Seriously though, you’re going to want to save this blog post.

I have been baking these chunky chocolate chip cookies for years and they truly are the best. I got the recipe from a good friend. You may know her. Joanna Gaines. What a gal. Seriously though, this is a recipe you’ll want to save for all the years to come. It’s super easy and a classic desert you can bake year-round for yourself or for gatherings with friends and family. This has been my go-to because 1) it’s delicious 2) it’s quick and easy and 3) it’s inexpensive. Win, win, win. I like my my cookies to be golden on the bottom, have a bit crisp around the edges but also be a little gooey in the middle. Typically I bake my first batch longer than the other batches—closer to 11 minutes in my oven and then take approximately a minute off for the each batch thereafter. It’s nice to have a range of crunch and some that are gooier than others. It makes for a fun time.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the flour, baking soda, & salt together in a medium bowl. Mix together and set aside.
Place the butter & sugar in a bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer (or with a stand mixer with paddle attachment) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy— 2 to 3 mins. Add eggs & beat until blended. Add vanilla & beat until blended.
Turn the mixer off & add flour to the mixture. I pour a little bit of flour in at a time, lightly mix, add more flour, mix, etc until all of the flour mixture is mixed in. Once all the flour is in, mix on medium speed until the flour is thoroughly mixed in, then turn the mixer to high speed for a few seconds to pull the dough together; it will be chunky.
Add chocolate chips & beat on high speed for a few seconds until thoroughly mixed in.
Cover the bowl and place the bowl of dough in the fridge for 15 mins or so. It’s not totally necessary if you’re in a hurry, but I have noticed a difference when I allow it to chill for a bit.
Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet; don’t flatten them. If you prefer, you can grab some dough and lightly use your hands to roll into a ball. Don’t roll it too compact—just a loose, messy ball. Arrange dough on baking sheet.
Pro tip: I like to lightly sprinkle coarse sea salt on top before baking. It just adds a little extra somethin’ somethin’.