Some days I crave the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies more than any big dinner. The tray slides out of the oven, the chips look glossy and soft, and the first bite makes the whole kitchen feel calm. This recipe grew from years of testing baking recipes cookies at home, with lots of late night batches and a pile of crumb filled plates. To me the best cookie recipes hit a sweet spot. The dough comes together fast in one bowl, the chill time fits into real life, and every bite tastes rich but not heavy. I wanted something that feels like the heart of our family baking recipes, the kind of treat you mix on a weekday and share before the tray has time to cool. So this version of chocolate chip cookies now sits at the top of my sweet easy recipes list. It works for school events, quiet nights with a movie, or last minute guests who appear with zero warning. If you love easy dessert recipes and keep a little list of go to dessert recipes, this one can slide right to the front. I still smile every time I pull a pan from the oven and hear the small crackle of the chips in the warm air.
Table of Contents
- 1) Key Takeaways
- 2) Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- 3) Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 4) How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 5) Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 6) Making Chocolate Chip Cookies Ahead of Time
- 7) Storing Leftover Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 8) Try these Dessert next!
- 9) Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 10) Nutrition
1) Key Takeaways
We bake these chocolate chip cookies on lazy afternoons when life feels a bit noisy and we want a warm tray on the counter. The recipe stays simple, the dough comes together fast, and the flavor tastes rich and cozy. Kathy here from Simply Cooked Recipes, and I promise this pan never lasts long.
The cookies turn out soft in the center with light crisp edges, so each bite gives a gentle crunch and then melts. You do not need special tools or a mixer, just a bowl, a spoon, and a baking sheet. Kids can help scoop, and no one complains when chocolate smudges end up on fingers.
We use pantry staples, so you can start when the craving hits and skip a trip to the store. Chill time stays short, bake time stays quick, and the batch fits both weeknights and slow weekend baking sessions.
2) Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
When I say easy chocolate chip cookies, I mean you stir, scoop, and bake without stress. These chocolate chip cookies slide right into your regular baking rhythm and feel like an old friend on the cooling rack. You mix one bowl of dough, shape neat mounds, and watch the chocolate chip cookies puff and settle into soft rounds.
I love baking recipes that leave room for small changes. Maybe you tuck in extra chips, maybe you make a smaller batch for a quiet night. The dough holds up well, so even a new baker can follow each step with calm hands and still feel proud when the tray comes out of the oven.
The method leans on a classic chocolate cookie recipe with butter, sugar, and plenty of chips. On Simply Cooked Recipes we test each step so you can relax, breathe in the warm smell, and enjoy that first soft cookie while it still steams.
3) Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies
Butter Soft butter gives a tender crumb and a gentle golden color. I let it sit on the counter until it presses easily with a finger yet still holds shape. This base carries the flavor and helps the cookies stay soft after they cool.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar Brown sugar brings a deep, almost caramel tone, and white sugar adds light sweetness and lift. Together they strike a balance that fits baking recipes cookies fans love, with a chewy center and edges that stay just firm enough.
Egg and vanilla The egg ties the dough together and keeps each cookie soft. Vanilla rounds out the flavor so the chocolate stands out yet still feels smooth. I crack the egg into a small bowl first so no shell slips into our homemade chocolate chip cookie batch.
Flour, baking soda, and salt All purpose flour forms the structure, baking soda helps the dough rise and spread in the right way, and a small pinch of salt sharpens every sweet note. I whisk these together so no pockets of leavening hide in the mix.
Chocolate chips You can reach for semisweet, milk, or a mix. I like a generous cup so every bite holds several melty bits. If a few chips fall onto the pan, I call them a snack for the baker and move on.
4) How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1 Cream the soft butter with both sugars in a large bowl until the texture looks light and fluffy. This step sets the base for one of your best cookie recipes, so take a minute and enjoy the simple rhythm of the spoon or mixer.
Step 2 Add the egg and vanilla, then mix until smooth and glossy. Scrape the sides of the bowl so every bit of sugar and butter blends in. At this point the batter smells sweet and rich, and you can already picture warm cookies on the tray.
Step 3 In a second bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold this dry mix into the wet mix until no streaks of flour remain. The dough should feel soft yet scoopable, not sticky, and it will cling to the spoon in big clumps.
Step 4 Fold in the chocolate chips, then chill the bowl for a short rest so the dough relaxes. Scoop small mounds onto a lined pan, leaving space between them. Bake until the edges turn light gold and the centers look just set, then let them cool on the sheet for a few minutes.
5) Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Cookies
For a family favorite cookie recipe, let the butter soften at room temperature instead of warming it near heat. Soft butter blends well and keeps the dough stable. If the butter melts, the cookies tend to spread more and lose that soft center we love.
Use a cookie scoop or a regular spoon to keep portions close in size so each cookie bakes at the same pace. When tray one looks just right, you can trust the rest of the batch. This small bit of care makes your pan look neat and helps the chocolate chip cookies bake evenly.
If you like softer centers, pull the pan from the oven when the middle still looks slightly pale. The cookies keep cooking on the hot sheet as they rest. For firmer edges, leave them in the oven a minute longer and watch for a deeper gold ring around the sides.
6) Making Chocolate Chip Cookies Ahead of Time
I often mix this dough on a quiet evening, scoop rounds onto a tray, and chill them so they are ready the next day. That way we can slide cold dough into a warm oven and enjoy fresh chocolate chip cookies with very little effort after a long day.
The dough keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days and fits right in with other sweet easy recipes on Simply Cooked Recipes. You can tuck the scooped dough into a container once firm, then bake straight from cold, just add a minute or two to the bake time.
For longer storage place the scooped dough on a tray, freeze until solid, and move to a freezer safe bag. Label the bag with the name and date so no one forgets this classic treat hides behind other dessert items.
7) Storing Leftover Chocolate Chip Cookies
Leftover cookies rarely stay around here, yet when they do, I store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The texture stays soft for a few days, and the flavor holds steady. A small slice of bread in the container can help keep them tender.
These cookies sit well beside other dessert recipes and make a nice lunchbox treat. For a warm snack, place one cookie in the microwave for a few seconds until the chips start to soften again. The center turns gooey, and the kitchen smells like fresh baking.
For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a single layer, then move them to a freezer bag. They thaw fast on the counter, so you can grab a few whenever a sweet craving appears or guests stop by without warning.
8) Try these Dessert next!
9) Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies Sweet Easy Recipe Everyone Loves
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl so the dry ingredients blend well.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture looks light and creamy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, then mix again until the dough looks smooth and glossy.
- Tip the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Fold in the chocolate chips so they spread through the dough.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll them into balls, and place them on the baking sheets with space between each cookie.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look set and the centers still look soft.
- Let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool before serving.
10) Nutrition
On Simply Cooked Recipes we like to treat this recipe as a small comfort, not a strict health project. Each cookie offers a mix of carbs, fat, and a touch of protein from the egg and flour. One or two with a glass of milk or a cup of tea fits well into an easy dessert routine.
If you track numbers, you can base your counts on a standard cookie of this size and style. The values shift with different chip types or if you make the cookies larger or smaller. Use your usual guide, and adjust for your own batch and serving size.
When you explore other baking recipes or easy dessert recipes on the site, you can use the same common sense. Enjoy a cookie, share a plate with family, and let warm trays bring people to the kitchen table.
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