Slightly sweeter cookies with milk chips, these are just as chewy and gooey as the traditional ones. They're out of the oven in less than 30 minutes. Bake them directly without chilling the dough, or refrigerate/freeze them for later use.
Quick and easy
There's always a reason to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Milk chocolate chips make them sweeter, perfect to dunk in a glass of milk.
They're the newest addition to our growing list of chip cookies, which include butterscotch chocolate chip cookies, mint chip cookies, and dark chocolate chip pecan cookies.
- Quick and easy: this is our one-bowl chocolate chip cookie recipe that can be out of the oven in half an hour.
- Fresh cookies: you can have them warm not long after taking them out of the oven and control what ingredients go in these homemade cookies.
- Make ahead: the cookie dough can be chilled for a day or scooped and frozen, so you can bake a fresh batch of cookies when the craving hits.
Ingredient Notes
- Milk chocolate chips: use your favorite brand. I use Callebaut callets, Guittard and Ghirardelli chips.
- Light brown sugar: you can use dark brown sugar for a deeper caramel flavor and darker-colored cookies.
- Baking soda and baking powder: make sure they're not expired.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
This is a traditional one-bowl cookie recipe. It can be made by hand, with an electric mixer, or in a stand mixer.
- By hand: use a spatula or wooden spoon. I make it this way usually. If the butter is soft, it's very easy to mix everything by hand.
- Electric or stand mixer: it's convenient and easy. Mix on medium until you add the dry ingredients. Don't overbeat after adding the flour; incorporate them at low speed.
The final cookie dough is sticky but smooth and has no dry spots.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Once you add the flour, mix until it's well incorporated, but don't overbeat. Use the lowest speed of the mixer. I like to end mixing with a rubber spatula to ensure the ingredients are fully integrated with no dry spots but not overmixed.
Baking
- Cookie sheet: you can butter or line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Baking time: if you want softer cookies, remove them from the oven while the center is still soft, maybe even slightly underbaked or feels a tad too tender to the touch. For me, it's 10 minutes, but it can take a minute more or less depending on your oven, the temperature of the dough, and the size of your cookies.
Scooping
Using a cookie scoop is the easiest way to make even-sized cookies. Leave space between so the cookies can expand during baking.
You can add extra chips before baking.
Baking
Lightly smack the pan on the counter for chewier cookies when you remove them from the oven. They will slightly deflate.
Let them cool on a wire rack in the baking pan for 10 minutes before carefully removing them with a spatula.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: remember that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Chilling: you can bake the cookies right after mixing the dough or chill it first. The difference is in its consistency and sometimes flavor. The chilled dough expands less and can have a more rounded flavor as the ingredients have time to meld together. In my experience, the difference is not that big, and I usually bake half and then chill the rest.
- Freezing: another great way to make these cookies ahead is by freezing the unbaked dough. Scoop the cookie portions and place them on a baking sheet; no need to leave much space between them. Freeze until rock solid and then transfer to a bag to remove the cookie sheet and use less space in the freezer.
- Storing: keep in an airtight container or jar. If you want them to remain soft, add a few pieces of bread to the container.
- Variations: add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans in addition to the chocolate chips.
Related recipes you might like:
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Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips, or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Beat ½ cup unsalted butter with ½ cup white sugar and ½ cup light brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy. You can use a stand mixer or a hand-held, electric one.
- Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add sifted dry ingredients (1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, pinch of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt) and mix until a few dry spots remain. Don’t overbeat at this point.
- Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips and mix until no dry spots remain. I like to switch to a spatula for this part.
- Scoop portions of cookie dough and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about an inch and a half.
- Press on top of each cookie to flatten slightly. You can add a few extra chocolate chips to each cookie before baking.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until edges are firm and cookies are a light golden brown but still soft in the center. It might take a minute or two more if you make larger or thicker cookies. If you like crispy cookies, bake a minute or two more.
- Let the baked cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Keep in tins or cookie jars.
Ib says
Hello! This is a great recipe! I doubled all the ingredients to but the cookies did not rise - they flattened instead. Any advice on what may have happened and how to avoid it?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi, try chilling the dough for a few hours so it firms up.