These Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies have the best texture with melty chocolate chips in every bite. The secret is the long chilling time so you will need to practice patience if you make them, but trust me – these cookies are worth the wait.
Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Perfect homemade chocolate chip cookies are like unicorns – I want to believe so much that they exist, but I’ve never pulled a perfect chocolate chip cookie out of my oven.
I’ve tried in vain for many years – I’ve made countless batches of Nestle Toll House cookies following the recipe on the back of the bag of chocolate chips, I’ve tried all of Alton Brown’s variations, and I’ve taken a stab at my own creation, but all fall a little short.
All of the recipes I’ve tried are decent, but they aren’t the best, so I’ve continued the search. Just like those pesky unicorns, I’ve always believed the best chocolate chip cookies were out there somewhere – I just had to find them.
Two years ago, I found a recipe from The New York Times – at the time, it seemed like every food blogger was writing about it, so I pinned it. For two years, I’ve been revisiting that recipe, wondering if it could possibly live up to all the hype (or, in some cases, the non-hype). Could this recipe produce the chocolate chip cookies of my dreams?
Long story short: The New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe is, in a word, awesome.
Ingredients
- Cake flour
- Bread flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Dark chocolate chips
Flour: A mix of bread flour and cake flour gives these cookies a unique texture. I’ve tried using the same amount of all-purpose flour, and the result is just not the same. The original recipe includes weighted amounts, but I always use the cup measurements with the spoon and level measuring method.
Sugar: The recipe has both white and brown sugar, so the cookies are both crispy and chewy.
Chocolate chips: The recipe calls for some fancy chocolate that you can order from Jacques Torres or buy at Whole Foods, and according to my research, both are totally worth the cost. However, I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips because it’s readily available at my grocery store.
Recipe Steps
The cookie dough is easy to make – whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ones in another. Combine them and then mix in the chocolate chips. That’s it.
The dough is quite dense, so you definitely want to use an electric mixer. A stand mixer makes it a breeze, but a simple hand mixer can handle the thick dough just fine.
Now, here’s the catch: The dough needs to chill for 36 hours. I know, crazy! But hear me out. Chilling the dough for that long allows the dough to fully absorb the butter and eggs. The results in a cookie with a more complex flavor and amazing texture.
So, once the dough is made scoop about tablespoons of dough to form each cookie dough ball. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I like to top each ball with a few more chocolate chips.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 36 hours. Trust me, the cookies are worth the wait.
After they’ve rested in the refrigerator, they’re ready to bake! These chocolate chip cookies are heavenly warm from the oven, so unless you plan to eat the entire batch (tempting), I recommend baking only what you plan to serve. You can freeze the rest, which means you can bake a few warm chocolate chip cookies whenever you want.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
Place the cookies in a freezer-safe bag. You can pile them all together or bag two or three in small resealable bags and place those bags in the large freezer bag.
I freeze the dough for up to six months and whenever I want a warm cookie, I grab a few and pop them in the oven. You can bake them frozen, it will just take a little longer.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe is lightly adapted from the NYT version. I’ve linked it in the recipe card so you can see the original. After making many batches, I’ve tweaked it a bit but not too much.
- Use two bowls to make the dough. It’s more to clean up, but if you dump all of the ingredients in one bowl it will be difficult to mix them thoroughly.
- A cookie scoop makes it easy to get uniform cookie dough balls.
- Don’t skip the chilling step. I know it’s tempting but it’s worth the time. Plus, this recipe makes a decent-sized batch so you can freeze most of it to have on hand for later.
- Keep an eye on the cookies while they bake – especially as they near the end of the baking time. The cookies are done when they are set around the edges and on top. They should be lightly golden. Be careful not to overbake them otherwise they will be too crispy.
- I think they’re best warm from the oven, but cooled cookies will keep for a few days in an airtight container.
This recipe produces a perfectly balanced cookie – crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle with plenty of melty dark chocolate throughout. The texture, the nutty and complex flavor, and the general appearance of these cookies make them a winner in my book. My search is over – this really is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Happy baking,
More Cookie Recipes
- Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies
- Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.
PrintGourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe produces a perfectly balanced cookie – crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle with plenty of melty dark chocolate throughout. The texture, the nutty and complex flavor, and the appearance of these cookies make them a winner in my book.
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 2/3 cups bread flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (10.5-oz) bag dark chocolate chips plus 1/2 cup for the top of the cookies (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl sift together the two flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the two sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and continue mixing.
- Lower the speed on the mixer and slowly add the dry ingredients mixing just until combined. Once all of the dry ingredients are added pour in the chocolate chips and stir just until they are distributed throughout the batter.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough to form each cookie dough ball. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for 36 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough balls 2″ apart on the prepared pan.
- Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes, but start checking on them at the 15 minute mark — you’ll know they’re ready when they have started to turn lightly golden brown around the edges, but are still soft in the middle Leave them on the pan for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
Freezing: Once the dough has chilled in the refrigerator, you can freeze the dough balls in a freezer bag for six months. You can bake them frozen (add a few minutes to the baking time) or leave them out at room temperature for a bit to thaw.
Room temperature storage: Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
Recipe lightly adapted from The New York Times
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 17.2g
- Sodium: 148.9mg
- Fat: 10.9g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29.9g
- Fiber: 1.2g
- Protein: 2.6g
- Cholesterol: 27.8mg
Keywords: chocolate chip cookies, new york times chocolate chip cookies
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Post, photos, and recipe updated from the archives. First published in March 2015.
Rosemary @anitalianinmykitchen says
Hi April, how I love chocolate chip cookies, actually I have heard of this recipe but never tried it, now I will and I will take your advice and freeze the dough balls. Love your photos.
Kelley @ Chef Savvy says
These cookies look amazing April! I love that you chill them for so long. I’m sure it helps the flavors develop. Can’t wait to try these!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
These look amazing, I love your photos 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I think I read somewhere how to make cake flour. I must do that because we don’t have cake flour in Australia. I must have these cookies! 🙂
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April says
Hi Maureen, thanks for letting me know — here’s a link that explains how to mix your own cake flour from Joy the Baker. Hope that helps! http://joythebaker.com/2013/12/baking-101-the-best-cake-flour-substitute/
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Now I have to go get some cake flour and bread flour…because these look amazing! I don’t know if I could wait 36 hours and not sneak a few cookie dough balls, though….not possible!
Maya @ Treats and Eats says
Gorgeous photos April. And I love this recipe!! They are totally my favorite too. Though have you tried the Cook’s Illustrated “Perfect” Chocolate chip cookie recipe? The one with the browned butter? That’s the one I normally use when I just can’t wait 36 hours, but I use chunks instead of chips.
April says
Hi Maya – the browned butter idea sounds amazing, too! I’ll have to check that one out, although I’m sort of in love with the NYT ones right now and would feel guilty cheating on them 🙂
Cookie Queen says
I have also been on the “perfect chocolate chip cookie” train for many many years and I’m going to try these next. I love the last part of your post about freezing the balls so you can bake them anytime you want without having to start from scratch. Thanks for sharing this recipe, will get back to you with my results.
April says
Good luck! Let me know how they work for you–
Cookie Queen says
So… back with my results…I agree, they are amongst the best cc cookies I have made. Love the texture and the method used to make them. Just a personal preference but I felt they needed way more chocolate. I also sprinkled maldon sea salt on top which was a wonderful sweet/salty combo. Thanks for sharing a great recipe. 🙂
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April says
Thanks so much for letting me know! I love the adjustments you made – especially the “more chocolate” part!