This best chocolate chip cookies recipe delivers soft, chewy, bakery-style cookies filled with melty chocolate chips in every bite. Made with a blend of sugars, butter-flavored shortening, and plenty of chocolate chips, these cookies turn out perfectly every time. After testing dozens of recipes over the years, I can confidently say this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need.
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Recipe Highlights
- Easy and straightforward: No complicated steps or chilling needed—just mix, scoop, and bake for perfect cookies every time.
- Incredible cookie dough: The dough itself is delicious, making the process as enjoyable as the final cookies.
- Perfect texture: Soft, chewy centers with lightly crisp edges, just like the cookies you get from a bakery.
- Always a crowd favorite: This recipe is perfect for bake sales, parties, or family nights because everyone loves them.
- Big batch recipe: This best chocolate chip cookies recipe makes around 6 dozen cookies, ideal for sharing or freezing for later.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients
- Sugar: Use 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 cups of granulated sugar to make the cookies sweet and chewy. For best results, make sure your brown sugar is fresh and soft.
- Butter-flavored Shortening: I usually use butter in cookies, but shortening does create an amazing softness and consistency that is incredible. If you don’t have butter-flavored shortening, you can use half butter and half shortening instead.
- Eggs: You’ll need 4 large eggs to bind everything together.
- Vanilla: Adding 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract will enhance the flavors in the cookies.
- Salt: Just a teaspoon of salt helps all of the other flavors to pop.
- Baking soda: The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking soda. This acts as the leavening agent in the cookies, so make sure your baking soda isn’t old or expired.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best in cookies.
- Chocolate chips: Add in 2-3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips, depending on how much chocolate you want in every cookie.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Tips
Full instructions on how to make the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies can be found on the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful tips.
- Make sure there’s enough flour in the dough: If your cookie dough feels too sticky, add a bit more flour to help the cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Cream the shortening and sugars well: Beat the shortening and sugars together for 2–3 minutes to help create the perfect cookie texture.
- Preheat your oven: Starting with a fully preheated oven helps the cookies bake evenly and prevents spreading.
- Use a cookie scoop: This helps your cookies turn out uniform in size and shape, making them look bakery-perfect.
- Line your pans: Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and to help the cookies bake evenly.
- Avoid overbaking: Take the cookies out when they look slightly underdone; they will continue to set on the baking sheet as they cool, resulting in soft, chewy cookies.
Storage Instructions
At room temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: Store baked cookies or unbaked dough balls in an airtight container for up to 3 months for a quick treat anytime.
FAQs
Why did my cookies spread too much?
If your cookies spread, try adding a bit more flour or check that your shortening is not too soft. Using the correct flour-to-fat ratio helps cookies keep their shape.
Can I substitute butter for shortening?
While you can, shortening keeps the cookies thick and chewy. Butter will give a richer taste, but may cause cookies to spread more.
How can I keep my cookies soft?
Store cookies with a slice of bread in the container to help retain moisture, keeping cookies soft for days.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes! Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the baking time.
What type of chocolate chips should I use?
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are classic, but feel free to use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or a combination for a fun variation.
More delicious chocolate chip cookie recipes to try:
- Peanut butter and chocolate are one of my favorite flavor combinations. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are both delicious.
- Fruit pairs well with chocolate as well. Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies have fresh raspberries in them, and Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with maraschino cherries. And Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are amazing too!
- Want something a little more unique? Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are a favorite (for us AND our readers), and Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies are slightly healthier (and a little more green) than your typical chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Once you try this best chocolate chip cookies recipe, it will become your go-to for creating soft, chewy cookies that everyone will ask for again and again.
Amalia says
Hey I have a question can we use butter instead of shortening?
Nellie says
You can, but the texture of the cookies will be different. Shortening is a big part of why these cookies are so amazing!
Julie Crate says
Absolutely, the most perfect chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever made! I followed the recipe exactly, and trust me, you’re going to want to make a full batch!
Kathy says
Can you use regular shortening?
Jessica says
Yes, you can!
Allesandra says
Hi just wondering how your flour should be measured for this recipe? Spooned and leveled, or scooping the flour out with the measuring cup! I can’t wait to try these!
Nellie says
I know you’re supposed to spoon and level your flour, but I’ve never actually done that and these cookies turn out perfectly every single time!
Emily says
Hi! I’m in search for a really good, soft chocolate chip cookie. I came across your recipe and it looks delicious and looks like exactly what I was looking for. I followed your recipe exactly and used fresh ingredients yet when I took the cookies out and put them on a cooling rack and ate flat. Nothing like the picture you shared with the recipe showing what appears like a big puffy cookie. Any ideas?
Robinn says
These look soooooooo look good, but I am not finding where to print the recipe.
Jeanne says
These were great! Best I have made other than brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
Does make a lot which was surprised when batter filled the bowl I used. It was a little much for hand mixer.
I am prepared for the next time I make them.
Jessica says
So glad you liked them Jeanne!
Tara says
I make these all the time and never did come back and rate them! I have a small cookie scoop, so they usually make 7 dozen or so. I always freeze 5 dozen cookie dough balls and pull them out as needed. LOVE this recipe. I have never used crisco before, so I always use half oil, half softened butter and they come out fine. I also split the sugar brown and white, just because! Wonderful recipe, always a blessing to have these on hand for a random visitor as well. Thanks so much for sharing!
Jessica says
So glad to hear you love them Tara! Thank you!
Miriam b says
Hi I’ve made these multiple times but sometimes I’ve noticed my cookies become more on the oily side and tend to flatten out can you tell me why that may be?
Nellie says
Maybe just add a little bit more flour? Cookies can be a little finicky based on altitude/humidity, etc.
Miriam says
Hi can I make these strawberry cookies?
Nellie says
You could definitely add strawberries to the cookies!
Ashley M says
This is my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe! I make everything as is except I also add a teaspoon of butter extract to mine and I think it just elevates the buttery good taste from the shortening. Easy and amazing recipe! Thank you!
Jessica says
Interesting Ashley- I just got some butter extract, I’ll have to try it in these! Glad you liked them!!
Martha Scheidecker says
This is a great recipe that came together nicely. I used a combo of milk, semisweet, white and butterscotch chips because it is what i had . I decorated the tops with more semisweet chips to make them pretty. I prefer the semisweet chips overall. I was hesitant to use a recipe heavy with white sugar rather than brown sugar but these taste and look great.
Jessica says
So glad you liked them Martha!