Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone needs a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this is mine. They stay soft in the middle and get slightly crispy on the edges. They stay solid enough to dip into a glass of milk. And they’re somewhat healthy? Not really, but I like to think that.

Here are the basics:

1/2 whole wheat flour

70% cacao chocolate chips

a generous amount of sea salt on top

The most important step is to refrigerate the dough. This helps the texture to be just right. Don’t worry about the refrigeration time, it happens to be the perfect amount of time to preheat your oven and (of course) have a nice taste of the dough.

The second-most important step is using room temperature butter. Not slightly-chilled, not melted, actual room temperature. It is possible to get your straight-from-the-refrigerator to a perfect room temp by microwaving in very, very small increments, and turning it in your microwave.

Chocolate chip cookies are incredible straight from the oven, but one of the markers for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for me is that they taste (almost) just as good when they’ve cooled. It’s so disappointing when your cookies are great straight from the oven, but turn into rocks an hour later! The cornstarch and refrigerating the dough will keep that disaster from happening.

Also, I’m guilty of eating at least 1/4 of the dough raw. Oops.

The surprise factor in these cookies is the pop of salt on top. I use this sea salt my sister brought back from Spain, but I recommend using any flaked sea salt. You don’t want giant crystals that you would put in a grinder, and you don’t want kosher salt that would just disappear into the cookie. Flaked sea salt is the perfect compromise.

Print Recipe

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

The perfect chocolate chip cookie that stays soft in the middle and get slightly crispy on the edges

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baking, chocolate, cookies

Servings: 6 people

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

• 1/2 c butter softened to room temperature
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/3 c granulated sugar
• 1 egg room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c chocolate chips I love Ghiradelli's bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp. flaked sea salt

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add to batter and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
• Fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula until just combined.
• Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or until the dough is chilled through.
• While chilling the dough, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just beginning to darken. Immediately sprinkle each cookie with a hearty pinch of sea salt, slightly pressing the salt into the top of the cookie. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.