Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 375 g (3 cups)plain flour
• 5 g (1 teaspoon)bicarbonate of soda
• 5 g (1 teaspoon)fine sea salt
• 226 g (2 sticks)unsalted butter, cool room temperature
• 100 g (1/2 cup)granulated sugar
• 275 g (1 1/4 cups)light brown sugar
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons)vanilla extract
• 2 largeeggs, room temperature
• 340 g (2 cups)semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven

   Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line baking sheets with baking parchment.

2. 2

   Mix dry ingredients

   In a bowl, stir together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt until evenly combined.

3. 3

   Cream butter and sugar

   Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with both sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs, then beat until combined.

4. 4

   Combine the dough

   With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

5. 5

   Chill the dough

   For thicker cookies, chill the dough for at least 24 hours; this step is optional.

6. 6

   Shape the cookies

   Scoop the dough into balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets.

7. 7

   Bake and cool

   Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are golden. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool.

What are bakery-style chocolate chip cookies?

Chocolate chip cookies are an American home-baking classic, and bakery-style versions are typically generous in size, with browned edges and soft centres. This recipe uses both granulated and light brown sugar for a balance of sweetness and a tender, chewy texture.

A generous amount of chocolate chips makes each cookie rich and chocolatey. The optional long chill gives the dough time to firm up, which can help the cookies bake thicker.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 180 calories, 2g protein, 25g carbs, 8g fat.

The flour and sugars provide most of the carbohydrates, while butter and chocolate chips contribute much of the fat. The eggs add some protein, with a smaller amount also coming from the flour and chocolate. Pair a cookie with fruit or yoghurt if you want a more balanced snack.

Why use two sugars?

Granulated sugar: it contributes sweetness and helps the edges turn golden as the cookies bake.

Light brown sugar: it brings a softer, chewier quality to the dough and complements the chocolate. Cream both sugars thoroughly with the butter before adding the eggs.

Getting the dough right

Cool butter: it should be soft enough to beat with the sugars but not melted. Melted butter can make the dough loose and change how the cookies spread.

Dry ingredients: add the flour mixture gradually on low speed, stopping once it is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand to avoid overworking the dough.

Chilling and shaping

Optional chill: refrigerate the dough for at least 24 hours if you want thicker cookies. Since this adds a day of resting time, it is separate from the listed 28-minute total time.

Even scoops: make the dough balls similar in size so they bake at roughly the same rate. Leave room between them on the trays for spreading.

When are they done?

Look for golden edges after 11–13 minutes in the oven. The centres may still look soft when you take the cookies out; they will continue to set as they cool.

Cooling racks: transfer the baked cookies to racks so air can circulate around them. This helps prevent the bases from becoming damp.

Serving the cookies

These cookies are lovely while still a little warm, when the chocolate chips are soft. Serve them with a glass of milk or alongside a scoop of ice cream for a more substantial dessert.

The batch yields 26 cookies, so it works well for sharing or keeping some for later. For the most even texture, allow the cookies to cool before stacking them.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use eggs at room temperature so they blend more readily into the creamed butter and sugar.
• Scrape down the mixer bowl as needed to help the butter and sugars combine evenly.
• Add the flour mixture gradually and stop mixing once it is incorporated.
• Use the optional 24-hour chill when you have time and prefer thicker cookies.
• Check the cookies at 11 minutes and take them out when the edges are golden.
• Let the cookies cool on racks before storing them.

Variations

• Add chopped nuts: fold in a handful of walnuts or pecans with the chocolate chips.
• Use mixed chocolate: combine semisweet chips with chopped dark or milk chocolate.
• Add a salty finish: sprinkle a little flaky salt over the dough balls before baking.
• Make smaller cookies: use smaller dough scoops and check them early, as they may bake faster.
• Add a flavour note: mix a small amount of espresso powder into the dry ingredients.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Butter too warm: use cool room-temperature butter rather than melted butter to help the dough hold its shape.
• Overmixing the flour: stop the mixer as soon as the dry ingredients disappear to avoid tough cookies.
• Uneven dough balls: scoop similar amounts so the cookies finish baking at about the same time.
• Crowded baking sheet: leave space around each ball so spreading cookies do not run together.
• Overbaking: remove the cookies when their edges are golden, even if the centres still look soft.
• Skipping the chill for thicker cookies: refrigerate the dough for at least 24 hours when a thicker result is the goal.

How to store

Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Warm one briefly in the microwave if you would like to soften the chocolate before serving.

Frequently asked questions