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The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies (Bakery Style)
The ULTIMATE chocolate chip cookies! Rich, buttery with vanilla undertones and a butterscotch flavor. Crisp crunchy, caramelized edges with super chewy and gooey insides... your search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie ends here!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour*
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda (see FAQ section in the above article about reducing baking soda for thicker cookies)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or ¾ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter)
- 10 tablespoon (140g) salted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (165g) packed dark brown sugar**
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (80g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) honey or corn syrup (see EXPERT TIPS above for important notes on these ingredients)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 7 oz (200g) dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa), coarsely chopped into chunks plus extra for topping (I also love this bittersweet chocolate block)
- flaky sea salt (optional for sprinkling)
*In winter months, I typically need 1-2 tablespoons (9-18g) less flour for this recipe since the humidity is so low.
**I've also tested this recipe with slightly different ratios of sugar for ease of measuring at ⅔ cup (145g) dark brown sugar and ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, and I found the quality difference was minimal if you prefer a slightly lighter brown sugar profile.
NOTE: I also love these single origin couverture chocolate discs or chopping up my favorite 70% bars. If you prefer semisweet chocolate, these are my favorite semisweet chocolate chips.
For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- Combine softened butter with both sugars and vanilla extract in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix by hand using the "creaming method" with a wide rubber spatula to smear the butter and sugar together and mix vigorously until smooth, slightly fluffed . You can also use a handheld mixer. If you use a stand mixer, secure the paddle attachment and mix on medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes. It should look more like a paste or damp sand rather than a very pale aerated mixture. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during mixing.
- Mix in honey. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated.
- Add flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and stir until most of the flour is absorbed. Before all of the flour is combined, add chocolate chunks and continue folding them in so they are evenly distributed. You should end up with a soft, moderately moist dough.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 8-24 hours for best results. Waiting this long will improve the flavor and texture of your cookies. If you simply just can't wait, then you can bake them after 4 hours of chilling, but 8 hours is best.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion dough so you have about 16 x 2oz (56g) portions and roll into smooth balls. If the dough is too hard after chilling, let the dough stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to soften so it is easier to scoop. If you don't have a scoop, then simply divide the dough into 16 balls. Place them onto your prepared baking sheets spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Do not flatten for thicker cookies, and flatten slightly for thinner cookies.
- Press a few extra chunks of chocolate on top of each dough ball if desired and bake 6 cookies per baking sheet for 9-11 minutes until puffed, golden around the edges but still soft in the middle. Do not over-bake as they will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet. If you make smaller cookies, they will only need 8-10 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack and let cookies cool on the trays for 2 minutes before carefully transferring individually to a wire rack to finish cooling. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top while still warm if desired.
