Easy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almost 20 years ago, I took my family’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and pulled out the shortening. I didn’t believe in it then, and I still don’t — there’s no reason to put a hydrogenated oil in a cookie when real butter does the job better in every way. What I replaced it with gives you a soft, chewy cookie with a crisp edge that holds its shape, makes about 60 cookies per batch, and comes together in roughly 20 minutes with ingredients you already have in your pantry. No chilling required if you use softened butter. A stand mixer makes it effortless, though a hand mixer or bowl and wooden spoon work just as well.

What Makes This Recipe Unique?

We probably all have a chocolate chip cookie recipe in our baking arsenal, so what makes this recipe unique?

• Right off the bat, we’re using real, whole-food ingredients, and these cookies taste just like great-grandma’s recipe. You’ll also never see Crisco or shortening (or other questionable ingredients) in my recipes.

• Uses flexible flour measurement that lets you adjust for your preferred texture.
• Makes about 60 cookies (5 dozen), so it’s perfect for sharing or freezing (to bake the rest later).
• Has the option to substitute coconut oil for half of the butter for a lighter variation.
• Is perfect for family baking nights, holiday cookie boxes, or a weekday surprise.

What You Won’t Find in This Recipe

No shortening, no Crisco, no artificial vanilla, no hydrogenated oils. Every ingredient is a real whole food your great-grandmother would recognize. If you’re baking with fresh-milled flour, this recipe works beautifully with soft white wheat or spelt — see the flour notes in the Key Ingredients section and recipe card for the specific adjustments. These cookies are also naturally free of artificial preservatives because you’re making them from scratch, which means you know exactly what’s in every bite.

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Key Ingredients

This recipe has all the classic players in a chocolate chip cookie recipe, but the secret is in the temperature of your ingredients, not just the quantities. For the full ingredients list and quantities, see the recipe card below.

• Butter/Oil – In the photo above, I use half coconut oil and half butter. I also used melted butter in the photos, while in the video, I used all softened, salted butter. While there’s no hard and fast rule, I do tend to prefer softened butter as that makes for a fluffier mixture once mixed with the sugar, lending to a firmer cookie dough that requires zero chilling time. If you must melt your butter, be sure to toss the cookie dough in the refrigerator for about 30-60 minutes before baking.
• Sugar – We use half brown and half white sugar (or evaporated cane sugar) for this recipe. Remember, if you don’t have brown sugar, but you have regular sugar and some molasses, you can make homemade brown sugar by mixing 1 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses (for light brown sugar) or 1 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses (for dark brown sugar).
• Eggs – Since this recipe calls for room temperature butter, you’ll also want to have room temperature eggs. If you forget to pull your eggs out of the refrigerator, you can place them in a cup of warm water for about 10 minutes to get them to room temperature.
• Flour — Use the spoon and sweep method for measuring: stir your flour so it isn’t packed down, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife. Packing flour is one of the most common reasons cookies turn out dense.
• If you’re baking with fresh-milled flour, soft white wheat (pastry flour) or spelt are your best options for cookies — the lower protein content keeps the texture tender rather than dense. Fresh-milled flour behaves very differently from store-bought, so the amounts need adjusting: If you want to use home-milled flour, be sure to read through this post on how to choose the best flour for baking.
• Soft white wheat or any fresh-milled flour other than spelt: Use 3 tablespoons less per cup than the recipe calls for. Fresh-milled flour absorbs liquid more aggressively than store-bought, and using the full amount will give you a stiff, dense dough.
• Spelt: Go the opposite direction — add 2 to 4 tablespoons more per cup.
• After mixing, let the dough rest for 15 minutes before scooping. This allows the fresh-milled flour to fully absorb the liquid so you get a true read on the consistency before deciding whether to add that final half cup of flour.
• For more detail on baking with fresh-milled flour including which wheat berry to use for different recipes, see the complete fresh-milled flour baking guide here

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

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Step-by-Step Instructions

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Why are my chocolate chip cookies flat?

Flat cookies are almost always caused by butter that is too warm or melted, which spreads before the cookie can set, or not enough flour. Use softened butter at room temperature. It should hold an indent when pressed but not feel greasy. If you used melted butter, refrigerate the dough for 30-60 minutes before baking. Bake a test cookie; if it spreads, incorporate another 1/4 cup of flour.

Why are my chocolate chip cookies hard?

Overbaking is the most common cause. Pull cookies from the oven when the tops look barely set (if they look shiny on top, allow to bake another minute) and still slightly underdone. They continue cooking on the hot pan for 5 minutes after you remove them from the oven. Also, check that you measured flour correctly using the spoon and sweep method, not the dip and pack method.

Why are my chocolate chip cookies cakey?

Too much flour or too many eggs creates a cakey texture. Make sure you’re measuring flour with the spoon and sweep method, and use exactly the eggs called for. Using all butter rather than coconut oil also produces a denser, less cakey result.

Why are my chocolate chip cookies not spreading?

Too much flour prevents spreading. Start with 2½ cups and only add the remaining ½ cup if the dough is genuinely too sticky to handle.

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?

Yes, just omit the 1 teaspoon of salt called for in the recipe, or reduce it to ¼ teaspoon to taste.

Can I make chocolate chip cookie dough ahead of time?

Yes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours before baking, which actually improves flavor. It can also be frozen as pre-scooped dough balls and baked directly from frozen — add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.

Baking Tips from the Homestead Kitchen

Follow these cookie baking tips so your cookies will turn out perfectly every time:

• Make sure your butter is softened, not melted. Soft butter gives the best texture with tender centers and crisp edges.
• Use room-temperature eggs so they blend smoothly with the butter and sugar. If your eggs are cold, run them under warm water for a minute.
• Sift the flour to prevent lumps and give the cookies a finer crumb.
• Start with 2 ½ cups of flour, then add up to ½ cup more only if the dough is sticky. This helps you adjust for humidity and altitude.
• Do not overbake. The cookies should look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. They will continue to bake on the hot pan as they rest.
• For gifting or storage, cool cookies completely and stack between parchment paper in a tin or airtight container.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Ideas

• Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Rewarm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to restore that fresh-baked texture.
• Freeze extra dough by scooping it into balls and freezing on a tray. Once solid, store in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.

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Whether you are baking with your kids, delivering a plate to neighbors, or treating yourself to a quiet moment with a glass of milk, these cookies bring warmth and comfort. There is something special about from-scratch baking that connects us to home and tradition. Butter, sugar, and chocolate come together in a way that feels timeless and simple.