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This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!! So easy to make, these soft and fluffy chocolate chip cookies taste amazing!
My husband’s favorite food in the world is chocolate chip cookies. More specifically his mother’s chocolate chip cookies recipe.
It is such a staple in his childhood and to this day, every time we visit my mother-in-law, she always has at least 3 dozen freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies ready to go. In a couple days, they are all gone.
Recently I’ve been baking a lot, and I thought I would play around with her recipe. You see my husband likes his chocolate chip cookies very sweet, flat and chewy in the middle and I like mine crunchy, nutty and not as sweet.
So the perfect compromise – because marriage is all about compromise right? – was to bake chocolate chip cookies that are soft but fluffy and have less sugar than a normal cookie. And of course add nuts for crunchiness!
Less sugar = healthier cookies!
And I am so glad that it worked out, because they are truly delicious and won both of our stamps of approval.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is super easy and customizable, so here are the basics and some extra notes to make sure these work for you.
The basic ingredients in these chocolate chip cookies are butter, sugar, flour and of course chocolate chips.
Both brown sugar and white sugar are used and you can use any type of chocolate chips and nuts that you’d prefer.
The secret to this recipe’s success is the baking soda and hot water mix. Don’t skip this step as the hot water activates the baking soda and gives the cookie a lift.
Modifications
For sweeter cookies; use milk-chocolate chips, and increase brown and white sugar by 1/4 cup each (1/2 cup total).
Nut-free cookies: in this recipe you can use any type of nuts or remove them all together.
For flatter, chewier cookies: use crisco instead of butter and add the extra sugar (1/4 cup each brown and white sugar). Bake for 8 minutes. They will look underdone, but will set after cooling.
For dairy-free or vegan cookies: use crisco or other vegetable shortening instead of butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.
How to Bake The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
There is not much to the baking of these cookies, they really are super easy.
Make the batch as instructed, preheat the oven to 350F and bake a dozen at a time.
Bake for 8-10 minutes per your preference. For chewier cookies, bake for 8 minutes. For crunchier, fluffier cookies, bake for 10 minutes or the cookies turn golden brown at the edges.
These cookies do not spread if made with butter, so you can either shape into balls and press them down for a more consistent look or drop them by spoonful for a more homemade look.
If you make it with crisco or vegetable shortening, it will spread out a little more and flatten out, so allow space so the cookies don’t touch.
If you are baking frozen dough (see instructions below), you can just bake from frozen and add a couple more minutes to the baking time or let it thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Cookies
This all depends how you like your chocolate chip cookies. I like when mine get a little dryer a couple days after the bake. My husband on the other hand doesn’t, so his always gets stored in an airtight container.
Whatever method you choose, make sure to let them cool completely before storing them to prevent moisture buildup.
Cookies last 5-7 days depending on your weather conditions, but I doubt that they will be around that long.
How To Freeze Cookie Dough
It is very simple to freeze chocolate chip cookie dough.
Make balls of cookie dough and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Press them down to flatten it. Freeze it until solid and then store it in a container.
Freeze up to 6 weeks. To bake from frozen check out the prior section on how to bake The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsps hot water
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cream butter, add the brown and white sugar.
- Add the eggs and vanilla.
- Boil the water in the microwave (20secs). Dissolve the baking soda into the water. Alternate this mixture with flour.
- Add the nuts and chocolate chips.
- Drop spoonfuls of dough into a baking sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 8-10 mins or until golden brown on the edges. Place it on a cooling rack to cool.
Video
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, you might also like these other desserts:
If you liked this recipe, you might also like Beef Gyudon!
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Janet
Thank you for the trick in activating the baking soda to get a cookie that isn’t flat!!!!
Jana
You are very welcome!
Laura
I don’t know what I did wrong. But it taste like a sugar cookie. Hahaha. Kids like it though
Jana
Maybe more chocolate chips? I like mine on the more dough less chocolate chips side, but it’s totally up to you many chocolate chips you use. Glad the kids liked it!
Ashley
This was by far the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies I have ever used! I bake cookies all the time, and have came across many pretty good recipes. But this one takes the lead! Everyone loved them, and they were gone within a day! They have the perfect flavor and texture and as my sister in law put it “they are so addicting!” Thanks for this keeper of a recipe.
Jana
So glad you liked it!! Thanks for trying and leaving the comment!