Chocolate Chip Cookies: Our family recipe
Chewy, a little soft, and a little underbaked, these chocolate chips are ideal. They are sweet and chocolatey and the sea salt on top makes them just perfect!
Well, here I am with another chocolate chip cookie recipe. I really do think this one is going to stick as our family recipe. I know I have written this before, that I have figured out the perfect recipe for a cookie, but the more I made my original recipe, the more I wanted a thicker cookie that was a little underdone in the middle, crispy on the edges, and soft, but chewy. I needed it to check more boxes.
Now don't get me wrong, the original recipe is still great if you are looking for a chocolate chip cookie on the thinner side with more crisp. But these cookies are so big and just delicious.
I have almost combined two of my favorite recipes into one, getting the perfect thickness and denseness. Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments!
Details and Tips!
These cookies are using the traditional chocolate chip cookie ingredients. Cookies are interesting because they almost always use the same ingredients, but the ratios and state of the ingredients is what gives them the different textures. For instance, if the butter is melted, they will be chewy and flat. Room temperature butter will help the cookies be a little thicker. In all of my cookies, I use room temperature butter.
I also have learned that milk chocolate mixed in with semi-sweet chocolate is the best combination. I stumbled upon this on a whim, honestly. After Easter, my kids had so much candy left over so we chopped up all of the chocolate pieces and make cookies. There was mostly milk chocolate with a little dark chocolate. I thought they would be way too sweet, but I had a couple brothers-in-law try them and they loved them! So now, I chop up a milk chocolate bar and add that in with the semi-sweet chocolate chips. It is the perfect amount of sweetness, especially when you add sea salt on top of the cookies.
I know it is sometimes a pain, but please make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. It is going to help everything mix together so nicely. You can start mixing the butter a little before it gets to room temperature if you are short on time. Just add it to the mixer by itself and beat it for a few minutes to help it warm up a little before adding the sugar in. If the eggs are cold, they will make the butter seize, giving you a weird texture so take the time to let them come to room temperature!
What you need!
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder - aluminum free
- fine sea salt
- unsalted butter
- eggs - large or extra large size and at room temperature
- brown sugar - light or dark is fine. Dark will give you a deeper molasses flavor, which is not a bad thing!
- semi-sweet chocolate chips or bar chopped
- milk chocolate bar chopped, or chips
- course sea salt - for topping the cookies
Customize!
Now, I think these cookies are perfect as written, but if you want to switch up the ratios of chocolate chips, use dark chocolate, add in some peanuts, that would obviously be delicious. You can truly make these what you want.
The sea salt does add a really great saltiness to a really sweet cookie but you can also omit that if you do not like the added salty bite on top!
Storing the cookies!
These cookies are nice and thick, making them a good cookie jar cookie. They will retain their moisture and texture for a few days. You can store these are room temperature for a few days on the counter, in an airtight container or cookie jar.
When I make a batch of these, I typically will double it and then throw a bunch in the freezer to have on hand. Whenever my mom and stepdad come and visit, it never fails that my stepdad will want a sweet treat when 8:30pm hits. These cookies are perfect to pull out and throw in the microwave. They will stay good in the freezer for up to 6 months if stored properly in a Ziplock bag or airtight container with parchment.
Explore more!
Chocolate Chip Cookies: Our Family Recipe
They are chewy, soft, crispy, and a little salty! They are the ideal chocolate chip cookie and our family favorite!
- 3 ounce scoop
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate bar (cut into chunks, about 2 bars)
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Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the mixture on medium high speed until the color as lightened and it is nice and fluffy.
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Reduce the speed to low. Add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is incorporated before adding the next. Then add in the vanilla extract. Give that a good mix to make sure everything is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Reduce the speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the west ingredients in two or three batches. Once the dry ingredients are just barely incorporated, stop the mixer, being careful not to over mix.
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Add in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Let the mixer run for three or four turns until mixed in.
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Using a 3 ounce scoop, scoop out the cookies and place them on a cookie sheet. They can be close together. Cover the cookies in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes, but up to 24 hours.
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When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pull the cookies out of the fridge just to take the chill off while the oven preheats. In batches of 6, place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Space them out about 2 inches.
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Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges and the middle is set, but still a little soft to the touch.
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Immediately after they come out of the oven, sprinkle them with a pinch of sea salt.
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Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes or so. Then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
These cookies can be stored in a cookie jar or air tight container for 3-5 days. They are nice and thick so they will retain moisture, making them a great cookie jar cookie!
You can adjust the size of cookies using a different sized cookie scoop. If making a smaller cookie, start checking for doneness about 3 minutes earlier.
Bake up a big batch and freeze them! They are perfect to pull out for guests. I have the best luck baking the whole batch and then freezing them, opposed to freezing the cookie dough balls and then baking them. It also saves a step if you need the cookies in a pinch!