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.
Hello!
Did you use salted butter for this recipe?
Yes
This is the best choc chip cookie recipe ever and I have tried many. I reserve some chocolate chips to press lightly onto the tops of them after I scoop, before baking it really makes them look amazing. I now have the bragging rights of making the best choc chip cookies, as awarded to me by everyone I have made them for.
Thanks again Mel for another fantastic recipe.
Truth be told – this IS the best ever chocolate chip cookie recipe! For months I think I had a terrible oven that would keep ruining my favorite cookies. When I came across this recipe and read the reviews, I had to try it out. SUPERB. My husband even said they are the best he’s every bad!
I made these last night, and they turned out perfect! Thank you!!
Hi Mel!
I’m totally confused about weighing the flour. I mistakenly thought to just put a bowl on a scale, hit tare to get to zero, then pour the flour until (in this case) 10 oz. I did read your post on measuring flour. So I still need to scoop the flour in a measuring cup, then weigh on the scale? But isn’t the end result the same if you reach 10oz? Hope this makes sense!
Your recipes are always a hit so I just want to clarify before I make these!
Thanks!!
Hey Lori – I don’t think you are mistaken! That’s how I do it. I put a bowl on the scale, tare it to zero, then add the ingredient until the ounces are correct. Then hit tare again to zero it out and add the next ingredient (if you are weighing another). Does that make sense?
These really are the BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! They are quick and easy too. I looked a long time for truly great, chewy chocolate chip cookie, and these are it! I never bother with any other recipes now. Thank you!
By far the prettiest and yummiest cookies I’ve made.
Wow, Mel! This recipe makes me wonder why I have tried 8000 other chocolate chip cookie recipes. They are simply perfect, delicious, beautiful cookies! Thanks!!!!!
These are the BEST! My husband is super picky about chocolate chip cookies, and he loved these. I won’t make another chocolate chip recipe again. I just took them to our church Christmas pageant and they were all gone. Thank you for sharing!
These are the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. I’ve been baking for years and can’t believe that it has taken me this long to discover the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Thank you, Mel.
This recipe is a keeper. I made these cookies several times and followed the recipe exactly as written. In between batches, I placed the dough in the refrigerator to prevent the dough from becoming too soft which causes flat cookies. Also, I made sure not to over mix the dough. I made this mistake in the past and my cookies ended up tough. Thanks Mel for another winner. 🙂
Mel, my husband is the pickiest chocolate chip cookie person I know- and this recipe is the winner! And I have tried a LOT. Thank you!
Awesome, Laurel!
I am a Tollhouse girl through and through but I thought I would try something new, because really I am a chocolate chip cookie girl and if they happen to be Tollhouse, that’s just a bonus. I would give these 5 stars for easiness; I didn’t even have to use my mixer! Everything stirred together beautifully with a spoon. That being said, the Tollhouse recipe uses two full sticks of butter and these only use 1.5, and I missed that extra half-stick of butter.
Mel, I am curious, what prompted you to use one egg and one egg yolk instead of two eggs? Also, do you bake these on convection or regular bake? I tried them at 350 and they took 15 minutes but I wonder if they would go faster if I tried convection.
I would definitely make these again, especially if I wanted cookies in a hurry. They really were super easy. I’m excited to try out the rest of your cookie recipes!
Hey Kimberly – this isn’t my original recipe (it’s from America’s Test Kitchen) and so I don’t know where the egg + egg yolk came from, but I think it’s for the chewy texture of the cookie (often times egg whites can dry out baked goods). I do often bake on convection, but I bake them for about the same amount of time (but that’s probably just my oven – often you can reduce the time for a minute or two on convection).
Hi Mel! Would it be possible to make these cookies into chocolate chocolate chip cookies by adding cocoa? Maybe substituting 1/4 cup cocoa for 1/4 cup flour? Your advice would be appreciated! Thanks for all your delicious recipes!! Easily more than half the recipes I make are yours and I sure apporeciate knowing that your recipes are fail-proof! 🙂
That’s a great question, Marcie – I haven’t ever tried it, so I’m not sure. This double chocolate oatmeal cookie recipe (https://www.melskitchencafe.com/double-chocolate-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/) uses 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1 1/4 cups flour (although there are oats, too), so you might want to increase the cocoa to 1/2 cup if you experiment?
Hi mel Can i use this recipe to make nutella sea salt cookies? Like by reducing the choco chips and adding a spoon of nutella. what do u suggest?
You could experiment, but you might be better off just googling a recipe for those type of cookies since they sound quite different.
These turned out great! Just a quick question though, i used the measurements on the outside of the butter package before melting it (i can only find blocks of butter, not sticks) and then once it was melted, i measured out by Tablespoon and it ended up being less. Could my measurement initially be off? Or does the amount of butter change once it’s melted…?
Thanks!
Hmmm, that’s a good question. It should be the same, but sometimes the lines measuring the butter on the outside of the package can be a little off (it’s hard to cut it exactly on those measurements). How many tablespoons was it off once you measured the melted butter?
If you can weigh the butter, 12 tablespoons = 6 oz
If you can weigh the butter, 12 tablespoons = 6 oz
If you can weigh the butter, 12 tablespoons = 6 oz
I didn’t think I could bake a perfect chocolate chip cookie and this recipe proved me wrong! I am so excited! Thanks!
Thank you for a lovely, straightforward recipe. They came out perfectly. I baked the cookies at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, then turned the pan around and baked for 2 to 4 minutes more, as they were a bit underbaked at 12 minutes. And, for those of you still using measuring cups, do try weighing your ingreduents. You will be assured flawless, consistent results. A keeper of a chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I have tried many! P.S. I used King Arthur All-Purpose Flour for making these cookies.
My go to recipe for several years. Thanks Mel!!!
This is an exquisite cookie that I always make. It really is the best recipe!!
We love these cookies! They are the only ones we make =)
Our town has received so much rain, it is flooding in many areas and damaging homes and property. Thankfully we have stayed dry. I made a big batch of these cookies today to go with some meals we were making for people dealing with flooded homes. They were a hit with everyone who ate them. They will now be my go-to cookie. I love that you melt the butter. I never want to take the time to soften it for other recipes. I’m not sure what makes them so much better than the others, but I’m happy to have discovered the recipe on your site! Thank you 🙂
Good luck with the flooding, Tanya. My area was in that same situation a couple months ago, and it is scary and so hard for those whose homes have flooded. Glad the cookies have brought some measure of happiness!
I’ve made this so many times and each time I get asked where they came from cuz these cookies are so darn good no one believes I made them thanks and god bless!
Hi Mel! I have a question that I’m hoping you can answer. I’ve been making and loving these cookies for at least three or four years using bread flour. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that I was using the wrong type of flour until now! Anyway, we’re have loved these cookies with bread flour but I thought I should try and use all purpose flour the way the recipe states. My first attempt tonight with all purpose flour and doing everything exactly the way I have been doing it for years (measuring with a scale) and the cookies came out delicious still but much flatter. Is that because of the all purpose flour? Does all purpose flour cause more spreading? Any insight you can provide would be appreciated! I really appreciate all your recipes! 🙂
Hi Marcie – that’s a great question! And yes, it probably is because of the all-purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher gluten (and sometimes protein) content and so the result of baked goods will usually be chewier (and in this case, probably puffier). I say if the cookies have worked well for you using bread flour, stick with it! 🙂
Thanks, Mel! We love all your recipes! 🙂
I use bread flour in my chocolate chip cookies and think it makes them thicker/puffier.
here you say that this recipe uses 10 tablespoons of butter, but in the actual recipe it says 12. i guess it is a typo that it says 10 in the article, so i just thought i would point that out!!
These really are the BEST cookies. Children said to Save whatever recipe I used because it’s their favorite ever. Nicely done!!
I finally decided to try something other than my dad’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe and thought these would be perfect, since none of your other recipes have ever steered me wrong!
And I was right! These turned out fantastic and they were so easy. I didn’t even use a mixer, just a spoon. They were so thick and chewy. I even added some coconut into the last half of the batter.. yum! Thanks for another awesome recipe!
My family and I have been using this recipe for about a year! Best recipe and I swear by it!
Tip: best results when you weigh it all out!
They were good, yes, but to be honest, I believe that I like my old family recipe much better. These cookies didn’t seem to want to attach to the chocolate chips when in dough form, and when being rolled into balls the chips kept separating the dough and falling out or crumbling the ball. Also, they weren’t as crispy as the family recipe, something that I love most about chocolate chip cookies. The type of crispy I’m talking about itsn’t in the baking time, but in the way the dough is made.
I’ve been searching for the perfect cookie recipe for YEARS. Somehow, they’ve always turned out either too flat, too puffy, too greasy etc. But these – gosh, they are amazing. I wasn’t quite sure about my conversion from cups to grams, but they came out perfect ♥
Hi I tried these cookies this morning for my hubby to take to work tonight. I’m not sure what I did wrong but they still tasted good. What do you think went wrong? They flattened out while baking and even cracked a bit on top. They were still soft and chewy but they just didn’t look anything like yours.
Sounds like they might have needed a bit more flour? Do you think you might have under measured the flour?
Im looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that would ship well – not crumble and will still taste good after two days in the mail. Would this be a good one? Or do you have another cookie idea to ship to my son at college? Thank you – and thank you for all the wonderful dependable recipes. And all your work! You’re a favorite in our family.
~ Alicia
I think if these are well packaged, this recipe would work great!
I just wanted to let you know that I shared this recipe on my blog, teepeegirl.com. Thanks for all your awesome recipes! I am a huge fan!! ♥
FINALLY. DONE. LOOKING. Thank you! It’s everything you said it would be!
Hi,
So this might be a stupid question but do you shape the dough balls into a cookie shape before baking or do the balls ‘melt’ into that shape whilst in the oven? Thanks!
Keep them as balls – they’ll flatten in the oven.
Making these for the second time this week.CASE CLOSED!
Awesome biscuits ! Ilove your page
LOVE LOVE LOVE these cookies, I’ve made them many times and they turn out beautifully, however, the last few times I’ve made them they flatten out and I can’t figure out what I’ve been doing differently. Any thoughts?
Have you changed anything like baking pan? How you are lining the pans? What about ingredients, have you changed brands? Honestly, it’s almost impossible for me to know why they might not be working out like normal but those few factors may be a good place to start.
Being in the UK I have absolutely no idea what a ‘stick’ of butter is. Can you give me a gram or ounce conversion please?
One stick of butter is 1/4 pound = 1/2 cup = 113 grams = 4 ounces
Mel
I made these cookies last night and when they cooled they went hard – the flavor is amazing but I like them soft. I am wondering if i overcooked them. How brown do you get the bottoms? Also, I used my new silicone pan liners for the first time with these– could that have been the problem?
Hi Natalie – it sounds like what you suggested – that the cookies were baked too long. I don’t think silicone pan liners would make the cookies harden but it definitely can impact how long they need to bake (I find that I like to bake for less time when using my silpats, although these days I use mostly parchment paper). I’d try cutting a minute or so off the baking time. Mine barely have any color on the bottom – maybe just a bit of brown (and I cook them slightly less time now than in the pictures for the post).
Mel, you said above that you cook the cookies for slightly less time now than you did for the cookies in the photos. How much less time? I don’t want to over-bake, but I don’t want raw dough in the center either! ;D
With my oven (disclaimer that each oven could be a bit different in temp), it’s right on the 10 min 30 sec dot. 🙂
Made these cookies tonight for IDK…the 100th time. A great recipe! I appreciate all your sourcing and recipe testing. Thank you for all your hard work!
Mel! I adore you and your food! I’m 13 and love baking and cooking and I love this recipe and making it for my brothers and parents! They love it too! Your my hero.
love, your #1 fan. thanks for being ligit!
Thank you so much, Reanna! You are a rock star!
I made these yesterday, and they turned out to be the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried! It was chewy, thick but not too thick, and crispy on the edges. After previously failing and getting a super flat and thin chocolate chip cookies from another recipe from another blog…I was determined to search again and came across your blog 🙂 So glad with how it turned out, thank you so much!
So happy to hear this, Karen, thank you!
So I thought I already had “the best chocolate chip cookie recipe,” but after trying these I realize I was mistaken. Thank you for these irresistible cookies!
What adjustments would I need to make if I used unsalted butter?
Just increase the salt a bit – maybe 1/4 teaspoon extra.
Wow…THE perfect chocolate chip cookie. Thanks for the great recipe.
i made these today… yum!!! i think they will be my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi there,
Forgive me if I just missed it, but what would the high altitude recipe be? Thanks!
I haven’t made adjustments for high altitude but you could try googling tips for high altitude baking.
I always double the recipe because my family loves these cookies soo much! I freeze or refrigerate the extra dough often and they still turn out delicious. Really this recipe is pretty adaptable. We make it with various chocolate chips- white, dark, peanut butter, whatever we have around and then call them “Wookie Cookies” because we first served them at my son’s Star Wars party. Everyone who tries them loves these cookies. Thanks so much- these are a perfect cookie!
I always double the recipe.
Hi Mel. I just wanted to let you know, I’ve made these cookies for the 4th of July for the last 3 or 4 years. Instead of using chocolate chips, I use a bag of white chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups ea of dried blueberries and crasions. They are so yummy and have become a requested staple at our celebrations.