These cookies aren’t anything fancy, and they don’t purport to reinvent the chocolate chip cookie or anything. They aren’t gooey, chewy chocolate chip cookies but are instead tender and crumbly. They aren’t all the same size, and they aren’t all perfectly round. And I love them for it. Because they taste like a cookie. Like a really good cookie. That’s all I wanted–a soft, crumb-leaving, delicious, straight forward cookie, studded and sprinkled with chocolate. And I can tell you with certainty, these are all those things.
Print
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 18-24 cookies 1x
Description
These chocolate chip cookies are unfussy and delicious, just like a chocolate chip cookie should be.
Ingredients
- 140 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp.) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- large pinch salt
- 113 g (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 90 g (1/4 cup + 3 tbsp.) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract small
- splash almond extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) chocolate chips (milk, dark, whatever you prefer)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light.
- Add the egg and mix until combined.
- Add vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and mix until almost combined.
- Paddle in chocolate just until evenly distributed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake, no more than two days. (I usually refrigerate cookie dough overnight before baking.)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and stack on top of another baking sheet.
- Spoon tbsp-size pieces of dough onto cookie sheet about two inches apart.
- Bake until puffed and lightly golden on the edges, about 10 minutes.
- Cool on cookie sheet about 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Chocolate
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Gluten Free: Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Chili and Lime Shortbread Cookies
- Almond Butter, Maple and Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe use both chocolate chips and roughly chopped dark chocolate?
The recipe calls for ½ cup (120 ml) chocolate chips and ½ cup (120 ml) roughly chopped dark chocolate. The chips melt into pockets of chocolate while the chopped chocolate creates irregular shards and puddles, giving the cookies varied chocolate texture throughout rather than uniform chips.
Why does the dough need to be refrigerated before baking?
The instructions say to wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it before baking, for no more than two days. The author notes she usually refrigerates cookie dough overnight. Chilling firms the fat, which slows spreading in the oven and helps produce the tender, crumbly texture the recipe is aiming for rather than a flat, chewy cookie. 
Why are two baking sheets stacked on top of each other?
The instructions specifically say to line a baking sheet with parchment and stack it on top of another baking sheet. The double pan insulates the bottom of the cookies from direct oven heat, preventing over-browning on the underside while the tops bake to lightly golden edges in about 10 minutes at 375°F.
