My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter and Vanilla Pudding Mix make these chocolate chip cookies my favorite! You will love this recipe, while it does require chill time you will see it is well worth it! My favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe will be your new favorite! 

I go through phases in baking, sometimes I cannot get my fill of banana bread other times its creme brûlée. But what never changes is the simplicity of chocolate chip cookies, and then when it's a warm chocolate chip cookie, well I just go all gooey ooey inside!!

Another chocolate chip recipe I adore are my chocolate chip muffins.

Back in January, I visited Disneyland for a blogging conference with ma homegirl Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel we, of course, visited Ghiradelli Square in California Adventure, and ordered warm chocolate chip cookies. The cookie was soooo good, normally when I am at GQ I get the cookie Sunday but it was lovely to just enjoy the pure cookie.

Well, a few weeks ago I decided I wanted CC Cookies. And because I hate making the same thing twice, just like I hate wearing the same outfit twice, even though both of these things happen all the time, I decided to play with my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.

I combined my all time love of browned butter and pudding mix to create, what I call my favorite chocolate chip cookie. The cookies are thick, chewy, chock a block full of chocolate. And they actually remind me of the cookies at Ghiradelli square.

Since making these I have already made them another two times. Which is saying something for me. Like I said before I don't like to make the same recipe twice. But I often do, when I looove it!

Let's get to My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Freezing cookies
• More cookie recipes
• Recipe Card
• Recipe Ratings & Comments

Ingredients

For these chocolatey filled cookies you'll need a few things:

• Butter. I like using unsalted butter, but if you want to use salted butter all you have to do is leave out some of the salt we add-in.
• Eggs. For this particular cookie, we will need an egg yolk and a whole egg. The extra yolk makes the cookie extra chew and adds moisture.
• Vanilla Extract. Make sure you are using the real stuff!
• Sugars. Granulated sugar and dark brown sugar are needed, the white sugar helps the cookies spread and the brown sugar provides moisture, chewiness, and flavor.
• Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix. This makes the cookie extra soft and chewy. Make sure to use the small size box, not the large one!
• Salt. Don't forget to add some salt to these sweet cookies.
• Flour. Just some good old All-Purpose Flour, also known as Plain Flour.
• Baking Soda. This makes the cookies rise. Make sure your baking soda is fresh, expired or old baking soda will not lift the cookies when they bake.
• Chocolate Chips. I like to use Callebaut Chocolate Callets or chopped chocolate bars to achieve a more melty chocolate chip cookie.

Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

Instructions

Start by browning the butter in a saucepan. Check out this post with step by step photos on how to brown butter.

Add the browned butter to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer then add the remaining butter and let sit until fully dissolved.

After you're going to want to add your sugars and vanilla, then mix in for two minutes until completely combined. Once you've done that go ahead and add the egg and egg yolk.

Mix until it lightens up quite a bit and looks creamy. This will take a few minutes.

In a separate bowl add all of your dry ingredients together and whisk to combine.

Start by slowly incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, make sure to be scraping the sides down.

Finally you're going to fold in the chocolate chips (my favorite part)

I like to use a medium cookie scoop to portion out 1.5-2 tablespoons of cookie dough. Place the balls into an air-tight container, I prefer to place them on sheets of parchment paper or wax paper- makes them easier to peel off later. You could also place on a plate and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least an hour and a half before baking or up to two days. If you chill the dough for longer than an hour and a half then let the cookie dough balls sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before baking.

These are my favorite plastic containers.

When you are ready to bake your cookies, I like to roll the dough balls and slightly pinch them together to make a taller dough ball, as seen in the photo below. A taller, chilled dough ball ensures the cookies don't spread too much.

After they are baked let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or dig into a warm cookie!!

Freezing cookies

Most all cookies are great candidate for freezing.

To freeze baked cookies: Once you've baked the cookies allow them to cool completely then place in an air-tight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat place cookies on the counter to thaw for an hour.

To freeze unbaked cookie dough balls: Scoop the cookie dough and place it on a parchment-lined sheet pan or large plate to freeze, once they are frozen (about an hour or two) place the dough balls into an air-tight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to bake the cookies, follow normal instructions but add a minute or two onto the bake time. The cookies may not spread as much from frozen, in that case when the cookies come out of the oven I bang the tray on the counter to encourage the cookies to spread.

Check out this post on my Cookie Baking Tips

More cookie recipes

You've gotta try these no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies, such a fun and different cookie, totally delicious!!

My friend Ari makes the most delicious Italian Rainbow Cookies, they are so beautiful.

If you're looking for another cookie but not a chocolate one these Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are always a crowd-pleaser.

These toasted marshmallow cookies are full of chewy texture, you will not be able to eat just one!

In a hurry? Check out my chocolate chip cookie in a mug recipe.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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This Post was originally published on March 26, 2014, the photos and text have been updated on July 1, 2020.