Description
These BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies deliver bakery-style perfection with a rich, buttery flavor, vanilla undertones, and a hint of honey for a soft, chewy texture. Featuring crisp, caramelized edges and gooey, melty chocolate centers, these cookies offer the ultimate balance of crunch and chewiness, enhanced with flaky sea salt for a gourmet finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt (or ¾ tsp salt if using unsalted butter)
Wet Ingredients
- 10 tbsp (140g) salted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (165g) packed dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (80g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (5ml) honey or corn syrup
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Add-ins
- 7 oz (200g) dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa), chopped into chunks
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine softened butter with both brown and granulated sugars and vanilla extract. Use a rubber spatula to vigorously mix by hand with the creaming method until smooth and slightly fluffy, resembling damp sand. Alternatively, use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer on medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl sides periodically.
- Add honey and egg: Stir in the honey or corn syrup thoroughly, then add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.
- Combine flour and chocolate: Add the flour mixture all at once to the butter mixture. Stir gently just until most of the flour is absorbed, then fold in the chopped chocolate chunks evenly. The dough should be soft and moderately moist.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours for optimal flavor and texture development. If pressed for time, chilling for at least 4 hours is acceptable but 8 hours is preferred.
- Prepare to bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Portion dough: Use a 1 ½-oz cookie scoop or divide the dough into 16 balls. If dough is too hard, let it soften at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before scooping. Place dough balls on the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Do not flatten. For smaller cookies, divide into 18 balls.
- Add extra chocolate and bake: Press a few additional chocolate chunks on top of each dough ball. Bake 6 cookies per tray for 9-11 minutes until puffed, golden around edges but still soft in the center. Smaller cookies require 8-10 minutes baking time. Avoid over-baking as cookies will continue cooking on the hot tray.
- Cool and finish: Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack and let cookies cool on the sheets for 2 minutes. Then transfer each cookie carefully to the wire rack to cool completely. While still warm, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top if desired.
Notes
- These cookies have rich, buttery flavor with vanilla and butterscotch notes for a truly decadent experience.
- Texture is key: crisp caramelized edges combine with chewy, gooey centers.
- Chilling the dough enhances flavor and texture, so don’t rush this step if possible.
- Use high-quality dark chocolate with 55-70% cocoa for best flavor balance.
- If you want slightly smaller cookies, divide dough into 18 balls and reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkling flaky sea salt on warm cookies adds a delightful contrast to the sweetness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 45g)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
