Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.98 from 37 votes
117 Comments

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This is the only recipe for chocolate chip cookies you will ever need. They are to this day my favorite cookies ever! Perfectly soft and chewy every time.

Chocolate chip cookies on a plate next to a pitcher of milk
Featured with this Recipe
  1. Ingredients in Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
  2. Equipment
  3. Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
  4. How to Get Your Chocolate Chip Cookies the Same Size
  5. Mix-In Ideas
  6. The Secret To Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
  7. What Our Readers Say
  8. Frequently Asked Questions
  9. Other Cookie Recipes to Try
  10. How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
  11. Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

When I say this recipe came from an actual bakery, I mean it. It wasn’t one of those recipes that came from an aunt’s cousin’s in-laws who used to work at a bakery. This recipe came from a bakery that I, myself, worked at. They are the best, most perfect, chocolate chip cookies ever!

Ingredients in Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Unsalted Butter – make sure your butter is room temperature before using. Set it out on the counter for about 30 minutes before mixing.
  • Granulated White Sugar
  • Light Brown Sugar
  • Large Eggs
  • Vanilla Extract
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Baking Soda
  • Baking Powder
  • Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
  • Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – you can use different flavors of chocolate chips if desired. See also our list of suggest mix ins below.

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with a paddle attachment
  • Small bowl for flour mixture
  • Cookie scoop
  • Large baking sheet
  • Wire rack
  • Parchment paper

Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

I loved the chocolate chip cookies that we made at the bakery. Not many things sound great at 4 am…but bakery chocolate chip cookies always did. They are so soft, chewy and DELICIOUS! You are going to love them. One of my favorite ways to eat them is chilled. At the bakery, sometimes the cookies would be chilling in the walk-in refrigerator and then given to employees the next day. You had better believe I was back in the fridge at 4 am gobbling these up.

At the bakery, we would make HUGE batches of these in massive mixers. Obviously I don’t have a bear-sized mixer in my home so I had to figure out the correct measurements for a small batch. It took some time but I figured it out and it is PERFECT. So here is my recipe for perfect bakery chocolate chip cookies.

dough in a mixing bowl with scoops of dough on a baking sheet with a scoop.


How to Get Your Chocolate Chip Cookies the Same Size

Ever wonder how bakeries have stacks of cookies that are all the same size? The trick to getting bakery chocolate chip cookies all perfectly formed at the same size is using a cookie dough scoop. I bought mine at a local restaurant supply store, but you can find them online. At the bakery, we would put on gloves, then grab a big chunk of dough and scoop from our hand. I still like to do it this way, glove and all. I like using the glove because when I do scoops I scrape the scooper along the palm of my hand to round off the dough and it protects my hands. It is so satisfying seeing dozens of chocolate chip cookies, all the same size in perfectly straight rows coming out of the oven.

Baked chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet

Mix-In Ideas

If you want to venture out of the box and try some different mix-ins, then you can swap out the chocolate chips for any (or any combination) of these:

  • Peanut butter, butterscotch, or white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
  • Mini M&Ms
  • Raisins
  • Chopped nuts
  • Chopped candy bars
  • Sprinkles
  • Pretzels
  • Cherry chips (these can be hard to find but they were my favorite from the bakery where we grew up)

The Secret To Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Want to know the secret to getting those cookies perfect every time? Do. Not. Over. Bake. When you pull these out of the oven they might not seem like they are quite done or the right texture. That’s ok! 8-9 minutes is the perfect amount of time for perfectly chewy cookies. While they are piping hot, they may break apart but as they cool, they will be chewy and stack-able. It is also important to not that not all ovens and elevations are the same. Experiment with your cookies and note the amount of time that works best for you.

If you prefer you chocolate chip cookies to be more crisp, then just bake them a bit longer. I like to take my cookies out before the edges turn golden brown. If you want lightly crisp edges, keep a close eye on them and remove them once you start seeing the edges start to turn golden-brown (another minute or two tops). If you like the whole cookie crisp, wait an additional minute or two until the whole cookie is a light golden-brown color.

Bakery chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

Bakery Tip: When your cookies are still warm and on the pan, lift the pan a few inches and drop it flat on the counter (this works best on a granite countertop). You don’t want to do it so hard that you break anything. Just smack it hard enough so the cookies sink into themselves instead of puffing up. They will flatten and look like the cookies on the left.

cookie dough in a mixing bowl with a purple cookie scoop.

What Our Readers Say

Over the years, we’ve had thousands of people make this recipe. Here’s what a few of them had to say.

“These cookies have a great look to them, just like bakery cookies. They came out perfectly round with soft crackly tops, and they stay nice and soft. My family really enjoyed these.” – Nicole

“Great cookies! Made for the first time the other night and the family was super pleased thank you so much! After 3 days the cookies are still soft and taste great .” – Michelle

“I found this recipe around 2 years ago, I made it for the first time and fell in love – and have been using it ever since!” – Katie

Close up of a chocolate chip cookie being pulled apart to show chewy texture

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?

Yes! It’s so easy to do. That way you can make this recipe (it makes 4 dozen) and freeze whatever you don’t use. There are actually several different ways that you can freeze chocolate chip cookie dough. You can freeze it in a loaf, in scoops, or in cookie dough balls. I have laid out how to freeze cookie dough in a separate post so you can learn all about it and how to bake after storing in the freezer!

What Chocolate Chips Are Best?

I always like using mini chocolate chips. That is what we used at the bakery and it’s what I prefer today because you get the perfect amount of chocolate in each bite. Of course, if you don’t have mini chips, you can always use regular-sized. Because the dough, itself, is plenty sweet, you will want to stick to semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.

What is the secret to the best cookies?

For the very best chocolate chip cookies ever, bring all the ingredients to room temperature before mixing and don’t over bake even by a minute!

Read Next: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas (with Pictures + Simple Recipes)

These Chocolate Chip Cookies are so classic. It is one of those must-have family-favorite cookie recipes, much like our cut-out sugar cookies, easy no-bake cookies, or our classic peanut butter cookies.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies on a plate next to a glass of milk

Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.98 from 37 votes
This is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need. They are to this day my favorite cookies ever! Perfectly soft and chewy every time.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Dutch
Servings 48 cookies

Video

Ingredients

  • 7/8 cup softened butter (⅞ cup = ½ cup + 6 tablespoons)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 pound mini chocolate chips (½ bag)

Instructions

  • Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla, mix well. 
    Sugar, Eggs, and Butter creamed together in a mixing bowl to make chocolate chip cookies
  • Mix dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. 
    Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl to make chocolate chip cookies
  • Add chocolate chips. 
    Mixing bowl with chocolate chip cookie dough with chocolate chips over the top
  • Scoop with cookie dough scoop or small ice cream scoop. 
    Chocolate chip cookie dough in a mixing bowl with a purple cookie scoop.
  • Bake at 325 for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake!
    Close up of chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet

Notes

*This recipe has been updated and halved from the original recipe. The original recipe makes 6-7 dozen cookies and can be found HERE
If you want to venture out of the box and try some different mix-ins, you can swap out the chocolate chips for any (or any combination) of these:
  • Peanut butter, butterscotch, or white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
  • Mini M&Ms
  • Raisins
  • Chopped nuts
  • Chopped candy bars
  • Sprinkles
  • Pretzels
  • Cherry chips (these can be hard to find but they were my favorite from the bakery where we grew up)

Nutrition Information

Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 93mgPotassium: 31mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 124IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.5mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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4.98 from 37 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These are the best!!!! I’ve been searching for a recipe like this for years and I’m so happy I found yours! I’ve made these at least 10 times now and they’re perfect everytime!

  2. 5 stars
    These cookies were amazing and totally lived up to your description of them. I made them for Christmas gifts this year. I followed your instructions exactly. No harder than any other chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever used, but way better! I loved them. I never had heard of the step about slapping the pan on the counter, and was amazed at the result!! Thank you so much.

  3. 4 stars
    You fixed the 3x butter amount but didn’t change the cup and tablespoons ratio in parenthesis. It still says “1/2c +6 tablespoons).
    I wasted a whole 3x batch of cookies because of this error. Please fix entirely before someone else makes the same mistake. Thank you

    1. I am sorry for the confusion. I have edited the line to read (7/8 cups = 1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons). Hopefully this clears things up.

  4. This recipe wasted a lot of money $$$, time and energy. I used the 3x converter and it changed everything but the butter. I didn’t realize it until way too late. I trusted it to convert ALL INGREDIENTS. NEVER AGAIN.
    Looking for another recipe.

  5. 5 stars
    Is that 299 calories for one cookie? I want to make these but wanted to tell people how many cookies equal how many calories.
    Thank you

    1. A #30 or #40 works best for these cookies! That is a medium size that holds between 1-2 tablespoons.

  6. 5 stars
    Delicious!! I’ve tried many chocolate chip cookies being a baker and these are so yummy! I’m gonna boost up the temp a little because mine were a little to light for me

  7. 5 stars
    Hey, I see you re-published this recipe using 1/2 the original ingredients. I think you missed the baking powder. Your original recipe called for a Tablespoon. I think this one should read 1 1/2 teaspoons. Thanks for ALL the amazing recipes. We absolutely love your website ❤️.

    1. Oh my goodness thank you so much for catching that! You are the best! We have changed it in the recipe.

  8. Bro I love these recipes. It’s the one thing that puts me to ease, ( Baking your delicious Recipes!) Thank you.

  9. 5 stars
    I could eat these cookies everyday!! They are so soft & chocolatey. I love having them ready for my kids when they get home from school.

  10. 5 stars
    There’s nothing better than a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie!! They are my weakness & I can’t resist them!

  11. 5 stars
    This is the BEST Chocolate chip cookie recipe I have EVER made!!! It will be the only one I use for chocolate chip cookies from now on and these are perfect for ice cream sandwiches!!!

    1. I would do a browser search on how to adapt gf flour for regular recipes. May need extra xanthan gum and possibly almond flour. Good luck, I’m gf and sugar free meself.

  12. 5 stars
    I made these cookies for the first time today. They are absolutely delicious, one of the best cookies that I’ve tried!

  13. 5 stars
    Using the mini chips was a great idea! Even though the amount of chocolate chips is the same, it feels like you are getting more chocolate in every bite. And more chocolate is always a win in my book!

  14. 5 stars
    These cookies are awesome !! I have been making chocolate chip cookies for 45 years or more, and these are the best!!

  15. 5 stars
    I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe I have used for years. This weekend I decided to try yours, as I have had it saved in my Pinterest account for a while…well, they were a hit…now my family won’t let me go back to the other recipe… and I agree with them! These absolutely are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made or eaten!

      1. We haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say. But let us know how it turns out if you do try it!

  16. Hi,
    I don’t have small chocolate chips, but I have regular-sized semisweet chocolate chips. Could I use those instead?
    Thank you!

  17. I have made these with both light and dark brown sugar and it is my belief that the dark adds a bit richer flavor than the light brown

  18. Thank you for sharing the recipe! should I use dark brown or light brown sugar or does it not matter which one I use?

    also does the butter and sugar need to be creamed until
    really light and fluffy (like when youre making a cake),
    or just until it starts to lighten in colour
    or until they are just combined?

    Thanks!

    1. I usually use light brown sugar, but you can use either. I also cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy!

  19. 5 stars
    These cookies are perfect! I was actually given one of those commercial mixers and have never had a chance to use it. I wish I had your full size recipe to finally try it out! We have a big family but I might still have to give cookies to everyone I know-I’m sure they wouldnt mind.

  20. I’m horrible at baking so this question is meant to assure me that my cookies will turn out like a true bakery Ü Do the eggs and the butter need to be at room temperature?
    Thanks so much!

    1. The butter should definitely be at room temperature! As for the eggs, I usually just put them in straight from the fridge. Happy Baking!

        1. 5 stars
          Came back to declare these were the best cookies I’ve ever made in my life. No self-titling here, this honor came directly from my cookie snob Husband ❤️ I was beyond excited! My scooper broke after the first dozen but I powered through and have a lovely stash in the freezer for him. Thank you so very much!

          1. How many cookies should this make? Any one use air bake sheets? Sometimes they take longer to bake and cool.

      1. Tracy, Thank you for sharing the recipe, I can’t wait to try it.! Do you bake these on parchment paper, or grease the cookie sheet pan?
        Thanks,
        Pam

  21. 5 stars
    Great cookies! Made for the first time the other night and the family was super pleased thank you so much! After 3 days the cookies are still soft and taste great . Only thing that was off for me was cooking time but not surprised as my oven cooks uneven it took 16 min to get a light gold color.

        1. I don’t think we have a recipe like that, but the bakery chocolate chip cookie recipe in this post is hands down my favorite cookie recipe ever!

    1. 5 stars
      Love the recipe. Now I use A lot of random recipes online all of the time. I came across yours, and just saw the usual butter sugar etc. so I proceeded to just go for it. Let me just ask why I made Enough cookie dough for a wedding! It didn’t even fit in my kitchen aid! I am laughing, and am thankful I had enough of everything to finish! My family will be happy to have cookies for a month.

  22. Hi there,
    little confused about recipe , you didn’t use any flour in recipe or there is any printing mistake?

    1. Flour is found in the ingredients list. In the instructions it is considered one of the “dry” ingredients. Hope this helps!

  23. This recipe looks great! Back to the butter issue, recipe calls for 3 1/2 sticks but in parenthesis it says 2 3/4 cups? Thinking it should be 1 3/4 ????. Trying them today.

  24. Love this recipe! Was just wondering if it can be made into bars (9×13)?

    Thanks for the recipe ????????

    1. We haven’t made it in bars before but I am sure they would be great! Just keep checking them for doneness– you will probably have to cook longer

  25. Cubes are actually 1/4 stick of butter(2 tablespoon) so that measurement messed me up. I had made the cookie dough and realized it was not enough butter, so I had to add more at the end. They came out very small and rose too much, looked absolutely nothing like this. Would burn at the edges and not get cooked all the way through. Had an after taste to them. I will try next time to make these properly now I know you meant STICKS and NOT CUBES. Please change it! Thank you!

    1. I guess technically the “ice cream” scoop I use is a actually a “cookie dough” scoop. Think bigger than a walnut, smaller than a golfball.. hope that helps!

  26. 5 stars
    Fantastic recipe – and simple, too! My other favorite recipe is much more complicated and requires refrigeration, so this will be my new favorite! I would add that the bake time is increased when cooking with Silpat sheets, but perfect every time!

  27. Hi there! I was just wondering about how many cookies does this make? Looks fabulous by the way!!

    1. This recipe makes a big batch of cookies. If you make large cookies, it makes about 6 dozen or so. If you make an average size cookie – a heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie – it makes 8-10 dozen cookies.

    1. I’m sorry! We had some issues with our site this afternoon. It is back up now. Don’t miss the recipe – it’s a great one! 🙂

  28. 5 stars
    These cookies have a great look to them, just like bakery cookies. They came out perfectly round with soft crackly tops, and they stay nice and soft. My family really enjoyed these. I liked them also but felt that maybe an additional bit of salt could be added to balance out the sweetness, these do have a lot of sugar. I might try adding just a bit more of salt next time and see if that helps. Overall, these have the best look, texture, and chewiness than any other chocolate chip cookie I have made. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Also I halved the recipe and ended it up with over 3 dozen cookies, more than I need sitting in front of me 🙂

  29. 5 stars
    I am so happy I came across this recipe on Pinterest!!! I have been on a search for the best chocolate chip cookies that don’t go flat on me!!! These are it!! They came out great, not flat, have a slight crisp to the edge but are chewy! The recipe made a TON of cookies and would have been a cinch had my Kitchen Aid mixer not died on me last week. I used my hand mixer and it was a bit of a chore.

    I had to play around with the time. I baked them at 350 and needed about 13 minutes but my scoop might have been a bit bigger than others.

    Thanks again for sharing!!

    1. Yay! I am so glad that you like them! They are seriously my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. They always come out perfect and I always end up eating WAYYY too many. Hopefully you can get another stand-mixer soon so you can make them again and not have to do it all by hand!

  30. 5 stars
    I found this recipe around 2 years ago, I made it for the first time and fell in love – and have been using it ever since! Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite dessert- and my hubby’s, too (well, the dough). I usually bake at 350 for 10 minutes, but every oven is different! But thank you for posting this recipe! It is already a family favorite, and the cookie my kids will grow up loving!!!
    ps – I freeze the cookies and eat them as a snack – so I always have my favorite dessert on hand! Sounds weird, but you should try it. It only takes a few minutes for it to defrost.. and I actually prefer them frozen now instead of “fresh-baked”. I think it helps you savor every bite!

    1. Katie, I have not made this recipe yet, but I definitely plan to because chocolate chip cookies are a must for that go to sweet snack after dinner. I noticed that you said something about freezing them and eating them as a snack. Do you mean you literally eat them frozen? If so, what about the raw egg? Aren’t you worried about that making you sick? BTW… I love cookie dough…????

  31. Hey… I too worked in the BYU Hawaii Bakery. Oh… how i love that little place. And the chocolate chip cookies

  32. 5 stars
    Made these cookies tonight… DELISH! Thanks so much for this blog… I use TONZ of your recipes. And I cooked mine on 325 for 8 minutes and they were no more than PERFECTO! They didn't look exactly like yours but so close… just not as cracky… more smooth 🙂 Is cracky a word? HAHA! YUMMO!

  33. These made good dough too 🙂 Love dough! Mine turned out a little crispy on the outside edge and bottom with the middle gooey. I probably have bad cookie sheets. What is your suggestion on cookie sheets? Where do you get them… Light, Dark, Specialty etc? THX!!! Oh, and they are still delicious! Maybe once they sit for a bit (like tomorrow) they will be divine!

    1. Sam’s Club sells a set of 1 half-sheets for a very reasonable price. They have edges so you can actually bake cookie bars/sheet brownies in them too. They rock! They are a light aluminum and you can find them with other kitchen supplies.
      Your problem, though, can be solved by refrigerating the dough for 20-30 min (or as long as you want – it just increases the cooking time a bit, but they turn out great!)

      1. 5 stars
        These cooks are so good! Mine also took longer to cook, but I just might set my oven to 350. No big deal since they are so delicious…🍪

  34. I'm trying your recipe tonight. Is the oven temp really 325? Because after 9 minutes the cookies were definitely not done. Should it be 375?

      1. No, the small ones are just the normal sized ones. We just wanted to clarify because we have seen a lot of brands like Ghirardelli selling large chocolate chips that don’t work as well in this recipe.

  35. 5 stars
    These have become my family’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. (I’ve received requests to make these for my childrens’ friends in the lunchroom.) The only alteration I made was to add a bit of instant coffee granules (I always do this when I bake with chocolate as it intensifies the chocolatey taste). Thanks so much for the recipe

  36. I WANT TO MAKE THIS COOKIE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 3 1/2 CUBES OF REAL BUTTER. DO YOU MEAN 3 1/2 CUPS OF REAL BUTTER.