I’ve made these easy chocolate chip cookies so many times that I have memorized the recipe. They are chewy in the middle with perfect golden brown edges. I make these cookies with melted butter, which makes them chewier and easier than other recipes for chocolate chip cookies. For our recipe using room temperature butter and a stand mixer, see these classic chocolate chip cookies.
Key Ingredients
Flour: I use all-purpose flour for these easy cookies. Some bakers love using bread flour to make their chocolate chip cookies chewier. If you want to experiment with it, the dough will be drier, so consider adding a tablespoon or two of milk. Baking soda: It helps our cookies rise and turn a lovely golden brown. Butter: It’s the reason these cookies taste so incredible. I love using brown butter to make chocolate chip cookies because it adds a toasty flavor (watch our video to see me make it). Plain melted butter is fine and still makes excellent cookies. I also use melted butter to make these easy oatmeal cookies. Sugar: I use brown sugar and granulated sugar for these cookies. You can thank the brown sugar for the cookie’s flavor and chewy center, while the granulated sugar helps with crisp edges. Egg: This recipe calls for 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. The egg yolk bumps up the richness and flavor of the cookie dough. Vanilla, salt, and espresso powder: These combine to make the tastiest cookies I’ve made in a long time. I love the espresso powder, which won’t make your cookies taste like coffee (I promise). It just makes them taste more rich and flavorful. Instant coffee is a great substitute for espresso powder. Chocolate chips: You can’t have chocolate chip cookies without chocolate. Use your favorite chocolate chips, or buy a big chocolate bar and cut it into chunks. You can also use a variety of chips (try mini and regular chips, for example).
How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
As their name suggests, these chocolate chip cookies are so simple to make! You’ll start with your butter. I love to brown my butter for brown butter chocolate chip cookies, but you can also use plain melted butter in this recipe. If you want to brown your butter, swirl it in a saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, turn foamy, and finally start turning brown. When your butter looks light brown and smells nutty, it’s ready. Set it aside on the counter to cool for a minute or two while you gather the rest of your ingredients. I use the same method for these delicious chocolate chip blondies. Whisk your dry ingredients together until they are well blended. Then, in another bowl, whisk your sugars, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until they are well combined. Make your batter by combining the two mixtures. I add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and then stir until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Then mix in your melted butter. The cookie batter will be on the thicker side. Add your chocolate chips, and you are ready to bake! I bake these chocolate chip cookies right away (although you can absolutely refrigerate or freeze this cookie batter – tips below). I roll 1 ½ tablespoons of cookie dough into balls and then place them onto my baking sheet. Then, I press a few extra bits of chocolate into the top for picture-worthy cookies before baking in a 325°F oven for 12 to 16 minutes.
Storing Chocolate Chip Cookies
Baked chocolate chip cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also store the chocolate chip cookie dough. Form the dough into balls and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or add the cookie dough balls to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze until hard. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from the fridge or freezer. Frozen cookie dough will take a little longer to bake.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Easy Oatmeal Cookies Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Chocolate Walnut Cookies Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter 3/4 cup (150g) packed brown sugar 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 tsp espresso powder, optional 1 ¾ cups (226g) semisweet chocolate chips Flaky sea salt, optional for sprinkling over baked cookies 2Melt the butter or make brown butter (brown butter adds a toasted flavor). To brown butter, add the butter to a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, continuously swirl it around the pan. It will melt, get a little foamy, and finally turn golden brown. Remove it from the heat when the butter is light brown and smells nutty. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. 3Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. 4In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and melted butter or browned butter together. Whisk in espresso powder (optional). 5Switch to a large rubber spatula, and then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring gently until they disappear. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving a handful for adding to the tops of each scooped cookie before baking. 6Roll 1 ½ tablespoons of cookie dough into balls, or use a medium cookie scoop. Add to the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. 7Press a few extra pieces of chocolate into the tops of each cookie dough mound. 8Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheet once during baking, until golden brown around the edges but light in the middle, 12 to 16 minutes. For smaller ovens (like mine in the video), bake one baking sheet at a time. 9Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 10If you’d like, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt on each cookie before serving.
