Sweet, soft and a hint of chocolate, these cookies hit the spot.
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies seem to be a recipe as old as time. They are as delicious as they are iconic, whether you lay them out for Santa Claus or give one to a mouse they are a dessert immortalized in lore and literature. Almost every baker has a recipe like this tucked away somewhere. If you don’t have a recipe then you do now, and if you already have one keep reading there could be something here that could blow your mind. Though this seems like a recipe as old as time this recipe does have an origin.
Like many great advancements in humanity, soft chocolate chip cookies were the result of a happy little accident. Ruth Wakefield was baking cookies one day when she realized she didn’t have enough nuts for her cookies. Quick on her feet she chopped baking chocolate into pieces. She thought the chocolate pieces would melt and create chocolate cookies but instead, she stumbled upon creating Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies. I don’t know where Ruth is now, but her legacy forever lives on each time these cookies are baked. Thank you, Ruth.
When I taste Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies I think of recess, baking with my mom, baking with my grandma, school dances, and a whole lot of sweet nostalgia. It’s melt in your mouth goodness with a hint of gooey chocolate. It is the perfect dessert treat. Fits in your hand. Fits in a lunch box. You can eat it in a couple bites. It’s the type of sweetness that keeps people coming back for more. While chocolate chip cookies can be found at the grocery store, convenience store, or even the cereal aisle, none of those will ever come close to the taste and memories that come from home made soft chocolate chip cookies.
Why Brown and White Sugar?
There are so many types of sugar, brown sugar, white sugar, cane sugar, powdered sugar, and these days they’re met with just as many artificial sugars, monk fruit, stevia, yacon syrup, it’s easy to get lost in what sugars help a recipe. More often than not people ignore what type of sugar they are adding and end up getting less than desirable results. If you want fluffy and super soft cookies you need to have brown sugar. Brown sugar is a moisture retainer, and the key to keeping a cookie soft is moisture. White sugar is a sweetener that makes the cookies, you guessed it, sweet. With the forces of brown and white sugar combined like the amazing wonder twins they are, you get a super soft and tasty cookie.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (mix of chips and chunks preferred)
Instructions
Prep time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 10 minutes
Yields – 12 servings
Step 1. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Soften the butter by microwaving it for about 40 seconds. It should be mostly melted but not hot.
Step 2. Cream the butter and sugars together using a mixer until smooth. Blend in the vanilla and egg for just 10-15 seconds to avoid overmixing.
Step 3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in the mixture until it forms crumbles. Press the crumbles with your hands to make a dough. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4. Shape the dough into 12 balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until they’re puffy and just turning golden. Don’t overbake to keep them soft.
Step 5. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes. They will deflate slightly and become wonderfully soft and dense.
FAQs & Tips
When storing your cookies place a slice of white bread with them. The moisture in the white bread will keep the cookies soft. If the bread dries out, replace it with a new slice.
To get soft cookie results it helps if the recipe includes lots of butter, brown sugar, and egg.
You can put them in a storage bag, or Tupperware. Whatever your preferred storage method make sure it is airtight, if you leave them out or unsealed they will go stale.
Manage your heat and your time, don’t try and shortcut the recipe by cooking at higher temperatures, keep your temperatures low and take them out as soon as they are ready.
Serving Suggestions
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies are so versatile, they are like your favorite pair of shoes because they go with almost everything. The easiest choice is to eat them Santa-style with a tall glass of cold milk, dunking is absolutely at your discretion. You can make them the bread of an ice cream sandwich by putting a scoop of your favorite ice cream in between two cookies. If you’d prefer pairing them as a sweet side or desert here are some of my favorites to pair with these delicious cookies Vegetable Lasagna, Hot Dogs In A Loaf, Crunchy Chicken Ranch Wraps With Tyson Chicken Fries, Mediterranean Chicken Pasta, Hamburger Stroganoff Casserole, and Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings. Don’t let the options overwhelm you, I’d recommend eating a cookie while you decide what to pair them with.
The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips mix of chips and chunks preferred
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Soften the butter by microwaving it for about 40 seconds. It should be mostly melted but not hot.
- Cream the butter and sugars together using a mixer until smooth. Blend in the vanilla and egg for just 10-15 seconds to avoid overmixing.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in the mixture until it forms crumbles. Press the crumbles with your hands to make a dough. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough into 12 balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until they’re puffy and just turning golden. Don’t overbake to keep them soft.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes. They will deflate slightly and become wonderfully soft and dense.
