These chocolate chip cookies by Chef Ottolenghi are crispy at the edges with a soft and chewy center. It has the perfect balance of sweet buttery cookie dough to chocolate chips.

This classic chocolate chip cookie recipe is easy, simple and straightforward.

And with a famous name like Yottam Ottolenghi behind countless amazing recipes, you can be confident you’ll be baking up scrumptious cookies.

Now I can’t honestly say that I’ve made chocolate chip cookies this good. These are truly the best chocolate chip cookies in my book.

soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies this recipe

Table of contents

These chocolate chip cookies are so delicious and utterly addictive, they’re right up there with my favourite peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

If you love to dunk your cookies in a glass of milk like me, you’ll definitely appreciate the generous chunks of buttery cookie dough as much as the chocolate chips in these cookies. Perfect for soaking up all that creamy goodness.

For those of you who love your cookies fully loaded, there’s absolutely nothing to stop you from adding an absurd amount of chips and baking up the most chip-dimpled cookies on earth!

It’s worth mentioning that I’ve skipped the roasted pecans called for in the original recipe and added (gasp!) even more chocolate chips.

stack of chocolate chip cookies, bit off cookies with a soft and chewy middle

5 reasons why this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe

  • Texture: These are thick cookies, which I love! This recipe makes soft cookies with a chewy middle and crispy edges.
  • Flavour: Vanilla-flavoured buttery cookie dough that tastes so good you’ll be tempted to eat it on its own! The white and brown sugar mix makes for moist cookies with a light molasses flavour.
  • Balance: The right proportions of cookie dough to chocolate chips so you’ll enjoy as much of the delicious cookie dough as you do the chocolate chips.
  • Chocolate: Loads of chocolate chips, of course!
  • Cookie dough: This cookie dough is a wonderful base for adapting and creating other fun, favourite and festive cookies. Think sprinkle cookies, M&M cookies, butterscotch or peanut butter chip cookies, and so much more!

Ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies

For this cookie recipe, you’ll need just a handful of mostly pantry staples:

  • self-raising flour. Self-raising flour is pre-packaged plain or all purpose flour, baking powder, with a bit of salt. If you don’t normally stock it in your pantry, it’s easy to make your own with plain flour and baking powder (instructions are included in the recipe card below).
  • unsalted butter. For a rich buttery flavour, use European butter but any good quality butter, preferably with at least 82% butterfat, will work well.
  • light brown sugar. Makes these cookies moist and flavours them with a modest hint of molasses. Substitute with dark brown sugar if you like the cookies darker in colour.
  • caster sugar or white sugar. Browns the cookies and absorbs moisture, giving the cookies a tender crispness – we’re going for a good mix of brown and white sugars to get cookies with crisp edges but soft, chewy centers.
  • salt. A little goes a long way! Salt balances the sweetness of the sugars and improves the flavour of the cookie dough. Skip it if you use salted butter.
  • pure vanilla extract. Use unsweetened pure vanilla extract for a more intense vanilla flavour in your cookie dough. If you’re using vanilla essence, measure out twice the amount in the recipe.
  • large eggs. Use eggs that weigh 60 – 63 grams (2 – 2.5 ounces) still in their shells.
  • dark chocolate chips. Use semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet ones – I usually love a mix. Avoid using chopped chocolate bars or chocolate chunks as their inconsistent sizes will cause the cookies to bake unevenly and alter the consistency of your chocolate chip cookies.
soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies

8 Pro Tips for Perfect, Soft and Chewy Cookies

  1. Weigh the ingredients. Use a kitchen scale for accurate and consistent baking outcomes. For instance, measuring flour with a measuring cup can end up with 1.5 times the actual quantity, throwing a good recipe out of balance.
  2. Work with room temperature butter. Pull out cold butter from the chiller at least 20 – 30 minutes before. You’ll want the butter softened but still cool.
  3. Don’t over beat the butter. Cream butter and sugars only until light and fluffy – the mixture should not look greasy which is a sign that some of the butter has started to warm.
  4. Use a cookie scoop or weigh each cookie ball. Don’t eye-ball it! Using a cookie scoop or weighing each cookie ball will ensure that you turn out consistently-sized cookies. It also allows the cookies to bake evenly.
  5. Chill/freeze the cookie dough after shaping.  Shape the cookie balls immediately once the cookie dough comes together – it’s much easier and effortless! This way, you don’t have to wrestle with cold cookie dough that’s set like a firm lump of rock after sitting in the chiller for hours.
  6. Chill overnight for better-tasting cookies. An overnight chill benefits the cookie dough in so many ways! The dry ingredients in the cookie dough absorb the moisture, concentrates its flavour, and helps the cookies brown nicely and bake evenly. Chilling also allows the butter fat to solidify – the cookies won’t spread too quickly in a hot oven so you won’t end up with flat cookies.  Trust me, it’s always worth the wait!
  7. Check the oven temperature. Ovens have hot spots and their internal temperature can differ from the temperature setting you set. To be absolutely sure, use an oven thermometer for consistent baking results.
  8. Under-bake the cookies. For crispy edges but a soft and chewy center, slightly underbake the cookies. Take the cookies out once they brown lightly at the edges, crack on top but still pale-coloured in the center.

Easy, step-by-step guide to making chocolate chip cookies

  • Place the room-temperature butter and sugars in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
  • Beat at a medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. 
Brown sugar, white sugar, and butter in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle.
The creamed butter and sugar mixture (the base for the cookie dough) in a stand mixer bowl.

  • Next, add the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until well incorporated.
Vanilla extract added to the creamed butter and sugar mixture.
Eggs added to the creamed butter and sugar mixture in the mixer bowl.

  • Stop the mixer. Sift together the flour and salt directly into the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and turn on the mixer.
  • Beat until just combined – stop when you don’t see any more loose flour. (Tip: If your mixer bowl comes with a lid, put it on or drape a clean kitchen towel over the bowl before you turn it on to prevent the flour from flying out of the bowl.)
Flour paddled into the creamed butter and eggs mixture to make a cookie dough.
A smooth butter cookie dough in the mixer bowl.

  • Tip in the chocolate chips and mix at low speed until just combined.
  • Stop the mixer and gently bring together the dough by hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The cookie dough should be firm and come together easily.
Chocolate chips added to the cookie dough in the mixer bowl.
The finished chocolate chip cookie dough in the mixer bowl.
Raw chocolate chip cookie dough

  • With your hands, shape the dough into large golf-ball-sized balls, about 45 g / 1.6 oz each. Set them in the chiller for at least 30 minutes to an hour to firm up.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F. Line a large baking tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper or baking sheets.
The finished chocolate chip cookie dough shaped into balls and set on a baking sheet.
Chocolate chip cookie dough balls spaced apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  • Spread the cookie dough balls out on the lined baking tray or cookie sheet – you’ll need to bake them in batches. Space them at least 6 cm/3 inches apart.
  • Bake for 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie balls you make. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the baking pans or cookie sheets. You’ll want to slightly underbake these cookies. Remove them from the oven when they’ve turned golden brown at the edges and slightly cracked on top.

How to avoid over-baking chocolate chip cookies

For perfect chocolate chip cookies with soft and chewy centers, you’ll want to slightly underbake them. Take the cookies out once they:

  • brown very lightly at the edges and bottoms but still pale in the centres
  • no longer look glossy and are still very soft in the centres
  • are slightly cracked on top

Remember, cookies will continue to bake for another minute or so on the tray or baking sheet even when removed from the oven. It’s better to err by under-baking the cookies than taking them out when they’ve browned too much.

A close up view of a chocolate chip cookie on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

While the cookies are still soft and warm, lightly press extra chocolate chips down into the soft cookie centres. Sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the baked cookies too, if you like.

Allow cookies to cool on the trays for 10 minutes until firm, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to keep chocolate chip cookies fresh

Chocolate chip cookies are best enjoyed when just baked out of the oven, but it’s a fact that even soft and chewy cookies can become drier by the day.

The key to keeping chocolate chip cookies fresh is to keep the air out by storing them in an absolutely airtight container, preferably one with a rubber seal.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, place them in a single layer with parchment or waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking.

Put a slice of bread – not stale – in between the cookies. The cookies will slowly wick the moisture out of the bread and keep well for up to 5 days.

Chocolate chip cookies and loose chocolate chips strewn across a counter top.

How to freeze baked chocolate chip cookies

Ideally, cookies should be frozen the day they are baked to retain maximum freshness. It takes a bit more work, which is why I always opt for freezing shaped cookie balls and baking them up just before I want some.

But there’ll always be a time when you might want to freeze your baked cookies.

First, always make sure that your baked chocolate cookies have completely cooled to room temperature.

For best results, wrap each individually in cling wrap. Make sure no part of the cookie is exposed to minimize freezer burn.

To save freezer space, stack individually wrapped cookies, say 4 – 5 cookies per stack, and wrap the entire stack once more in cling wrap.

Fill a freezer bag with your wrapped cookies or cookie stacks. Seal the bag tight and pen the date on the label.

Set it in the freezer, and make sure you don’t put anything heavy on top otherwise the cookies may crack or crumble.

How to reheat baked chocolate chip cookies that have been frozen

So, you’re ready to enjoy those chocolate chip cookies! Pull out your magic number of cookies from the freezer bag. While still wrapped, let them sit on the counter to thaw completely.

For a shorter waiting time, unwrap the cookies and set them in a single layer on a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on the defrost setting for about 30 seconds.

If you want to enjoy your cookies warm, microwave on a low power setting (400 – 600 watts) for about 15 seconds after defrosting.

Do not re-freeze thawed chocolate chip cookies. Once thawed and warmed, these cookies should be eaten within 2 days.

A chocolate chip cookie dunked into a glass of milk.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add nuts?

Absolutely! The original recipe calls for lightly toasted pecans, but you can use whichever nuts you prefer. Be sure to lightly roast the nuts to bring out their nutty flavours.

Spread them out on a baking tray and bake in a moderately hot oven (170°C/338°F) for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop roughly into 1.5-cm/0.75-inch pieces.

Set aside to cool and add them to the cookie dough together with the chocolate chips.

Chocolate chip cookies stacked on a counter top.

Can I make these thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies?

To get cookies crisp all the way through, flatten the balls slightly before baking, and give them an extra minute or so in the oven.

I recommend shaping the cookie dough, either by hand or with an ice cream scoop, into the desired sizes once the cookie dough comes together.

It’ll be a lot easier than trying to wrestle your fingers or scoop into cold, hardened cookie dough.

Set the cookie balls closely together on a baking tray or cookie sheet and refrigerate or freeze immediately until completely hardened.

Then transfer into a freezer bag, pen the best-before date on the label (add 3 months to the date you made the cookie dough), seal tight and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can I bake immediately from frozen?

I do this all the time, and it’s probably what I love most about this cookie dough.

To enjoy fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, pull out a handful of frozen cookie balls and pop them into a hot oven and voila!

They’ll be ready in 15 minutes (just remember to factor in a little bit of extra time, 1 – 2 minutes more, if you want crispy cookies).

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What I ultimately love about this chocolate chip recipe is that it consistently turns out great chocolate chip cookies.

Whatever precious time and effort I can spare after slogging through a tough day, running twenty errands, or having a cookie craving, it definitely won’t be wasted on this good chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Here are more awesome sweet treats to inspire your next bake:

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies
5 from 3 reviews
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Chilling/Freezing: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
Yield: 36 cookies
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Crispy at the edges with soft and chewy centers and a perfect balance of buttery cookie dough to chocolate chips, these chocolate chip cookies are sure to impress {based on the original Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies recipe by Yottam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh}.

Ingredients

  • 250 g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into 2-cm/1-inch cubes
  • 200 g light brown sugar
  • 200 g caster sugar or white sugar
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs each weighing 60 – 63 g / 2 – 2.25 oz still in its shell
  • 560 g self-raising flour Note 1
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 440 g semi-sweet chocolate chips Note 2 plus extra for topping

Instructions
 

  • Place the room-temperature butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at a medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • With the mixer still running, beat in the vanilla extract. Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until well incorporated.
  • Stop the mixer. Sift together the flour and salt directly into the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and turn on the mixer. Beat until just combined – stop when you don't see any loose flour.
    Tip: If your mixer bowl comes with a lid, put it on or drape a clean kitchen towel over the bowl before you turn it on to prevent the flour from flying out of the bowl.
  • Tip in the chocolate chips and mix at low speed until just combined. Stop the mixer and gently bring the dough together by hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The cookie dough should be firm and come together easily.
  • With your hands or a cookie scoop, shape the dough into large golf-ball-sized balls, about 45 g / 1.6 oz each. Set them in the chiller for at least 30 minutes to an hour to firm up.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F. Line a large baking tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a baking sheet.
  • Spread the cookie dough balls out on the lined baking tray or cookie sheet – you'll need to bake them in batches – spaced at least 6 cm/3 inches apart.
  • Bake on the center rack in the oven for 12 minutes, depending on the size of cookie balls you make, rotating the baking tray/cookie sheet halfway through. 
    Tip: Slightly underbake the cookies – remove them from the oven when they've lost their glossy sheen, turned golden brown at the edges and slightly cracked on top. Note: Cookies will continue to cook while they sit out on the tray.
  • Lightly press the extra chocolate chips down into the soft cookie centers while they're still warm and haven't firmed up. Sprinkle some kosher salt over the tops, if you like.
  • Once firm enough to handle, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in a well-sealed, airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

1. Self-raising flour substitute

To make your own self-raising flour, mix together 600 grams of plain flour with 2½ tablespoons of baking powder and 2½ teaspoons of salt in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Sift the mixture twice. Then weigh out 560 grams of this flour mixture for the recipe. Store the extra in an air-tight container and label it. 

2. Chocolate chips

Use your favourite milk, semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate chips or callets – I like to use a mix. Avoid using chopped chocolate bars as the inconsistent sizes will cause the cookies to bake unevenly and alter the consistency of the cookie.

3. Nuts

Replace 120 grams of the chocolate chips with your choice of nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or brazil nuts work well). Be sure to lightly roast the nuts before adding them to the cookie dough.
To do that, spread the nuts out on a baking tray and bake in a moderately hot oven (170°C/338°F) for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop roughly into 1.5-cm/0.75-inch pieces.
Set aside to cool and add them to the cookie dough together with the chocolate chips.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 214kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 73mg, Potassium: 88mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 192IU, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American, Western
Course: Dessert, Snacks and Treats, Tea
Author: Celia Lim
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a review in the section below, and tag @foodelicacy on Instagram and hashtag it #foodelicacy so I can see!