Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are on the sheet pan in less than 5 minutes. It’s a quick and easy chocolate chip cookie recipe with one special ingredient that makes them ultra-chewy.

Do you ever wonder where your favorite recipes come from? Certain recipes that I make bring me back to a certain time in my life or remind me of the person that gave it to me. Recipes have their own stories much in the way that pictures do. Maybe that is why I like them both so much?

This is my all-time favorite soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. This recipe is by far the easiest cookie recipe I have ever made. I can have these in the oven in less than 5 minutes from when I start. They are more cake-like than most chocolate chip recipes. They are so amazing.

What Ingredient Makes a Cookie Soft and Chewy?

The coolest thing about this recipe is that you melt the butter. No having to wait to get your butter to room temperature or creaming involved.

Just let the melted butter cool for a few minutes and you are ready to go. If the butter is too warm, you will get cracks on the top of your cookies.

I melt the butter in the microwave for about 3 minutes at 50% power just until it is melted. I let it cool while I get the other ingredients together and measure out the dry ones.

Ingredients //

Just like any other cookie recipe, you will need a mix of wet and dry ingredients.

For the wet ingredients, bring to room temperature the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.

For the dry ingredients, gather together flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chips. I really like a less-chocolatey cookie than most people do, so I use a half of a package of mini-chips. I really like mini-chips better than normal size chips. I have no idea why.

As always, feel free to use whatever size chip suits you. About 1 – 1 ½ cups chopped chocolate would be another great option, too.

How To Make // The Steps

My kids absolutely love mixing together the chocolate chip cookie dough with a wooden spoon. It’s so quick and easy.

Prep. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. 

Mix butter and sugars. Mix butter and both sugars together using a mixer or by hand. 

Add remaining wet ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until combined. The dough should not be too wet, but if needs a little more flour to be easier to handle, add a tablespoon or two more until it is easier to handle.

Add chocolate chips. Add the chips and work through. Roll into 24 large balls and place on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake! Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, do not overbake. They will be set, but not brown. Let cool on the baking sheets.

Enjoy!

What Makes This Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe So Good?

If soft, chewy and chocolate weren’t enough to get you in the kitchen, I can promise you these are award-winning chocolate chip cookies because:

• Minimal prep means cookies are in the oven in 5 minutes.
• It’s a wonderful base cookie recipe that can be customized with any number of nuts, fruit, oats or mix-ins.
• The cookie dough freezes beautifully, which means you can enjoy a homemade treat any time the craving strikes.

Variations //

I love the plain and simple chocolate chip cookie that is just the right amount of chocolate and cookie. Feel free to add ½ cup of any of the following mix-ins for a chocolate chip cookie recipe to call your own:

• Chopped Nuts: Walnuts, Almonds or Pecans
• Oats: Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• More Chocolate Chips: White and/or Dark
• Dried Fruit: Craisins, Raisins, Black Cherries

How to Keep Cookies Soft and Chewy?

Store the cookies in an airtight container with one slice of white or whole wheat bread. The cookies will keep for up to 4 days.

Basically, the cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, keeping them nice, soft and tender.

How To Freeze

This recipe makes 24 cookies total, but sometimes that’s too many for my kids and I. And who doesn’t like a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven? The solution – the freezer.

Simply roll into 24 balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (small enough to fit in your freezer). Freeze for 1 hour.

Transfer to a plastic freezer storage bag, label, date and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Bake from frozen and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time. Yum.

Top Tips for Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• Melt the butter and let it cool. The melted butter contributes to the chewiness, but also makes the cookie dough come together fast. Melt on 50% power in your microwave for 3 minutes and allow it to cool while you gather together the rest of your ingredients.
• Bring the eggs to room temperature. This makes it easier to mix the cookie dough and doesn’t risk the chance of solidifying the butter.
• Add more flour, if necessary. The dough should not be too wet. If it is sticking to your hands, add 1-2 Tablespoons more flour until it is easy enough to handle.
• Roll the cookie dough in mounds. The thicker the cookie dough ball, the softer the center. This helps keep them chewy for longer.
• Do not overbake. This will make your cookies crunchy and hard. Sometimes we under-bake the cookies by one minute to ensure they’re extra chewy.

These are so easy. Make some and share with a friend.

More Cookie Recipes //

• Snickers Cookies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies
• Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chewy Honey Gingersnap Cookies
• Chocolate French Toast Cookies
• Soft Whole Wheat Caramel Chip Cookies
• Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
• Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
• Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies

Originally published in February 2010, updated August 2020 with updated images and updated recipe card.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to know how it goes! Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, too!