Extra Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- PREP 15min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 30min
Melted butter is the secret to making quick and easy chocolate chip cookies! These cookies are soft in the center, chewy around the middle, and a little crispy around the edges. If you have an extra five minutes to spare when making these cookies, try browning your butter before adding it to the cookie batter. Browned butter adds a nutty richness to the cookies. (Here’s our tutorial for browning butter and we provide instructions below)
You Will Need
1 ¾ cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150 grams) packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 tsp espresso powder, optional, see notes
1 ¾ cups (8 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Flaky sea salt, optional for sprinkling over baked cookies
Directions
Prepare the Butter
You can use regular melted butter or browned butter for this chocolate chip cookie recipe.
For regular melted butter, melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove, and then cool. When cool to the touch, use the melted butter in the recipe below.
For browned butter (our favorite), melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is melting evenly. As it melts, the butter will begin to foam and the color will change from light yellow to golden, and finally to brown. This only takes a minute or two.
When the browned butter smells nutty and the butter is a light golden brown, transfer the browned butter to a heatproof bowl to cool. When cool to the touch, use the browned butter in the recipe below.
Prepare Cookie Batter
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the sugars, whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and the melted butter or browned butter together. Whisk in espresso powder (optional).
Switch to a large rubber spatula, and then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring gently until they disappear. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving a handful for adding to the tops of each scooped cookie before baking.
Bake Cookies
Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Drop 1 1/2 tablespoon-mounds or use a medium cookie scoop onto baking sheets. Leave 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. (For larger cookies, use 3 to 4 tablespoons of dough and space them apart by 3 inches.) Press a few extra pieces of chocolate into the tops of each cookie dough mound.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time and rotate once during cooking, for 12 to 16 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but light in the middles. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Before serving, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over each cookie (optional).
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Espresso powder is an optional ingredient. It adds a little extra richness and flavor to the cookies. We don’t add enough to make them taste like coffee, but just enough to make them taste extra special. We use Medaglia D’Oro Espresso, which we purchased from a specialty kitchen store (I’ve also seen it online). In a pinch, instant coffee granules can be used, but use slightly less.
- Browning Butter: A full tutorial is found here to help you out.