When it comes to food as divisive as homemade chocolate chip cookies, it’s hard to know what recipe to use. What recipes strike the perfect balance between crispy and chewy? How much chocolate do you add in, and should anything else be incorporated? How brown should they get in the oven?
Home cooks can spend a lifetime perfecting their cookie recipes and still not be completely satisfied. With the holiday season quickly creeping up, there’s little time to fiddle with finding an ideal recipe. Luckily, this “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies” recipe is here to save the day.
It has “best” in the name for good reason—over 15,000 (yes, three zeros) home cooks have given the recipe a five-star rating. Several reviewers state that they have made these cookies “a million times,” and that it is “absolutely the very best chocolate chip cookie” they have ever made.
This popular recipe has been on the Allrecipes website for nearly 30 years, when Allrecipes member Dora uploaded it in April of 1998. Since then, at least 40,000 Allrecipes members have given this recipe a whirl—now that’s a lot of cookies!
With the holidays right around the corner, consider making the tried-and-true chocolate chip cookies for gifting to loved ones, filling up your cookie boxes, or serving during holiday hosting.
How to Make The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
All the usual suspects come together in this chocolate chip cookie recipe, but technique sets it apart. Here’s a preview of what you can expect.
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- Cream butter and sugar: With an eclectic mixer, beat butter and the two sugars together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs: Slowly add in the eggs, then the vanilla.
- Dissolve baking soda: Here’s where this recipe varies from the typical process. Instead of being directly added, baking soda is dissolved into hot water, then incorporated with dough. Salt should be added at this phase, too.
- Stir in the add-ins: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are a must, but walnuts are optional. Then let the dough chill for best results.
- Shape and bake: Drop rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough 2 inches apart on to ungreased baking sheets, then bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges are just lightly browned. Let cool, serve, and enjoy!
Tips, Tricks, and Variations
- Make sure your eggs come to room temperature and your butter is completely softened for the best possible results.
- You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze, or even bake the cookies ahead of time and freeze.
- Take your time beating the butter and sugar together—it should take about 4 minutes to get them to the right stage.
- Reviewers state the cookies will look “under baked” when you pull them from the oven—that’s OK! The residual heat will continue baking the cookies, but pulling them early will ensure the center is gooey and soft and the edges have some chew.
- Feel free to incorporate your favorite add-ins. Allrecipes member Sydney suggests caramel bits or marshmallows.
Praise From the Allrecipes Community
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- “The kids voted these the best chocolate chip cookies ever,” raved one reviewer. “Half the batch was demolished within 30 mins of cooling. Will make these on the regular!”
- “I’ve been using this recipe since I was 5 years old, I’m 19 now,” shared one Allrecipes member. “I used to sell them at bake sales and make them every Christmas. Everyone I’ve made the cookies for has said they’re the best cookies they’ve ever tasted. Holds a special place in my heart for sure :)”
- “Wonderful! I’m not quite sure how they are better than so many other chocolate chip cookies, when they use the same ingredients, but they are,” said an Allrecipes user. “I made a bunch and brought them to 4 events in 3 days. Everyone loved them everywhere.”
- “I’ve been using your recipe for YEARS,” said one fan. “I started using it in high school to make cookies for my friends, and it’s carried me all the way through university. I still have not gone to a potluck or a birthday without being told to bring ‘the cookies!'”