Nana Ruth’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is the one I’ve relied on for years, and it’s the recipe that got passed down to me written on an index card stained with butter and smudged at the edges. She swore by brown butter, which I do now too. There’s something about that nutty flavor that makes these cookies taste like nothing you’ve ever had from a package.
When Nana Ruth passed, I went through her kitchen looking for recipes. She didn’t have a box of index cards like other grandmothers. She had a drawer—just a drawer in the kitchen with scraps of paper, backs of envelopes, and one spiral notebook with half the pages torn out. The chocolate chip cookie recipe was on a piece of paper towel. I almost threw it away.
Her cookies were different from anyone else’s. They weren’t flat and crispy. They weren’t thick and cakey. They were somewhere in between—soft in the center with slightly crisp edges and that deep, warm flavor from the browned butter. The kind of cookie you reach for before you even realize your hand is moving.
Now my kids know these cookies as “Nana’s cookies,” even though they never met her. Mason helps me brown the butter and watches the pot like a hawk. Clara handles the measuring with her usual precision. Wyatt handles quality control, which means eating raw dough when I’m not looking and then acting surprised when I catch him.
How to Make Nana Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown the butter first. This is the secret, and it’s worth the extra five minutes. Melt a cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden amber and smells nutty and toasted. Pour it into your mixing bowl and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Don’t skip the cooling—hot butter will melt the sugar and your cookies will spread too thin.
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the browned butter with brown sugar and a little white sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. The batter should be thick and glossy.
Add the dry ingredients. Flour, baking soda, salt, and a pinch of cinnamon (Nana Ruth’s touch that nobody could ever identify). Stir until just combined—overmixing makes tough cookies. Fold in the chocolate chips. Use good ones. This is not the place to economize.
Chill the dough. This is the hardest part because everyone wants to eat it now. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes—an hour is better. Cold dough spreads less in the oven, giving you thicker cookies with chewier centers. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll firm up as they cool.
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Nana Ruth's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
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Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, beating well after each addition.
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Gradually blend in flour mixture on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using) by hand.
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Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
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Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Common Questions
Nana Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, beating well after each addition.
- Gradually blend in flour mixture on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using) by hand.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
