Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Ingredients: 1 3/4 c butter; 1 1/2 c. sugar; 2 1/4 c. brown sugar packed; 4 eggs; 2 Tbsp. vanilla; 6 c. flour; 2 tsp. baking soda; 1 Tbsp. baking powder; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 lb small chocolate chips ((1 lb.))

By Erica Walker Published on: March 12, 2021 77 Comments

5 from 13 votes

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This is the only recipe for chocolate chip cookies you will ever need. They are to this day my favorite cookies ever! Perfectly soft and chewy every time.

This Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is a classic. It is one of those must-have family-favorite cookie recipes, much like our cut-out sugar cookies, easy no-bake cookies, or our classic peanut butter cookies.

When I say this recipe came from an actual bakery, I mean it. It wasn’t one of those recipes that came from an aunt’s cousin’s in-laws who used to work at a bakery. This recipe came from a bakery that I, myself, worked at. They are the best, most perfect, chocolate chip cookies ever!

How to Make Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

I loved the chocolate chip cookies that we made at the bakery. Not many things sound great at 4 am…but bakery chocolate chip cookies always did.

They are so soft, chewy and DELICIOUS! You are going to love them. One of my favorite ways to eat them is chilled. At the bakery, sometimes the cookies would be chilled in the walk-in refrigerator and then given to employees the next day. You had better believe I was back in the fridge at 4 am gobbling these up. I never got sick of chocolate chip cookies.

At the bakery, we would make HUGE batches of these in massive mixers. Obviously I don’t have a bear-sized mixer in my home so I had to figure out the correct measurements for a small batch. It took some time but I figured it out and it is PERFECT. So here is my recipe for perfect bakery chocolate chip cookies. I know you are going to love them!

How to Get Your Chocolate Chip Cookies the Same Size

Ever wonder how bakeries have stacks of cookies that are all the same size? It isn’t by accident! The trick to getting bakery chocolate chip cookies all perfectly formed at the same size is using a cookie dough scoop.

I bought mine at a local restaurant supply store, but you can find them online. At the bakery, we would put on gloves, grab a big chunk of dough and scoop from our hand. I still like to do it this way, glove and all.

I like using the glove because when I do scoops I scrape the scooper along the palm of my hand to round off the dough and it protects my hands. Maybe that is my OCD coming out, but it is so satisfying seeing dozens of chocolate chip cookies, all the same size in perfectly straight rows coming out of the oven.

What Chocolate Chips Are Best?

I always like using mini chocolate chips. That is what we used at the bakery and it’s what I prefer today because you get the perfect amount of chocolate in each bite. Of course, if you don’t have mini chips, you can always use regular-sized. Because the dough, itself, is plenty sweet, you will want to stick to semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Milk chocolate chips tend to melt faster and make more of a mess.

Mix-In Ideas

If you want to venture out of the box and try some different mix-ins, you can swap out the chocolate chips for any (or any combination) of these:

Peanut butter, butterscotch, or white chocolate chips
Mini M&Ms
Raisins
Chopped nuts
Chopped candy bars
Sprinkles
Pretzels
Cherry chips (these can be hard to find but they were my favorite from the bakery where we grew up)

The Secret To Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Want to know the secret to getting those cookies perfect every time? Do. Not. Over. Bake. When you pull these out of the oven they might not seem like they are quite done. That’s ok! 8-9 minutes is the perfect amount of time for perfectly chewy cookies. While they are piping hot, they may break apart but as they cool, they will be chewy and stack-able. It is also important to not that not all ovens and elevations are the same. Experiment with your cookies and note the amount of time that works best for you.

If you prefer you chocolate chip cookies to be more crisp, just bake them a bit longer. I like to take my cookies out before the edges turn golden brown. If you want lightly crisp edges, keep a close eye on them and remove them once you start seeing the edges start to turn golden-brown (another minute or two tops). If you like the whole cookie crisp, wait an additional minute or two until the whole cookie is a light golden-brown color.

Bakery Tip: When your cookies are still warm and on the pan, lift the pan a few inches and drop it flat on the counter (this works best on a granite countertop). You don’t want to do it so hard that you break anything. Just smack it hard enough so the cookies sink into themselves instead of puffing up. They will flatten and look like the cookies below.

Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?

Yes! It’s so easy to do. That way you can make this recipe (it makes 4 dozen) and freeze whatever you don’t use. There are actually several different ways that you can freeze chocolate chip cookie dough. You can freeze it in a loaf, in scoops, or in balls. I have laid out how to freeze cookie dough in a separate post so you can learn all about it and how to bake after freezing!

What Our Readers Say

Over the years, we’ve had thousands of people make this recipe. Here’s what a few of them had to say.

“These cookies have a great look to them, just like bakery cookies. They came out perfectly round with soft crackly tops, and they stay nice and soft. My family really enjoyed these.” – Nicole

“Great cookies! Made for the first time the other night and the family was super pleased thank you so much! After 3 days the cookies are still soft and taste great .” – Michelle

“I found this recipe around 2 years ago, I made it for the first time and fell in love – and have been using it ever since!” – Katie

Other Cookie Recipes to Try

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies