Why did my cookies flatten?

The three most important things about this recipe are 1) Melting the butter, 2) Adding enough flour, and 3) Not baking for too long. If you find that the dough is wet and it REALLY sticks to your hands, you probably need more flour. I'll usually add a few tablespoons at a time to get it to the right consistency. See the video in this post for reference as well as the cookie chart below!

Why are my cookies so puffy?

This usually means that there's too much flour in the dough, keeping them from spreading more. Be sure to always measure your flour correctly (spooning it in to the measuring cup vs. scooping from the bag). Since you can always add more, it's important to not over-flour to start with. See the video in this post for reference on the correct consistency!

Can I freeze chocolate chip cookie dough?

Yes! Roll them up into balls, freeze them on a sheet pan, and then keep them in a bag in the freezer until ready to bake. We'd recommend letting them thaw on a sheet pan (covered) before baking.

Can I make these gluten-free?

We've never tried it with this recipe, but I'm sure you could! If you have a favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour, that's probably your best bet. We'd love to hear how it goes.

How should I store the cookies after baking?

The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the fridge for a week. We like the fridge method to keep them fresh! These are our personal favorite glass storage containers!*

Does this recipe work for high-altitude baking?

Yes! Remember that when baking at a high altitude some baked goods will leaven and flatten more quickly. If you're baking at 3,000+ ft elevation, we recommend increasing your oven temp to 375 degrees and reducing bake time by a few minutes. For more information on high-altitude baking, we love u003ca href=u0022https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-bakingu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopener nofollowu0022u003ethisu003c/au003e resource.

The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Description

These are THE BEST soft chocolate chip cookies! No chilling required. Just ultra thick, soft, classic chocolate chip cookies!

Ingredients

Units Scale

8 tablespoons of salted butter
1/2 cup white sugar (I like to use raw cane sugar with a coarser texture)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (6.75 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (but I always add a little extra)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use a combination of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn’t be hot – but it should be almost entirely in liquid form.
Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated – 10-15 seconds or so (if you beat the egg for too long, the cookies will be stiff).
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle (right at the stage between “wet” dough and “dry” dough). Add the chocolate chips and incorporate with your hands.
Roll the dough into 12 large balls (or 9 for HUGELY awesome cookies) and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden. Warning, friends: DO NOT OVERBAKE. This advice is probably written on every cookie recipe everywhere, but this is essential for keeping the cookies soft. Take them out even if they look like they’re not done yet (see picture in the post). They’ll be pale and puffy.
Let them cool on the pan for a good 30 minutes or so (I mean, okay, eat four or five but then let the rest of them cool). They will sink down and turn into these dense, buttery, soft cookies that are the best in all the land. These should stay soft for many days if kept in an airtight container. I also like to freeze them.

Equipment

Spatula

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Nonstick Sheet Pan

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Mixing Bowl

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The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Keywords: chocolate chip cookies, best chocolate chip cookies, soft chocolate chip cookies, easy cookie recipe, small batch cookies