martha stewart chocolate chip cookie recipe
The Best martha stewart chocolate chip cookie recipe
Martha Stewart’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is the one I keep coming back to. I have tried a lot of versions over the years, the ones with bread flour, the ones with a two day chill, the ones that promise a bakery cookie from a home oven. This one is simpler than most of those and it works every single time. Softened butter, both kinds of sugar, a good amount of vanilla, and semi sweet chocolate chips. Nothing fancy, nothing that sends me to a specialty store on a Tuesday afternoon.
My kids know the sound of the stand mixer from the other side of the house. They show up in the kitchen before the butter and sugar are creamed, asking for a beater, then asking again nine minutes later while the first batch cools on the rack. We make these for birthday parties, for the last day of school, for the tray I bring to a neighbor who just had a baby. I also make them on a random Thursday because the day was long and the oven was already warm from dinner. That is the part I like most. The recipe does not ask for an occasion to earn it.
I like that I know every ingredient that goes in the bowl. Real butter, eggs, flour, and chocolate I can pronounce. There is no long list of things I cannot picture, and no preservatives to keep them sitting on a shelf for a month. A cookie is still a cookie and I am not going to pretend otherwise, but baking from scratch means I decide what goes in and how much. That matters to me more now than it did ten years ago, and it is a big reason this recipe stayed in the rotation while others came and went.
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy in the center with crisp, golden edges, these cookies come together from pantry staples and a generous pile of semisweet chocolate chips. Chilling the dough firms up the butter so the cookies spread less and bake thicker.
🥘Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients and Mix-Ins
👨🍳Directions
🔧Equipment
📊Nutrition Facts (per serving)
📝Notes
Watch Video Of How Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies Works
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is one I keep coming back to because it turns out well every single time, whether I am baking for a holiday party or just a Tuesday afternoon. The dough comes together quickly, the cookies spread nicely, and the balance of chewy centers and crisp edges makes them a safe bet for family gatherings where everyone has an opinion. If you need one dependable dessert to bring to a potluck or set out for the kids after school, this is the one I reach for.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Do I have to chill the dough before baking?
The recipe works straight from the mixing bowl, so chilling is optional. That said, 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator firms up the butter and gives the flour time to hydrate, which usually means thicker cookies with less spread and a chewier center. If you do chill the dough, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before scooping so it doesn’t crack apart in your hands.
2. Why did my cookies spread out so thin?
Warm butter is almost always the culprit. Softened butter should hold a slight indentation when pressed but still feel cool, not greasy or melty. Scoop the dough onto cool baking sheets rather than one you just pulled from the oven, and if your kitchen is hot, chill the portioned dough balls for 10 minutes before they go in. Measuring flour by the spoon-and-level method instead of packing the cup also helps keep the dough from turning slack.
3. Can I use a different type of chocolate or add nuts?
Yes. Semi-sweet chips are the standard, but chopped bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate chunks, or a mix of chips and chunks all work well and give you pockets of melted chocolate instead of uniform bits. Toasted chopped walnuts or pecans can go in at about 1 cup, folded in with the chocolate at the end. Keep the total add-ins close to the amount the recipe calls for so the dough still holds together.
4. How do I know when the cookies are done?
Pull them when the edges are set and lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underdone and soft. They’ll continue firming up on the hot sheet during the few minutes they rest before you move them to a rack. Bake time runs about 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F, though darker pans and darker chocolate can shave a minute or two off that.
5. How should I store or freeze the cookies?
Once fully cooled, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to about three days; adding a slice of bread to the container helps them stay soft. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a single layer, then bag them for up to two months and thaw at room temperature. You can also freeze raw portioned dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the bake time.
