Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Prepare

Remove the butter from the refrigerator 30–60 minutes before starting so it softens to room temperature (soft but still slightly cool). Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Cream butter and sugars

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the softened butter (1 cup), granulated sugar (1/2 cup) and light brown sugar (3/4 cup). Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy and pale in color, about 3–4 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice.

Add eggs and vanilla

Add the eggs (2, one at a time) to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract (2 tsp) and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

Whisk dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (2.5 cups), baking soda (1 tsp) and fine sea salt (1 tsp) until evenly combined.

Combine wet and dry

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix — stop as soon as incorporated to keep cookies tender.

Fold in chocolate

Using a spatula, fold in the semisweet chocolate chips (1.5 cups) and dark chocolate chunks (0.5 cups, optional) until distributed evenly throughout the dough.

Chill (optional but recommended)

For thicker, chewier cookies and deeper flavor, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. If short on time, you may proceed immediately to baking, but reduce scoop size or baking time slightly for thinner cookies.

Scoop the dough into uniform balls using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop (about 28–30 g per cookie) or 1-inch ice cream scoop. Place balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets to allow spreading. If dough was chilled, allow 5–10 minutes at room temperature so it's scoopable but still cold.

If you prefer a bakery look, press a few extra chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball so some chips are visible after baking.

Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–12 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Cookies should be golden at the edges and still slightly soft in the centers — they will continue to set while cooling.

When cookies come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle each warm cookie with a small pinch of flaky sea salt (about 1/8 tsp per cookie) while the surface is still tacky so the salt adheres.

Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat baking with remaining dough, allowing the baking sheet to cool between batches if necessary.

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep cookies soft, place a slice of bread in the container — replace when it hardens. Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months; to bake from frozen add 1–2 minutes to baking time.