These are the best Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies! They are chewy and have amazingly soft centers and golden brown and slightly crisp edges. Everyone goes crazy for these cookies! 

We go crazy for chocolate chip cookies in my house! We have a Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies for when we have an immediate cookie craving but don’t want a full batch of my Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. Then there’s my Double Chocolate Chip Cookies which has cream cheese in it! Making it so creamy and delicious. Don’t forget my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies which has the most amazing flavor and really amps up the classic cookie to something to a whole new level. I have even more amazing cookie recipes so be sure to check them all out.

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies on a black cooling rack with a small bowl of brown sugar and milk chocolate chips near the cookies.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Chewy chocolate chip cookies. These milk chocolate chip cookies are so chewy and delicious! 
  • Cookies with milk chocolate chips. You’ll love this classic cookie recipe! My kiddos went crazy for these milk chocolate cookies. The chocolate chips have the perfect flavor with the balance of sweetness in the recipe. 
  • Soft cookies. These chewy milk chocolate chip cookies are ultra soft and delicious! Be sure to pull them out when the centers are still soft. They’ll set up on the pan and you’ll have the most amazing soft texture. 

Ingredient Notes

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie ingredients portioned into glass bowls on a white marbled background.
  • Unsalted Butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Use softened butter so you can get a good creaming of the butter and sugars. 
  • Light Brown Sugar: Having a higher amount of light brown sugar than white sugar will give the cookies a chewier texture. 
  • Egg: Use large eggs! 
  • Flour: Use all-purpose flour. It will be about 228 grams. But touch the dough with your finger and if it still seems too wet, add a tablespoon of flour to the dough. These cookies were made at close to see level so if you are at a higher elevation you may need a touch more flour. 
  • Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These are the leavening agents used to help the cookies bake up nicely. 
  • Milk Chocolate Chips: I like to press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the cookie dough balls prior to baking them. This will give them a nice appearance once baked. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Cream the wet ingredients. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cream on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix again until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  2. Add the dry ingredients. Add 1 3/4 cup (228 grams if using a kitchen scale) all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt to the sugar and butter mixture. Mix the flour mixture in until partially combined. Add 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
    Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie dough in a glass stand mixer bowl on a white background.
    Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie dough balls on a white parchment lined baking sheet.
    1. Bake. Portion the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, at least 2 inches apart. Bake at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes. Remove these delicious chocolate chip cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy! 
    Baked Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies on a white parchment paper.

    Recipe Tips

    Be sure to use an oven thermometer. For these cookies to bake properly you need the oven temperature to be accurate. 

    Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges of the cookies are set and slightly golden brown. The centers of the cookies will still soft. They’ll continue to set up on the pan as they cool. 

    To help the cookies have a circular shape again after baking, immediately after removing from the oven, use a very large round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter and place it over the cookies and move in a circular motion around the cookie to tuck the edges in. Don’t cut the cookies! We just want to tuck in the edges so they are uniformly circle again. Think hula hoop motion! 

    Partially mixing the dry ingredients in then adding the chocolate chips will ensure that the cookie dough doesn’t get over mixed. You can also use a wooden spoon to mix in the chocolate chips if you’d like. 

    Top the homemade chocolate chip cookies with some Maldon sea salt flakes after removing from the oven for a sweet and salty touch! 

    When baking a second batch of cookies, don’t let the dough sit on the hot pan. I like to use multiple baking sheets. This way the first batch can sit on the pan and cool for the 5 minutes, while I already have the second batch baking. It’s a great way to speed things ups!  

    Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

    You can make these milk chocolate chip cookies recipe ahead of time if you want! Make the dough then cover it and chill it in the fridge for up to 72 hours. Then remove the dough and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to rolling into balls and baking.  

    Store the milk chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for best results. 

    If you want to freeze the baked cookies, let them cool to room temperature then store in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw or warm in the microwave for a few seconds. 

    To freeze the dough, roll into dough balls and flash freeze on a baking sheet. Then transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and bake from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the bake time. 

    The best Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies on a Kraft colored parchment paper surrounded by milk chocolate chips.

    Recipe FAQs

    What’s the difference between semi-sweet chocolate and milk chocolate?

    Semi-sweet is a darker and richer chocolate flavor than milk chocolate due to having a higher content of cocoa solids. 

    Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

    It isn’t required, but if you want to, you can! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 72 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature. Then portion into dough balls and bake according to the recipe instructions. 

    Can I use semi-sweet chocolate chips?

    Yes you can. You can make the cookies with milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet, or even dark chocolate chips if you’d like! 

    Can I add chocolate chunks?

    For sure! 

    A Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie on a Kraft parchment paper surrounded by a bowl of milk chocolate chips and brown sugar.

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    A milk chocolate chip cookie on a black wire cooling rack.
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    5 from 3 votes

    Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

    We love these Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies because they are crispy around the edges and soft in the center.
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 14 cookies
    US Customary – Metric

    Ingredients
     

    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened
    • 3/4 cup light brown sugar - packed
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour - (228 grams)
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
    US Customary – Metric

    Equipment

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars on medium speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
    • Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until partially combined. Add the chocolate chip and mix to incorporate.
    • Portion into 2 tablespoon sized balls. Keeping 2 inches between each cookie (otherwise they will bake into each other). Bake for 10-12 mins, the edges of the cookies and the tops will appear slightly golden brown. Remove from oven; some cookies may have uneven edges. To fix this, use a very large round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter and immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, gently use the cutter in a circular motion around the cookies to tuck in the edges (think hula hoop motion). We don’t want to cut the cookie! We just want to make the cookies uniformly circle before they set.
    • Remove from the oven Cool on pan for 5 mins then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 

    Notes

    For these cookies to bake properly please be sure to check your oven temperature. Use an oven thermometer to do this!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 260kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 38g (13%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fat: 11g (17%)Saturated Fat: 7g (35%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 33mg (11%)Sodium: 60mg (3%)Potassium: 54mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 25g (28%)Vitamin A: 258IU (5%)Vitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 41mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
    author: Whitney Wright
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating and review on the blog post letting me know how you liked this recipe! Take a picture and tag @saltandbaker on Instagram and Facebook so I can see what you’re making!

    This recipe was developed and baked close to sea level (492′).