Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Seriously, don’t skip this. Cold ovens = sad cookies.

Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy.

Fun tip: imagine you’re making frosting—you want air, not butter soup.

Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. Beat until well combined.

Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Overmixing = tough cookies. Stop when flour disappears.

Fold in chocolate chips (and nuts if using).

Make sure they’re evenly distributed so every bite is epic.

Scoop dough onto a lined baking sheet, leaving space between cookies.

I like using a cookie scoop—it keeps them uniform and avoids cookie envy.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are golden but centers are still soft.

Pro tip: cookies continue cooking on the sheet after you take them out.

Cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Try not to eat them all warm… okay, maybe just one.