Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Perfect Chewy and Delicious Treat

Follow these simple steps to create the ultimate soft chocolate chip cookies:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The eggs add moisture and help create that soft texture in the final cookies.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing, as this can make your cookies tough.
Stir in the chocolate chips (and optional chopped nuts) using a wooden spoon or spatula. You want to distribute the chocolate evenly throughout the dough.

Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. For even baking, make sure the dough balls are similar in size.
For larger, bakery-style cookies, use a ¼ cup of dough for each cookie and flatten them slightly before baking.

Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. The cookies should look lightly golden around the edges but still slightly underbaked in the center. This is the key to ensuring a soft, chewy texture.
If you prefer larger cookies, bake them for an additional 2-3 minutes, but keep an eye on them to prevent overbaking.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. During this time, the cookies will continue to set and firm up without losing their softness.

After the cookies have set, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you can’t wait, go ahead and enjoy a warm cookie fresh from the oven with a glass of milk!

Here are some helpful tips to ensure your cookies turn out soft, chewy, and absolutely delicious:

Make sure your butter is softened at room temperature before you start baking. Soft butter ensures that the dough mixes evenly, which helps create a tender cookie. Cold butter won’t cream as well with the sugars, leading to denser cookies.

The secret to a soft cookie lies in the balance of sugars. Brown sugar, which contains molasses, adds moisture and creates that chewy texture. Make sure to use a good amount of brown sugar to keep the cookies soft for days.

For soft cookies, slightly underbake them. They may look a little soft in the center when you take them out of the oven, but they’ll continue to cook on the baking sheet as they cool. This method keeps the inside soft while the edges remain slightly crispy.

If you want extra soft cookies, try adding a teaspoon of cornstarch to the dry ingredients. Cornstarch helps create that ultra-soft, bakery-style texture by reducing the gluten formation in the dough.

Chilling the cookie dough for 30 minutes to an hour before baking can help the flavors meld and keep the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. This step is optional, but if you have time, it’s worth trying for a thicker, softer cookie.