Chocolate Chip Cookies Sea Salt (Printable Version)

Chewy chocolate chip cookies with dark chocolate chunks and crunchy sea salt flakes for a sweet-salty bite.

# What You'll 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, room temperature
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

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
06 - Fold in dark chocolate chips and nuts if using, with a spatula.
07 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
08 - Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are golden but centers remain soft.
10 - Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • They're undeniably chewy in the middle with crispy edges, which means they satisfy every texture craving at once.
  • The sea salt flakes hit your tongue last and wake up all the sweetness in a way that feels almost luxurious for a cookie.
  • You can make them in under an hour from start to finish, so they work for both planned baking days and sudden cravings.
02 -
  • The window between perfectly chewy and overdone is smaller than you think—check them at 11 minutes even though the recipe says 11 to 13.
  • If your cookies spread too thin and flat, your butter was probably too warm or your dough was too soft; chill it for 15 minutes next time.
  • Leaving them on the baking sheet for those first 5 minutes is the actual secret to chewy centers—don't skip it thinking you're saving time.
03 -
  • If you only have one baking sheet, refrigerate the remaining dough while the first batch bakes—cold dough spreads less and bakes more evenly.
  • Brown your butter on the stovetop first for an incredibly deep, nutty flavor that transforms these from good to unforgettable, though you'll need to let it cool completely before mixing.

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