These salted chocolate chip cookies are the perfect sweet & salty cookie. They're based on the Famous Jaques Torres chocolate chip cookies. I've put my spin on these babies, and I think they are even better than the original.
This is the BEST chocolate chip cookie that you'll ever have. The cookie is crisp and crumbly, packed with chocolate chips, and the texture is out of this world.
I must confess, this recipe is mostly stolen.
A few years ago, I came across the Infamous Jacques Torres Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip cookies when a friend brought them to work. I've made these cookies dozens of times, and I've changed a few things in this recipe over the years.
I've added a little bit more salt, a little bit more vanilla, and a LOT more chocolate chips.
I have tested the chocolate chip to cookie dough ratio - pushing it to the absolute limit. There is just enough cookie dough to hold the chocolate chips together.
Ingredients that you'll need
- Flour: Bread flour and cake flour. Don't forgo this combo.
- Butter: I like the high-fat European butter in this recipe.
- Sugar: Both brown sugar and granulated white sugar
- Eggs: At room temperature, of course.
- Vanilla: You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Baking soda and baking powder
- Chocolate chips: I use a mixture of extra dark chips, semi-sweet chips, and good old-fashioned Nestle chunks. Oh yeah!!
- Salt: A fine sea salt or Kosher salt for the cookies and some fleur de sel for the tops.
What Chocolate Chips Are Best?
Chocolate chips are the star of this cookie. Use high-quality chocolate chips for the best results.
My favorite chocolate for baking is Guittard, and the flavor profile is just decadent. However, for my chocolate chunks, I keep it old school with Nestle.
There is something traditional and comforting about huge chunks of Nestle's chocolate in this cookie. The three different types of chocolate chips give this cookie a magical flavor.
I usually use a full 12 oz bag of bittersweet chocolate, a full 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate, and then I top it off with at least a half of a bag of Nestle's chocolate chunks.
Tools to Make the best cookies
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop
- Wire Baking Rack
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Beat the sugar and butter together until it is really fluffy.
- Don't overmix the flour.
- Chill the cookie doough in the fridge overnight.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure out your cookies.
- Cool the cookie completely on a wire baking rack.
Step-By-Step Instructions
NOTE: Not all steps are pictured above.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium to a large bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Use the whisk attachment for this step and take your time here. I usually beat the butter and sugar for about 10 minutes in my stand mixer. You want the butter and sugar to become one.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat in each egg before adding the next.
- Add the vanilla extract to the egg, butter, and sugar mixture. Beat to incorporate.
- Switch to the paddle attachment.
- Add the flour mixture, gradually stirring until it is just incorporated. Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on a low speed.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. You can still use the mixer or fold them in by hand to keep the larger chocolate chunks from getting broken into smaller pieces.
- Special instructions: You can bake these right now. But for best results, refrigerate the dough overnight and then let it come to room temperature before you bake. [Nerd Alert: Doing this allows the gluten in the dough to 'relax'. This is important if you have stirred it a lot after adding the flour. It helps you to avoid a 'tough' cookie. If you have been 'kind' to your dough, this is less critical. I try to be 'kind' so that I don't have to wait!]
- Bake @ 350℉ for 12-14 minutes.
FAQs & Expert Tips
This cookie recipe calls for two types of flour.
Bread flour is high in protein and gives baked goods a chewy texture. Chewy is definitely something you want in a cookie recipe.
Cake flour is low in protein and adds a light airiness to baked goods.
Each flour adds a specific character to the texture of the cookie. The combination gives this cookie light and crispy but still soft and chewy texture.
Yes, add the fleur de sel to the cookies before baking. The salt will stick better to the cookie dough if it's added before baking.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. For longer-term storage wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then seal them in an airtight container before freezing.
The best way to freeze cookie dough is to scoop out cookie dough balls in the size you want to bake them.
Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for a few hours. After they are frozen, you can place them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for months.
Yes, you can. You do not need to thaw out the frozen cookie dough before baking it. Simply bake the cookies for 2 to 3 minutes longer than you usually would.
How easy is that?
Recipe Variations
Chocolate chip cookies are always delicious but you don't always have to follow the rules. You can swap out the chocolate chips for a variety of different chips or candies.
Here are a few things that I've swapped into this recipe.
- Crumbled butter toffee. I use my Homemade Butter Toffee Recipe
- White chocolate chips and dried cherries or cranberries
- White chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- M&Ms
- Butterscotch chips
- Mini peanut butter cups
- Crushed Butterfinger candy bars
- Crushed Oreo cookies
- Chocolate chips, pretzels, and potato chips. See Momofuku's Compost Cookie Recipe
The possibilities are endless here!
Hungry For More Cookie Recipes?
- Old Fashioned Pecan Fingers
- Homemade Oreos, including Bat Oreos for Halloween
- Persimmon Cookies - a reader favorite
- Chocolate Dipped Butter Shortbread - a family recipe
- Double Dark Chocolate Chip Shortbread
- Compost Cookies
- Peanut Butter Dog Cookies
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Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons of cake flour
- 1 ⅔ cups bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 11.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 11.5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 ounces chocolate chunks
- fleur de sel for sprinking
Instructions
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium to a large bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Use the whisk attachment for this step and take your time here. I usually beat the butter and sugar for about 10 minutes in my stand mixer. You want the butter and sugar to become one.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat in each egg before adding the next.
- Add the vanilla extract to the egg, butter, and sugar mixture. Beat to incorporate. Switch to the paddle attachment.
- Add the flour mixture, gradually stirring until it is just incorporated. Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on a low speed.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. You can still use the mixer or fold them in by hand to keep the larger chocolate chunks from getting broken into smaller pieces.
- Special instructions: You can bake these right now. But for best results, refrigerate the dough overnight and then let it come to room temperature before you bake. [Nerd Alert: Doing this allows the gluten in the dough to 'relax'. This is important if you have stirred it a lot after adding the flour. It helps you to avoid a 'tough' cookie. If you have been 'kind' to your dough, this is less critical. I try to be 'kind' so that I don't have to wait!]
- Bake @ 350℉ for 12-14 minutes.
- ***Keep in mind that ovens vary so watch the first batch. You want them to be a nice golden brown. They will be pretty soft when you take them out of the oven. As they cool they become crispy on the outside and soft/chewy on the inside.
Laura's Tips + Notes
- Crumbled butter toffee. I use my Homemade Butter Toffee Recipe
- White chocolate chips and dried cherries or cranberries
- White chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- M&Ms
- Butterscotch chips
- Mini peanut butter cups
- Crushed Butterfinger candy bars
- Crushed Oreo cookies
- Chocolate chips, pretzels, and potato chips. See Momofuku's Compost Cookie Recipe
Ginalyn
Hi there!
350 degrees in a conviction oven or should I adjust the temperature to 325? Thanks!
Laura
350 degrees in a convection oven is fine. I have baked these on convection. They tend to spread out a little more if you are not using a convection oven.
Derek M
I've made these so many times but you seem to add a bit more chocolate than me, lets just say next time it's going to get chocolatier!
Is there any trick you use to get your finished cookies looking like they do in the photos? Talking about the rugged, rocky, bumped texture it has. Mine come out straight with only a bump or 2, would love to try your method out!
Laura
Derek,
In my oven, baking them on convection gives them this texture. Then seem to not spread out as much. I have a gas oven which isn’t then best for baking as the temperature can fluctuate. In my oven I’ve found that if I don’t use convection baking can take sometimes almost 50 percent more time. So it’s a little bit by accident that the come out like this.
You might also try heating the oven to a higher temp. Then lowering it right after you put the cookies in.
I hope you enjoy them. I love the texture of theses cookies.
Laura
Diane K
Okay I am now obsessed with these cookies. I've made them for family and friends and they love them. So delicious every time. And I agree, refrigerate overnight if you can wait! It's worth the wait!
Laura
They are my favorite too! I am so glad you love them. Thanks for the feed back. Isn't the butter, chocolate and saltiness ratio just perfect? It is great to hear from you! -Laura
Chris
Could I freeze these?
Laura
Chris, Yes on freezing these. I would love to know how they come out if you make a batch. -Laura
Debi
Best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have made in a long time !
Kit
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