Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies (Print Version)

Soft cookies with rich dark chocolate and crunchy sea salt for a perfect sweet-salty balance.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

09 - 2 cups dark chocolate chips or chunks
10 - 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
11 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until light and creamy, approximately two minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, then blend in the vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on low speed until just combined.
06 - Gently fold in dark chocolate chips and nuts if using, with a spatula.
07 - Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing each about two inches apart.
08 - Sprinkle each cookie dough portion with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until edges turn golden but centers remain soft.
10 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sea salt cuts through the richness in a way that makes you want just one more cookie (spoiler: you'll have three).
  • Dark chocolate feels fancy, but they're genuinely easier to make than most things in your kitchen.
  • They stay chewy for days if you underbake them slightly, which is the real secret nobody talks about.
02 -
  • Underbaking by a minute or two is the difference between cakey and chewy. The center should look barely set when you pull them out.
  • Let the dough rest for a few minutes after mixing. It makes scooping easier and helps the cookies spread more evenly in the oven.
03 -
  • If your butter is too soft, the cookies will spread too thin. Let it firm up in the fridge for 15 minutes if it's melting at room temperature.
  • Weigh your flour if you can. It's the single easiest way to stop making dense cookies by accident.

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