Soft Chewy Chocolate Cookies (Print version)

Soft, chewy cookies filled with melty semi-sweet chocolate chips and a tender crumb.

# What You Need:

→ 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 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until evenly combined.
05 - Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden while the centers remain soft.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're soft in the center and golden at the edges, that perfect texture you chase but rarely find.
  • The dough comes together in minutes, and you'll have warm cookies cooling before you've finished your coffee.
  • One batch disappears faster than you'd expect, which is exactly the point.
02 -
  • Overbaking by even one minute turns these into crispy wafers instead of the soft cookies you're after—pull them out when they still look slightly underdone.
  • Room-temperature ingredients mix together smoothly; cold ones create a grainy dough that never quite comes together right.
  • Don't chill the dough unless you want darker, crispier edges; chilling slows spreading and changes the texture entirely.
03 -
  • Let your butter soften at room temperature while your oven preheats—this saves 10 minutes and gives you better results than trying to speed things along.
  • The dough will look slightly underdone and under-mixed; this is exactly right, and mixing more just toughens the finished cookies beyond saving.
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