Description
This recipe delivers the best soft chocolate chip cookies with a perfect balance of buttery richness and sweet chocolate bites. Featuring melted butter for extra softness and a simple mixing method, these cookies bake up puffy and tender with a slightly golden edge. Ideal for cookie lovers craving that soft, chewy texture in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter and Sugars
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar (raw cane sugar preferred)
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (6.75 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (add extra to taste)
Chocolate
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (or a combination of chocolate chips and chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat and Melt Butter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds until just barely melted; it should be mostly liquid but not hot.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the melted butter with both sugars until the mixture is creamy and light in color and texture.
- Add Vanilla and Egg: Beat in the vanilla extract and the egg on low speed until just incorporated, about 10-15 seconds. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies soft.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Mix until the dough forms loose crumbles. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a cohesive dough ball, with a texture between wet and dry dough.
- Fold in Chocolate: Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chunks by hand until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into 12 large balls (or 9 for extra-large cookies) and arrange them evenly spaced on a cookie sheet.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies look puffy, dry on top, and just barely golden around the edges. Do not overbake; remove even if they appear slightly underdone to keep them soft.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 30 minutes. They will settle into dense, buttery, soft cookies. Enjoy them warm and store leftovers in an airtight container for several days or freeze for later.
Notes
- Microwaving the butter until just melted helps achieve a soft, chewy texture.
- Do not overmix after adding the egg to avoid tough cookies.
- Pressing the dough crumbles by hand ensures the right dough consistency.
- Baking time may vary depending on oven; watch closely to prevent overbaking.
- Cooling on the pan helps the cookies set and maintain softness.
- For larger cookies, make 9 dough balls instead of 12.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze for up to 1 month.
