# Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are buttery, brown-sugar sweet and loaded with melty chocolate. This version bakes up chewy in the middle with crisp, golden edges.

Everything is weighed in grams, so the dough comes out the same every time. The recipe makes 24 cookies and needs no mixer, though one makes the creaming step easier.

- Total time: 32 min (prep 20 min, cook 12 min)
- Serves: 24
- Per serving (estimated): 205 kcal, 2 g protein
- Cuisine: American. Category: Baking. Diet: vegetarian.

## Ingredients

- 225 g unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)
- 100 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 280 g all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 340 g semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

## Method

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, beat 225 g softened butter with 150 g brown sugar and 100 g granulated sugar for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. The mixture should look smooth and glossy.
4. Whisk 280 g flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir on low just until no dry flour shows.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
6. Scoop 2-tablespoon balls (about 45 g each) onto the sheets, 2 inches (5 cm) apart. For thicker cookies, chill the dough 30 minutes first.
7. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft and puffy.
8. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. The centers firm up as they cool.

## Why it works

- Beating butter with sugar for 2 minutes traps tiny air bubbles that help the cookies rise and keep them tender.
- Brown sugar holds more moisture than white sugar, which keeps the centers chewy.
- Baking soda raises the pH of the dough, so the cookies brown faster and spread nicely.
- Pulling them out while the centers look soft lets residual heat finish the bake without drying them out.

## The science

- **Why brown sugar means chewy.** Brown sugar contains molasses, which attracts and holds water. That extra moisture stays in the baked cookie, so the center is soft and chewy instead of dry and crumbly. More white sugar gives a crisper, flatter cookie.
- **Why cookies spread.** Butter melts before the dough sets, so the cookie flows outward until the eggs and flour firm up. Colder dough melts later and spreads less. Chilling the dough gives you a thicker, taller cookie. Spread is the main reason a dough that looks fine can bake flat, so temperature matters as much as the ingredients do.
- **Why creaming matters.** Sugar crystals cut tiny air pockets into soft butter. In the oven, baking soda and steam expand those pockets. Skip the creaming and the cookies turn dense and greasy. Beating for a full 2 minutes, not 30 seconds, is what makes the difference in the baked texture. Pale and fluffy is the visual cue to stop.

## Tips

- Weigh the flour with a kitchen scale, because scooping with a cup can add 30 g or more.
- Use a cookie scoop so every cookie is the same size and bakes evenly.
- Bake on a cool sheet, since a hot pan makes the dough spread before it sets.

## Mistakes to avoid

- Using melted or very warm butter makes the dough greasy and the cookies spread thin, so soften it only until a finger leaves a dent.
- Overbaking until the centers look dry gives hard cookies, so pull them when the middle still looks a little underdone.
- Packing too much flour into the cup makes cakey, dry cookies, so weigh it.

## Variations and swaps

- Use half chocolate chips and half chopped walnuts for crunch.
- Brown the butter first and cool it until soft for a toffee flavor.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top right after baking.
- Swap semisweet chips for milk chocolate chips to get a sweeter, softer bite.
- Swap 1 egg for 2 egg yolks to make the cookies richer and chewier.
- Swap unsalted butter for salted butter and cut the added salt to 1/2 tsp.

## Storage

Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days. Freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.

## FAQ

**Why are my chocolate chip cookies flat?**

Flat cookies usually come from butter that was too warm or melted, or from too little flour. Chill the dough for 30 minutes and measure the flour by weight. Use a cool baking sheet for each batch.

**How do I make chocolate chip cookies chewy?**

Use more brown sugar than white sugar and do not overbake them. Take them out when the edges are golden and the centers look soft. They finish setting on the hot pan.

**Do I need to chill cookie dough?**

No, but chilling for 30 minutes to 24 hours gives thicker cookies with deeper flavor. Cold butter melts later in the oven, so the cookies spread less.

**Can I freeze chocolate chip cookie dough?**

Yes. Freeze scooped balls on a tray, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 14 minutes.

**How many cookies does this make?**

This recipe makes 24 cookies using 2-tablespoon scoops of about 45 g each. Smaller scoops make more cookies and need 8 to 10 minutes of baking.

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Source: https://cookingscientist.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookies (Cooking Scientist). Learn the science of cooking in the Cooking Scientist app for iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6830326846