Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies: 11 Min Bake

Oh, if there’s one cookie that just screams comfort and pure joy, it’s got to be a perfectly soft chocolate chip cookie! You know the kind – the ones with that slightly chewy center, loaded with melty, gooey chocolate chips, and they bake up beautifully without you having to wait for the dough to chill. That’s exactly what we’ve got here! For me, baking these cookies brings back that same feeling I had when I first learned to bake bread – that incredible sense of satisfaction and peace. It’s simple, really: great ingredients, a few easy steps, and suddenly you’ve got warm, delicious cookies that are just begging to be shared. It’s pure cooking joy, right there.

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Why You’ll Love These Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Seriously, why wouldn’t you love these cookies? They’re:

• Super Easy: The ‘no chill’ dough means you can go from craving to cookie in under 30 minutes!
• Perfect Texture: They’re delightfully soft and chewy right out of the oven, with those irresistible gooey chocolate chips.
• Bakery-Style Dream: They look and taste just like the ones you’d splurge on at your favorite bakery.
• Crowd-Pleasers for Sure: These are the best chocolate chip cookies for sharing – they disappear FAST!

Ingredients for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, let’s talk ingredients! This is where the magic really starts for our bakery-style cookies. You’ll need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, but make sure it’s softened! Not melted, just soft enough to easily press your finger into.
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Packing it in is key here!
• 2 large eggs. Room temperature is best if you remember, but don’t stress if you forget!
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Use the good stuff if you have it!
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour. Just your standard stuff will do perfectly.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda. This helps give them that lovely lift.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt. It really makes all those sweet flavors pop!
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. Or whatever your favorite kind is! Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chunks – go wild!

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How to Make Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies: Step-by-Step

Alright, let’s get these amazing soft chocolate chip cookies into the oven! It’s honestly super simple, and the results are just fantastic. We’re going for that perfect balance of soft, chewy, and melty. The whole process is a bit like the one in our Chewy Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, but tweaked for that extra softness. Trust me, you’re gonna love this!

Creaming Butter and Sugars for Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

First things first, get that softened butter, granulated sugar, and that lovely packed brown sugar into a big bowl. Now, beat them together until they’re all light and fluffy. This step is kinda like the foundation – it whips air into the dough, which is key for that tender texture we’re after in our chewy chocolate chip cookies.

Combining Wet and Dry Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

In a separate bowl, just give your flour, baking soda, and salt a quick whisk. This makes sure everything is evenly distributed, so you don’t get pockets of salt or baking soda. Now, slowly add these dry bits to your creamy butter-sugar mixture. Mix until *just* combined. Seriously, don’t go crazy here! Overmixing is the enemy of soft cookies; it develops the gluten too much and can make them tough. A few streaks of flour are totally fine at this stage.

Adding Chocolate Chips and Shaping for Gooey Center Cookies

Now for the best part – the chocolate chips! Fold them in gently until they’re just mixed through. If you want those *extra* gooey centers and chips on top, just press a few more chocolate chips onto the tops of your dough balls right before they go into the oven. Then, grab a rounded tablespoon of dough and drop them onto your parchment-lined baking sheets. Give them plenty of space, about 2 inches apart, because these guys do spread a bit. We’re looking for beautiful, round mounds of cookie dough ready to bake.

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Baking and Cooling Your Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat your oven to 375°F (that’s 190°C). Slide those cookies in and bake for about 9 to 11 minutes. The trick here is to pull them out when the edges are just starting to turn golden brown, but the centers still look a little soft and underdone. They’ll continue to bake on the hot pan, which is exactly what we want for that perfect gooey center. Let them cool on the baking sheets for a good 5 minutes – this is super important for them to set up properly and not fall apart. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you can wait that long!

Tips for Baking Perfect Bakery Style Cookies

Okay, you’ve got the recipe, but let’s talk about those little secrets that take your cookies from “pretty good” to “OMG, where did you buy these?!” Seriously, achieving that perfect bakery style cookie texture is all about a few key things. First off, use good quality ingredients – real butter makes a huge difference! Also, your oven’s temperature can be a little wild, so an oven thermometer is your best friend to make sure you’re hitting that sweet spot for baking. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little with dough handling, and remember that sometimes the most perfect results come from paying attention to those little details. We’ve got tons more baking wisdom and specific cookie baking tips over on the blog if you want to dive deeper!

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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Brown Sugar Cookies

Let’s chat about these star players in our brown sugar cookies! For the butter, unsalted is best because it lets us control the saltiness. But if you only have salted butter on hand, just use a little less salt in the dry mix – maybe start with 1/4 teaspoon and see how it goes. When it comes to chocolate chips, semi-sweet is classic, but honestly, use what makes YOU happy! Dark chocolate chips give a richer flavor, milk chocolate makes them super sweet, and chunks of chocolate melt into bigger, gooey pockets. For the eggs, if a recipe calls for large eggs and you only have mediums or larges, it’s usually fine. Don’t stress too much if you don’t have exactly what’s listed, baking is often about making it work!

Frequently Asked Questions About Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Got questions about these amazing cookies? I’ve got answers! It’s totally normal to wonder about a few things when you’re baking up a batch of these soft chocolate chip cookies.

Can I use a different type of sugar for these soft chocolate chip cookies?

You can! While brown sugar is key for that soft, chewy texture and caramel flavor, using all granulated sugar will make them a bit crispier and less moist. It’s best to stick with brown sugar for that signature softness!

How do I ensure my chewy chocolate chip cookies have a gooey center?

The secret is to pull them from the oven when the edges are golden brown but the centers still look a little underbaked and soft. They continue to bake on the hot pan, and that’s what gives you that perfect, gooey center we all love!

What makes these bakery style cookies so soft?

It’s a few things! Using softened butter, plenty of brown sugar, and not overmixing the dough are crucial. Plus, baking them just until the edges are set but the centers are still soft is the magic trick for that luscious, soft texture.

Nutritional Information for Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just a heads-up, the nutritional info below is an estimate per cookie, and it can totally change depending on the exact ingredients you use and how you bake them. But generally, these delicious treats come in around 200 calories each!

Share Your Pure Joy

I really hope you enjoy making (and eating!) these cookies as much as I do. Did they turn out just like you imagined? If you made them, I’d absolutely love to hear about it in the comments below! You can even rate them right there! It totally makes my day to know this recipe brought some pure cooking joy into your kitchen. If you want to know more about my kitchen adventures, check out my story! And feel free to share your baking journey with me and others on Facebook!

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Bake bakery-style soft chocolate chip cookies with chewy centers and gooey chips. This easy recipe requires no chilling and delivers consistent, crowd-pleasing results.

• Author: purejoyalex
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Total Time: 25 min
• Yield: 24 cookies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• For extra gooey chips, press a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops of the dough balls before baking.
• If you prefer thicker cookies, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Baking time may vary depending on your oven. Watch the cookies closely to prevent overbaking.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 200
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 80mg
• Fat: 11g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 30mg