A good batch of chocolate chip sugar cookies brings together the tender bite of a sugar cookie and the melty pockets of chocolate chips. This recipe uses a straightforward creaming method and a short rest so the dough holds its shape while baking. You get cookies with a lightly crisp edge and a soft center that doesn’t turn cakey.
The formula below is built for repeatable results in a home oven. We weigh the key cues—dough temperature, scoop size, and bake time—so you aren’t guessing. If you like pudding cookies, the texture here is close but a touch lighter. Making this chocolate chip sugar cookies at home is surprisingly straightforward once you know the key steps.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
- Soft center with a thin crisp edge from a measured bake time.
- One bowl plus a mixer; no chilling overnight required.
- Freezes as dough balls for fresh cookies later.
- Uses pantry staples with one add-in: chocolate chips.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 226 g unsalted butter, softened to 20°C
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 100 g light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 360 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 300 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
Ingredient Substitutions
Unsalted butter: Replace with an equal weight of salted butter and drop the fine salt from the recipe. Salted butter adds a sharper savory note and can brown faster at the edges. Expect a slightly deeper color and a marginally shorter bake window of about 1 minute. The chocolate chip sugar cookies works well for weeknight cooking when time is limited.
Light brown sugar: Use an equal weight of dark brown sugar for a stronger molasses flavor and chewier crumb. Dark brown holds more moisture, so the centers stay soft longer after cooling. The cookies will look darker and taste more caramel-like than the base recipe. Storing leftover chocolate chip sugar cookies correctly keeps it tasting good for days.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Swap for an equal weight of chopped dark chocolate bars (55–70%) for thinner, glossier melt pools. Chopped bars spread more than chips, so space scoops 5 cm apart. The flavor turns less sweet and more bitter-cocoa forward. For the best results with this chocolate chip sugar cookies, read through all the steps before starting.
All-purpose flour: Replace with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend for a similar spread and tenderness. Most blends need the same liquid ratio, but add 1 tbsp milk if the dough feels dry. The crumb will be a bit more fragile and less chewy. If you enjoyed this, our chocolate chip cookies is worth trying next.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line two trays with parchment. Softened butter should bend easily but not look oily.
- Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. This builds the air that lifts the dough.
- Add eggs one at a time on low speed, then vanilla, mixing until each is absorbed before the next. Stop as soon as it looks smooth.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt with a spatula until no dry streaks remain, then fold chips. Do not overmix once flour appears.
- Scoop 40 g portions, roll lightly, and place 5 cm apart. Bake one tray at a time for 11–13 minutes until edges are golden and crisp.
- Cool on the tray for 5 minutes; centers should look just set edges and slightly puffed. Move to a rack to finish cooling.
Pro Tips
Scale your scoops so each portion is the same weight; uneven balls bake at different rates and give you some raw centers next to overbaked ones. A small kitchen scale removes the guesswork.
Rest the mixed dough for 20 minutes at room temperature before scooping if your kitchen is warm. This firms the butter so the cookies spread less and keep a thicker middle.
Use parchment paper rather than greasing the tray; bare grease makes the base fry and spread thin. Parchment gives a clean release and even browning.
Rotate the tray halfway through baking if your oven runs hot on one side. Look for even edge color instead of trusting the timer alone.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using cold butter leads to a dense dough that won’t cream; you’ll see lumps and the cookies bake flat. Let butter sit until it yields to a light press before starting.
Adding chips before the flour is fully mixed scatters them unevenly and can cause overmixing. Fold them last with a few gentle turns to keep the gluten relaxed.
Opening the oven before minute 8 lets heat escape and stalls the set; the centers collapse on cooling. Avoid opening the oven early unless the smell says burning. For another easy option, check out our brown butter chocolate.
Serving Suggestions
Plate three cookies with a glass of cold milk for a classic snack. The semi-sweet chips pair well with a lightly salted rim on the glass.
For dessert, stack them with vanilla ice cream between two cookies to make a quick sandwich. A dusting of cinnamon sugar on the rim adds warmth.
Pack them in a tin with mini egg cookies for a mixed gift box. The size contrast looks playful without extra work.
Storage and Reheating
Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; add a bread slice to hold softness. Don’t leave them out above 2 hours in a hot kitchen.
Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray, then bag them for freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the clock.
Reheat baked cookies in a 160°C / 325°F oven for 4 minutes to re-crisp the edge. They won’t go back to fresh-baked softness but taste close.
Recipe Variations
Brown Butter Version
Cook the butter until amber and nutty before creaming, then cool to 20°C. The cookies gain a toffee note and a slightly denser bite. Watch the browning so it doesn’t turn bitter.
Mint Chip Swap
Replace semi-sweet chips with an equal weight of mint chocolate chips for a cool finish. The dough stays the same, but the aroma reads clearly minty after baking. Good with chocolate gateau on the side.
Double Chip Mix
Use 150 g milk and 150 g dark chips together for layered sweetness. The mix melts at different rates, giving varied pools in each cookie. Scoop the same 40 g size to keep bake time steady.
Orange Zest Twist
Add 1 tsp grated orange zest with the vanilla for a bright citrus edge. The sugar notes lift and the chips taste less heavy. Avoid bottled oil; it turns sharp and fake.
Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
Description
These chocolate chip sugar cookies combine the tender bite of a sugar cookie with melty pockets of chocolate chips. A straightforward creaming method and short rest give you repeatable cookies with a lightly crisp edge and a soft, non-cakey center.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Heat oven and line trays
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Make sure the softened butter bends easily but does not look oily before you begin mixing.
-
Cream butter and sugars
Beat the 226 g softened butter, 200 g granulated sugar, and 100 g packed light brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. This step builds the air that lifts the dough so the cookies stay tender.
-
Add eggs and vanilla
Add the 2 room-temperature eggs one at a time on low speed, then add the 2 tsp vanilla extract, mixing until each is absorbed before adding the next. Stop mixing as soon as the batter looks smooth to avoid overworking the dough.
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Mix dry and fold chips
Stir in the 360 g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp fine salt with a spatula until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the 300 g semi-sweet chocolate chips. Do not overmix once the flour appears; a few gentle turns keep the gluten relaxed and the cookies soft.
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Scoop and space dough
Scoop 40 g portions of dough, roll them lightly into balls, and place them 5 cm apart on the prepared trays. Use a small kitchen scale so each ball is the same weight and bakes evenly without raw centers next to overbaked ones.
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Bake one tray
Bake one tray at a time for 11–13 minutes until the edges are golden and crisp and the centers look just set and slightly puffed. Rotate the tray halfway through if your oven runs hot on one side, and avoid opening the oven before minute 8 so the centers do not collapse.
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Cool on tray
Cool the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes; the centers should look just set at the edges and slightly puffed as they settle. Then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before storing or serving.
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Rest dough if warm
If your kitchen is warm, rest the mixed dough for 20 minutes at room temperature before scooping to firm the butter so the cookies spread less and keep a thicker middle. This short rest replaces any need for overnight chilling in the base recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 22
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 210kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 11g17%
- Saturated Fat 7g35%
- Cholesterol 35mg12%
- Sodium 150mg7%
- Total Carbohydrate 27g9%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 16g
- Protein 3g6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; add a bread slice to hold softness and refrigerate within 2 hours in a hot kitchen.
- Reheating: Reheat baked cookies in a 160°C / 325°F oven for 4 minutes to re-crisp the edge; they won't return to fresh-baked softness but taste close.
- Pro tip: Use parchment paper rather than greasing the tray; bare grease makes the base fry and spread thin, and for a toffee note try our brown butter cookies.
- Make ahead: Freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months and bake from frozen with 2 extra minutes for fresh cookies later.
