Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Prep oven and pans

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Soften and cream butter

If butter is refrigerated, cut into pieces and microwave in 5–7 second bursts or let sit at room temperature until very soft but not melted (soften to about 65–68°F / 18–20°C). Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until smooth.

Add sugars

Add granulated sugar and packed light brown sugar to the softened butter. Beat on medium speed until mixture is light, creamy, and slightly aerated, about 2–3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Incorporate egg and yolk

Add the whole egg and the extra egg yolk, then add vanilla extract. Beat on low to medium speed until fully combined and glossy, about 30–45 seconds. Scrape the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, fine sea salt, and cornstarch until uniformly mixed.

Mix dry into wet

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar-egg mixture in two additions, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix — stop as soon as incorporated.

Fold in chocolate

Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate with a spatula until evenly distributed.

Chill the dough (optional but recommended)

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Chilling firms the butter, reduces spread, and deepens flavor. If chilled, let dough sit at room temperature about 10 minutes before scooping if very stiff.

Portion the cookies

Using a 1.5 tablespoon or 1.5-inch scoop (about 25–30 g per cookie), portion dough into uniform balls and place them 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. For larger cookies use a 2-tablespoon scoop and increase baking time slightly.

Bake

Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even browning. Cookies should be golden at the edges with centers still slightly soft and pale.

Add flaky salt

Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, sprinkle each cookie with a small pinch of flaky sea salt (use about a scant 1/8 teaspoon per cookie, total about 1 teaspoon for the batch). The salt will stick as the cookies cool slightly.

Cool

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to finish setting, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or serve warm.

Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Unbaked dough balls can be frozen on a tray then bagged for up to 3 months; bake from frozen adding 1–2 minutes to bake time.