Description
Bake the best Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies with this easy recipe! Soft, chewy, and perfect for your holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened – This gives the cookies that rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed – Brown sugar adds moisture and a bit of caramel flavor, keeping your cookies extra soft.
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar – For just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the brown sugar.
- 2 large eggs – These help bind everything together and create that perfect dough consistency.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract – A must-have to bring out the depth of flavor in the cookies.
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour – The base of your dough. Be sure to measure it properly for the best texture.
- 1 tsp baking soda – This helps your cookies rise to a soft, chewy perfection.
- 1/2 tsp salt – A pinch of salt enhances all the flavors, especially the sweetness.
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips – You can use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips or go for pastel chocolate chips for that festive Easter touch.
- Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, pastel M&Ms, or Easter sprinkles – These fun additions give your cookies a pop of color and extra flavor for the season.
Instructions
1. Preheat the Oven and Prep Your Baking Sheet
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your cookies bake evenly. While the oven is heating up, line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugars
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step takes about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer. The air you incorporate into the dough here is key to getting soft and chewy cookies.
3. Add Eggs and Vanilla
Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, mix in the vanilla extract. This adds rich flavor to your dough.
4. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add this dry mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix to avoid dense cookies.
5. Fold in the Chocolate Chips
Gently fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula. You can also add optional mix-ins, such as pastel M&Ms or white chocolate chips, for an Easter twist.
6. Scoop the Dough
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough into rounded balls (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space for them to spread.
7. Bake and Cool
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the centers are still soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Tip: You can prepare the dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. Chilling the dough allows the flavors to develop and results in thicker cookies when baked.
- Freezing the Dough: To freeze, scoop the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze them for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Bake directly from the freezer, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
- Customizing the Recipe: Feel free to mix in different types of chocolate chips (e.g., milk chocolate, white chocolate) or add nuts like walnuts for extra flavor and crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24 cookies
- Calories: 220 per cookie
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies, chewy chocolate chip cookies, holiday cookies, festive cookies, soft cookies, homemade cookies