I Tried the Original, 87-Year-Old Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and It’s Still the Best I’ve Ever Had

I used to beg my mom to let me make chocolate chip cookies for two reasons. First, she had a beautiful blue KitchenAid stand mixer that I always wanted to use, and second, because I loved baking. I chose cookies specifically because I knew she wouldn’t say no to them. It was really a win-win for both of us. Our favorite recipe was the one on the back of the Nestlé Toll House bag of semisweet chocolate morsels. Little did we know that the recipe printed there was steeped in history, a modernized version of the first-ever chocolate chip cookie recipe.

The Original, First-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The original chocolate chip cookie was the invention of Ruth Graves Wakefield, who, with her husband, ran the popular Toll House Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, in the 1930s. After being in the business for a couple of years, Wakefield wanted to change and update the traditional butterscotch cookie she had been serving guests.

The story goes that she wanted to add chocolate to the treats, specifically melted chocolate. Wakefield didn’t have any in her kitchen, though, so she went with what she did have: a Nestlé semisweet chocolate bar. She chopped the bar into pieces and added them to the dough—along with chopped walnuts—and thus, the chocolate “chip” cookie was born.

What Has Changed From the Original Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe?

The amazing thing about Wakefield’s original recipe is the fact that it’s pretty perfect the way it is, even 80-plus years later. A few modifications have been made to the recipe over time, including the elimination of the step of combining the (historically clumpy) baking soda with hot water (a common practice believed to help disperse the baking soda in the dough). Thanks to improvements in storage, the clumping of baking soda isn’t as common as it used to be so that step has been omitted over time.

The other noticeable difference to the recipe is the introduction of chocolate “morsels” in place of chopped chocolate bars, thanks to Nestlé and its invention in 1941. 

Finally, there’s the cookie size. Wakefield’s recipe called for shaping dough into 1/2 teaspoon portions for a yield of about 100 cookies. Today’s recipe, using nearly the same ingredients, yields about 60 cookies, each about 3 to 4 times larger than the original cookies.

Why I Love the Original Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I’ve made hundreds of batches of chocolate chip cookies in my life, but the original recipe is my absolute favorite. I always refrigerate the dough before baking to keep my cookies from spreading, and I like Wakefield’s original method, opting for chopped bars of chocolate versus chips, because I love those delicious chocolate shards that ensure I get a bit of chocolate in every bite.

And while I love the mini, 1/2 teaspoon cookies (which are great for ice cream or sandwiching with buttercream frosting), the larger “rounded tablespoon” cookies are my preference. There’s a reason the recipe is still on the bag—it’s that good.

Ruth Graves Wakefield’s Original Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 (7-ounce) bars Nestlé semisweet chocolate, chopped into pea-sized pieces
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together in a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer on low speed until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined. Mix in vanilla.
3. Sift flour and baking soda over a medium bowl. Stir in salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate and nuts until evenly distributed.
4. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Note: For best results, refrigerate the dough balls overnight before baking.

Recipe adapted from “Toll House Tried and True Recipes” by Ruth Graves Wakefield (1938).