The Ultimate Guide to perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is my perfect chocolate chip cookie. They are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle, and are finished up with a heavy dose of flaky sea salt. These cookies utilise three different types of sugar - white, dark brown or muscovado, and turbinado sugar for a little crunch. They are easy to make and I show you how to get the best chocolate puddles in the recipe!
Table of contents
- My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ingredients in the best chocolate chip cookies
- What is the best chocolate to use in chocolate chip cookies?
- How to freeze Cookie Dough
- How to get big puddles of chocolate on top of chocolate chip cookies
- The 'Cookie Scoot' - for perfectly round cookies every time.
- FAQ for Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Made this recipe and love it?
- A note on salt and oven temperature
- Why is this recipe in grams?
- For more Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, check out:
My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
To me, these are the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie. I went on a quest a few years ago to gather all the things that I love about chocolate chip cookies and turn them into one recipe. A recipe that would be my go-to. And this is it. This is the recipe that I use whenever I need just a great chocolate chip cookie. It has three types of sugar, slightly crispy edges, big puddles of chocolate, and lots of salt. The dough freezes amazingly so I always have some on hand in the freezer for baking off. There's no additional steps in this one, it is just a super solid chocolate chip cookie recipe. I love it, and I know you will too.
Ingredients in the best chocolate chip cookies
The ingredient list for these cookies is fairly simple - check out the FAQ section for any substitution suggestions!
- Butter - Unsalted butter, at room temperature. I like using something with slightly higher fat content if I can, but whatever you have on hand is great.
- Sugar - There are three types of sugar in this cookie. It seems super extra, but they all serve a purpose. The brown / muscovado sugar is there for flavour and chew, the white sugar provides spread and those slightly crispy edges, and then turbinado sugar / sugar in the raw (I got the idea from Ashley Rodriguez) gives a super subtle but crazy delicious crunch to the cookies. I always have all three on hand and the combination of all of them makes such a big difference.
- Egg - The egg in the recipe helps with binding and texture.
- Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda - The quantity of both flour and leavener in a recipe has a big impact on the final texture.
- Salt - Always, always salt your desserts. I used Kosher salt in the cookie dough and finished it off with Maldon salt on the top.
- Chocolate - I almost always use chopped chocolate from a bar in my cookies for a few reasons. See further down the post!
What is the best chocolate to use in chocolate chip cookies?
I almost always use chopped chocolate in my chocolate chip cookies. There are a few reasons for this:
- Sizing - Cutting up chocolate into chunks gives you a great range of size in your chocolate. This means you get a good distribution throughout
- Melty Pockets of chocolate - Chocolate chips often have a stabiliser in them which means they don't melt. This makes them great for things like muffins, but I much prefer using chopped chocolate for cookies because the chocolate melts, and you get pockets of chocolate throughout.
- Quality - if you use chopped chocolate, you can use whatever quality you like. It's also a great way to mix up the types of chocolate you use too - I like doing a mix of dark and then sometimes a fun flavour
- Chocolate Dust - This is a name I made up, but the dust is what's left from chopping chocolate. It all goes into the bowl and you get tiny chocolate specks all throughout the cookies.
- Melty Chocolate Puddles - Chopped chocolate means you can press extra chocolate onto the top of the cookies to get big chocolate puddles!
How to freeze Cookie Dough
This dough freezes perfectly. Scoop it out, chill for an hour, and then bake off whatever you are wanting to bake off. Transfer the rest to a parchment lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. This is a flash freeze and should take 30 minutes to an hour. Then, transfer to a ziploc bag and label with the type of cookie dough you have. You can bake it directly from frozen - just add a few more minutes onto the bake time.
How to get big puddles of chocolate on top of chocolate chip cookies
I like to use a little trick to get those big puddles on the tops of my chocolate chip cookies. Just before the dough goes in the oven, I take each ball of dough, and flatten it slightly. I then press chunks of chopped chocolate onto the top. You can add some of the chocolate dust from chopping too. Then I squeeze it back into a ball, and place it on the baking sheet. This means that when the cookie bakes, the chocolate will end up spread across the top of the cookie, and give you those big chocolate puddles on the tops. If you are freezing your cookie dough, do this step before they go into the freezer. You can't squish frozen dough!
The 'Cookie Scoot' - for perfectly round cookies every time.
The "Cookie Scoot" is my secret weapon to perfectly round cookies. It's a totally optional step, but one that I really love. All you do is take a round object slightly larger than the cookie. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still hot, put the cutter over the cookie and 'scoot' it into a perfectly round shape. The best. I do it basically every time now.
FAQ for Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
I use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop - I like this one. You can also weigh your dough balls if you don't have a scoop. Mine weighed about 55g each.
I use a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie. I have a set of all different sizes which is made by ateco - it is super handy to just grab the one that you need!
If you can't find muscovado sugar, you can use dark brown or light brown sugar!
If you can't find turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar in nz or sometimes demerara sugar), you can use 25g extra white sugar and 25g extra brown sugar.
I use Maldon flaky sea salt! It is my favourite and I always have it on hand for finishing off cookies or other baked goods.
You don’t have to bake these all at once. I often make the dough, scoop it out, and then keep it in the fridge until I am ready to bake, up to 24 hours. If we are going somewhere and I’ve offered to take dessert, I will often make the dough, scoop it out and chill it. Then I will take the chilled dough with me and bake it there so that we have warm, fresh cookies. I often pick up a tub of ice cream on the way too - it’s the best dessert ever, and you can leave your host with some freezer balls of dough too to bake off whenever they like!
Made this recipe and love it?
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide so there is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. Posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
For more Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, check out:
My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes plus an hour chilling time
- Yield: 28 cookies 1x
Description
Lightly salted cookie dough surrounds puddles of dark chocolate, before being finished up with a heavy dose of flaky sea salt. These cookies utilise three different types of sugar - white, dark brown or muscovado, and turbinado sugar for a little crunch. They are easy to make and I show you how to get the best chocolate puddles in the recipe!
Ingredients
- 225g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 170g Dark Brown or Muscovado Sugar
- 100g Granulated / White Sugar
- 50g Raw / Turbinado Sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 300g All-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 350 g good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped, plus a little extra for chocolate puddles (see notes)
- Flaky Sea Salt such as Maldon for finishing
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on high speed for 5 minutes, until pale, and light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix to combine, scraping down the bowl when necessary.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the mixing bowl, and mix on low to just combine (you still want a few streaks of flour remaining that will get mixed in when you add the chocolate).
- Add the chopped chocolate and mix until just incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and give a few mixes by hand using a flexible spatula, to ensure even incorporation of the chocolate.
- Using a 2 Tbsp Cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you can place them close together). If you want big puddles on the top of your cookies, you flatten a ball of dough, press the chocolate onto the top side, then continue as usual and roll it into a ball, which then gives you even chocolate distribution as the cookie bakes.
- If you are not adding additional chocolate, there is no need to re-shape into a ball - you can bake right from the scooped shape. Cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for an hour in the fridge (if you want to freeze some, now is the time, see notes)
- Toward the end of the chilling process, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper (you can bake these in batches)
- Arrange 6 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, leaving room for spreading. Leave the remainder of the dough balls in the fridge.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until lightly golden and beginning to set. Baking time depends on personal preference - if you like them quite soft, bake for 13 mins, if you like them a tiny bit crispy then bake for 14. Remove from the oven, and if desired, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to scoot them into a perfectly round shape.
- Sprinkle liberally with flaky sea salt. Allow to cool on the pan - the cookies will deflate slightly as they cool. Repeat the baking process with the remaining cookies.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Keywords: cookies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate puddles, chocolate chunk cookies, muscovado sugar
Comments
Hi! I'm thinking of making these with molasses powder somehow as I have some lying around and think the flavour could be interesting! Do you recommend that I sub the muscovado or turbinado sugar for that? Or would you totally just not sub it? Im aware they are different and will probably act different..
Hi! I’ve never used it sorry so I’m not too sure
I made a test batch of these, then a big double batch which I froze as dough balls to bake last minute for a bake sale. Perfect both times and I got great feedback. Thanks Erin for your scientist's rigour, love the thoroughness and weighed accuracy!
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I love these cookies. I tried these with the replacements but they were still amazing. I will be buying the actual sugars for my next bake but these were amazing regardless.
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Yay so happy you loved!
Do these cookies become hard after baking? I’m searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe but the thousands of recipes I’ve tried become rock hard after a day or two even after storing them in a air tight container.
Thousands! Wow that's impressive! These don't go hard if they are baked well - you may be over baking?
Put a slice of white bread in the container with your cookies. The bread keeps them soft and maintains moisture.
These are AMAZING!! I’ve made a few of your recipes and they’re all delicious! Thank you for sharing them.
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I have made these so many times and people often ask me for the recipe because they really are so perfect. Thank you so much for perfecting this recipe. I've made all your versions since you started so many years ago and they just keep getting better. X
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Ahhh so so happy you loved! Thank you so much x
Best cookies in the world! So delish and easy to make and always a fan favourite. Always remember to scoot scoot.
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haha yesssss! xx
Hello,
Could I prepare these ahead of time & leave them in the fridge over night?
Tia
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Yep 🙂 that's just fine!
I just want to begin with, these cookies taste SO GOOD. The first time I made them, they came out great! However, the second time I made them, they spread a lot! I don't know what may have gone wrong, they were bubbling in the oven 🙁 . Any tips and tricks would be helpful 🙂
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Hi! So happy you love! So sorry to hear you had an issue - did you make the recipe by weight?
Hiya
Just wanted to know if it was ok to keep the cookies balls in the fridge for longer then an hour like if it was okay to keep over night & bake in the morning.
Thanks
Hi! Yep that's just fine 🙂
Yes I did make them by weight. I had let the butter sit at room temp all day, do you think that could have made the cookies spread, become really thin and chewy? Also once i added the chopped chocolate chunk, I noticed the batter became a little sticky. IF I add some more flour to the flour, do you think it could help?
I had the same problem. First time trying this recipe. Followed everything by weight and they spread too much, at least comparing with Erin’s
Hi! Did you bake on conventional bake or fan? Have you got an oven thermometer in your oven? spreading issues is usually from your oven running too hot!
These are the best cookies ! I get compliments every time that I make them !
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My daughter asked if we had any cookies and I was able to whip these up super fast. Total crowd pleaser. Thank you for another great recipe!
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I don't eat regular sugar (call me crazy) so I substituted date sugar and coconut sugar to equal the 320g and added 1 tablespoon of molasses. I only had 1 Lindt bar of no sugar added chocolate, so I chopped it up and mixed it with 75g of chopped pecans and used your "pool" method to add the chocolate and nuts to the batter. They came out so good, especially when they were still warm!!! Thank you for the recipe!
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Made these after getting the recipe from a friend and oh my gosh they are the best cookies I've ever made or tasted. New favourite 100%
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I am so happy you loved them!
Made these yesterday and it’s so good! I love the combination of the three sugars. I like that the recipe goes into details about the time the dough should be chilled and for making the gooey chocolate on top. Definitely made my cookies look pretty although they taste great regardless of looks!
What brand chocolate is your favorite to use where making these?
*when
Hi! Anything you're happy eating is good! In nz I use whittaker's, in the US I often used Trader Joe's pound plus 🙂
These are the most delicious cookies ever, can't thank you enough for how much detail you go into for your recipes, it makes them so easy to follow and I love being able to measure in grams! I was hoping to use this recipe to make 1 giant cookie as a birthday present and was wondering if you had tried it or had any tips on baking time or temp changes? Thanks!
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I haven't tried it before but it should be ok! You shouldn't need to adjust baking temp, I would just watch carefully for baking time!
These are the absolute best chocolate chip/chunk cookies I've EVER had! This has quickly become my go to cookie recipe!!
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After trying just about every chocolate chip cookie recipe I've come across for the past few years, this is the one I come back to again and again (I actually have it almost memorized)... it doesn't make you split up eggs (1 egg + 1 yolk etc.), call for specialty flours, or use any out-of-the-way ingredients (feves). I enjoy those recipes too (though most of them seriously don't come out as good as this one), but the simplicity of this recipe makes its perfect outcome seem like magic. Thank you Erin!
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So happy you love them! 🙂
These honestly are perfect!! I’ve tried lots of different chocolate chips cookies recipes (NY times, SBA, Tasty, BA) and this is by FAR my favourite - and also easy? Double win! They look incredible and are such a crowd pleaser. I always have some in my freezer ready for a quick treat or for when guests come over.
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Again another go to recipe. I usually have some of these in the freezer for a cookie emergency.
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My go to recipe. Absolutely delish. Hits the spot every single time.
Thanks for sharing Erin!
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This is now my go to recipe for cookies & they always turn out 👌 in fact, Cloudy Kitchen is now my go to baking site because I know the recipes are always so well tested & reliable, not to mention seriously yum. You've also inspired me to finally buy digital scales!!
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My go to cookie recipe, has never let me down!
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WOW!
First time baking this recipe and the cookies came out perfectly.
Love the step by step easy to follow instructions.
I enjoy reading (and following online) your recipe creations.
The kids are very excited to have these cookies in their school lunch boxes this week.
I have so many more recipes on my to try list now.
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This is my go to chocolate chip cookie. Just made a batch to freeze, so easy and tasty! Thanks Erin.
Lol forgot I’d already commented on this! Just goes to show how often I’m here though. 😂
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