Tips for Best Chocolate Chip Cookies You’ll Ever Make
Learn how to bake the best chocolate chip cookies with real reader tips and pro-tested tricks for flavor, texture, and storage.
There’s something magical about a warm, homemade chocolate chip cookie. It’s nostalgic. It’s comforting. And when it’s done right, it’s everything a cookie should be—crisp on the edges, soft in the middle, packed with gooey chocolate, and gone too soon.
When I asked my readers to share their favorite chocolate chip cookie tips, I didn’t expect such a goldmine of ideas. These aren’t just Pinterest hacks—they’re real, time-tested tricks from home bakers who know their way around a mixing bowl.
So if you’ve ever wondered how to make your cookies softer, chewier, or just more memorable, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into the smart swaps, clever add-ins, and baking tips that’ll level up your cookie game.
Whether you’re looking to boost flavor, improve texture, or just avoid dry, flat cookies, this post has you covered. Let’s explore what makes a good cookie great.
Butter, Eggs, and Fats: Why They Matter
These small changes can make a big difference in how your cookies bake and taste.
Cream the room-temperature butter with the sugar.
Jessica B.
Creaming softened butter with sugar traps air, which leads to lighter, more tender cookies. Room-temp eggs help the dough come together smoothly, too.
Use half lard and half butter.
Michelle L.
Butter brings the flavor, while lard adds chew and moisture. Together? They make magic.
Looking for extra chew?
Use oat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Deanna B.W.
Use bread flour in place of all-purpose.
Erica G.
Swap all-purpose flour for bread flour or oat flour. Bread flour’s higher protein content helps hold in moisture, while oat flour adds sweetness and a soft crumb.
Let’s Talk Chocolate
You’ve got options—some better than others.
Use chocolate chunks instead of regular morsels and eat them right out of the oven with a cold glass of milk.
Jacquie G.
Chunks melt into ribbons that spread through the dough, while chips are designed to hold their shape.
My partner insists that bittersweet chips make for the best chocolate chip cookies ever and that’s a hill he’s willing to die on. Bittersweet adds rich depth that balances the sweetness of the dough. Bonus: it pairs beautifully with other flavor boosters.
Want to really impress? Add chopped chocolate bars instead of pre-made chips. The irregular pieces melt unevenly and taste more luxurious.
If you’re craving an even richer treat, this double chocolate chip cookie recipe (gluten-free option included) is a perfect next step—packed with deep cocoa flavor and easy to adapt.
Creative Add-Ins That Actually Work
These reader-recommended mix-ins aren’t just fun—they improve texture and flavor.
Dry pudding mix!
Bridey E.
Vanilla pudding is a favorite, but any flavor adds softness and a hint of something extra. It also acts as a stand-in for cornstarch to reduce spreading.
A little cornstarch.
Heather H.C.
Adding a teaspoon or two to the dry ingredients makes for a softer cookie that doesn’t flatten too much.
Increase the amount of salt to balance the sweetness.
Kelley N.
Salt enhances flavor and strengthens gluten, which can make your cookies chewier.
1 teaspoon of gelatine gives them a really nice texture and chew.
Kelly W.
Not as weird as it sounds. When bloomed in water first, it can add a pleasant chew. If you’ve never used gelatin in baking before, it’s important to hydrate—or “bloom”—it properly. This quick guide from Baking Bites walks you through exactly how to do it, step-by-step.
Flavor Twists You Might Not Expect
Here are a few out-of-the-box suggestions from readers that truly work.
Add a little canned pumpkin! It makes them so fluffy and can’t taste the pumpkin.
Michelle Q.R.
A spoonful adds moisture and a little lift without making your cookies taste like fall.
Add a cup of shredded coconut.
Dave A.
This adds richness, texture, and a subtle nutty flavor.
A little grated orange zest.
Wendy G.
Rub it into the sugar before mixing for a bright citrus note that complements chocolate beautifully.
Regular plain bacon with no other flavors in it. Dice it up and put some in. The salt works with the chocolate chips somehow.
Michele B.
Salty, crispy bits of plain bacon bring out the richness of the chocolate. It’s unusual, but trust me—it works. I even developed a bacon chocolate chip cookie recipe based on this tip.
Jessica’s Heavenly Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 c. Butter softened at room temperature
- ¼ c. Bacon Grease cooled and solidified
- ½ c. Granulated Sugar
- ¾ c. Brown Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 c. All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp. Dry Vanilla Pudding Mix
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 6 slices Regular Bacon cooked crisp and chopped
- 2 c. Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. While it's heating up, cook bacon to crisp.6 slices Regular Bacon
- In a medium size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, vanilla pudding mix, and salt with a whisk.2 c. All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp. Dry Vanilla Pudding Mix, 1 tsp. Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp. Salt
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, bacon grease, and both sugars with a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Add the room-temperature eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.1 c. Butter, 1/4 c. Bacon Grease, 1/2 c. Granulated Sugar, 3/4 c. Brown Sugar, 2 large Eggs, 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- Gradually stir the flour mixture into the creamed butter until just combined. I recommend stirring in the flour by hand with a wooden spoon and being careful not to over-mix.
- Gently fold in the chopped bacon and chocolate chips. Allow the dough to chill in the fridge for at least an hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.6 slices Regular Bacon, 2 c. Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
- Form chilled dough into balls and squish them down just a bit on the pan. I like to use a cookie scoop that holds about 2 tablespoons. It was totally worth buying. If you use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop, don’t round off the dough. Make sure it’s smooth and flat on the bottom. Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet spaced 2″ apart. Do not crowd them!
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are just slightly browned.
- Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move them to wire racks to cool completely.
Nutrition
Tips for Handling the Dough
How you treat your dough before it hits the oven makes a big difference.
Rest the dough at least 30 minutes before baking.
Amy S.
This helps the flour absorb liquid, making the dough easier to handle and the texture more consistent.
Put the dough in the fridge for a few hours before you cook and you will get perfect circles.
Irene C.
Refrigerating your dough for a few hours (or overnight) lets the flavors meld and keeps cookies from spreading too much. For even baking and perfectly uniform cookies, try using a cookie scoop like this one—it saves time and gives you bakery-style results.
Bake Like a Pro
You’ve nailed the dough—now it’s time to make sure your baking technique doesn’t undo all that good work. These tips will help you get even browning, perfect texture, and consistent results every time.
Use a silver cookie sheet.
Barbara D.
Lighter pans reflect heat better, which leads to more even browning and fewer burnt bottoms. Dark pans over-brown your cookies. For more even results, go with this silver cookie sheet I use and love.
Don’t overbake. Cookies will continue to bake a bit after taking out of the oven.
Frances C.
Take them out when the edges are just set. They’ll finish baking on the sheet.
Cool your cookie sheets between batches.
Sandra S.
Hot pans melt butter too fast, leading to thin, greasy cookies.
Storing Your Cookies the Right Way
Once your cookies are baked to golden perfection, don’t let them go stale on the counter. Here’s how to keep them soft, chewy, and snackable for days.
Post-Baking: Keep a piece of white bread in the storage container to keep them chewy. Be aware though, people will try to eat the bread ? DO NOT EAT THE BREAD!
Jessica B.
Keep your cookies chewy for days with a cookie storage container like this one—just drop in a slice of bread and seal it up. The cookies will absorb the bread’s moisture and stay soft for days.
If you need more cookie-cooking help, be sure to check out 8 Tips & Tricks for Extraordinary Cookies. Baking for the holidays? Here are 31 delicious Christmas cookie ideas to keep your oven busy and your cookie tins full all season long.
Want the perfect pairing? Try homemade hot chocolate that pairs perfectly with warm cookies—easy, cozy, and made with pantry staples.
Chocolate chip cookies don’t need to be complicated—but with a few clever tips, they can be downright unforgettable. Whether you try a new flour, toss in some coconut, or chill your dough overnight, these changes are easy to make and worth the effort.
What’s your favorite chocolate chip cookie trick? Let me know in the comments—I’m always up for more kitchen experiments.