Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These are SO delicious!
These are the most delicious chocolate chip cookies. They are rich, buttery, with edges that crisp just enough and middles that stay gooey. I make them at least once a week. I say at least because they sometimes don’t make it a full week in our house.
I’ve been waiting to make these since I got my Cookie Countess Flour Funnel and Kitchen Aid glass bowl for Christmas. I watch so many baking shows and they always have that glass bowl on the mixer, I couldn’t wait to try it out and why not try it out with my staple chocolate chip cookies! The base of this recipe comes from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table cookbook. I’ve made a few small changes over time to suit our family’s tastes: a touch more brown sugar for chewiness, a little extra salt to balance the sweetness, and a full bag of milk chocolate chips, because who doesn’t love more chocolate. Those tweaks give the cookies a deeper flavor and a perfect balance of gooey chocolate pockets and caramelized edges.
Baking these with my kids has become a weekly tradition. They love measuring, stirring, and their favorite part is adding the chocolate chips by hand. It’s simple enough for little helpers but still yields bakery-quality cookies. We use this time to talk about our day, share small victories, and practice taking turns (which much of the time is challenging for my little ones). When a batch comes straight from the oven, we gather around the counter and enjoy dessert together. These cookies aren’t just about taste; they’re about the small rituals that stitch our week together.
This is our go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Reliable, crowd-pleasing, and an excuse to slow down and bake with the people we love.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Yield: About 24 cookies (depending on how big you like them)
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (11.5-ounce) bag Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
Fold in the milk chocolate chips.
Scoop dough into 1½- to 2-tablespoon portions and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are set and centers are still soft.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
For softer cookies, slightly underbake and allow them to finish setting on the pan.
Dough can be chilled for 30 minutes for thicker cookies.
Sprinkle tops lightly with flaky sea salt before baking if desired.
Kid Jobs
Measuring and pouring dry ingredients
Whisking the flour mixture
Adding chocolate chips and gently stirring
Scooping cookie dough onto baking sheets
Setting the kitchen timer
*We just got the Cookie Countess to attach on the Kitchen Aid mixer and it is a GAME CHANGER when kids are helping in the kitchen.
(Adult help needed for oven use and handling hot pans.)