 minutes and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes or until they transfer without falling apart. From the cookie sheet they go to a cooling rack. I leave a 2″ space between cookies.
Parchment isn’t necessary but it helps with the clean up, I hate the clean up. 🙂
what is turbinado sugar ?
@Chantelle – Turbinado sugar (also known as Sugar in the Raw) is a course, less refined sugar. It softly tastes of brown sugar and in these cookies gives a lovely, sugar crunch. If you don’t have it you can replace it with brown sugar.
It really is THE chocolate chip cookie!!!! Best I ever ate!!! Thanks for share the recipe!!!!
@Paulina – Thank you. I’m so glad you agree.
I am definitely trying these, but I must contribute my own top choco-chip cookie recipe :
http://trialbyfirewin.blogspot.com/2011/12/triple-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
What type of couverture do you use? Where do you get it?
I randomly stumbled upon this website looking for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, trying something new from the norm. I love this recipe. The first time I tried it they came out a little too dry, it seemed like a little too much flour, possibly something about the type of all purpose flour I have right now too. I loved the taste though so decided to try it again, with a couple of changes to accommodate for the dryness. I added 1/4c butter, 1/2ts vanilla, and 1 1/2ts milk. The moisture was perfect, but I think it took a little bit away from the flavor. But it still had the perfect crispiness on the outside, perfect consistency in the middle. I also love a salty chocolate chip cookie. The turbinado sugar is an amazing touch, the crunchy consistency is very welcome change from most chocolate chip cookies. Definitely a new staple to my recipes. Thanks Ashley!
Also, if you have any other suggestions for the dryness it would be appreciated!
Made these a few days ago and I love them. Perfect combination for me. My only issue which I’ll watch next time is even if they were a little golden they got too hard when they cooled, only happened on the first batch in the oven but it’s definitely something to watch.
Amazing recipe 🙂 gonna try it 🙂
My cookies always (and I mean ALWAYS) come out flat and spread. I follow the recipe to the T. What would cause my cookies to always come out flat???
Lacey – I’m sorry you are having problems with them. Are you creaming the butter and sugar enough? I will cream for about 7 minutes. That helps incorporate air into the mix which gives the cookies lift. Also butter temperature affects the spread of cookies. Are you baking them cold or room temperature? Just a few initial thoughts.
Question- Are you using dark or semi sweet chocolate with these?
Thanks
Bill – I used dark. It’s completely personal preference though.
Just took my first batch out of the oven! Amazing! Love the baby picture, so adorable..
Stacy – Yay!!
Your website is so amazing and inspirational. All of the recipes I’ve tried from Not Without Salt have been fabulous! These cookies were no exception, and I consider myself to be the ultimate chocolate chip cookie fan and have tried at least a dozen various chocolate chip cookie recipes.
I made your BL-slow roasted-T’s for my husband and me last week, also fantastic. I hope to make your poppyseed cake with strawberries and mascarpone next weekend for a special birthday. Please keep the deliciousness coming!
Hi Ashley! Thanks a bunch for sharing this recipe. I and my family soooo love it! It is indeed the best! Just want to ask what you think went wrong with my cookies. After baking, they came out soft and chewy just the way I like but they turned crispy after a few days. Can you give me suggestions on how to keep them chewy please? Looking forward to your reply. Thanks!
Ashley…you rock girl! I have eaten my weight in cookies over the years. I love a good chocolate chip that has a crunch on the outside, but is chewy heaven on the inside. So hard to perfect. I haven’t made your recipe yet, but I am making a grocery list as soon as I hear back from you. I have volunteered to make cookies for my daughter’s field trip this Thursday. I am making your cookies! What kind of flour do you use (bleached, un-bleached, pre-sifted, King Aurthur?) I have had my battles with flat cookies too. I know one thing for sure, I have never beat my butter that long so that could be the problem. There seems to be some debate over room temp butter or cold. I was always taught room temp. What do you suggest? Do you use cold eggs directly from frig or do you let them sit on the counter for a while? I would love to be able to duplicate your recipe. I could eat the computer screen. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe and all your insight!
Penny – So honored to have my cookies be along on the field trip! I use Gold Medal unbleached flour. My butter is room temp. If it feels a little cold just beat for a couple minutes longer. I will often pull my eggs out cold then run under warm water for 20 seconds to release the chill. Sometimes I’m too lazy and I don’t do that – I don’t notice much of a difference. I hope that helps!
my cookies always got a baking soda taste, what should i do?
Chewy center, large pockets of high quality melted chocolate throughout- it doesn’t get much better than that. Thanks for the recipe.
I am going to make these in like 30 min!!! they look so good! And my brothers name is roman!!
Thanks for posting your recipe! My family loved these cookies. I found the first batch disappointing. I could taste the baking soda. So I refrigerated the rest of the dough. For the next three days I made more cookies from the same batch of dough. I found that each day the cookies tasted better and better. No longer tasting baking soda. On the third day the cookies tasted the best. Next time, I’ll just make the dough three days before I want the cookies.
Claudia – Thanks for posting this. What a great experiment. I’ve never tasted the baking soda before though. Interesting.
I just made these cookies, and oh my yummy!!!! I have never had a better chocolate chip cookie…the kids loved them. I used Hersey’s dark chocolate because that’s all I had, but they were still incredible. And the sea salt is a definite must.
Just made these cookies last night for the first time. I was so happy to find a recipe where I could find everything on it in Germany (where we just moved). They are simply delicious! I did overcook the first batch a little because I made them a little on the small side. But after that, I learned I just needed to make them bigger and keep a better eye on them in the oven. Otherwise amazing. I also couldn’t find the Turbinado sugar in the market, but just substituted more brown sugar instead. Thanks so much for such a wonderful recipe.
Hi Ashley, I made these amazing cookies today, and I am amazed how much good chocolate chunks make a difference. They were crunch on the outside and gooey on the inside just like you said. My only problem was that they turned out looking completely different than yours. While yours look like a perfect cookie, mine looked like squished brain if you can imagine, more flat than yours and not nearly as smooth as yours.
I scooped them with two spoons a shaping them in balls and followed all the instructions. Should I chill the dough before doing this? I would really like to achieve the look of your cookies!
Excellent website you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any message boards that cover the same topics talked about in this article?
I’d really love to be a part of group where I can get feed-back from other experienced individuals that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Kudos!
You actually make it seem really easy with your presentation however I in finding this topic to be really something that I feel I might never understand.
It kind of feels too complicated and extremely wide for me.
I’m taking a look forward in your subsequent put up, I’ll
try to get the hang of it!
Are they supposed to be cake-like? They are very thick and I’m not a fan of cake-like cookies. I feel like I did something wrong. Did I maybe over mix the batter?
Natasha – Mine generally aren’t cake like. Did you scoop them from the bowl or roll into a log and slice? If you scooped them straight from the bowl try pressing them down a bit before baking. Also, check the freshness of your baking soda – if you want them a bit thinner you can add a bit more soda to the mix.
Amazing! My 8 year old made these twice in 2 days. They disappeared almost instantly. SOOO awesome. Thank you!
These cookies are perfect for the holidays.
I made these last night after having such great success with the sweet/savory nuts. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I didn’t have as much chocolate as I thought so I ended up just throwing in anything chocolate in the house (a Godiva milk chocolate bar, a dark chocolate Ritter Sport with Hazelnuts). I only had about 10oz but it was more than enough.
These are GREAT, thank you for sharing, they were a hit last night!!
naturally like your web site however you have to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts.
Many of them are rife with spelling problems and
I to find it very bothersome to tell the truth on the other hand I will definitely come back again.
Well, time to throw away my other chocolate chip cookie recipes…I’m never going back! Made this last night and brought to the office today….already received many rave reviews! I was always the weird girl that picked out chocolate chips from chocolate chip cookies – had no idea changing the chocolate would make such a difference.
Thanks for the ego boost I am getting today from making these bites of deliciousness!
This is the first recipe I have seen with Turbinado sugar in the recipe. I am intrigued, and will pin this to try next time I make a batch of cc cookies, which seems to be about every third day! thanks!
Who cares about ‘best ever’–can anyone have too many excellent cookie recipes on hand?? I just made these and I have to echo to take them out before you think you should–one batch I took out right at 12 minutes with just the edges brown & my husband was wary, so the other batch was in until they were browner…first batch was amazing!! take them out before they are brown!!! Darn good cookies.
What type of couverture do you use? Where do you get it?
Very interesting..last chocolate chip cookie recipe ei? Well, let me try to make this..will get back to you…
Thanks for the recipe…
I just made these last night and I must agree. It IS the last chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need! My sons friend actually gave the best compliment for your recipe…he said they were orgasmic! Thank you for my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! Sorry Toll House 😉
I’ll let you know… I’ve baked these over and over again. Almost 4 times times and they just keep getting better and better! I add half the chocolate (it’s SUCH a rich cookie already with the ton of sugar) and I bake exactly 11 min. I DROOL over these, and have been known to eat 2 for breakfast!
These cookies look delicious and I can’t wait to try out the recipe. I laughed when you said people raise their eyebrows at you when you take the cookies out of the oven “too early.” In my opinion, the gooey center of the cookie is what makes it so great. Also, thanks for the tip about chocolate chips- I’ll keep it in mind next time I go to the grocery store. Do you have any good recipes for other kinds of cookies? I’m a huge peanut butter fan, so a recipe for peanut butter cookies would be fantastic. 🙂
OMG! AMAZING!
these were absolutely perfect! thanks so much for the recipe.
I just thought I would let you know. I found this recipe almost half a year ago and still use it! I’ve made this at LEAST a dozen times now and I STILL get comments about how amazing these are! You have made my cookie world quite delicious. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Thanks to my father who shared with me about this webpage, this weblog is truly awesome.
I have literally been using this recipe forever! After a long search of the “perfect” cookie recipe, misuse of baking soda/powder, and a lot of wasted chocolate, I have found the one that suits my cravings and my family’s! Thank you 🙂
Thanks so much for coming back here to tell me that. It makes me downright giddy to hear one of my recipes has made it into the rotation.
I just made cookies will all Turbinado sugar (no white no brown) and they were so good that I searched to see if anyone else had thought of using Turbinado, and of course someone did! The Turbinado sugar seems to enhance to the texture with the large crystals adding a little crunch and dissolving in your mouth after each bite. The cookies have to be baked more carefully and watched more closely than a standard recipe I’m used to. I had to experiment to figure out the exact time or they came out too gooey or too hard – with only half a minute making a big different. I think mixing the sugars like you did is really smart and I’m gong to try that next time.
I love this! Thanks for experimenting and then reporting back. Let me know how you like the mixed sugars too.
I keep reading the key to a successful chocolate chip cookie is refrigerating the dough for at least 24 hours. do you think that’s not necessary? just curious! thanks so much!!
My cookies still taste great baked right away but my favorite is when the dough has rested for at least 24 hours. The flavors intensify and the texture improves.
Questions: How much dough for each cookie and how many cookies from this recipe?
I usually use about 1- 1 1/2 tablespoons or so of dough. This recipe usually makes about 4 dozen cookies.
I can’t wait to try these, I’m an avid baker & always looking for something better! I’ve never used turbinado sugar! I’m wondering if you can help me.. I’ve been searching & searching for years trying to find the perfect sugar cookie! The ones GMA use to make.. Big & fluffy soft, rising very high in the center… Do you know what I mean??
I’m about to lose my mind here. I’ve made this recipe over a dozen times in the past few years, each time with great success. However, the last 2 times I’ve made it, the cookies have turned out flatter than pancakes and I can’t figure out why. Baking soda and flour are new. I refrigerate the dough into logs, and slice and bake them the next day. Any ideas? They still taste good but are just so flat and its driving me crazy, and i feel like I’m wasting ingredients with each batch.
Diana that is so strange. Hmm. In the past did you refrigerate the dough? When you bake them right away they are puffier than when you bake them after a good chill in the refrigerator. Also, if you scoop them they bake puffier than if you slice and bake. Also, the temperature of your butter really affects the final thickness of the cookie. It should be just room temperature – not too soft.
Thanks, Ashley. I think I figured it out, my oven takes longer to preheat than the timer would indicate. So I was putting them in at what I thought was 360F, but after getting an oven thermometer, I saw that it was still only at 300F. Took another 10+ minutes to get to the right temp. Made a batch of your peppermint white chocolate chip cookies over the weekend and they turned out great!
Can you tell me what type of chocolate you use? Semisweet, dark, or bittersweet?
I use bittersweet but you can use whichever you prefer.
Have you ever flash frozen the individual, raw scoops of cookie dough and then baked at a later date?
Yes. The dough freezes beautifully. Often I’ll freeze the dough into a log and then just slice and bake.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Unsalted.
Without a doubt the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! Perfection!
Yup…these just replaced my usual “go to” CC Cookie recipe! THANK YOU!
Wahooooeee!! Love hearing that!
I was just wondering if you had tried making the cookies with coconut flour.
I have not tried it with coconut flour.
I am extremely limited on time…I wonder if you could put these in a pan and make a “bar” cookie instead? Would you suggest I change anything?
So I’m a professional baker and chocolatier (not a blogger though), and I’ve made more variations on chocolate chip cookies than I can count – but hadn’t seen this one. Made a batch today, but only had time to refrigerate for 6 hours, and chose to omit the sprinkle of salt (for these particular taste testers). I chose to use Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the cookie itself. These are SPECTACULAR cookies. I think I’d like to try them with a sprinkle of Vanilla Salt when I offer them at farmers’ markets since I like them better than the ones I was offering (which were pretty spectacular too)!
I just read the interview, then saw the recipe for The Chocolate Chip Cookie. After reading other comments, I noticed that unsalted butter should be used, also at room temperature (not stated in your recipe) but, what size scoop should be used and approximately how many cookies does this recipe make?
Will you please recommend a brand of chocolate for these cookies? Thanks!
I like Guittard.
How many cups is 1b of chocolate?
About 2 2/3 cups.
Hi! Love the photographs n your description!!! Plan to trying but wanted to know if there are any substitute for eggs? Some in the family don’t eat or are allergic.
Thanks 🙂
I haven’t tried egg substitutes for this recipe but I imagine an egg substitute that works in other recipes would work fine here too.
What size scoop do you use and how many should these make? Thanks!
I don’t use a scoop but will either slice and bake or scoop out about 1 1/2 tablespoons with a spoon. I tend to get around 3 -4 dozen cookies.
Thanks!! I love these and they’re always a hit. The weird thing I noticed is that when I used dark chocolate as opposed to the milk chocolate I usually use, the cookies seemed to harden as they cooled and the milk chocolate ones didn’t do that. Unless I did something wrong when making the batch this time.
Dark chocolate has more solids – such as cocoa butter and contains no dairy so I can understand why they would be harder with dark chocolate. Milk chocolate always maintains some sort of softness but that’s so interesting. I think I’ve only ever used dark chocolate as that is my preference. I’ll have to do some experimenting. You could try underbaking the dark chocolate ones to try to mimic the texture with the milk chocolate variety.
I like to do a mix of Semi-sweet and Milk (approx 1/3 of volume needed is Milk, the rest SS) when I make these. Yes, the Dark (ss chocolate) doesn’t melt like the Milk Chocolate but I do think that using semi-sweet will yield a softer chocolate than a darker chocolate does.
Oh, the dark chocolate melts beautifully! It’s the actual cookie itself that seems to get crispy. But it’s possible that my oven has gotten hotter – I’ll try pulling them out at 10 minutes (I already did 11 and they were still a little too hard).
Hi I love ur recipie, but how can I make eggless chocolate chip cookies please help me find a substitute to the egg you have used…
Would this be a good recipe to make the jumbo-sized cookies?
I want a 3-4 oz cookie – about 5″ across.
Yes! Definitely.
I stumbled upon this recipe back in 2015 and made them on a whim because I happened to have a pound of callebaut milk chocolate on hand and didn’t know what to do with it. Since then, I’ve made these cookies over and over and over again, with milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, a mix of semi and milk….I will never ever use another chocolate chip cookie recipe again. Even when I only had the prepackaged chocolate chips on hand (the waxy ones) the cookies were still awesome.
This recipe also introduced me to weighing ingredients rather than measuring and I’ve been weighing them ever since!! It’s fastee, easier and my baked goods come out better!!
Thank you!!
This looks so good and easy! I love chocolate and will go for it right now!
Tasty cookies!