Okay, y’all. I had something else planned for today. It’s a two-part dinner recipe. It’s delicious and healthy and grilled and perfect for summer and all that business, but then I was so overcome with a very specific craving. It would not go away. It had to be indulged. And that craving, my friend, was for these Ultimate Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. We shall save the grilled chicken for another day.
the dream cookie
You see, I have had quite the hankering for chocolate chip cookies, but not just any chocolate chip cookies. I did not want anything with frills–no nuts, no oatmeal, no fancy extra steps. I wanted the kind of chocolate chip cookies you bake when you’re learning to bake and the kind you make when you fully intend on only eating the cookie dough (yes, I’m aware the of the dangers; no I don’t care).
I wanted chocolate chip cookies that weren’t cakey but still soft, that were full of rich flavor but simple to make. I wanted the kind of cookie dough that you buy from kids who come fundraising to your door and you never see them again and you question if they were ever really real or if the cookie dough was just God’s way of telling you that, “Hey, things suck right now, but here’s some mysteriously amazing cookie dough to let you know it’s probably going to be okay.” These are heartbreak chocolate chip cookies. “I’m sorry” chocolate chip cookies. “I want you to be my friend, please” chocolate chip cookies.
These cookies are…more than words.
I used to make this recipe all the time another lifetime ago when I lived in Utah and they were perfect. I forgot about them when I moved to Louisiana 11 1/2 years ago because something was off with the flour and the altitude and they came out cakey and a little bit flavorless. Back in the day, I was too scared to mess with the flour, but I am a stronger woman now who isn’t afraid of flour measurements and it turned out to be a very simple fix. And they are every bit as amazing as I remember them.
all about margarine
One more thing–before I am assaulted by comments on the evils of margarine and how I’m not a real person if I don’t use all butter and whatever, let me make it clear that I love butter in cookies and we have countless recipes that only call for butter in the cookies. One thing that makes these cookies special is the texture and the texture comes from using butter + high-quality margarine (like Smart Balance) or butter-flavored shortening. I promise it will all be okay. Just make sure you get regular margarine–nothing light, lowfat, whipped, with yogurt, etc.–these will only add extra air or water into your cookies. Just regular sticks or tubs of softened margarine.
let’s get started!
You’re going to need softened butter and margarine, white sugar, dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips. See? Nothing special. I don’t know why these cookies are special…the proportions or magic or something.
Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Place butter, margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar in a bowl
Cream together butter, margarine, and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add eggs
and vanilla
and mix until combined and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop onto cookie sheet by heaping tablespoon or with a cookie scoop. You should get 12 cookies per sheet.
The Ultimate Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup high-quality tub margarine like Smart Balance or butter-flavored shortening, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cup flour lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife (see note for altitude directions)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 12- ounce bag chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream together butter, margarine, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Drop onto cookie sheet by tablespoon or with a cookie scoop. You should get 12 cookies per sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Naturally, you want to keep an eye on them because every oven is different. Makes about 3 dozen.Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on the pan and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
other chocolate chip cookie recipes
If you’re looking for some of our many, many, many other chocolate chip cookie recipes, check out these recipes!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies
Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (my other personal favorite!)
Small-Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
Pizzookies (this dough is PERFECT for pizzookies!)
supplies used in this post
1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop
Nordicware half sheet baking sheets
Parchment sheets
KitchenAid 6-Quart Mixer
Questions & Reviews
“So you know how in my profile, it says that I don’t need 10 chocolate chip cookie recipes, I just need the best one? Well this, my friends, is the best one.” This is *exactly* what I’m looking for on this rainy afternoon! Off to the grocery store to grab some margarine now. Love your blog!!
I followed this recipe exactly except for reducing the flour by 1/4 cup because I live at a low elevation. Alas, they didn’t taste good and they didn’t have the nice appearance of the cookies that are pictured. Not sure what went wrong. Your ginger spice cookie recipe is my favorite–I get compliments whenever I bake them.
I made these today. Since I NEVER have margarine on hand, and we are in the middle of a blizzard, I decided to substitute butter flavored crisco in its place. They turned out great! Not that I was surprised by that, everything I make from your website or cookbooks turns out amazing! Thank you.
I have tried this recipe twice because I refuse to giveup. The first time I used all butter because I had no margerine and the cookies did not melt into nice flat cookie shape and turned out very cakey. I tried again today with half cup buttet and a half cup margerine and the same exact thing happened. Also I am just missing the tempetature this should be bakwd at or is it not included in the recipe? I just can’t seem to find it, but I baked them at 350 F. Help?
I started making these when I lived at a high elevation and they were perfect, but when I moved to Louisiana, mine were cakey as well. Are you at a low elevation? You might want to try reducing the flour by 2 Tbsp.-1/4 cup. Hope that helps!
I know this is such an old post by now, but I just wanted to say a quick thanks for this recipe–it is literally the ONLY chocolate chip cookie recipe that I get great results from EVERY time! I usually struggle to get cookies to come out nicely, but these always turn out perfectly. They’re my go-to chocolate chip cookies! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I used this to make BROOKIES! It turned out great, I follow the instructions for making the cookie dough, then made up a box of brownie mix. I poured the brownie batter in a greased 9×13 pan then droped scoops of cookie dough on top(I only used half to cookie dough for this). Then I baked it for 40 minutes at 350degrees(check to make sure to brownie batter come off clean when poked with a toothpick, the last ten minutes I cover the pan with tin foil so the cookie batter didn’t burn). Enjoy! Use the extra dough to make regular cookies to share with a friend!
I love this cookie recipe. They are literally the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. I think I’ve gained a few pounds because I just keep making them over and over. I would like to post this recipe on my blog that I am just starting up. I will have a link back to your original. I love your recipes!
I just made these last night. They are wonderful! I have seriously eaten almost a dozen today because I have no self control with them! I don’t think I’ll ever use another chocolate chip recipe again!
Having literally tried to make chocolate chips cookies around the world (even in Belgium during my time there as an intern)I can honestly say these are absolutely the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I have tried dozen of your recipes but somehow never spotted this one until today. Thanks for all the awesome tips (margarine and heavy aluminum pan–who knew??). I almost gave up making chocolate chip cookies altogether since they always turn out different wherever I live and never to my liking! Now I have the best recipe ever! 🙂 Thank you!!
I made these cookies after dinner for my husband and the whole family devoured them! This recipe is def a keeper 🙂