If you’re craving a homemade dessert, how about baking a batch of soft, gooey chocolate chip cookies, just like Mom used to make? Our classic, perfect chocolate chip cookies have a tinge of caramel flavor and are studded with chocolate goodness. Tip: Use a small ice cream scoop to form balls of dough, and they’ll bake into gorgeous, perfectly round cookies every time. Read on for our perfect chocolate chip recipe, in addition to more tips from our Test Kitchen!

 

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen Tips

1. Don’t shy away from salt!

These cookies are loaded with chocolate chips which is why the salt is perhaps a tad higher than you are used to seeing in your everyday chocolate chip cookie recipe. The balance of sweet chips with a salty dough is key to achieving the iconic chocolate chip cookie flavor. Take it a step further and top each cookie with a sprinkle of flake salt before baking.

2. Switch up the size.

Making different size cookies using scoops is a fun way to add variety to chocolate chip cookies. Just make sure you adjust cook time so smaller cookies don’t over bake!  Try using a ½-inch scoop to many tiny cookies and put them on some vanilla ice-cream.

3. If you like a flat, chewy cookie – try this!

In the middle of baking, gently slam the cookie sheet on your counter. This will release the air in the dough, resulting in that decedent ooey-gooey-ness. If you prefer a puffy cookie, throw your cookie dough balls in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. This will allow the dough to keep its shape while baking, giving you a cakier texture.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups (6 1/2 oz./200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz./105 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 6 Tbs. (3 oz./90 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (15 oz./470 g) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed until blended. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a small ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough mounds 2 inches (5 cm) apart.

Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops feel firm when lightly touched, 10-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 10–12 cookies.

Find more foolproof recipes for everyday baking in our cookbook, Bake Good Things.

Check out our seven-layer bar recipe — another fan favorite — here