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This is the ultimate bakery chocolate chip cookie recipe. Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate chips and packed with flavor!
Table of Contents
- The Softest, Chewiest Chocolate Chip Cookies You’ll Ever Make
- Ingredients in Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Equipment You’ll Need
- How to Make Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Bakery Secret for Perfectly Sized Cookies
- Fun Mix-In Ideas
- Tips and Tricks for Perfect Cookies Every Time
- Reviews From Our Readers
- Questions About Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Other Cookie Recipes to Try
- Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
The Softest, Chewiest Chocolate Chip Cookies You’ll Ever Make
If you’re looking for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, stop right here. This is the one. Perfectly soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate chips, these cookies taste just like the ones you’d buy from a bakery—because they are bakery cookies.
I didn’t get this recipe from my aunt’s cousin’s neighbor’s in-laws who once worked at a bakery. Nope. I actually worked at a bakery, making these very cookies at 4 AM when the world was still asleep. And let me tell you—nothing smells better in the early hours than warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. And the taste? They are so soft, chewy and DELICIOUS! These cookies are the real deal!
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.
Ingredients in Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Unsalted Butter – Room temperature is key! Think soft, not melted. Let it sit out for about 30 minutes before using.
- Granulated White Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder
- Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – I swear by minis! But hey, you do you. (More on mix-ins later!)
Equipment You’ll Need
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or a hand mixer)
- Mixing bowls
- Cookie scoop (trust me, it’s a game changer! This helps get that bakery-perfect size!)
- Large baking sheet
- Wire rack
- Parchment paper
How to Make Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugars – This is what gives the cookies their soft texture. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla – One at a time, so everything gets evenly combined.
- Mix dry ingredients separately – Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt before slowly adding to the wet ingredients.
- Add chocolate chips – Be generous! No one ever complained about too many chocolate chips.
- Scoop (and chill) the dough – Scoop with a cookie dough scoop or small ice cream scoop. For extra thick cookies, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake at 325°F for 8-9 minutes – Don’t over-bake! Take them out when they still look slightly underbaked! They’ll set perfectly as they cool.
The Bakery Secret for Perfectly Sized Cookies
Ever wonder how bakeries get those perfectly uniform cookies? The trick is a cookie scoop. I bought mine at a local restaurant supply store, but you can find them online too.
At the bakery, we’d put on gloves, grab a big chunk of dough, and use the scoop to create even-sized balls. If you want to be extra precise, roll them in your hands to smooth them out before baking. The result? Perfect, Instagram-worthy cookies every time.
Fun Mix-In Ideas
Want to mix things up? Try swapping out the chocolate chips for:
- Peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chips
- Mini M&Ms
- Raisins
- Chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are great!)
- Chopped candy bars (think Snickers, Twix, or Reese’s)
- Pretzels (for a sweet and salty combo)
- Sprinkles (because why not!?)
- Cherry chips (these can be hard to find but they were my favorite from the bakery where we grew up)
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Cookies Every Time
Don’t overbake – 8-9 minutes is usually the right amount of time for perfectly chewy cookies, but experiment with your cookies and oven and note the amount of time that works best for you. Pull the cookies out when they still look slightly underdone. They’ll set up as they cool, keeping them soft and chewy.
Use quality chocolate – Semi-sweet or dark chocolate works best since the dough itself is sweet enough.
Chill the dough – This helps the flavors meld together and gives the cookies that rich, bakery-style texture.
Drop the pan trick – Right after pulling them from the oven, lift the baking sheet a few inches and let it drop onto the counter (this works best on a granite countertop). This flattens the cookies slightly and creates that signature bakery-style look.
Reviews From Our Readers
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
Questions About Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Absolutely! It’s so easy to do. You can freeze it in scoops, as a log, or in pre-shaped cookie dough balls. I’ve laid out how to freeze cookie dough in a separate post so you can learn all about it and how to bake after storing in the freezer!
Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips are my go-to. That is what we used at the bakery and it’s what I still prefer 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.
Room temperature ingredients and no overbaking!
Read Next: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas (with Pictures + Simple Recipes)
Other Cookie Recipes to Try
These Chocolate Chip Cookies are so 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. If you are a cookie fanatic like me, you should also try:
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Oreo Cookies
- Turtle Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Grandma’s Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
And there you have it—the ultimate bakery chocolate chip cookie recipe. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or just treating yourself, these cookies will not disappoint!
Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 7/8 cup softened butter (⅞ cup = ½ cup + 6 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound mini chocolate chips (½ bag)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together using a paddle attachment on medium speed for 3-4 mixtures .
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and add to sugar blending on medium speed until combined.
- Slowly mix in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop with cookie dough scoop or small ice cream scoop.
- Bake at 325 for 14-15 minutes until the edges turn golden brown. Do not over bake! Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet then move a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
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- Peanut butter, butterscotch, or white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
-
- 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)
Nutrition Information
Cubes are actually 1/4 stick of butter(2 tablespoon) so that measurement messed me up. I had made the cookie dough and realized it was not enough butter, so I had to add more at the end. They came out very small and rose too much, looked absolutely nothing like this. Would burn at the edges and not get cooked all the way through. Had an after taste to them. I will try next time to make these properly now I know you meant STICKS and NOT CUBES. Please change it! Thank you!
Fixed it. 🙂 Sorry for the misunderstanding. Hopefully it is very clear on the post now!
What size would you say a small ice cream scoop is? 1/4 cup?
I guess technically the “ice cream” scoop I use is a actually a “cookie dough” scoop. Think bigger than a walnut, smaller than a golfball.. hope that helps!
BYU-Hawaii!!! I loved my time spent there!
i am still not sure about the butter measurement. Is it 1 and 3/4 cups? They sound yummy!
Yes, it is 1 3/4 cups
Fantastic recipe – and simple, too! My other favorite recipe is much more complicated and requires refrigeration, so this will be my new favorite! I would add that the bake time is increased when cooking with Silpat sheets, but perfect every time!
We are so glad you like this recipe! We love it too!
Hi there! I was just wondering about how many cookies does this make? Looks fabulous by the way!!
This recipe makes a big batch of cookies. If you make large cookies, it makes about 6 dozen or so. If you make an average size cookie – a heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie – it makes 8-10 dozen cookies.
I can’t see the recipe at all. Sad 🙁
I’m sorry! We had some issues with our site this afternoon. It is back up now. Don’t miss the recipe – it’s a great one! 🙂
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. I liked them also but felt that maybe an additional bit of salt could be added to balance out the sweetness, these do have a lot of sugar. I might try adding just a bit more of salt next time and see if that helps. Overall, these have the best look, texture, and chewiness than any other chocolate chip cookie I have made. Thanks for sharing!
Also I halved the recipe and ended it up with over 3 dozen cookies, more than I need sitting in front of me 🙂
So glad you like them!! They are the ONLY chocolate chip cookies we make around here! 🙂
I am so happy I came across this recipe on Pinterest!!! I have been on a search for the best chocolate chip cookies that don’t go flat on me!!! These are it!! They came out great, not flat, have a slight crisp to the edge but are chewy! The recipe made a TON of cookies and would have been a cinch had my Kitchen Aid mixer not died on me last week. I used my hand mixer and it was a bit of a chore.
I had to play around with the time. I baked them at 350 and needed about 13 minutes but my scoop might have been a bit bigger than others.
Thanks again for sharing!!
Yay! I am so glad that you like them! They are seriously my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. They always come out perfect and I always end up eating WAYYY too many. Hopefully you can get another stand-mixer soon so you can make them again and not have to do it all by hand!
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! Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite dessert- and my hubby’s, too (well, the dough). I usually bake at 350 for 10 minutes, but every oven is different! But thank you for posting this recipe! It is already a family favorite, and the cookie my kids will grow up loving!!!
ps – I freeze the cookies and eat them as a snack – so I always have my favorite dessert on hand! Sounds weird, but you should try it. It only takes a few minutes for it to defrost.. and I actually prefer them frozen now instead of “fresh-baked”. I think it helps you savor every bite!
Katie, I have not made this recipe yet, but I definitely plan to because chocolate chip cookies are a must for that go to sweet snack after dinner. I noticed that you said something about freezing them and eating them as a snack. Do you mean you literally eat them frozen? If so, what about the raw egg? Aren’t you worried about that making you sick? BTW… I love cookie dough…????
You cook them first!!
Hey… I too worked in the BYU Hawaii Bakery. Oh… how i love that little place. And the chocolate chip cookies
Made these cookies tonight… DELISH! Thanks so much for this blog… I use TONZ of your recipes. And I cooked mine on 325 for 8 minutes and they were no more than PERFECTO! They didn't look exactly like yours but so close… just not as cracky… more smooth 🙂 Is cracky a word? HAHA! YUMMO!
mine did not come out with a cracked top either and I did the banging method!
These made good dough too 🙂 Love dough! Mine turned out a little crispy on the outside edge and bottom with the middle gooey. I probably have bad cookie sheets. What is your suggestion on cookie sheets? Where do you get them… Light, Dark, Specialty etc? THX!!! Oh, and they are still delicious! Maybe once they sit for a bit (like tomorrow) they will be divine!
Sam’s Club sells a set of 1 half-sheets for a very reasonable price. They have edges so you can actually bake cookie bars/sheet brownies in them too. They rock! They are a light aluminum and you can find them with other kitchen supplies.
Your problem, though, can be solved by refrigerating the dough for 20-30 min (or as long as you want – it just increases the cooking time a bit, but they turn out great!)
Try USA pans! Amazon sells them. Made in PA and are the BEST cookie sheets ever!
I second the USA cookie sheets. Cooks Illustrated recommended them and I love mine.
These cooks are so good! Mine also took longer to cook, but I just might set my oven to 350. No big deal since they are so delicious…🍪
I cooked them on convection @ 300 for 10 minutes..perfection.
made these, divine.
I'm trying your recipe tonight. Is the oven temp really 325? Because after 9 minutes the cookies were definitely not done. Should it be 375?
Everyone’s oven is different!
These sound fantastic. When you say “small chocolate chips” are those the mini ones?
No, the small ones are just the normal sized ones. We just wanted to clarify because we have seen a lot of brands like Ghirardelli selling large chocolate chips that don’t work as well in this recipe.
These have become my family’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. (I’ve received requests to make these for my childrens’ friends in the lunchroom.) The only alteration I made was to add a bit of instant coffee granules (I always do this when I bake with chocolate as it intensifies the chocolatey taste). Thanks so much for the recipe
Hi, how much instant coffee do you add?
THANKYOU VERY MUCH. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT TODAY.
You will love these cookies! It is actually 3 1/2 cubes… so about 1 3/4 cups.
I WANT TO MAKE THIS COOKIE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 3 1/2 CUBES OF REAL BUTTER. DO YOU MEAN 3 1/2 CUPS OF REAL BUTTER.