Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Please tell me if there is something more satisfying than a cookie that's crisp around the edges, soft in the middle, and packed with melty chocolate. I'll wait.

This recipe for chocolate chip cookies is one I've perfected over years of baking for my family of seven and for customers of my micro bakery. I even have a spreadsheet with all the versions I have tried! 🤓

This is my favorite version and the one I bake weekly now. My son, who is currently a junior in high school, asks me to bake these for his basketball friends every week and I'm happy to oblige.

If you are into sourdough, you might want to try the sourdough version of my classic chocolate chip cookies. I actually prefer those because I think the sourdough tang makes the cookies a bit less sweet.

Jump to:

• Why I Love This Recipe For Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Ingredients For The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Secrets For Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Equipment Needed To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Key Steps To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Storage
• Make Ahead Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Make This Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe In Bulk For Gifting or For Sale
• Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Related Recipes
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Why I Love This Recipe For Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's simple, reliable, and made with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

I've baked thousands of these cookies at this point and I can tell you this version consistently gets the best feedback for its texture, flavor, and balance of sweetness.

The combination of sugars and butter creates a chewy center, while the extra yolk keeps the crumb tender.

Reviews from customers and followers who have tried this recipe describe it as "the perfect bakery-style cookie."

Ingredients For The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Butter
• Dark brown sugar
• White sugar
• Egg and yolk
• Vanilla paste or extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Salt
• Chocolate chips
• Flaky salt

This cookie recipe uses a blend of brown and white sugars to create the perfect balance of flavor and texture.

The molasses content in brown sugar gives the cookies depth of flavor and helps keep them soft even days after baking, while the white sugar helps us get crisp edges.

A whole egg plus an extra yolk gives the dough structure and richness, while a touch of vanilla adds warmth and enhances the flavor of the chocolate. I like using vanilla paste, but I have used both paste or extract and notice little to no difference.

Baking powder and baking soda work together to give the cookies their beautiful lift and golden color. Just make sure your leaveners are fresh and active. You can easily test them: baking powder should fizz in hot water, and baking soda should bubble when mixed with vinegar or lemon juice.

The flaky salt on top after baking is a must and you can't fight me on this. It highlights the chocolate and balances the sweetness.

See recipe card for quantities.

Secrets For Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

The difference between good cookies and bakery-style cookies comes down to a few simple details that make all the difference in texture, flavor, and appearance.

• Temperature of ingredients: Start with room-temperature butter and eggs. This allows the butter to cream properly with the sugars, trapping air for a lighter texture and helping the dough come together evenly. Cold ingredients or melted butter can cause uneven mixing and cookies that are either dense or spread too much.
• Size matters: For bakery-style results, make your cookies big - using a heaping cookie scoop #16, or making them roughly 100 grams each.
• Shaping: Don't roll the dough into smooth balls. Instead, scoop and shape them into tall, rough mounds or rough cylinders. The uneven shape encourages varied texture, with crisp ridges and gooey centers.
• Chilling: Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before baking. This helps the flavors develop and keeps the cookies from spreading too much. Cover the dough well so it doesn't dry out.
• Baking temperature and time: Preheat the oven and bake at the recommended temperature and time. You might want to get an oven thermometer to ensure it's at the right temperature, as ovens can be funny like that.

Equipment Needed To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

You don't need special equipment, but having the right tools makes baking easier and helps you get consistent, reliable results every time.

Equipment you'll need:

• kitchen scale - the best way to ensure accuracy and get the same results I do.
• cordless mixer - love how convenient and light weight it is and it helps me cream the butter and sugars evenly and properly incorporate the eggs and vanilla.
• large bowl
• set of measuring cups and tablespoons
• sturdy spatula (I love everything that comes in this set)
• large cookie scoop (I used size #16)
• container for chilling the cookie dough
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• cooling rack
• oven thermometer

Key Steps To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Take a look at the photos below to follow along some key steps and get the same beautiful results.

Substitutions

Here are some substitution ideas, but keep in mind this recipe was carefully developed, tested, and reviewed as written. Changing ingredients will create cookies with a completely different texture and flavor.

• Flour: You can experiment with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend designed for baking, but results will vary depending on the brand. I don't recommend using bread flour, as its higher protein content can make the cookies tough instead of chewy.

• Butter: Vegan butter can work, but look for one with a similar fat percentage to regular butter (around 80%). Avoid using oil, which changes the texture and causes more spreading.

• Sugar: This recipe uses dark brown sugar for deeper flavor and extra chewiness, but you can substitute brown sugar, light brown sugar, or even all white sugar for slightly different results. Lighter sugars will make the cookies paler and crisper.

• Eggs: For an egg-free version, try using a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, rested for 5 minutes). The texture won't be identical, but it will hold the dough together.

• Chocolate: Semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips all work well here. For a more rustic texture, try chopped chocolate bars instead of chips.

• Add-ins: You can add nuts, toffee bits, shredded coconut, or dried fruit as long as the total amount of chocolate chips and mix-ins doesn't exceed about 600 grams (roughly 3 ½ cups). Too many additions can weigh down the dough and affect how it spreads.

Variations

If you'd like to switch things up, here are a few easy ways to give this classic cookie a new twist while keeping the same base dough.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies: Replace the semi-sweet chocolate chips with white chocolate chips for a sweeter, creamier flavor. You can also add macadamia nuts for a bakery-style white chocolate macadamia cookie.

Salted Caramel Cookies: Swap half of the chocolate chips for chopped soft caramels or caramel bits. Add a touch of flaky salt on top before baking.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Replace 60 grams (about ¼ cup) of butter with creamy peanut butter. The result is soft, nutty, and perfectly balanced with chocolate chips.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients. It intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cookies taste like coffee.

Trail Mix Cookies: Replace the chocolate chips with a mix of chopped n

If you want to turn this cookie into a sourdough version, replace the egg yolk with 50 grams of active sourdough starter. Chill the dough for at least 8 hours to allow the natural fermentation to develop flavor and get a similar texture.