The Best Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe I come back to more than any other. No chilling, no strange ingredients, nothing complicated – just a straightforward dough that turns into thick, golden-edged cookies with soft, almost underdone centres. Prepared and baked in around 30 minutes for that quick cookie fix when you need it. These cookies are on the larger side. We’re talking one enormous scoop of dough per cookie, so you end up with around 7-8 cookies from a single batch but you can also make them smaller or double the recipe and the results will still be the same: crackly edges and a centre that’s still soft enough to pull apart with your hands. Why You’ll Love These Cookies Big, bakery-style cookies with crisp edges and a soft, chewy middle No chilling required – dough goes straight from bowl to tray Simple store-cupboard ingredients, nothing unusual Only 7-8 cookies, so no giant tin taking over your kitchen counter Freezer-friendly, so you can bake one or two at a time whenever the craving hits How to Make These Chocolate Chip Cookies Make the Dough Start by whisking the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set this aside – it’s your dry mix and it’ll come together with the wet ingredients in a few minutes. Next, beat the softened butter with both sugars until it’s pale, light, and well combined. This usually takes a minute or two with a hand mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until the mixture looks slightly fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined – stop as soon as you can’t see streaks of flour. Overmixing at this stage is one of the most common reasons cookies come out tough, so go gently. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand until they’re evenly spread through the dough. Portion & Roll Dough Here’s where these cookies earn the word “big.” Use a large ice cream scoop (roughly ⅓ cup) to portion the dough – this should give you 7-8 generous mounds. Roll each one lightly between your palms into a ball and space them well apart on your lined tray, since they will spread as they bake. If you’d like a bakery-style finish, press a few extra chocolate chips onto the top of each ball before baking. It’s a small step but it makes a noticeable difference to how they look coming out of the oven. How to Freeze Cookie Dough If you’d rather not bake the whole batch in one go, this dough freezes well. Roll the portions into balls, space them out on a tray, and freeze for about 30 minutes until firm. Once they’ve firmed up, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag, where they’ll keep for up to two months. How to Bake Frozen Dough You have two options here: Thaw first. Take the dough balls out of the freezer, set them on a lined tray, and leave them at room temperature for around an hour before baking as normal. Bake from frozen. Place the frozen dough straight onto a lined tray and into the oven as it preheats to 180°C (350°F). Bake for around 16-18 minutes – the tops will look a touch darker than usual, but they’ll still taste every bit as good. Bake Until They Just Barely Look Done Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 12-14 minutes. This is the part that trips people up: pull the cookies out while the centres still look pale and slightly underbaked. They will look far from finished, and that’s exactly right. Overbaking is the single biggest reason chocolate chip cookies come out dry rather than soft, so trust the timing over how “done” they appear. Cool Leave the cookies on the tray for 8-10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack – because these are large, they need a little longer to set than a standard-sized cookie. Or, if you can’t wait, eat one warm while the chocolate is still melted through the middle. Store Once fully cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, or freeze the baked cookies for up to two months. Ingredients & Substitutions Butter. Salted butter gives the best flavour balance, but unsalted works too – just taste the dough and adjust the salt slightly if needed. Sugars. Granulated sugar helps with spread and crisp edges, while brown sugar keeps the centre soft and adds a deeper flavour. Both together give the best texture. Egg. One large egg is all this recipe needs to bind everything together. Flour. Plain flour works best. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag, which tends to pack in too much. Sea salt. Fine sea salt is what I always reach for. If you’re using a different salt, start with slightly less and adjust to taste. Chocolate chips. Chips, chunks, or roughly chopped chocolate all work well – use whichever you prefer, or a mix of milk and dark for contrast. FAQs About These Chocolate Chip Cookies Why do my cookies spread too much and go flat? Usually one of three things: your butter was too warm, your raising agents are past their best, or the dough was overmixed. Check your bicarbonate of soda is still active by adding a small amount to a splash of vinegar – it should fizz right away. Why didn’t my cookies spread at all? This is often down to dough that’s too cold, too much flour, or an oven running hotter or cooler than the display suggests. An inexpensive oven thermometer can save a lot of guesswork. Can I make these smaller? Yes – use a regular tablespoon-sized scoop instead of the large one. You’ll get more cookies, and they’ll need less time in the oven, closer to 8-9 minutes. Can I add nuts? Walnuts or pecans work nicely here. Swap out a