With over 4 million page views and 1,200+ positive reviews, this is THE crispy and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. I tested this recipe 20+ times and fine-tuned every variable to insure that these chocolate chip cookies have crisp golden edges and soft, chewy centers.

Debra says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “50 years of searching and I’ve finally found THE chocolate chip cookie recipe. My daughter is an accomplished baker and she agrees. I followed the recipe and instructions to the letter and they came out perfectly.”

Since this chocolate chip cookie recipe was first published in 2020, it has gained many fans. Check out the reviews and comments below to see why you should make these today.

Keep reading for all of my tips and tricks to guarantee you get the perfect crispy and chewy texture when you make these yourself.

Looking for more easy, well-reviewed baking recipes? Be sure to check out my easy chocolate cake (perfect for a weeknight) oatmeal chocolate chip bars (that readers call “delicious and easy”), and easy banana bread (made with melted butter and one bowl).

I can’t even begin to describe how awesome these are! I made them exactly the way the recipe says! I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies for 30 yrs. I’ve always wanted them to turn out just like these, and never was quite right. These are the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie! Thank you ever so much! My hubby and I ate about a dozen immediately! So so good! This will be my go to recipe from now on!❤️❤️❤️

– Vicky

How to Make Chewy and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Soften butter. Be sure the butter is very soft before using it so that it will properly cream with the sugars.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients. Carefully measure dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, and salt. (Use a kitchen scale for the flour if you have one or gently scoop it out of the bag into a measuring cup so that it doesn’t compress.)
3. Cream butter and sugars. Don’t skimp on this step. It should take about 3 minutes for the butter and sugars to be light, fluffy, and very pale in color.
4. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix eggs and vanilla into butter-sugar mixture. Keep the mixer on low so that you don’t beat any air into the eggs (this can cause the cookies to be cakey).
5. Add dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until fully combined. Don’t overmix.
6. Stir in chocolate chips. Mix chocolate chips in just until they are evenly incorporated.
7. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Chill the dough for just 20 minutes while the oven heats.
8. Bake at 350°F for 9 to 12 minutes. Use a heaping tablespoon to measure out the cookie dough onto a greased or parchment paper-topped baking sheet. (These are large cookies.)
9. Deflate cookies. Firmly tap the baking sheet on the kitchen counter. This deflates the cookies so the centers are chewy and soft.
10. Let cool on the pan. This step is important. The cookies will look soft in the center when you remove them from the pan, but let them cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
11. Enjoy!

What causes cakey cookies?

• Using too much flour – This is almost always the answer. Measure your flour by weight or, if you don’t have a kitchen scale, very loosely spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then use a knife to scrape the excess off the top. Be very careful not to compress the flours you measure it. If you are following the recipe exactly and keep getting cakey cookies, it may be simply be an issue with the brand of flour you are using. I tested these cookies with Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour and find it gives the best, most consistent results.
• Using too much egg or over-beating it – Another cause of cakey cookies is using too much egg or beating too much air into the mixture after you’ve added the eggs. Double check that you are using standard “large” size eggs and be sure to stop mixing them as soon as they are evenly combined with the butter-sugar mixture. If the eggs are extra-large, use one full egg and one egg yolk. Egg yolks help to give cookies a chewy texture. Egg whites give cookies a cakey texture.
• Using cold butter– Make sure that your butter is softened to room temperature before you start. You should easily be able to indent it with a light press of your finger.
• Cookies are too small– Be sure to follow the instructions on the size of the cookies. Cookies that are too small won’t have enough space to spread out and have chewy centers.
• Not Deflating After Baking – Always firmly tap the baking sheet on the counter right after bringing the cookies out of the oven. This will deflate the centers of the cookie so that they compress and stay chewy once cool.

The “Right” Baking Time

Baking these cookies for the right amount of time is key to their chewy + crispy texture. Look to the edges of the cookies (not the centers). The cookies are done when the edges are light golden brown. The centers will still be very pale and soft. 

Then, and this is important, let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes. As they cool, the cookies will continue to firm up and the surface will turn golden brown.

Here are what they should look like right as they are pulled out of the oven. Puffy and pale in the center.

And here’s what the cookies look like after cooling on the sheet pan for 5 minutes.

How To Shape Cookie Dough

Use a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out the dough, but make them heaping spoonfuls with the dough rounded over top. The cookies will be 3 to 4 inches across after baking.

Photo-Worthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

To make your chocolate chip cookies look extra polished (you know there are few things that Instagram loves as much as a beautiful cookie shot), just press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the dough balls right before they bake.

Fillings for Chocolate Chip Cookies

While semisweet chocolate chips are the classic, here are a few other favorite fillings:

• Chocolate Chunks
• High-Quality Chocolate Bars, chopped (great if you want to combine different types of chocolate – I love half bittersweet chocolate and half milk chocolate)
• M&Ms
• Chopped Candy (chopped Heath bar is great!)
• Chopped nuts – like pecans or walnuts

How to Freeze Cookie Dough

Frozen cookie dough is like money in the bank. (Though I have to keep it in my downstairs freezer…and out of reach.) You can bake one at a time or the whole batch any time you need them. The best way to freeze cookie dough is:

1. Form cookie dough into balls and line up in a single layer on a sheet pan
2. Transfer sheet pan to freezer until dough is frozen solid, 2 to 3 hours.
3. Transfer dough to a freezer-safe bag and seal, removing as much air from the bag as possible.
4. Freeze for up to 6 months.

To bake cookies from frozen: Bake the cookie dough directly from the freezer at 325°F / 163°C for 16 to 18 minutes. (This lower temperature and longer cook time is important for the dough to defrost and cook all the way through.)

More Fun Cookie Recipes

Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Soft Sugar Cookies

Kitchen Sink Cookies