Free recipe American

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 36 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, or chopped semisweet chocolate; 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped, optional; flaky sea salt, for sprinkling, optional

Chewy in the middle, crisp at the edges and loaded with chocolate. The cookie-jar classic, done right.

By Priya Hollis, Head of Shop & Product Published October 19, 2025

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Prep: 20 min
Cook: 12 min
Total: 32 min
Servings: 36
Level: Easy

Everyone has an opinion about chocolate chip cookies, and ours is simple: golden, crisp edges, a soft and chewy middle and plenty of chocolate in every bite. Equal parts white and brown sugar give the perfect balance of snap and chew, and a full teaspoon of salt keeps the sweetness in check.

The small step that makes the biggest difference is resting the dough. Even 30 minutes in the fridge lets the flour hydrate, so the cookies spread less and bake up with a deeper, toffee-like flavor.

Serve them warm with a cold glass of milk, or sprinkle with flaky salt for a grown-up finish.

Crisp edges, chewy centers
Freezer-friendly dough
Ready in under an hour

Directions

Whisk the flour, baking soda and kosher salt together in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain.
Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using, with a sturdy spatula.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 72 hours for deeper flavor.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough into 2-tbsp balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the edges are golden and the centers look puffed and slightly underdone.
Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using, and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Test-kitchen tips

Freeze scooped dough balls on a tray, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Pull the cookies while the centers still look soft. They finish setting on the hot baking sheet and stay chewy.
Swap half the chocolate chips for chopped dark chocolate, or trade the walnuts for toasted pecans.