Our crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookies are the perfect balance of thin and crispy cookies with just the right amount of chewiness in the middle. These cookies are utterly irresistible with melty chocolate chips, hints of brown sugar, and vanilla.
If you love thin, crispy, slightly chewy chocolate chip cookies, this cookie recipe is for you! There are so many chocolate chip cookie recipes out there (we even have two of them on the blog), but this is the recipe I use when I want that super crispy edge. These spread well on the baking sheet (hence the crisp edges), but the middles stay a little chewy since we use a blend of granulated sugar and brown sugar.
For thicker cookies, you can chill the dough (tips are below) or use our easy chocolate chip cookies, which hold their shape a bit more while baking. And for more cookie inspiration, I’m a big fan of these chewy chocolate cookies!
Key Ingredients
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour. Some bakers love using bread flour to make their chocolate chip cookies chewier. If you want to experiment with it, the dough may be drier, so consider adding a tablespoon or two of milk. When measuring flour for cookies, use the spoon and sweep method to fill your measuring cup or the metric measurement offered in our recipe.
- Baking Soda: I prefer baking soda for chocolate chip cookies over baking powder because it helps them brown, rise, and fall back slightly, making them more chewy than soft.
- Butter: The recipe uses unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter if that is what you have. For the butter called for in the recipe, you should omit 1/2 teaspoon salt (so reduce the salt called for in the recipe to 1/4 teaspoon). Note that this recipe requires room temperature butter. If you want to make cookies right now, use our easy chocolate chip cookie recipe that calls for melted butter.
- Eggs: The eggs bump up the richness and flavor of our cookie dough. Use room-temperature eggs for the best results. If your eggs are straight from the fridge, place them into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to warm them up a bit before using them in the recipe.
- Sugar: I love this cookie recipe’s combination of granulated and brown sugar. The granulated sugar helps them spread and become crispy around the edges, while the brown sugar adds flavor and keeps them a little chewy in the center.
- Vanilla and Salt: These are for flavor. I’m generous with my vanilla!
- Chocolate: Use whatever chocolate you love. I usually go for semi-sweet chocolate since it doesn’t make my cookies too sweet. Dark chocolate or a combination of chocolate is also fun!
How to Make Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These homemade chocolate chip cookies are easy! We use a stand mixer, but you can make these cookies with a handheld mixer if that is all you have. If you don’t have either, try our easy chocolate chip cookies that call for melted butter, which means you only need a spoon to make them.
We cannot get enough of these crispy, chewy cookies. There’s a good bet you’ll find a big bag of cookie dough in our freezer right now (this dough freezes like a dream – I’ve shared my tips below).
You’ll start by creaming butter, sugars, and vanilla until they look light and fluffy. See the photo for reference, or watch our video. It usually takes me around 3 minutes to get to this point with my stand mixer on medium speed. Now, you’ll add the eggs, which only need a quick mix.
From there, you can slowly add your dry ingredients (the flour, baking soda, and salt), then steam in your chocolate and mix until they are throughout the cookie dough. If, at this point, you find yourself eating the cookie dough (who doesn’t?), consider making our edible cookie dough, which leaves out the eggs and heats the flour slightly to make it safer to eat raw.
At this point, you have a few options. First, you can bake the cookies right away. If you do this, they will turn out like our video. You’ll get thinner cookies with crispy edges and slightly chewy centers. Second, you can chill the dough, which is a great trick for even tastier cookies that don’t spread as much when baking. And lastly, you can freeze the dough, which is always a win for days or weeks from now when you need a cookie fix!
The photo below shows how I chill or freeze my cookie dough. Chilled dough is difficult to scoop, so I scoop it before chilling or freezing to save some elbow power later on. More storing and freezing tips are in the recipe!
Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Make these chocolate chip cookies if you love crispy edges, slightly chewy centers, and cookies that are on the thinner side. I love them, and they remind me of what I get at my local bakery! You can bake these cookies immediately without chilling time, giving you thinner cookies that spread a bit more on the baking sheet (like in our video). You can also chill the dough and bake it after a few hours or overnight for slightly thicker, chewier cookies. Both are great. It just depends on your schedule!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 ½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (200g) lightly packed brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups (340g or 12oz) chocolate chips
Directions
1Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicon baking mat.
2Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3Add the butter, sugars, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Or, in a mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer). Cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed (speed 4 on our mixer) until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
4Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the eggs. Mix on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. It is okay if the eggs are not completely incorporated.
5Turn the speed down to the lowest setting and add the dry ingredients in thirds, mixing until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
6Add the chocolate chips and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Now, you can move on to baking or chill the dough for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months (tips are below).
7Drop 3 tablespoons of dough (or use a large cookie scoop) onto baking sheets. Leave 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading.
8Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, and rotate once during cooking, for 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but light in the middle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or a week in the refrigerator.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing baked cookies: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Freezer for longer storage (up to 3 months).
- Chilling cookie dough: If you have the time, chilling the dough makes even better chocolate chip cookies. A night or two in the refrigerator helps the flour absorb moisture from the egg, making the cookies chewier, thicker (but still crisp around the edges), and taste even better. Since chilled cookie dough is harder to scoop, I form it into cookie dough balls and then chill them in an airtight container separated by sheets of parchment paper. Keep cookie dough refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freezing cookie dough: Keep frozen cookie dough refrigerated for up to 3 days. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare the dough as usual. Scoop out cookie mounds onto the baking sheet. You can crowd the dough mounds together, just do not let them touch. Freeze until hard. Transfer the frozen dough mounds to an airtight container or plastic bag. Store in the freezer. Bake frozen cookies without thawing, adding 3 to 5 minutes of baking time.
- Make smaller cookies: Drop 1 ½ tablespoon mounds or use a medium cookie scoop onto the baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 13 minutes.
- This recipe was adapted and inspired by The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook and the Nestle Original Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
You May Also Like...
Hi Joanne and Adam – thanks so much for the great recipes. These cookies were a hit at home ! From the time I’ve started to bake with your recipes, I’ve stopped going to bakeries!! Thanks so much for your recipes and the instructions !! You’ve made novices like me feel like seasoned bakers! Much thanks!
Best cookies I’ve ever made! Thanks for the recipe. I let my batter sit in the fridge for a few hours and boy oh boy was I happy.
I made these cookies with less sugar, my own preference, 250 g total. I used slightly salted butter so would reduce salt ingredient a lot if did this next time. Oh and I used 2 100 g bars of chocolate – chopped – and just over 100 g pecans -also chopped. However, as with the double chocolate walnut cookies, this is a great recipe. Thank you.
Hello Joanne, first off. These cookies look super amazing & delicious. I was just wondering… what if I only have a medium cookie scooper? Does it matter the time I leave them in?
Hi Amanda, The cookies will be smaller and will likely need less time in the oven. Go by visual cues — the cookies should be light brown and look dry on top and golden around the edges.
Hi i made these today for the first time and very pleased with the outcome. I did find them a bit sweet, could i cut both sugars to half a cup instead of the full cup.? Thank you for the extra tips..
Hi Ann, You can cut the sugar, just keep in mind that this will not only reduce the sweetness of the cookies, they will spread less. The texture will be slightly different, too.
Hi again, I have continued to make them your way and they are really the absolute best, also tried the double chocolate cookies, absolutely amazing.. thank you for sharing.
hi Joanne and Adam, I’m a great fan of your website and have tried a number of your recipes and made quite a success on most occasion. For this recipe , taste-wise i got it! however, i failed to achieve the same rough texture/look of the cookie. Mine is a bit smooth on top and the bottom part is almost toasty. I followed baking instruction to a T, including temp and bake time. Any tips or corrections i need to do? Thanks much!
Hi, I find that the colour of the cookie sheet makes tremendous difference. Dark coloured sheets will yield darker cookies with toasty bottoms while light coloured sheets will only yield pale cookies that are soft in the middle. I also find the cookies on the dark sheets also spread more. Not sure if this helps
Hi Mimi, You will need to reduce the sugar or use a dark/bittersweet chocolate. Vanilla extract also makes baked goods taste a little sweeter. If you reduce the sugar, the cookies will not spread as much or have the crispy edges shown in our photos/video. I’s start by cutting back 1/4 cup of sugar and see if you get away with it as far as the texture goes.
I love cookies and watching your video of the chocolate chip cookies, I would like very much to try.
However, I am lactose intolerant, hence cannot take any diary product. Can I replace butter with corn or vegetable oil? If so, the measurement please.Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Anna, You might be able to replace the butter with coconut oil, but since I have never personally done this, I cannot say it will work out as well as when butter is used.
You could try blue bonnet light it doesn’t contain milk
Hi, what is the brand of your cookie scooper?
Hi Mila, I believe this one is from OXO.