New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies are the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe. They’re seriously the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever eaten.
Background of New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies:
First published in the New York Times on July 9, 2008, this recipe took the internet by storm when David Leite experimented with baking cookie dough that had a chance to rest in the refrigerator for a given number of hours.
Leite described that refrigeration allows for the dough and other ingredients to fully absorb the liquid, resulting in a drier dough baking to a better consistency. Leite shared that even Chocolate Chip Cookie inventor Ruth Wakefield noted in her 1953 Toll House Cookbook that the cookie dough is meant to be chilled overnight (a crucial piece of information that is not included in the recipe on the bags of Nestle’s chocolate morsels). Interesting stuff, huh?
How do you make the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies?
I decided to put this dough to the test for myself once and for all. I measured the flour and the sugar using a scale so that everything would be very accurate. And I baked all three versions of the cookies below on the same baking sheet lined with a silpat mat- at the same temperature- for the same amount of time.
I also rolled out the cookie dough and measured it so that it was exactly 3.25 ounces. The recipe suggests 3.5 ounces, but these still yielded a very large cookie with a slightly smaller measurement. I dotted additional chocolate chips on top of each round of cookie dough (as I do with all of my cookies… since it makes them look prettier).
After 5 hours of refrigeration, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I baked up my first cookie. It was what we like to call, “a very good chocolate chip cookie.” Nothing super special though.
After 24 hours, we pretty much had the same reaction as the first. It was good. Nothing to alert the media about.
For some reason, the magic seemed to happen around hour 48. The cookie dough was more crumbly and dry, as Leite mentioned in his article. The result of the baked cookie was a crispy edge with a softer interior.
The key to making them perfect is to take them out of the oven when they’re golden brown on the edges and still look slightly doughy in the middle. As they set on the cooling rack, they transform into the perfect cookie.
What makes New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies the best chocolate chip cookie recipe?
Well, they’re made with cake flour and bread flour- two ingredients that people don’t typically stock in their kitchen. I really have no idea how they’d turn out if you tried to sub all-purpose flour, but my instinct is that the measurements would be different and they just wouldn’t turn out the same. They’re topped with a sprinkle of sea salt- I used a flaky sea salt. It’s not overwhelming, just a little sea salt sprinkled on top. My kiddo didn’t care for the salt on top, so I made a few without. My husband and I enjoyed the occasionally salty bite that you get as you make your way through eating the cookie.
For the rest of the dough, I went with 2 ounce balls of cookie dough- about the size of a normal golf ball. I found that you still get the same result with a crispy edge and soft interior. And it’s not an overwhelming size for most people to eat.
Are they the best chocolate chip cookie ever? Perhaps… though I’m not entirely sure. I really love my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies too. One of these days I’ll have to put all three side-by-side in a blind taste test to see which one truly takes the prize for best chocolate chip cookie ever.
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (minus 2 tablespoons) cake flour (8½ ounces)
- 1⅔ cups bread flour (8½ ounces)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
- 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups packed light brown sugar (10 ounces)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 20 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (can sub semi-sweet)
- extra chocolate chips, optional
- sea salt, optional
Instructions
PREPARE THE COOKIE DOUGH:
- Sift together the dry ingredients (flour through salt). I just scrape mine through a fine strainer/sieve since my sifter isn't all that great. Set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars- mixing until the mixture is very light, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and, mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place the dough in an airtight container and refrigerate a minimum of 24 to 36 hours before baking (and up to 72 hours).
BAKE THE COOKIES:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- For 5-inch cookies, scoop six 3.25 ounce mounds of dough- giant golf ball-sized (I roll mine into balls) onto a baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Don't try to fit more on the sheet or you'll end up with cookies baking into each other. Dot some extra chocolate chips on top, if desired. Sprinkle each ball of dough with a small pinch of sea salt, if desired.
- Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is lighter and soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack and let them cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Notes
- *If you'd prefer to make smaller cookies, shape your cookie dough into small golf ball-size instead (2 ounces), and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. You'll get about 31 smaller cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh dear Lord, these are SO great. I’ve tried many cookie recipes but these are worth every penny. Definitely the best ones!
Made these exactly as written and waited 48 hours. Excellent! I like the 48 hour wait. My kids rarely get sweets, so the 2 day wait just gets them excited for something special. If I start making cookies and 30 min. later my kids get them, they expect everything to be now, now, now. They didnt even touch the dough in the fridge. 🙂
I preferred same day baking…I might be the only one who feels this way. We tried them after 48 hours, but not fan of it. The recipe is still amazing and I can’t wait to bake them again.
I’ve tried a few different wait times in the fridge too. I liked them best after about 24 hours. 🙂 I always get amazing reviews from everyone about these cookies. They are so yummy!
What a great post, Lori! How interesting using the cake flour – I’m gonna bake up a batch this week (can’t wait!).
It’s so interesting how the number of hours you let the dough chill plays such an important part in the end result! I wonder what these would have tasted like if they were baked after 72 hours (the maximum amount of time advised) of chilling!
Mmmmm!!!! I made these!!! They are delish!!! The only
Thing I changed was the amount of baking powder cuz I don’t like cakey cookies
– cut it down to 1 tsp.
And I didn’t refridgerate them AT ALL! I’ll use this forever!!!!
Kind of ironic that his name was Leite. That means “milk” in portuguese.
I believe he’s Portuguese!
These cookies are fabulous! My daughter was supposed to join me for the grand baking ‘finale’ of these cookies but couldn’t at the last minute. I want to freeze some of the dough for her. What would be the best method?
I’d freeze them as little scoops of dough. Then you can just place them on the cookie sheet frozen and bake from there.
I made these cookies last December, they were fabulous. We enjoyed them a lot. The kids especially liked the size.