The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
“The best chocolate chip cookies recipe! Chewy edges and a, melty soft center! Full of three types of chocolate plus oats for added texture! “
Visual learner? Watch me my boo make the best chocolate chip cookies from start to finish!
My uncle BB makes the BEST of everything, it seems! Being that this is Grandma Barb’s son, I’m not surprised!
Last month, when this whole COVID lockdown thing started, I was in a baking frenzy like the rest of the world. My cousin (Uncle BB’s daughter) sent me his go-to recipe for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, and I was over the moon!
I’ve loved these delicious cookies for as long as I can remember, and now I can make them whenever the craving hits!
This recipe was adapted from a Madagascar vanilla cookbook (I’ll double-check with my uncle and list the name below when I get a chance), but I also hear they are very similar to the Double-Tree chocolate chip cookie recipe. Either way, they’re my FAVORITE!!!
Okay, rewind, I know I said a while ago that THESE were my favorite chocolate chip cookies (and they are), and then I said that THESE were my favorite chocolate chip cookies (and they are). I mean, hey, a girl is allowed to have more than one favorite, right?
Besides, some things are just too good to choose one favorite, and it just depends on your mood. Chocolate chip cookies are one of those things.
So today I’m going to introduce you to my new favorite boo, aka the best chocolate chip cookies that have been rocking my world! These cookies are HUGE and completely award-worthy!
Actually, in the video, my “baby fawvah” (my hubby) is making them for you. Since he is a professional chocolate chip connoisseur (not really, but he should be), it’s very fitting. He, too, has now deemed this recipe the best chocolate chip cookies, but don’t take our word for it!
Give them a taste and let me know what you think!
What makes these the BEST chocolate chip cookies?
TEXTURE, TEXTURE TEXTURE!! For me, it’s all about the texture! I mean, let’s face it, most chocolate chip cookie recipe uses the same ingredients.
It’s often the different ratio of the ingredients that results in the variety of chocolate chip cookie textures.
Some are crispy, some gooey, and some fluffy. These chocolate chip cookies are thick and dense, with a chewy texture along the edges! It’s my FAVORITE chocolate chip cookie texture that gets even better the next day, making these THE PERFECT chocolate chip cookies for mailing to family and friends.
Additionally, these cookies are filled with a mixture of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate, resulting in the ultimate chocolate combination.
The Secret Ingredient
One thing that makes this the best chocolate chip cookie recipe is the secret ingredient! Can you guess what it is? LEMON JUICE!
Lemon juice reacts with the baking soda, providing more leavening action. It acts as a “conditioner” for the dough, making the cookies soft yet dense and chewy.
Tips for making the BEST chocolate chip cookies:
- Chill the cookie dough. Seriously chilling the dough in the freezer is one of the tricks to achieving that chewy, dense texture that makes these cookies so delicious. They go into the oven frozen, and the result is worth the wait. It’s a must!
- Let the cookie sit for a few hours after cooking. Yep, you read that right. The texture of these cookies changes once they have cooled and set. It sounds crazy, but you’ll see. Once they’ve cooled, try one and then place them in an airtight container. Come back a few hours later or the next day (if you have willpower), and you’ll see that the texture has gone from soft and fluffy to thick, dense, and chewy. (Just be sure not to overcook them to get this magic)
- Use a variety of chocolates and don’t skip the oatmeal. Chick-fil-A was right on the money when they chose semi-sweet, dark, and milk chocolate for their famous Chocolate Chunk Cookies, along with adding oats. The chocolate trio is perfect, and oats add such a great texture without overpowering the cookies and turning them into oatmeal cookies. Chances are, people won’t even know it has oats in it! Additionally, it lends a slightly nutty flavor.
So far, we’ve made these cookies seven times in the past 30 days. Some was for practice purposes, and some, well, yeah. I’m tempted to make them once more. You know, to make sure they’re really that good!
How to make the BEST chocolate chip cookies
INGREDIENTS
- unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (do not melt)
- light brown sugar packed
- granulated sugar
- sea salt
- large eggs, room temperature
- pure vanilla extract
- fresh lemon juice
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- Quick-Cooking 1-minute Oats
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
- Mix in the salt, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and oats.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until a dough has formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Using a large cookie scoop (1/4 cup worth) scoop out the dough and place onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Flatten the cookie dough balls slightly and shape them into a small puck.
- Freeze for about 1 hour or until the dough is frozen.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Remove a few cookies from the tray so that cookies are 3 inches apart. (Place the extra cookie dough back in the freezer and bake in batches)
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. The center of the cookies will appear slightly underdone when removed from the oven, but will continue to cook as they cool.
- Let the cookies sit on a hot pan for about 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. (I usually let them cool completely on the pan)
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container. Texture gets ever better a few hours later!
Variations
These chocolate chip cookies are easy to customize for a different flavor. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Make it festive! Add colorful M&M’s instead of chocolate chips, like red and green for Christmas or pink and red for Valentine’s Day.
- Make it sweet and salty! Throw in some pretzel pieces and salted nuts
- Add brown butter. Brown the butter and let it cool to give the cookies a deeper caramel flavor.
- Add flavor enhancer. To enhance and complement the flavor of chocolate chip cookies, try adding espresso powder, bourbon extract, or caramel flavoring.
How To Store
Store these chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. You can wrap them individually in plastic wrap for extra freshness.
Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in an airtight freezer container.
To reheat, thaw them at room temperature and warm them in the microwave.
Chilled dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
FAQs
- Can I skip the chilling time? This cookie recipe requires chilling to rise properly, so please do not skip this step for the best results.
- Why did my cookies get crunchy after baking? This is caused by over-baking the cookies. You want to pull the cookies from the oven when the edges are golden brown and the centers are slightly undercooked. They will continue cooking as they cool.
- Can I decrease the chocolate chips? Yep! These cookies are LOADED with chocolate. If that’s not your thing, feel free to decrease the amount.
- Can I use Old-Fashioned oats? No, this recipe requires quick-cooking oats. Old-fashioned oats will give a dryer, crunchier texture.
- Can I skip the lemon juice? The lemon juice creates a wonderful texture and rise. I’ve never made it without it, so I’ll give it a try and report back.
- Can I freeze the dough balls until I’m ready to bake them? Absolutely! I always keep these in the freezer for last-minute cookie and ice cream skillet desserts! Simple flash freeze the dough ball on a baking sheet, once partially frozen place them in a freezer bag and place in an airtight freezer container. Be sure to date the container.
Get the Recipe:
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened to room temperature (do not melt)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup Quick-Cooking 1-minute Oats
- 2-3 cups chocolate baking chips (I use 2 cups semisweet chocolate, 1/2 cup dark chocolate, 1/2 cup milk chocolate)
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Mix in salt, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice until creamy. Set aside.1 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and oats.2¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ cup Quick-Cooking 1-minute Oats
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until a dough has formed.
- Fold in chocolate chips.2-3 cups chocolate baking chips
- Using a large cookie scoop (1/4 cup worth) scoop out the dough, roll, and place onto the prepared cookie sheet
- Flatten each ball of dough slightly and shape it into a small puck.
- Freeze for about 1 hour or until the dough is frozen.
- Preheat oven to 325 ℉
- Remove a few cookies from the tray so that cookies are 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. The edges should be slightly golden, and the center of the cookies will appear slightly underdone when removed from the oven. They will continue cooking as they cool.
- Let cookies sit on the hot pan for about 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling. (I usually let them cool completely on the pan)
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container. Texture gets ever better a few hours later!
The best cookies we ever had!! I use this recipe all the time. It truly is the best!!!!!
love the recipe for best chocolate chip cookies! they are sooo delicious! they come out perfectly each time! Co you have any cookbooks out? I will definitely buy them!
I will definitely have to make these.
This is bomb dot com. I always use chocolate chunks instead of chips. I just don’t like chips, too hard. I was almost out of flour so I used 1 1/4 cup of flour and the rest was cake flour and they were great. I was almost out of quick oats so I used 1/4 of regular oats. It was good but I think all quick oats is probably better. But you use what ya got. These were so delicious. I love a cookie recipe I can freeze so the kids can have fresh baked cookies whenever they want.
This is absolutely THE best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever done. My new go-to. Thanks so much!
These are seriously some of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted. I’ve had friends who usually hate cookies DEVOUR these. I personally use 2 to 2 1/2 cups of chocolate chips as I find 3 cups to be too many. Keep up the amazing work!!