Food director Chris Morocco spent months (truly) developing this chocolate chip cookie recipe—he made nearly 30 batches, plus 10 more in the cross-testing phase—to ensure they were the absolute best. What makes this recipe deliver on that promise? Crispy edges, a buttery chew, and plenty of chocolate chunks in every bite—all without a stand mixer.
The cookies are rooted in classic Toll House flavor, but browning the butter amps up the toasty notes and is key in developing the balance of crisp edges, while a high ratio of brown sugar to white sugar ensures chewy chocolate chip cookie centers. The amount of flour and the quality of the pure vanilla extract is important here; Chris recommends Heilala or Nielsen-Massey, which have enough heft to stand up to bitter dark chocolate. We highly recommend weighing your flour with a scale; if you don’t have one, use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until overflowing, and a straight edge (such as the back of a butter knife) to level it off.
We understand cookie preferences aren’t uniform—some prefer soft cookies or a chewier finish. Others require a sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top. If your perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe includes nutty, crunchy bits, try our Anytime Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. Heightened caramelly crunch? Head off to these Brown-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Toffee. If you’re gluten-free (and even if not), try this version with milk, dark, and white chocolate. And if you’re a cookie ice cream sandwich lover, use two of these to sandwich a scoop of premium vanilla.