Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are the perfect kid-friendly recipe. They’re soft, chewy, and easy enough for young bakers to help make. The dough uses simple pantry ingredients, and there aren’t any difficult steps or unusual techniques.

This has been my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. No matter how many different cookie recipes I come across, I always go back to a traditional chocolate chip cookie. These bake up tender in the center with lightly browned edges, and they stay soft for several days.

They’re also a good first baking recipe for kids. They can help measure the dry ingredients, add the chocolate chips, or roll the dough into balls. One of our readers even shared that her daughter makes these all on her own, and the whole family enjoys them together.

Kim’s Tip for Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

The cornstarch and chill time are both important. The cornstarch helps give the cookies their soft, tender texture, and chilling keeps the dough from spreading too quickly in the oven.

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Take the cookies out when the edges are set and lightly browned but the centers still look a little soft. They’ll continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet. Leaving them in the oven until the centers look completely done will give you a crisper cookie.

Once the cookies are cool, use them to make homemade ice cream sandwiches or serve them with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.

How to Make Kid-Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream the butter and sugars: Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture looks light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3 to 4 minutes with a stand mixer or hand mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed. Stop once everything is combined.

Mix the dough: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then mix on low just until the flour disappears. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand so the dough doesn’t get overmixed.

Shape and chill: Scoop the dough into balls using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, then place them on a small baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. I like using a smaller pan because it takes up less room in the refrigerator.

Cover the dough and chill it for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, bake what you need and freeze the rest for later.

Bake and cool: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chilled dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between each one. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies if desired.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned but the centers still look a little soft. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 2 to 3 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 2 votes

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Author: Kimberly Vargo

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 52 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 Servings

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Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for dotting over the tops

Instructions

 

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. A large bowl and hand mixer also work.
  ½ cup unsalted butter

  ⅔ cup light brown sugar

  ¼ cup granulated sugar
• Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until combined.
  1 large egg

  1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed just until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.
  1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons cornstarch

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Shape the dough into balls using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, about 1½ inches in diameter. Place the dough balls on a small baking sheet lined with plastic wrap, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. After chilling, bake the cookies or freeze some of the dough for later.
• When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the dough on the prepared baking sheet leaving a couple of inches between each ball of dough. Press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops, if desired.
• Bake for 11 to 13 minutes. Remove the cookies when the edges are lightly browned but the centers still look soft.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

1. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.
2. To freeze the cookie dough, place the chilled dough balls in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze until ready to bake.
3. The cookie dough can be baked from frozen. Add a couple of minutes to the baking time. I’ve found that cookies baked straight from the freezer have slightly crisper edges than cookies baked from thawed dough.
4. The cookies will continue to set as they cool. For soft centers, remove them from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone.

Nutrition

Serving: 1CookiesCalories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 211mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 264IUCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg