December 4, 2024

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Simply The Best Food

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Budget Bytes

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is so good you’ll fall in love at first bite. The cookies have a hint of salt, so they don’t come off too sweet. They’re chewy with slightly crispy edges. They have deeply developed flavors with nutty notes of brown butter. They truly are exceptional. The best part? You don’t need fancy ingredients, just a few tricks.

Overhead shot of chocolate chip cookies on a sheet pan with one of the cookies torn in half.

Here are my Top 5 Tips to slay the chocolate chip cookie game:

  1. Brown your butter. This one step adds a deep, nutty flavor that takes the humble chocolate chip cookie to a whole new level.
  2. Sift your flour. Humidity and packaging affect the volume of flour. If you don’t use a scale, get a correct measurement by sifting it first.
  3. Use granulated sugar and brown sugar. Granulated sugar adds color and crispness, while brown sugar makes the dough moist and chewy.
  4. Rest your dough. Chilling the dough uncovered helps create a dough with concentrated flavors, a firm texture with less spread, and deeper browns.
  5. Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens can be off by up to 50°. A cheap thermometer can be the difference between a cookie win and a big, fat fail.
Overhead shot of a chocolate chip cookie on a black rubber spatula in the foreground with a sheet pan of chocolate chip cookies in the background.

How To Cool Chocolate Chip Cookies

Never remove cookies from a sheet pan right out of the oven. They are still very soft and are likely to break. Instead, leave them on the sheet pan for five or so minutes and then use a spatula to place them on a cooling rack.

How To Store Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies should be cold to the touch before storing. Placing a warm cookie in an air-tight container will make it mushy, and you worked too hard for that. Once cooled, place them in an air-tight container lined with a paper towel. Separate layers with wax paper to prevent them from sticking together. Top the final layer of cookies with plastic wrap to reduce exposure to air. They will last at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerating baked cookies will dry them out. Instead, for longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.

Can You Freeze THIS Cookie Dough?

Absolutely! Portion the dough with a small cookie scoop or in 2 tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls. Freeze them on a sheet pan with a bit of separation so they don’t stick together. Once they are frozen solid, add the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as possible. If using a container, top each layer of dough balls with plastic wrap to prevent exposure to air.

Overhead shot of chocolate chip cookies on a plate with a glass of milk next to it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is so good you’ll fall in love at first bite. The cookies are chewy with slightly crispy edges. They have deeply developed flavors with nutty notes of salted brown butter.

Author: Monti – Budget Bytes

Overhead shot of chocolate chip cookies on a sheet pan with one of the cookies torn in half.

  • 12 Tbsp salted butter* ($1.50)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar* ($0.22)
  • 1/4 cup granulated white sugar* ($0.08)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.57)
  • 2 eggs ($0.42)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.18)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda ($0.03)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ($1.58)
  • In a light-colored, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter over medium heat until the solids separate and turn golden brown.

  • Place the brown butter in a large bowl to cool for a few minutes. When it is no longer steaming hot, set the bowl in the fridge or freezer until it hardens.

  • Once the butter has hardened,break it apart and add the brown and white sugar to the bowl.

  • Use a hand mixer (or elbow grease) to cream the butter and the sugars on low speed until incorporated.

  • Add the vanilla extract and one egg to the bowl. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the second egg. Mix on low speed until combined, and scrape down the bowl again.

  • In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and baking soda.

  • Pour half of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture and mix on low speed until it barely comes together. Next, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in the remaining flour, and mix on low speed until a dough forms.

  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the chocolate chips. Mix until the chocolate chips are interspersed evenly throughout the dough.

  • Roll 2-tablespoon portions of dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in your refrigerator, uncovered, for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.

  • When ready to bake, place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 350°F. Press the chilled cookie dough balls down with two fingers.

  • Bake the cookies for 4 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan, front to back. Bake for an additional 4 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 5 minutes before taking them off and cooling them on a rack.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

large enamelware sheet pan
*If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground salt (like fine sea salt) or 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground salt (like kosher salt) to the butter.
*Use either light brown or dark brown sugars. Dark brown will give your cookies a touch more spread and chew.
* If you prefer a crispy cookie, omit the brown sugar and use 3/4 cups total of granulated white. The cookies will rise more and spread less.

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSodium: 100mgFiber: 1g

Overhead shot of chocolate chip cookies on a sheet pan with one of the cookies torn in half.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies – Step by Step Photos

Overhead shot of butter browning in a silver pan.

In a light-colored, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of butter over medium heat. When it starts to foam, the milk solids will separate from the water in little specks. Continue to cook the solids until they have turned golden brown. The air will smell of hazelnuts.

Overhead shot of chilled brown butter in a silver bowl.

Once the butter has been browned, immediately remove it from the heat and place it in a bowl to cool for a few minutes. Once it is no longer steaming hot, set the bowl in the fridge or freezer until the brown butter cools to a softened butter consistency.

Overhead shot of brown and granulated sugar with chilled brown butter in a silver bowl.

Once the butter has cooled and solidified into a mousse-like consistency, add the 1/2 cup of brown sugar and the 1/4 cup of granulated white sugar to the bowl.

Overhead shot of creamed sugar in a silver bowl with hand beaters settled on the rim..

Use a hand mixer (or elbow grease) to cream the butter and the sugars on low speed until incorporated.

Overhead shot of eggs and vanilla in silver bowl with hand beaters settled on the rim..

Add the teaspoon of vanilla extract and one egg to the bowl. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the second egg. Mix on low speed until combined, and scrape down the bowl again.

Overhead shot of dry ingredients in a white bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Pour half of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture and mix on low speed until it barely comes together. Next, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the remaining flour. Continue to mix on low speed until the dough barely comes together. Do not over-mix, as this will give you a tough cookie.

Overhead shot of chocolate chips being mixed into cookie dough with a red and white rubber spatula in a silver bowl.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 1 cup of chocolate chips. Mix until the chocolate chips are interspersed evenly throughout the dough.

Overhead shot of cookie dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Roll 2-tablespoon portions of dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in your refrigerator, uncovered, for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.

Overhead shot of two fingers pressing down on refrigerated balls of cookie dough on a lined sheet pan.

When ready to bake, place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 350°F. Press the chilled cookie dough balls down with two fingers.

Overhead shot of of baked chocolate chip cookies.

Bake the cookies for 4 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan, front to back. Bake for an additional 4 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 5 minutes before taking them off and cooling them on a rack.

Overhead shot of chocolate chip cookies on a sheet pan.