These thick, chewy salted chocolate chip cookies are the ONLY chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll need! Plus a tip to keep them super soft for days!
If you’ve never tried salted chocolate chip cookies before, you’re in for a TREAT!! The sprinkle of sea salt truly accentuates the rich chocolate flavor, and this recipe produces super thick and chewy cookies that will be impossible to resist!
While everyone loves a classic chocolate chip cookie, once you add salt to the top, the become the ultimate dessert!
Even though these cookies are made entirely from scratch, they really don’t take very long at all! Yes, there is some chilling time… but that’s not hands on, so you have some down time.
If the “salted” part of these salted chocolate chip cookies is throwing you off, just promise me you’ll try it before you make a decision. The sea salt doesn’t make these overly salty, it’s just a pinch that truly accentuates the rich chocolate flavor.
Kind of like the Guinness does in these cupcakes, or the baking chocolate does to this turkey chili! I do really recommend sea salt for these cookies though, not kosher or table salt.
And of course, you can’t have these salted chocolate chip cookies without a glass of cold milk!
As we all know, baking, while more of a science, isn’t exactly the same from one kitchen to the next. The way someone measures their flour, temperature of ingredients, ambient temperature, freshness of ingredients, and different ovens are just a few of the variables.
To help you guys get the PERFECT cookies every time, here’s a few of my helpful tips.
Tips for Perfect Cookies:
- Use room temperature ingredients (eggs, butter, etc).
- Make sure your ingredients are fresh (like baking soda for example, if it’s not fresh, it won’t act the same during the baking).
- Chill your dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll dough into balls and don’t flatten them.
- Bake cookies on parchment paper, and don’t put them too close together.
- Gently press a few extra chocolate chips into the top of the balls of dough before baking (makes them look really pretty and bakery-like).
- Take cookies out when they look like they’re ALMOST done. The center should still look slightly underdone. They’ll keep baking as you let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet.
I also have a super awesome tip I just HAVE to share with you guys. You know that freshly baked texture of cookies that you love, but fades after just a couple of hours? I found a way you can have that soft texture for days. Yes, DAYS!
Grab an airtight storage container and line the bottom with wax paper. Place a flour tortilla on top of the wax paper, then top the tortilla with another sheet of wax paper. Then add your cookies as usual, with wax paper between the layers.
Seal the container. That’s it! The tortilla gives off a bit of moisture, and it keeps the air in the container moist enough to keep the cookies super soft.
For some extra ooey-gooey fresh baked feel, pop a cookie in the microwave for 5 seconds or so before serving!
Think of these salted chocolate chip cookies a base recipe.. there will be other versions of these cookies coming to the blog!
Some Helpful Tools To Make This Recipe:
- Cooling Rack – this cooling rack has crossbars to reinforce it… no more saggy, flimsy racks!
- Cookie Scoop – Get perfectly sized cookies, every time!
- Sea Salt Flakes – You’ll love the texture and flavor of this sea salt!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup salted butter at room temperature, 1 stick
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup + 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (more or less, to your tastes)
- sea salt flakes (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Add flour and baking soda to a mixing bowl and whisk for 15 seconds to incorporate and make them fluffy.
- In a separate bowl that's compatible with a stand mixer (or you can use a regular mixing bowl and use a hand mixer), add softened butter and both sugars. Beat with paddle attachment for about 2 minutes, until mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla, beat on LOW speed until combined.
- Add flour, half the mixture at a time, beating on LOW speed until JUST combined after each addition. Don't overmix, or your cookies won't be soft and tender.
- Add chocolate chips and stir together with a wooden spoon.
- Cover bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- minutes before you want to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Use a large cookie scoop (or a 1/4 cup filled about 2/3 of the way), scoop round balls of dough onto parchment paper about 2 inches apart. I baked 6 cookies per sheet.
- Press a couple chocolate chips into the tops of the balls of dough, and bake about 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown and tops of cookies look a little underdone. (mine took 11 minutes).
- Sprinkle top of baked cookies with some sea salt flakes.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
2. If you use UNsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt to the dry ingredients
3. I measure my flour by whisking flour beforehand, scooping the flour with the measuring cup, leveling off with the back of a butter knife, then making sure to whisk the flour again before adding to the dough.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Divya Bhaskaran says
I just made these and love them. They came out really beautiful in shape and crunchy outside with soft inside. They taste similar to the famous Minnesota State Fair -Sweet Martha’s cookies.
Betty says
These were excellent! Novice baker but these came out looking like I bought them from a bakery 🙂 Thank you!
Angela Kitchen says
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars….love them
Kathryn J Kurtenbach says
Hello – I just made these, followed recipe to a T, purchased fresh ingredients, used the parchment paper on baking sheets and my cookies spread out and are flat. What did I do wrong???
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Kathryn, oh no! That’s so frustrating, I’m so sorry. Are you sure you used butter? Margarine will cause cookies to spread quite a bit. It could also be that you needed a bit more flour. Flour amounts will vary from person to person as things like altitude, humidity, and how the flour is measured can effect the amount needed.
Kathryn J Kurtenbach says
Hi there! This is so frustrating! I bake all sorts of goodies and I bake often – everything turns out fine except when I attempt choc chip cookies. The botched batch looked terrible but tasted amazing which is only reason I’m giving this another go.
I only use real butter (salted) and I am confident it’s not and issue of expired or old ingredients.
After I messaged you I did a little research and after eliminating the above I had two likely culprits, my oven heats low so I may need to bump that up by 10 degrees and the other is type of baking sheet I use. Mine have the edges so I got the flat kind. I am hoping this makes a difference. Now, how do I know if more flour is needed?
Kathryn J Kurtenbach says
Finally!! After a process of elimination I figured out why my chocolate chip cookies were like flat tires! It was my oven!! Picked up and oven thermostat and oven only heated to 290 degrees when set at 350!! I bumped it up – had to keep close eye on it but cookies came out PERFECT!! My kids LOVE them! Best cookie I have ever made – only one I will ever make again!!
Thank You!!
Marly says
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had! I’ve tried a bunch of different recipes and none have come close to these. They’re perfect!
Lauren says
Do you need to sift the flour?
The Chunky Chef says
I usually don’t, just the whisking in the bowl sort of aerates it and removes any possible lumps.
Katie says
My new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thank you!
Gary Blum says
The best cookies ever. I thought my Moms were great but these are better.
My question is if I double the recipe will they turn out the same?
24 cookies are not enough. LOL
Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so happy you love these cookies as much as we do! I’ve not doubled it before, but I think it would turn out just fine 🙂
sissy queen says
hi, this is my first time in baking and i m really bad at all this stuff… i have tried step by step but i uses a hand held beater to beat the sugar butter egg etc at the lowest speed plus my small over can only bake only until 250deg so i get very watery dough and the end result is hard solid biscuits : ( So discouraging, what went wrong ?? is it the temperature and the hand held beater ?
The Chunky Chef says
That does sound discouraging! So sorry you’re dealing with that. I don’t think it’s the hand mixer, but baking at 250 F degrees just isn’t hot enough to bake these cookies, which is why you’re having trouble 🙁
Cate says
This has become my go-to recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. I make these a lot and they are so easy and such a hit. I’m just so happy I found this!
Kathy Dalexander says
I made these before and trying them again today. It calls for 1 1/4 cups of flour, large scoop and it makes 24 cookies. Last time that did not yield that many and looking at the dough now, I doubt I will get 24 cookies. Is this an accurate count?
The Chunky Chef says
When I use my 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop, I get around 24 cookies. But this will vary from person to person and how they’re scooping the dough.
Amanda says
This has become my go-to recipe, as well! So great.
Steve Burkett says
Does using 1/2 cake flour help make them even more awesome? (i have seen a few “award winning” recipes w/ this as their differentiator.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only tested the recipe as written, but I would imagine they would be softer when using cake flour since you can make homemade cake flour by adding some cornstarch to regular flour. I’ve seen other amazing soft cookie recipes that used cornstarch to make them soft.
Liz says
Best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever used! Honestly, I thought they were not going to turn out. We don’t have a mixer, so mixed all by hand with a spoon lol, but turned out amazing. The flavor and the texture is absolutely perfect! I’ve already sent the recipe to so many people! Thanks!!!
Heather says
I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing this recipe! These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. My family and co-workers absolutely love them!
Heather says
I just wanted to to say thank you so much for sharing this recipe. These are the best chocolate chip cookies EVER! My family absolutely loves them and everyone at work too!
ladyRhoda says
delicious!
Jeanne says
My family and friends a absolutely love these cookies. The recipe is so simple I had fun watching our 10 year old grandson making these without my help. Every batch turned out perfect and extremely delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Momma of 1 says
These turned out so delicious! My baking soda wasn’t fresh so I sprinkled just a little bit of baking powder with it. Mine weren’t flat and the bottoms were not burned as some people have mentioned. Excellent recipe that I will continue to use! My family including 3 year old tore these up!
Megan says
Would make again.
Laila Iqbal says
Hi! i had a quick question about the cookies staying fresh. My sisters engagement is on Saturday and i only have time to make these cookies on Wednesday. I also have to package them into decorated paper packages too and am planning to do that on the same day. if i put the paper packages in an airtight container with the tortilla method under do u think they could last till Saturday? Thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Laila, I can’t say for certain, but I’m not sure if the tortilla method would work as well, since the cookies will be packaged individually and not with the tortilla. If you’re able, a good alternative would be to freeze the dough in balls on Wednesday and bake on Friday or Saturday? Since all the mixing is done ahead of time, you’ll have much less hands on time.