Why Professional Bakers Use Melted Butter for Chocolate Chip Cookies (original) (raw)

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Our easy chocolate chip cookie recipe is the BEST and delivers bakery-quality, perfectly thick and chewy cookies with crispy edges.

The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You'll Ever Need

This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe I've been making for decades and it never fails. It's the perfect thickness, chewy and soft, with that slight crisp on the outside that the perfect” chocolate chip cookies should have. Plus you don't even need a mixer–just one bowl and a few pantry staples.

Over time I've learned my favorite way to bake cookies is on convection bake (you can bake multiple pans at once, and I love the crisp texture it yields). If you're oven has convection, I recommend this, or alternately you could bake the cookies at 375 degrees F. It's also essential to chill the dough for 30 minutes. Doing both of these will yield the perfect golden and crisp exterior, with a soft and chewy interior.

Check out my other cookie recipes, like Lace Cookies, Sugar Cookies, S'mores Cookies, Oatmeal Creme Pies, or Biscoff Cookies!

How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies From Scratch:

Make Cookie Dough: Melt the butter then let it cool completely. Combine brown sugar and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl then stir in the melted butter. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla then stir. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt then stir in the cookie dough. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips, be careful not to mix it too much.

Bake: Scoop the cookie dough with a cookie scoop then place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (if you chilled the dough, I recommend baking at 375 F or baking on convection!) for 8-14 minutes, or until they are just set. These homemade chocolate chip cookies will cook more while they cool on the baking sheet, so be careful not to overcook them!

Looking for a fun twist? Try our Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ranger Cookies, Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies!

Pro Tips:

• Melt Your Butter: Most cookie recipes don't use melted butter, but in this one we do. It gives the cookies an extra chewy texture, and even yummier flavor.

• Extra Egg Yolk: Don't skip this! This helps the cookies stay thick, chewy, and helps that texture too so they will stay soft and chewy for days.

• Brown Sugar: We use more brown sugar than granulated because it has molasses in it, making it more moist. This gives us a cookie that is extra soft and chewy.

• ▢ 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

• ▢ 12 Tablespoons butter, (1 ½ sticks) melted and cooled until warm

• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar

• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• ▢ 1 large + 1 egg yolk egg

• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, (or milk chocolate)

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F* (see note about oven temp). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat.

• Melt the butter for about 45 seconds in the microwave, until it's almost completely melted. Remove and stir it, allowing any remaining butter to melt. Allow the butter to cool until it's almost room temperature, but still a liquid.
  12 Tablespoons butter

• Add melted butter and both sugars to a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir combined.
  1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 large + 1 egg yolk egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• In a medium bowl mix together flour, salt, and baking soda.
  2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt

• Stir the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and begin to mix. Add chocolate chips, stirring just until combined. The dough will be soft. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or up to 2 days (or freeze for longer).
  1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Scoop dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-14 minutes (depending on size) or until set on top. Cool for 10-15 minutes on a baking sheet before moving to a wire cooling rack.

Oven temp: Over time I've learned my favorite way to bake cookies is on convection bake (you can bake multiple pans at once, and I love the crisp texture it yields). If you're oven has convection, I recommend this, or alternately you can bake the cookies at 375 degrees F. It's also essential to chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking. Doing both of these will yield the perfect golden and crisp exterior, with a soft and chewy interior.

Make Ahead Instructions: The cookie dough can be made 1-3 days ahead, stored in the refrigerator. Baked cookies are best enjoyed the same day, or frozen if enjoying another day.

Freezing Instructions: Scoop cookie dough on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer cookie dough to freezer safe container or bag. Thaw before baking dough. Baked cookies can be frozen after cooling completely. Freeze in an air-tight freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Check out my Mrs. Field's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: Substitute gluten-free flour.

Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 120mg, Potassium: 101mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 181IU, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

I originally shared this recipe Feb. 2015. Updated May 2018, September 2021 and January 2026.

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Published January 11, 2026

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.