Chocolate chip cookies are one of the best dessert and cookie recipes. It’s a classic. A lot of people now a recipe just by eyeballing it from baking them so many times. I have a sticky note in my kitchen drawer for a quick recipe that I can do at any time, along with variations if I want to try something new. They’re always a hit when I make them for friends and family that come over.
If you’re expected to bake something for a party coming up and don’t want to deal with the fuss of an extravagant dessert, but still want to make an impression, try out these delicious, yet simple chocolate chip cookies that will hit everyone’s sweet tooth.
Related: Decadent and Gooey Brownies
Difficulty Level: easy
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Salted Butter, Softened
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Cups, or 14oz, Chocolate Chips
- For butter, you can use vegan butter or coconut oil.
- For sugar, you can use cane sugar.
- Dark brown sugar is good if you don’t have light, but you will have a stronger molasses taste.
- You can use just regular salt if you don’t have sea salt, but just use 1/2 a teaspoon, and then taste as you go.
- Use 1/4 cup per of yogurt, mashed banana, or thick applesauce if you don’t have eggs. While it might affect the taste, these are great binding agents.
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda and powder, then set aside.
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Cream together butter and sugar in another bowl until it’s combined.
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In your sugar and butter bowl, beat in your eggs and vanilla until light, around 1 minute.
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Mix together the dry and wet ingredients until they’re combined.
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Add in the chocolate chips of your choice.
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Roll your dough balls, around 4 Tablespoons worth. You can make them larger or smaller depending on your preference. Place them evenly spaced on your baking sheets.
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Once your ovens are preheated, cook your cookies for about 10-12 minutes. Take them out when they’re golden brown. Let them cool on a cooking rack.
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Substitutions
I know how frustrating it can be when you’re craving a sweet treat but don’t have the right ingredients to make something. While substitutions are a great way to allow you to bake your food right then and there, you should be aware that some substitutions will affect the flavor depending on what you’re using. Here are a few things that you can do if you don’t have all the ingredients.
Variations
One of the biggest reasons why chocolate chip cookies are a fan favorite is because they really are just the base for what you can create. Chocolate chip cookies are just basic cookies with chocolate morsels, which means you can do whatever you want with them.
Do you want some more chocolate? Add in mini-M&Ms to them for a classic holiday cookie.
What about a different kind of chocolate? Add some white chocolate or peanut butter chocolate morsels.
And don’t forget to add nuts if you want more crunch to your cookies. You can add chopped up pecans to make it a delicious crunchy chocolate chip cookie.
But that’s only about what you can add into the cookie. What if you want to play with the batter itself? One of my favorite variations to the batter is by adding cocoa powder to create a double chocolate chip cookie, a rich and decadent version of what’s above.
Drizzling melted chocolate or caramel overtop after it’s been freshly baked is another great way to add more sweetness for a luxurious dessert, and having it paired with ice cream is just a dream come true. Whatever you want or are craving, you can do it with this recipe.
Check Out: Apple Pie Cookies
How to Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?
Freezing cookie dough is one of my favorite meal prep plans. Having a batch of baked cookies on the counter usually causes me to eat half of them in one sitting, which isn’t the best choice for obvious reasons.
Instead, making the dough ahead of time will help me eat more responsibly. I can have a fresh baked cookie at any time of the day whenever I want. To do this, all you have to do is make the dough and grab sandwich sized bags.
I usually put two cookie balls in one bag, with some only have one, so I can have just one or two cookies at a time. You can freeze the dough for up to 2 month.
You can do this for pretty much any cookie you want to, so if you love holiday cookies but don’t want to deal with baking cookies all day, try freezing them for a bit and spreading out your baking.
These cookies can last in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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How to Store Chocolate Chip Cookies?
You can also freeze baked cookies. Once you let them cool completely, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover, and freeze for about three hours up to overnight. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to a zip-lock bag. You can wrap them in a layer of foil for some added protection. Again, only freeze them for up to 2 months.
Conclusion
Enjoy the holidays this year with some of the most simple and delicious chocolate chip cookies. Whether you’re trying to impress friends and family at the holiday party, or you’re trying to find something to keep you warm after dinner, these are some of the best cookies.
Chocolate chip cookies have a way of becoming so much more, as they’re truly just the base for what you can create with cookies. Try out all the variations this year to create your own amazing family recipe.
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