Active Time
20 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Food director Chris Morocco spent months (truly) developing this chocolate chip cookie recipe—he made nearly 30 batches, plus 10 more in the cross-testing phase—to ensure they were the absolute best. What makes this recipe deliver on that promise? Crispy edges, a buttery chew, and plenty of chocolate chunks in every bite—all without a stand mixer.
The cookies are rooted in classic Toll House flavor, but browning the butter amps up the toasty notes and is key in developing the balance of crisp edges, while a high ratio of brown sugar to white sugar ensures chewy chocolate chip cookie centers. The amount of flour and the quality of the pure vanilla extract is important here; Chris recommends Heilala or Nielsen-Massey, which have enough heft to stand up to bitter dark chocolate. We highly recommend weighing your flour with a scale; if you don’t have one, use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until overflowing, and a straight edge (such as the back of a butter knife) to level it off.
We understand cookie preferences aren’t uniform—some prefer soft cookies or a chewier finish. Others require a sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top. If your perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe includes nutty, crunchy bits, try our Anytime Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. Heightened caramelly crunch? Head off to these Brown-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Toffee. If you’re gluten-free (and even if not), try this version with milk, dark, and white chocolate. And if you’re a cookie ice cream sandwich lover, use two of these to sandwich a scoop of premium vanilla.
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What you’ll need
Guittard 70% Bittersweet Cocoa Baking Bars
$28 $25 At Amazon
Medium #40 Cookie Scoop
$17 At Amazon
Get It Right Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$26 At Amazon
Ladle
$8 At Amazon
Ladle
$27 At Amazon
Ingredients
Makes 16
1½
1¼
¾
¾
1
¼
1
2
2
6
Preparation
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°. Whisk 1½ cups plus 1 Tbsp. (200 g) all-purpose flour, 1¼ tsp. (4 g) Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. (4 g) Morton kosher salt, and ¾ tsp. (4 g) baking soda in a small bowl; set flour mixture aside.
Step 2
Cook ½ cup (1 stick; 113 g) unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, swirling often and scraping bottom of pan with a heatproof rubber spatula, until butter foams, then browns, about 4 minutes. Scrape melted butter and any brown bits to a large heatproof mixing bowl and let cool 1 minute. Cut remaining ¼ cup (½ stick; 56 g) unsalted butter into small pieces and add to brown butter (it should start to melt but not foam and sizzle, so test with one piece before adding the rest).
Step 3
Once butter is melted, add 1 cup (200 g) (packed) dark brown sugar and ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and whisk, breaking up any clumps, until sugar is incorporated and no lumps remain. Add 1 large egg and 2 large egg yolks and whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Whisk in 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Using rubber spatula, fold reserved dry ingredients into butter mixture just until no dry spots remain, then fold in 6 oz. (170 g) bittersweet chocolate (60%–70% cacao), coarsely chopped, or semisweet chocolate chips (the cookie dough will be soft but should hold its shape once scooped; if it slumps or oozes after being scooped, stir dough back together several times and let rest 5–10 minutes until scoops hold their shape as the flour hydrates).
Step 4
Using a 1½-oz. scoop (3 Tbsp.), portion out 16 balls of dough and divide between 2 parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake cookies, rotating sheets if cookies are browning very unevenly (otherwise, just leave them alone), until deep golden brown and firm around the edges, 8–10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.
Do ahead: Dough balls can be portioned 3 months ahead; freeze on cookie sheets and then transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes on to the cook time. Cookies can be baked 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in April 2019. Head this way for more of our favorite easy cookie recipes →
How would you rate BA’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Leave a Review
Reviews (1415)
Back to TopI added a little more flour and baked at 400F. Great toffee flavour.
Jenn D
Victoria, BC
3/31/2024
so bussssss
Mr.Man
URMOMSHOUSE
3/29/2024
Why don’t you include a link to Pinterest?
Susan Henry
Columbus OH
3/28/2024
My very picky husband LOVES these cookies as well as the kids and neighbors!! This recipe is now in my special cookie rotation.,
Anonymous
3/25/2024
The cookie was amazing. No difficulty finding how to print or cooking temp, not sure why that was a problem. My only question is about some of cookie sheet size. Recipe says "divide between 2 parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheets"... I used half sheet, and they filled the sheers. Again, NOTHING WRONG, we managed, but is this intended for full sheets, perhaps we should have done 2 batches? Perhaps giving a pan size would help, amd this is EXACTLY why I NEVER use a recipe 1st time for use outside house.... they tasted GREAT, but presentation? No.
Tammy
Acworth GA
3/25/2024
I was intrigued by browning the butter so tried this recipe. The cookies came out fine-nice but nothing special. Mainly they were more cakey than what I’d anticipated; we prefer a crisper cookie. Any ideas?
Cindy
3/24/2024
I am amazed at some of these comments. For goodness sake, hit print on your computer and the recipe pops up to print. Also- first line of the instructions- pre heat to 375. Come on, at least read before you complain.
MARK
Templeton, CA
3/12/2024
Please give us a link to print your recipes.
Anonymous
3/8/2024
Am I missing the baking temperature??
JRB
Buffalo
2/29/2024
This is our go-to cookies-on-tap recipe at our house! A truly perfect cookie. And the recipe was so easy to print, using the small icon on the left side of the page that looks like a printer! Thanks BA!
Anonymous
Las Vegas, NV
2/19/2024
A solve for the printing woes from fellow BA readers. From your phone or iPad, hit the share button under the web address bar, select “Options” then “Reader PDF” then scroll down and select “Print”. Making these cookies now!
Chris N
SLC
2/19/2024
I too was annoyed that it didn't have a print button. However, reading a previous review, I just selected the print command in my app and the recipe appeared in print form. Couldn't be easier!
Tom H
Montgomery, NY
2/13/2024
Thank you for making this recipe so easy to print. I just go up to print and the recipe appears to be printed. II'm looking forward to baking these up on Super Bowl Sunday!!.
Anonymous
2/11/2024
I agree with Chateauchocalatier. Shame on BA. I can’t print this recipe!!’
Frances
Charlotte, N?
2/10/2024
BA should be ashamed of them selves for making it so incredibly difficult to print a recipe. Even cutting and pasting into a word processing ap is ridiculously challenging. And if you expect someone to use their computer or tablet while cooling the presentation is not conducive to quick viewing. PLEASE LISTEN to all the comments from subscribers and do something about it
chateauchocolatier
NYC
2/10/2024