Perfect Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies {Melted Butter + No Chilling!}
Believe me when I say, these chocolate chip cookies are truly the best of the best! Soft and chewy, they start with melted butter and can be mixed by hand!
There are so many recipes out there for “the perfect chocolate chip cookie” but this one wins by a mile.
Not only are the cookies soft and chewy and everything a chocolate chip cookie should be, but they start with melted butter and don’t require any chilling. Easy and simple!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
The dough for these chocolate chip cookies can be made in a bowl (no stand mixer needed) and stirred by hand.
The ingredients are simple and pretty much what you’d expect for chocolate chip cookie dough.
- melted butter (brown the butter for even more delicious flavor!)
- granulated + brown sugar
- salt + baking soda
- egg + egg yolk
- vanilla
- flour + chocolate chips
Don’t be tempted to add the full egg for the egg yolk called for in the recipe. It will make the cookies cakey instead of chewy.
Scoop and Bake
The cookie dough can be baked right away. No chilling! (HOORRRAAAAYYYY!)
I use a #40 medium cookie scoop {aff. link} to plop the cookie dough onto baking sheets.
However, this cookie dough can be baked as smaller OR larger cookies. It’s pretty much a no-fail recipe, so scoop the cookies in whatever size you want!
A Classic Cookie
For a classic soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, this recipe can’t be beat.
The cookies literally always turn out amazing, and are met with rave reviews every single time I make them.
Feel free to sub in different kinds of chocolate chips (I’m a semisweet girl myself)!
A Tried-and-True Recipe
I’ve been making this cookie recipe for over ten years, and it never gets old. That’s the sign of a good recipe!
With over 200 five-star reviews, these cookies are a fan favorite!
Rachel says: I’ve made this recipe a million times and it’s the BEST! I use a silicone mat on my baking sheet and they come out perfect. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Loana says: This is the best freaking chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever tried. The cookies look like bakery cookies and my entire family demolished all (52!!!) cookies this recipe made in a few days. Soooo good!
Jen says: OMG. I am converted! Melted butter IS key! These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made (and I have made a ton in my 50+ years). Thanks for sharing your recipe – now it is just our little secret!
FAQs for Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yes! They freeze great.
Increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
It needs to be completely melted then slightly cooled.
Shape the dough into balls, place in a covered container and put them in the freezer. I take them straight out of the freezer, place on a cookie sheet, and bake as directed, adding another 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup (212 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet or milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well-combined.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until a few dry streaks remain. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly combined (don't over mix).
- Scoop the dough into heaping tablespoons (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and place a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Optional: roll the cookie dough into smooth balls.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Recipe posted May 2008; updated September 2022 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
I can say that this is “the best” chocolate chip cookie recipe because it is the same recipe I use when I make chocolate chip cookies. I too looked for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for a very very long time and I came up with this one too.
Just pulled the last batch out of the oven. They are pretty good. I didn’t get thick (probably because I don’t weigh my flour), but I sure got chewy.
Just made these tasty cookies. Great recipe…the best part is the melted butter. They’re beauties! Thanks again!
Yep. Thanks!
Mel-
1 egg
1 egg yolk
So is that just 1 whole egg? or do you mean 1 egg (with yolk), and then add an extra yolk?
Thanks!
Hi Brett – so you’ll need one whole egg and then one egg yolk. Make sense?
So I attempted these cookies and I dont know what I did wrong! When the came out they hadnt flattened out at all, they were still in mounds…while still delicious I was wondering if you had any tips as to what may have gone wrong?
Thanks!
Shantay – did you happen to weigh your ingredients or measure with measuring cups? It might be due to the amount of flour. If you weighed the flour then I’m not sure what went wrong – but if you don’t have a scale and scooped up the flour, it might be a case of overflouring the dough. That’s the main reason I can think for cookies not flattening in the oven. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you!
Mel, these are my favorite cookies too. this is a good blend between cooks illustrated and Alton browns the chewy. I will try yours with these modifications. thanks as always for sharing!
I cannot believe I haven’t made these yet! If you’re claiming that they are the perfect chocolate chip cookie, then they must be! Thanks for updating it to bring it to my attention!
This may be a dumb question- remember, I am new to the cookie baking thing- but how do you keep the cookies soft? I LOVE the results the day of, but they get hard by the next day. Any tricks?
Carlin – well, the main key is to underbake them slightly, and then after they have cooled, I always, always freeze the baked cookies. When we want a few, I pop them in the microwave for about 20 seconds on 50% power and they are soft and delicious!
I love these! I live at 6,400 ft. and they came out a bit flatter than I had hoped, but they still had the crispy and chewy texture. I refrigerated the dough before scooping. They were delicious. I never really crave chocolate chip cookies, but I am already thinking about making them again.
Jennifer – I’m happy you love these cookies. To help combat the flattening issue since you live at such a high elevation, you might try adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the dough.
I can’t make chocolate chip cookies. I just can’t. I accepted and lamented that fact long ago. They always turn out flat and hard and I’m always so disappointed. So I simply gave up trying. But I got the craving today for some chocolate chip cookies, and it just would not go away. I decided to try again, with this recipe. And now I am jumping up and down because it was a SUCCESS! For the first time EVER, I made not just a good, but a DANG GOOD chocolate chip cookie! I even took a picture of them and sent it to my very impressed SIL. Thank you for helping me achieve chocolate chip cookie greatness!! I am so thrilled!!
P.S. The cookies that were on the top rack first and then moved to the bottom rack half way through did not turn out as thick, although they were still delicious. Any ideas why?
Carlin – I’m beyond thrilled that this recipe has transformed you into a chocolate chip cookie baker extraordinaire! Thanks for letting me know! As for the browning, switching racks can be tricky as far as browning the cookies evenly. The top of the even is a bit hotter than the middle and so cookies can bake a bit more unevenly if left up on the top rack for too long. I usually try to just bake one rack at a time in the middle of the oven, but if you do want to do two sheets at a time, I’d suggest maybe switching them about a minute before the halfway mark.
Wow! You weren’t kidding! These are amazing. I just finished baking my last batch and they are almost all gone! These cookies taste like they came from a bakery. Thank you for doing the research to find our new fave chocolate chip cookie.
Thanks, Jenna!
YUM-O! I made these this morning and found my new favorite choc chip cookie recipe. I ran out of flour (gasp!) and had to substitute 1 and 1/8 cup of whole wheat flour. They were still delicious and I like to tell myself they are more healthy that way. 🙂 My 17 month old would take a bite, and go “mmmmmmmmmm.” Definately a winner. Thanks Mel!
Ciara – so glad you loved these cookies and I love that they worked out so well using a lot of whole wheat flour. Awesome!
Oh these look SO GOOD!!! I want to make them tonight but I have one small question about the recipe (I am new at this stuff so bear with me… ha). When it says rotate the sheets half way through, what do you mean by that? Am I putting two sheets in at once (one on top and one on bottom) and then switching them half way through?
Dayna – I usually disregard that part of the instructions and just bake one cookie sheet at a time, then I don’t have to rotate the sheets. However, if you want to bake two baking sheets at a time, each on a different oven rack, then halfway through the baking time, switch the baking sheet so the cookies that were on top now go on bottom, etc. This way the cookies bake evenly (since different parts of the oven cook at higher/lower temperatures unless you have a spiffy convection oven). I hope that helps!
I made these cookies for the first time a month or so ago and found them to be rather bland, but I had a feeling that browning the butter on the stove first would give them a better flavor. I tried it today and I love how they turned out! The browned butter gives them a much more distinctive flavor. I like how quickly it all comes together too.
Vicky – glad you liked these with the browned butter factor!
I am usually kind of underwhelmed by chocolate chip cookies, but my kids kept asking me to make some for them yesterday, so I figured if anyone could lead me to a better recipe than the one I’ve been making, it would of course be you. First of all–hallelujah for the melted butter. And secondly–these have forever kicked my old chocolate chip cookie recipe to the curb. These are, in fact, the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Nice and thick with a slightly crunchy edge but chewy and moist on the inside. I’m equal parts sad/glad I sent the rest with my husband to work. Sad that I don’t have anymore to eat, and glad that I won’t have the guilt of single handedly eating a dozen cookies by myself.
Reyna – I kind of agree on the chocolate chip cookie thing. I much prefer a loaded cookie with oatmeal or coconut in them, also. Having said that, I’m glad this plain ol’ choc chip recipe worked out great!
Mel, I have made more chocolate chip cookie recipes than I can count over the years, but I think this is going to be The One. The One and Only Keeper. It’s so easy, doesn’t make a million cookies (reasonably sized recipe 🙂 ), and just simply… delicious.
I’ve made several of your recipes and don’t comment very often, but they have all turned out fabulous.
Thank you thank you thank you for sharing!
Emily – Yay for a keeper of a recipe! It’s always fun to find “the one” and I’m thrilled this is it for you!
My Life…- glad you loved these! I just popped over to your site and saw your pumpkin crunch cake. I’m making a version of that next week! Good to see you have a similar recipe and love it!
I made these today for the first time and you are right, they are the BEST! So good and so easy to make! Thanks for the great recipe!
I had recently gone to a cafe and gotten a great thick chocolate chip cookie that had coconut and macadamia nuts in it. I’d searched my cookie cookbooks and recipes to see if I could find a dough that was substantial sounding enough to hold all of these additions and replicate what I had eaten. I’ve tried two cookie recipes from your site, so I went back through them and came across this one, which sounded like it might work.
And wouldn’t you know it…it was great. I added 1 cup of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped macadamia nuts to this recipe, and they came out amazing.
I’ve had a long-standing, tried and true chocolate chip recipe that everyone loves, but this is a contender. I honestly don’t know which one is better! Thanks 🙂
Shannon – wow, coconut and macadamia nuts sound like it would take this cookie over the top! I’m thrilled it turned out well enough to be a contender for your favorite.
Very good cookies. Not as thick as I expected, but still very delicious!
Thanks, Megan!
Made these for my family tonight and WOW!~they are delicious. Loved the texture. I only had 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips so I added 1-1/2 white chocolate chips as well. Super good. This will go in my keeper file. Thanks.
AMORRIS – I’m so happy you liked these cookies! I’m normally not a white chocolate fan, but actually, I can see the addition of the white chocolate chips in these being quite delightful!
I made these today and brought them to a bridal shower- everyone loved them! No one could eat just one and I got amazing compliments on them! Thank you so much, they were a delicious hit!!
Kylie – thanks for letting me know these were well received at the bridal shower! That’s awesome and I’m so glad you got great compliments on them.
Every recipe I have tried from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe has been fantastic and received rave reviews. So when I was looking for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, I came here. While the cookie dough for this recipe was awesome, I was less than satisfied with the final product. They were not thick and chewy at all. We ended up throwing most of them away. 🙁
Sabrina – I’m sorry to hear that these chocolate chip cookies didn’t work out for you. It is a highly tested recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and with all the rave reviews, I’m surprised you didn’t like them – thanks for letting me know anyway!
Sounds great! Thanks for the feedback – I can’t wait to give them a try!
Rachel – the first time I made these (and many times afterwards), I was living at 6,000 elevation also and they always turned out. Now I live at a much lower elevation but when I lived at a high elevation, they worked out just fine. I hope having said that, that they work out for you, too!
Have you ever made these at a high-altitude? I live at about 6300 ft and it seems I’m always having to try cookie recipes 3-4 times before I can figure out how to adjust for my elevation. My cookies often end up flat, and I’m really looking forward to a thick cookie! Any suggestions before I give these a try?
Krista – that’s high praise for these cookies! Thanks for checking in again. I am so, so glad you like them (enough to make them again)!
Anonymous – the 1-2 cups means you can choose how many chocolate chips to add. If you like your cookies with lots of chocolate chips, add the full 2 cups. Hope that helps!
I’m actually making them AGAIN right now… they were amazing with the perfect amount of chocolate chips! My brother’s girlfriend came over, let herself in, took cookies and left on more than one occasion.
I went to the cookie jar to have one for breakfast, since there were a few left last night… I was SURE there would be at least one for me to eat.
I was wrong. Our cookie jar is completely empty.
I looked through all of the other cookie recipes on this site, and I decided I just have to make these again, since they were such a hit. Plus, I already have all the ingredients…
(i always buy enough stuff to make your recipes at least twice when i try something new from this site… they’re that dependably good…)
Twice in two weeks… I’d say these are some amazing cookies! And easy to make… for sure.
I love that the butter is melted already when you put it in, because I never remember to get butter out beforehand, and it ALWAYS melts when I try to thaw it in the microwave…
Another amazing recipe!
The cookie looks awesome – will try this week. Question from a novice baker – what is 1-2 c? One to two cups of chocolate chip or was that a typo and you meant 1/2 cup of chocolate chips? Thanks!
Krista – glad these cookies turned out for you (and I’m with you – the broken cookies have to be eaten right away!). Thanks for letting me know how they turned out. Did they have enough chocolate chips for your taste?
Ok, so I didn’t get around to making them until thismorning, but they’re delicious. I HAD to eat the two that broke as I was getting them off the cookie sheet.
I think I am going to package the dough in a cute container, and freeze it to gift throughout the holidays, as well as keeping my cookie jar fully stocked.
They came together SO fast (or maybe that was just because I used my new mixer instead of a spatula) and bake up beautifully.
I can’t wait to put them all in the cookie jar.
I’m definitely making these today to finally have something to put in the cookie jar that has been empty lately.
I’m really excited about it.
I’m looking for a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe with TONS of chocolate chips without ruining the batter (I’ve found that adding LOTS of extra chocolate chips makes it hard for the cookies to hold together). I had some store bought ones at a party the other day, and they were to die for. They were more chocolate chip than they were cookie. Any ideas?
I’m sure these cookies will be amazing. All the other recipes I’ve made from here have been.
I’ll let you know later on tonight how they turn out.
Heidi – thanks for letting me know you like these. They are my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and I’m glad they were a hit with you, too!
I posted about this recipe a while back and these are my new favorite! Yours look great!
I will give this a try – I just put my choc chip recipe on my blog last week. Must be something in the air 😉
These cookies are amazing! Usually I make chocolate chip cookies and they go flat…these looked (and tasted) perfect! Definitely a keeper!
I just made chocolate chip cookies last night! I really liked the version I made, but they weren’t very thick, and I like them thick and chewy. I’ll have to give these a try!
I just made these cookies and they turned out PERFECT!! I have tried so many recipes and this one is a keeper!! My husband can’t stop eating them! Thanks for the recipe!
Kim – that recipe sounds fantastic!>>Brandy – I am thrilled you liked the cookies! I am with you – I have made so many chocolate chip cookies and these are definitely at the top of my list.
I just made these and they are fantastic. Thanks for sharing all of these great recipes. Everything I have made (at least 8 of your recipes) this month has turned out great. My family thanks you for getting me out of a cooking rut! Trying your recipes actually makes me excited to fix dinner and try something new!
I know what you mean about finding “the one” – it’s hard not to love them all. These look so good though!
elizabeth – thanks! I’m really glad you liked the cookies; they really are some of my favorites. You made my day with your comment – I’m glad the recipes haven’t failed you yet. I’ll cross my fingers that doesn’t happen! 🙂
Deborah – I bet you will LOVE these. Let me know what you think!>>Jodee – I’m glad you loved them, too – they really are some of the best I’ve made and tasted and I’m glad you agree!
You can never go wrong with CI! I’ll bookmark this one to try 🙂
I was actually just going to post this same recipe to our recipe blog. I just tried it after a friend made them for me and they were pretty tasty! I have never been able to make thick cookies until now! Yipeee!
Give this recipe a try! It’s one that I made up and EVERYONE loves them!>>Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies!!>>Ingredients: >>1 c. butter (no substitutes), softened>¾ c. granulated sugar>¾ c. brown sugar>8 oz. cream cheese, softened>1 tsp. vanilla>1 lg. egg>2 ¼ c. flour>1 tsp. baking soda>1 tsp. salt>2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips>>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.>>With an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until nice and creamy. Add cream cheese and continue to mix until all lumps are gone and it is nice and smooth. Add vanilla and egg and mix. Slowly add flour, a little at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix well, but not too much! Turn off your mixer and add the chocolate chips, folding by hand with a rubber spatula. Scoop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet; make sure they aren’t too close though! Bake in your oven for 9-11 minutes, I do mine for 10. Cool on a rack and once they are all the way cool put into a plastic bag or container and keep in the fridge! Since they have cream cheese in them you don’t want them to spoil! These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! They stay nice and moist!
HELP girls, I really want to try this recipe but what is 12 T of butter in oz or grams please?
We are so bad in France at making cookies..!
Chrissy from France – 12 tablespoons of butter is 3/4 cup which should equal 6 ounces, if I’m not mistaken. Good luck!