The Pantry
American

Chocolate chip cookies

Makes 12 cookies. These classic chocolate chip cookies bake up with crisp golden edges, chewy centers, and deep chocolate pockets. A short chill keeps the dough from spreading too thin, while brown sugar and granulated sugar balance caramel flavor, tenderness, and browning.

Prep 20 minCook 12 minRest 35 minAdjust servings ↓
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Chocolate chip cookies
~280 calper person · ~3360 total
~$4.20meal total · ~$0.35 per person

Estimated calories and US ingredient costs.

For a double batch, keep the same 350°F oven temperature and bake in separate rounds on 2 sheet pans rather than crowding the dough. Chilling between rounds helps keep the second tray from spreading more than the first. Use a full-size baking sheet for 12 cookies or a half-sheet pan if you want extra spacing.

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Ingredients, steps and a live timeline. Ready for 12 people.

Step timeline

Cooking order

11 left
Step 1

Heat the oven and mix the dry ingredients

~4 min

Heat the oven and mix the dry ingredients.

Set the oven to 350°F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine salt so the leavening is evenly distributed and the cookies rise uniformly.

Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cups total for recipeAll-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tspBaking soda
  • 1/2 tspFine salt
Step 2

Cream the butter and sugars

~3 min cook

Cream the butter and sugars.

In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, packed light brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks paler and fluffier.

Scrape the bowl once so no dense butter pocket remains.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup total for recipeUnsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cupPacked light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cupGranulated sugar
Step 3

Add the egg mixture

After ~3 min

Add the egg mixture.

Beat in 1 large egg, then 1 large egg yolk, followed by the vanilla extract.

Mix just until smooth and glossy.

The extra yolk helps the centers stay chewy, while the vanilla rounds out the flavor.

Ingredients
  • 1Large egg
Step 4

Finish the dough

~4 min

Finish the dough.

Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain.

Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips with a spatula so the dough stays thick.

Stop as soon as the flour disappears; overmixing makes the cookies tough.

Ingredients
  • 1 cupSemisweet chocolate chips
Step 5

Chill the dough

~30 min cook

Chill the dough.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

This firms the butter so the cookies bake thicker instead of spreading flat.

If your kitchen is warm and the dough still feels very soft, keep it chilled a little longer rather than adding extra flour.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup total for recipeUnsalted butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups total for recipeAll-purpose flour
Step 6

Check the dish

After ~30 min

Check Chocolate chip cookies and continue when ready.

Step 7

Portion and bake

~12 min cook

Portion and bake.

Scoop the dough into 12 mounds, about 2 tablespoons each, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.

Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and set but the centers still look a little soft and puffy.

Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven browns unevenly.

Step 8

Check the dish

After ~12 min

Check Chocolate chip cookies and continue when ready.

Step 9

Cool and serve

~5 min cook

Cool

Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes so they finish setting without drying out, then move them to a wire rack

Step 10

Stack them on a plate while the chocolate is still…

After ~5 min

Stack them on a plate while the chocolate is still slightly glossy.

Step 11

Serve meal

~1 min

Once all dishes are cooked and ready, plate and serve the meal together.

Chocolate chip cookies: serve.

Chocolate chip cookies: Serve warm for the softest centers, or cool completely for a firmer chew and cleaner edges.

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Ingredients

For 12 people

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method

  1. Heat the oven and mix the dry ingredientsSet the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine salt so the leavening is evenly distributed and the cookies rise uniformly.
  2. Cream the butter and sugarsIn a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, packed light brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks paler and fluffier. Scrape the bowl once so no dense butter pocket remains.
  3. Add the egg mixtureBeat in 1 large egg, then 1 large egg yolk, followed by the vanilla extract. Mix just until smooth and glossy. The extra yolk helps the centers stay chewy, while the vanilla rounds out the flavor.
  4. Finish the doughAdd the flour mixture in 2 additions and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips with a spatula so the dough stays thick. Stop as soon as the flour disappears; overmixing makes the cookies tough.
  5. Chill the doughCover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. This firms the butter so the cookies bake thicker instead of spreading flat. If your kitchen is warm and the dough still feels very soft, keep it chilled a little longer rather than adding extra flour.
  6. Portion and bakeScoop the dough into 12 mounds, about 2 tablespoons each, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and set but the centers still look a little soft and puffy. Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven browns unevenly.
  7. Cool and serveLet the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes so they finish setting without drying out, then move them to a wire rack. Serve warm for the softest centers, or cool completely for a firmer chew and cleaner edges. Stack them on a plate while the chocolate is still slightly glossy.

Before you cook

What to get ready

Mixing bowls, scoop or measuring spoon, lined baking tray or bar pan and cooling rack.

Soften butter without melting it and have baking sheets cool before portioning dough.

If something needs adjusting

Cookies spread into each other

Chill the dough as directed, space portions apart and avoid placing raw dough on a hot tray.

Different trays brown at different speeds

Check early with dark pans and leave space between portions. Let the tray cool before loading a second batch.

Store for later

Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Freeze portions for longer storage; refrigerate bars with a moist dairy filling rather than leaving them on the counter.

Make the ingredients go further

Freeze portioned dough so only the number wanted needs baking.

Next use for your ingredients: Oatmeal raisin cookies →

Calculate this meal with your own prices →

How to Measure Flour →

Cooking notes updated October 24, 2026. How we create recipes.

Tips, swaps and questions

A little kitchen know-how

For thicker cookies, chill the scooped dough on the sheet pan for 10 minutes before baking. If the dough looks glossy or greasy after mixing, the butter was too warm, so chill the bowl longer. Pull the cookies when the centers still look slightly underbaked; they finish setting on the hot pan.

Make it work for you

For a deeper caramel flavor, swap the light brown sugar for dark brown sugar. Expect a slightly softer, more spread-prone cookie because dark brown sugar adds more moisture. If you swap semisweet chips for chopped chocolate, the cookies will have larger melted pockets and may need the full baking time to set around the puddles.

Use more of your light brown sugar and granulated sugar in tahini cookies.

Why do chocolate chip cookies sometimes spread too much?

The usual causes are butter that was too soft, skipped chilling, or a hot baking sheet. Chill the dough until it feels firm, and bake on parchment-lined pans rather than greased ones. If the first tray spreads more than you want, chill the remaining dough a few minutes longer before baking the next batch.

Times are estimates. Check ingredients for allergens. For safe temperatures and storage, see FoodSafety.gov.

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