The perfect treat for this cozy fall weather.

There is nothing better than a warm, gooey, sweet chocolate chip cookie on a gray, cold, fall afternoon. When I am at home with my family, it is very rare that I am not being asked to make these homemade cookies. They are a fan favorite in our house, as well as a staple for our fall/winter diet.

If you have a sweet tooth like me, then these cookies are for you. They contain a lot of butter, a lot of sugar, and a lot of chocolate. They are not healthy by any measure, but the taste definitely outweighs this somewhat unfortunate fact. This recipe works for any occasion, for friends and family alike.

I vividly remember watching football on the weekends with my family and heading into the kitchen to whip up a batch of these cookies. This recipe makes about two dozen cookies, so I normally end up freezing half of the dough. Twelve cookies between myself, my mom, my dad, and my brother go pretty quickly, so it is always a treat to have another batch ready to be popped in the oven on night two.

Last but not least, there is a little secret to making these cookies turn out perfect. Right when you take the tray of cookies out of the oven after they are done baking, bang the tray lightly on the stove top so the cookies get visibly skinnier. There is a lesson in there somewhere that explains that this method helps the cookies stay chewy. If you like your cookies with more volume and crunch, or if you have family members like my dad who don’t love the concept of banging an aluminum tray on their clean, shiny stovetop, then I suggest staying away from this tip. It has become somewhat of a running joke in our house now — my dad would prefer crispier cookies over the ruckus of the tray hitting the stovetop. But, regardless of the age-old debate between chewy or crispy — and the method with which you get there — you and your loved ones will be sure to enjoy the taste of these chocolate chip cookies!

Semi-sweet chocolate chips, evenly mixed in.

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Let the butter come to room temperature (or microwave for 10-15 seconds), and then combine the butter with the granulated sugar and the brown sugar in an electric mixing bowl on medium speed. Add in both eggs, the vanilla extract, and the baking soda. Beat on medium-low speed until combined. 

Add in the flour, a small portion at a time, with the mixer on low speed. Beat until batter combines into a sticky dough. Add in your desired amount of chocolate chips and mix in evenly. 

Butter a baking sheet. When scooping the dough onto the baking sheet, size each cookie to around 2 heaping tablespoons. Bake until the cookies are golden brown, but still soft in the center, for about 12-15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

The best, the only “classic,” chocolate chip cookie is still the original Toll House cookie. Recipe is on the yellow “Nestle semi-sweet morsels” bag.

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