Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Nothing takes you back to childhood days as the comforting smell of chocolate chip cookies, especially when you’re baking them yourself, and especially if it’s from Trader Joe’s.

From the tons of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, it might be hard to choose.

But Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies seem to have it all. These cookies are a bit crispy around the ends but still soft and super chocolatey!

Stop looking for perfect, soft, crispy, chocolate chip cookies.

This Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe will be the most requested recipe among your friends and family.

Let’s see why.

How to Make Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

The main thing everyone fears when making chocolate chip cookies is that they will end up too flat and clump together. However, this Trade Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is no rocket science.

In fact, it is quite simple and much healthier since we won’t be using preservatives,  inflammatory oils, or some other nasty stuff.

Moreover, there is no way to fail in baking these cookies and you will love trying to perfect them multiple times.

So, the only danger here is that it’s too hard to stop making these moist, gooey, and rich cookies.

So, let’s see what we’ll be working with today.

Ingredients:

(36 servings)

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup softened salted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 package Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions:

Making chocolate chip cookies is quite simple, don’t believe it if someone tries to tell you otherwise. They must have simply not tried to make these Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies.

It’s all about timing. You just have to bake the cookies at 375 °F for about 9 minutes. But the main trick is to turn on the overhead range hood after you remove the chocolate chip cookies from the oven.

It allows them to quickly cool down, so that you can remove them from the pan faster. And that’s important, since the longer these chocolate cookies sit on the hot pan, the longer the center will continue to cook. The secret to the perfect cookies is the firm but soft outside with a chocolatey center.

And that’s what you’ll get if you follow along.

Step 1:

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.

Step 2:

Beat the sugar and butter together using a hand mixer on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Make sure there is no noticeable roughness to the texture.

Add eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating at medium-high speed, until it’s well blended. Scrape the mixture from the edges when required.

Step 3:

Add half of the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until well mixed. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips (and optional nuts), cover, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.

Step 4:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F and prepare 3 cookie sheets using silicone baking mats or parchment.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop the cookie dough in rounded tablespoons on the baking sheet. Note to drop them 1.5 inches from one another, so they don’t clump together.

Pro tip: a quarter-sized clump is all you need.

Step 5:

Bake the chocolate chip cookies on the middle rack to avoid overbaking for about 7-9 minutes. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling wire rack. Once cooked they should slide over without breaking.

Enjoy your Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies serving them right away or store them for later, since this Trader Joes Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is enough for 36 cookies!

Ingredient Substitution

There are probably as many people as there are chocolate chip cookie variations. So, there are plenty of ingredients to substitute in this Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to suit different preferences and palates.

Consider these replacements to alter the texture and flavors and make even better chocolate chip cookies.

Caramel Sea Salt Baking Chips

If you want to add a twist to your Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe but don’t want to alter the cookie dough too much, use Caramel Sea Salt Baking Chips instead of the chocolate ones. It’s another specialty from Trader Joe’s.

These buttery, sweet, and mildly salted bits of caramel will work incredibly well on your cookies. Just remember to sprinkle some sea salt over the cookies once out of the oven for an extra flavor twist.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a tasty vegan option or a high-fat substitute. Due to its distinct flavor, coconut oil is the best alternative for butter in this cookie recipe.

The structure of the coconut oil is different though, but it could still be used in a 1:1 switch.

I grabbed a big tub of this from Trader Joe’s. They offer coconut oil at the lowest price that I’ve seen, so stop in or check their weekly ad, Fearless Flyer as I’ve seen it featured there often.

Just use 1 cup of coconut oil instead of 1 cup of softened butter. It could be either melted or solidified.

Baking powder

Baking soda and baking powder are often mistaken for one another due to similar functions and physical appearance when, in fact, they are quite different products.

Even so, baking powder is a great substitute for baking soda. However, note that it is not as strong as plain baking soda. So, you might need to use a higher amount of baking powder—sometimes even triple the amount.

What to Serve with Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

While Trade Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies are a great gooey snack by themselves, there are many ways you can improve the eating experience by pairing them with some delicious sides.

Tropical smoothie

Dipping chocolate chip cookies in milk and getting a hot drink-cookies-combo is just like old times. It tastes good, but you still should try it with some more fun alternatives, like Tropical Smoothy.

The luxurious milky creaminess will strengthen the buttery cookie flavors, and the bananas and strawberries will bring about refreshing tropical notes.

Ambrosia Salad

Another creamy alternative for soothing the crispy and gooey chocolate chip cookies is Ambrosia salad. It features a variety of fruits, from pineapple and mandarin oranges, with some nuts cream and marshmallows.

A perfect appetizer combined with a perfect chocolate cookie snack is ideal for a family get-together.

Peanut butter

Old but gold, peanut butter is a great way to kick up your Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookie. Make the flavors of your chocolate cookies even richer by spreading a thin layer of peanut butter on your cookie.

Top it off with another cookie and you’ll get a chocolate chip cookie sandwich for an ultimate experience.

How to Store Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since every kind of chocolate chip cookie has its own quirks, it’s important to learn the best storage tips for these chewy and crispy chocolate chip cookies, to make them last up to a week or even longer.

Before we start, keep a note of these tricks.

Remember to cool down the cookies completely, since even though they might taste good when warm, storing warm cookies results in mushy and sticky cookies.

The second important thing is not to mix cookies with different flavors and textures. Meaning, do not store soft crispy and chewy cookies in the same container, or they will lose their individual textures and crispiness.

Store Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies in an Airtight Container

The main thing with storing chocolate chip cookies, because of their unique texture, is keeping the air out and the moisture in. So, consider a plastic or glass container with a secure lid. The zip-lock bag also works. But note that you will have to squeeze out as much air as possible.

Store Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Plastic Wrap

Storing cookies in plastic wrap is not a different option, but rather an addition to the previous one. Before storing chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container, wrap them with plastic wrap. This gives them extra moisture protection.

Store Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Fridge

The best chocolate chip cookies are never stored in the fridge since they will dry out.

However, you can store the cookie dough in the fridge for a day or two. This helps to mature the flavors before you bake the cookies. Besides, it helps to get flat cookies when baking, not rising as much.

Store Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Freezer

The freezer could make your chocolate chip cookies last for up to 3 months. But remember that before storing them, they should cool to room temperature to avoid condensation.

Just place the cookies on a tray, cover them with plastic wrap, and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, place all the cookies from the tray into a freezing container or a freezer bag.