Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

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The Ultimate Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Soft, Chewy & Irresistible

The beauty of this homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe is its accessibility. Every ingredient is pantry-friendly, and the list is short enough to memorize after your second or third batch. Below you’ll find the classic ingredients along with substitution suggestions so you can customize to your dietary needs.

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose flour — substitute with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour for a GF version
  • 1 tsp baking soda — essential for lift and that classic crinkle top
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt — enhances sweetness and rounds out the chocolate flavor

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks / 230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature — substitute with vegan butter for a dairy-free version
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated white sugar — contributes crispness to the edges
  • ¾ cup (165g) packed brown sugar — adds moisture, chewiness, and a hint of molasses depth
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature — substitute with 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water) for vegan baking
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract — use Madagascar bourbon vanilla for an elevated flavor profile

The Star: Chocolate Chips

  • 2 cups (one 12 oz. package) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels — the original and best
  • Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans — adds crunch and a nutty counterpoint to the sweet chocolate
💡 Pro Tip: For extra thick and chewy cookies, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to your dry ingredients. It’s a game-changer that keeps cookies soft for days longer than the standard recipe.

One of the greatest advantages of this classic recipe is its efficiency. Here’s a full breakdown:

StageThis RecipeAverage Recipe
Prep Time15 minutes20 minutes
Chill Time (recommended)30 minutes60 minutes
Bake Time9–11 minutes12–14 minutes
Cooling Time5 minutes10 minutes
Total Time~55 minutes~100 minutes

At approximately 55 minutes total, this Nestle chocolate chip cookie recipe takes about 45% less time than the average from-scratch cookie recipe, which typically clocks in around 100 minutes. The secret? The 30-minute chill time is optional but highly recommended — it deepens flavor and prevents excess spreading.

Follow these steps carefully for bakery-quality results every single time. Each step includes the “why” behind the technique, so you’ll understand the science of baking as you go.

Step 1: Preheat Your Oven and Prep Your Pans

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats — never grease your pans, as this causes the bottoms to over-brown. Position one rack in the upper third and one in the lower third of the oven for even heat distribution. Proper oven temperature is non-negotiable for the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe: too hot and you’ll get crunchy discs; too cool and they’ll spread into flat puddles.

💡 Pro Tip: Invest in an oven thermometer. Most home ovens run 25–50°F hotter or cooler than displayed, which is the #1 reason cookies come out wrong.

Step 2: Whisk Together Your Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt until evenly combined. Whisking (rather than stirring) aerates the flour slightly and ensures the leavening agents are distributed throughout. Set this bowl aside — you’ll fold it into the wet mixture in Step 4. Weighing your flour (280g) rather than scooping it is the single biggest upgrade you can make to your baking precision, since packed flour adds up to 20% more weight than intended.

Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugars Until Light and Fluffy

In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with both granulated and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3–4 full minutes. Don’t rush this step. You’re looking for a pale, fluffy mixture that has nearly doubled in volume. This creaming process creates thousands of tiny air pockets in the fat, which expand in the oven and give your cookies a lifted, tender crumb. Cold butter won’t cream properly — it should yield easily when pressed with a finger. This is what separates a good chocolate chip cookie from a great one.

Step 4: Add Eggs and Vanilla Extract

Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition. This gradual incorporation keeps the emulsion stable. Dumping both eggs in at once can cause the batter to “break,” resulting in greasy, dense cookies. Add the vanilla extract with the second egg. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is uniformly mixed. At this point, your batter should look glossy, creamy, and smell absolutely incredible — that rich butterscotch aroma is pure anticipation.

Step 5: Gradually Mix in the Flour Mixture

Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing just until each addition is incorporated. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten, which makes cookies tough and bready rather than soft and chewy. Mix until you see the last streak of flour disappear — then stop immediately. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky. Resist the urge to add more flour.

Step 6: Fold in the Nestle Chocolate Morsels (and Optional Nuts)

Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the entire package of Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Morsels until evenly distributed. If using walnuts or pecans, add them now. Folding — not mixing — preserves the structural integrity of the morsels and keeps your dough from being over-worked. Take a moment here to appreciate what you’ve created: a glossy, fragrant, morsel-studded dough that is genuinely one of life’s great simple pleasures.

💡 Pro Tip: For bakery-style cookies, reserve about ¼ cup of chocolate chips to press on top of each dough ball before baking. This gives you those gorgeous chocolate-studded tops you see in professional photos.

Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 72 hours. Chilling accomplishes three critical things: it solidifies the fat (preventing excessive spreading), allows the flour to fully hydrate (resulting in a chewier texture), and deepens the flavor through a process called Maillard reaction precursor development. A 24-hour chill produces noticeably more complex, toffee-like flavors than cookies baked immediately. If you’re in a rush, even 30 minutes makes a meaningful difference.

Step 8: Portion and Bake Your Cookies

Using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie), portion the dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing each ball about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. For thicker cookies, roll the dough into tall cylinders rather than round balls. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and glossy. This is intentional — carryover cooking on the hot pan will finish them perfectly as they cool.

Step 9: Cool on the Pan, Then Transfer

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for exactly 5 minutes. During this time, the centers will firm up from underdone to perfectly chewy without becoming hard. After 5 minutes, use a thin spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack. Eat one immediately — it’s practically mandatory — and allow the rest to cool for at least 10 more minutes before storing. Warm cookies are an unmatched sensory experience: crispy edges, melted pools of chocolate, and a soft, yielding center.

Nutrition values are approximate and based on the standard Nestle chocolate chip cookie recipe without nuts, calculated using USDA FoodData Central values. Individual results may vary based on cookie size and specific ingredient brands.

NutrientPer Cookie% Daily Value
Calories128 kcal6%
Total Fat6g8%
Saturated Fat3.5g18%
Cholesterol18mg6%
Sodium95mg4%
Total Carbohydrates17g6%
Dietary Fiber0.5g2%
Total Sugars11g—
Protein1.5g3%
Iron0.6mg3%
Calcium12mg1%

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