Soft Chewy Chocolate Cookies (Printable)

Soft, chewy cookies loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and a touch of vanilla.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

09 - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden and centers remain soft.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They actually taste like homemade cookies, not the dense, overly sweet things that come from a box.
  • The contrast between chewy centers and crispy edges becomes addictive once you nail the baking time.
  • You'll find yourself making these at midnight just because the craving strikes, and they come together faster than you'd expect.
02 -
  • The cookies will look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven—this is exactly right, because they keep cooking on the hot pan and will firm up as they cool; overbaking them is the most common mistake that leads to dry, hard cookies.
  • Chilling the dough for even 30 minutes before baking changes the game completely, preventing excessive spread and creating a chewier texture that's worth the wait.
03 -
  • Brown butter before creaming it with the sugars for a deeper, almost nutty flavor that elevates the entire batch—just let it cool slightly before using so it doesn't scramble the eggs.
  • Use a combination of both sugars rather than just one; the brown sugar brings moisture and chew while the granulated sugar creates structure and helps with browning.
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