Okay, I know there’s a boatload of recipes out there deemed the “best chocolate chip cookies” ever. Let’s just say, these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever personally made. And, they happen to be pretty darn good. Of course “the best” is somewhat relative as everyone has different preferences, but I’m gonna say that “almost” every single person that has had these chocolate chip cookies raves about them. Why do I say “almost” you ask? Because my oldest daughter thinks they have too many chocolate chips in them, but come on, is that even possible? For someone that hardly even likes chocolate, I’m gonna say her vote doesn’t count on this one.

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How I discovered these best chocolate chip cookies ever

This recipe is inspired by a copycat recipe of the chocolate chip cookies from Levain Bakery in New York City. This recipe can be found over at Modern Honey. Now, Levain Bakery is still on my bucket list to visit and try their famous cookies. We didn’t have the time to wait in line on my trip to New York City, so we just walked by so we would “know where it is”, with me sulking the entire time. I might add here that my husband made a second trip to NYC a few months later, and yes, he had time for cookies from Levain Bakery! And did he bring me any? Well, yes, he did. However they didn’t survive the trip so well.

Now, back to this recipe. So I’d been on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookies, and with the fame of this bakery (and my desire to visit), I decided to give these a try. I made just a few adjustments to make it my own and bam! Literally THE BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. So let’s dive into making these delightful goodies.

The adventure of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you want your cookies to be THE BEST, make sure you’re following these key points of the recipe. 

• Must cook at a high temperature – this gives you the perfect crisp outside with a gooey inside
• Must use cold butter
• I don’t often sift my dry ingredients, but I prefer it for this recipe
• I prefer a baking stone for baked goods, you often have to cook a few minutes longer, but they bake to perfection (mine is Pampered Chef)
• I’ve tried using 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 AP flour like the original recipe, but it just did not work out for me, so sifted all-purpose flour is my go-to for this recipe
• Use any nuts you have on hand, or skip them if you prefer

Let’s get baking!

As mentioned, cold butter is a key element here. Cube that butter (I do it in about tablespoon size squares), and dump in in the stand mixer with your brown and white sugar. Beat that mixture until nice and creamy, about 4 minutes on medium speed. The nice thing about a stand mixer is that you can do other things while it’s mixing. So, while that’s mixing, we start on the remaining dry ingredients. 

The perfect cookie dough combination

Now, back to the cream mixture. Once your butter and sugar is nice and creamy, beat in eggs one at a time, beating after each egg until combined. You may want to scrape the sides of your bowl at this time so that butter mixture doesn’t get stuck to the sides. After eggs are mixed in, add the vanilla and mix. Your batter may look lumpy at this point. That is fine. Turn your stand mixer on low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined so you don’t over mix the batter. Add in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired) and either hand mix until incorporated throughout the dough or use stand mixer on low, but remember, do not over mix. 

My kids prefer their cookies without nuts, and some of them straight up do not like nuts of any kind. So I cook the first half of the dough without nuts, and then I add half the amount from the recipe (1 cup) do the remaining dough for the hubby and I. A traditional chocolate chip cookie with nuts usually calls for walnuts, but you can use any nut you prefer. I was out of walnuts so I opted for some chopped roasted pecans that we had. Let’s just say, DELICIOUS! 

Now it’s time to scoop out those cookies and get them in the oven! My preference for baking almost anything, including these cookies, is my Pampered Chef stone baking sheet. You take heaping spoonfuls of dough and place them on the baking sheet. I use a medium sized cookie scoop and make a heaping scoop as shown in the picture. I can fit 6 cookies on my large baking sheet. You want to make sure you have space for them to spread out when cooking.

And now we eat!

Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes, or until golden brown on the top. In my oven with my stone baking sheet this takes 11-12 minutes on the first batch into the oven and 10 minutes on all other batches. That first sheet always take a few minutes longer because the baking sheet hasn’t warmed up yet. After the baking sheet has warmed up, you can take of a couple minutes from the baking time for the remaining batches. Once out of the oven, let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. 

And now, you dig into this ooey gooey best chocolate chip cookie ever! A bit crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. Like most chocolate chip cookies, these are best when eaten warm just out of the oven, but they’re great even at room temperature. And, you can always use that little thing called a microwave to warm them up a bit (if there are any left over).

So, what are you waiting for? Give these cookies a try. I know you won’t regret it!

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