The Best Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies have the perfect texture and flavor. Against the advice of most chocolate chip cookie recipes, this one uses melted butter which helps give them the amazing texture I love so much about them.

I have made these cookies numerous times and they have been an absolute hit. I have to give credit where credit is due, I found this recipe on the Pinch of Yum blog but very slightly adapted her original recipe. I love to give a little twist to already great recipes, in this case, the twist is a smidgen of almond extract.

You don’t need to wait for your butter to soften which is honestly half the battle of making cookies. As far as the chocolate goes, you can use any flavor of baking chips or variation of chocolate chips that suit your fancy. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips and highly prefer the ones from Trader Joe’s for some reason.

And listen, I do NOT like crunchy cookies or raw middle cookies. These have a slight rise to them with a soft center but just the right amount of doneness on the outside to give some texture and not be cake-like.

Also, keep in mind that baking time can vary depending on what type of baking sheet you use, what type of pan liner you use, and the oven you are baking in. Use common sense to the best of your ability to make sure they are done enough. You should be able to smell them baking but not too strongly. The tops should start to get a bit of color but they should not be golden and the same goes for the bottoms.

Okay enough blabbing, here is the recipe.

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Download the recipe by clicking here.

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serving Size:

About 24

Time:

20 minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

8 tablespoons of salted butter (melted)
1/2 cup white sugar (half white sugar and half raw cane sugar will change your life and the texture)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional but if you have it on hand… do it)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (plus another pinch if you’re feeling salty)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (you can really use whatever type of baking chips you want)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then cut the butter into chunks, place it in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave it for 30-45 seconds to just barely melt it. It should not be hot – but it should be almost entirely in liquid form. If it gets hot let it sit a bit to cool before using.
Using a stand mixer (KitchenAid to the rescue) or electric beaters, mix together the butter and sugars until they’re creamy.
Next, add the extracts and egg. Beat on low speed until well incorporated – around 10-20 seconds (if you beat the egg for too long, the cookies can get stiff).
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until crumbles form. Once the ingredients start to combine you can increase the speed slightly and continue mixing until the dough comes together. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle (right at the stage between “wet” dough and “dry” dough).
Finally, add the chocolate chips and incorporate them with your hands or a couple of quick turns of the mixer.
Use a medium baking scoop to portion the dough into 25 medium balls (or 12 for VERY large cookies) and place onto a parchment or silicone baking mat lined cookie sheet. I like to be extra and press some chocolate chips into them after shaping them for an extra aesthetic look. Bake for 9-15 minutes, until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Watch them closely after 9-11 minutes and take them out even if they look like they’re not done yet. They will likely be pale and puffy but the center should NOT look wet.
Once they’re out of the oven let them cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to cooling racks. Or eat after 5 minutes, whatever feels right haha. They will slightly ‘deflate’ and ultimately become just dense enough, buttery, soft cookies that are a party favorite. Freeze any that are left or leave them in an airtight container for up to a week to keep them soft.

They will probably look pretty similar to this when they are done.

Supplies for Baking Cookies

I thought I would share a few baking supplies I absolutely love. I love the half-sheet baking pans that I found at Costco a while back (they probably still have them) but Amazon has the same style at a similar price. They have lids for easy storage and travel.

I also love having various sizes of baking scoops around, I used my large one when making these cookies but also have a small and medium-sized one.

Silicone baking sheets are amazing if you want to enjoy baked goods that aren’t burnt and avoid cleaning up a messy pan post-bake.

And of course, the handy dandy KitchenAid mixer my grandma bought me 11 years ago is still going strong. It has endured many moves and even a few drops and tip-overs. Totally worth the money!