These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are the perfect treat, made with brown sugar for extra moisture and flavor. With no chilling required, this easy recipe will quickly become a family favorite.

This easy, no-chill recipe creates the most delightful, soft, and moist chocolate chip cookies, all thanks to the magic of brown sugar. Paired with softened butter, flour, and eggs, this might just be the best chocolate chip cookie recipe you'll ever try!

For years, I searched high and low through countless cookbooks, hoping to find the perfect base for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. My efforts seemed to come up short—until I stumbled upon a worn-out cookbook from the 1920s.

Now, I’m not sure if chocolate chip cookies even existed back then; I couldn’t find a single mention of them in my vintage collection. But what I did discover was an incredible brown sugar cookie recipe that became the foundation for my new favorite treat. With just a few tweaks and the addition of some heavenly chocolate chips, I was able to create the softest, most melt-in-your-mouth cookie I’ve ever tasted.

Tips for Making Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know about you, but I like my cookies gooey and soft. And there are a few tricks to make sure that happens.

First, let's talk about the ingredients that make these cookies so irresistible:

Unsalted Butter (room temp): Using room temperature butter is essential for creating a smooth, creamy dough. The butter adds richness and helps give the cookies their soft, tender texture.

Egg (room temp): The egg acts as a binding agent and adds moisture, which is key for those soft and chewy cookies we all love.

All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for the cookies, balancing the richness of the butter and the sweetness of the sugar.

Sea Salt: A touch of sea salt enhances the flavor, balancing the sweetness and adding depth to each bite.

Light Brown Sugar: The star of this recipe, brown sugar keeps the cookies moist and gives them that rich, caramel-like flavor.

Vanilla Extract: A dash of vanilla extract brings out the sweetness and adds a warm, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with the chocolate.

Baking Soda: This leavening agent helps the cookies rise just enough, ensuring they stay soft and light.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: The chocolate chips are the crowning glory, melting into gooey pockets of sweetness that make these cookies absolutely irresistible.

Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temp ingredients is key to a well-set cookie. If you store your eggs in the fridge, be sure to let them and your butter come to room temperature before you start baking.

Underbake for Gooey Goodness: Don’t be afraid to pull your cookies out of the oven when they still look a little underdone. They should be light and plump, not dark and crispy.

Measure Flour Correctly: To keep your cookies soft, be sure to measure your flour carefully. Spoon it into the measuring cup and gently level it off—no packing down, as that can make your dough too heavy.

All About Brown Sugar: This recipe uses only brown sugar, which helps retain moisture and gives you that wonderfully soft cookie texture.

How to Make Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now that you know the secret behind these delicious cookies, let’s dive into the steps to make them. Trust me, it’s easier than you think!

Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. This will help prevent the cookies from sticking and make clean-up a breeze.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a small, separate bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Setting this mixture aside allows the dry ingredients to be evenly distributed when added to the dough.

Cream the butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the room temperature unsalted butter and light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is crucial as it incorporates air into the dough, giving your cookies that perfect soft texture.

Add the wet ingredients: Pour in the vanilla extract and the room temperature egg, then beat the mixture again until it’s nice and fluffy. The egg adds moisture, while the vanilla infuses the dough with warm, sweet flavor.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients: Gradually mix the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix; you want just enough to combine everything into a smooth ball of dough.

Fold in the chocolate chips: Gently fold in 2 full cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough. Every bite should have a bit of that gooey chocolate goodness!

Form the cookies: Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls. Place them onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.

Bake the cookies: Bake each sheet, one at a time, on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 8-11 minutes. The key is to remove the cookies when they are just barely browned on the edges. They might not look fully done, but trust me, they are!

Cool and enjoy: Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This helps them set just enough while staying soft and chewy.

No Chill Needed for These Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to baking, I don’t want to spend all day waiting for the dough to chill. Thankfully, this recipe doesn’t require any chilling time. In fact, I recommend skipping it altogether. The room temperature ingredients keep the cookies soft and chewy. While you can refrigerate or freeze the dough for later (more on that in a moment), the cookies might turn out a bit flatter and more tan—but still delicious!

Freezer-Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Want to have fresh cookies on hand whenever you get a craving? This dough freezes beautifully. Simply roll the dough into balls and place them in an airtight container before popping them into the freezer. The dough will keep for up to 6 months.

If you prefer to freeze the dough in a single ball, that’s fine too, but you’ll need to thaw it before baking.

How to Bake Frozen Cookie Dough

If you’ve frozen your dough into balls, just place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and let them sit in the oven while it preheats for about 10 minutes. Then, take them out, wait until the oven reaches the correct temperature, and bake at 350°F for about 10 more minutes. These cookies will be a little more golden, but still soft and delicious.

If you didn’t pre-portion the dough, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then roll it into balls and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Again, expect a slightly more golden hue due to the cold start, but they’ll still be wonderfully soft.

I hope you and your family enjoy these delicious chocolate chip cookies as much as we do! If you give them a try, I’d love to hear how they turned out—please leave a comment below or give this recipe a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for more family-friendly recipes and tips!

Other Cookie & Candy Recipes You'll Love:

• Peanut Butter Buckeyes
• Viennese Whirls
• Homemade Peppermint Bark