As a cookie enthusiast and avid baker, the chocolate chip cookie is a delicious staple that is an essential to the dessert arsenal. Below are three scrumptious cookie recipes, perfected and taste tested to get the most gooey, mouth watering, chocolaty chocolate chip cookie ever. But first, some simple tips and tricks to make your baking experience as hassle free as possible…

• Buy pre-cut parchment paper. It’s perfect for baking batches of cookies and makes for a super easy cleanup.
• By scooping out the flour into a measuring cup, you will get fluffier cookies.
• Using an icecream  scooper is perfect for creating evenly sized balls of dough.
• Never put dough on a hot cookie sheet.
• If using a KitchenAid mixer to stir the dough, use the paddle attachment.

Banana Chocolate Chip

This cookie is a “healthier” twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. It’s cakey, dense, and basically a little delicious bite of banana bread. Plus there are no eggs in the batter, so you can eat as much of the dough as you want. (Trust me… you’ll want to).

Servings: 2 dozen

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all- purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips (optional, but highly recommended)

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt together in medium bowl
2. Cream mashed bananas, butter, and sugars together until combined
3. Add vanilla extract and mix until just combined
4. Stir in flour mixture until combined
5. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
8. Scoop dough out onto cookie sheets
9. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Should be golden brown on top.
10. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets

Classic Chocolate Chip

This classic recipe never fails. Always soft, fluffy, and flavorful, it is hard to top this timeless chocolate chipper.

Servings: About 2 dozen

Recipe from: Duff Bakes- Think and Bake Like a Pro at Home

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
   

   Gallery • 3 Photos

   Caroline Christensen

   Drizzling chocolate on top of chocolate chip cookies is never a bad idea.
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt
3. Cream butter, sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet
6. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes
7. Let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Do not let the oatmeal aspect scare you away from this recipe… these cookies and are practically inhaled the moment they are drizzled with chocolate. Gooey in the middle and crispy on the outside, you will never be able to get enough of this heavenly cookie.

Servings: 2 dozen

Recipe courtesy of Sandy Sparland

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 1/2 cup of nuts (optional)
• 1 cup of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Add flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat sugars and butter together until fluffy
4. Mix in egg and vanilla
5. Gradually mix in flour mixture
6. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips (add nuts if desired)
7.  Bake for 10-12 minutes and cool for 10 minutes
8.  Melt about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in microwave
9. Using a fork or knife, drizzle melted chocolate on top of cookies
10. Cool until chocolate hardens
11. Eat all cookies in one sitting with no shame