The Secret Tool Behind My Mom’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone claims their mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies, but mine really does. No, seriously. They’re the actual best. And while I grew up watching her carefully mix the cookie dough and bake them to perfection, I went on to professional training in culinary school and a decades-long career in food — but I couldn’t replicate hers. I know, I know, I’m clearly biased, but there’s just something about a mom’s touch that makes cookies, particularly chocolate chip cookies, taste extra special to her kids. But even when I took the emotions out of the equation and tasted them with a trained palette, I couldn’t figure out what made hers so incredibly delicious. And then she let me in on her secret weapon.

Bakken Swiss Cookie Sheet 3-Piece Set

Sheet pans, cookie sheets, baking trays — whatever you call them, you probably never really considered how they make the difference between fine cookies versus cookies so perfect they bring you to tears. At least, I never did. Sure, sheet pans are a useful tool for any number of culinary tasks, but not something that makes any real difference in how that food turns out, right? Wrong.

A good sheet pan should be sturdy, easy to clean, distribute heat evenly, and not terrify you with sudden loud banging noises because it’s warping in the oven. Over the years, I’ve had my share of terrible sheet pans, so I learned pretty early on that they certainly aren’t all created equal. But I never realized the immense difference they can make in cookies.

As I’ve evolved and grown, I’ve come to appreciate all sorts of chocolate chip cookie varieties — large and cakey, thin and crispy, underbaked and gooey; they all have their place in the cookie world, to be sure. But my mom’s version has perfectly melted chocolate chips nestled in a thin (but not too thin) cookie that is crisp and caramelized on the bottom with a craggy surface of tiny hills and valleys kissed with a hint of browning and soft and just slightly underbaked in the center. After years of trying (and failing) to replicate these tiny round masterpieces, she finally told me that it’s all about the sheet pan, and the version she swears by is this model from Bakken. 

These pans are crafted from flexible, nonstick carbon steel, sturdy enough to hold their shape under intense heat, and designed to distribute heat evenly and then easily release baked goods. My mom especially appreciates the beautiful care and design put into these pans with their attractive white marble coating that adds a stylish touch to her bakeware collection. 

Most importantly, though, these pans have the magic ability to perfectly bake cookies with deliciously crisp and caramelized bottoms with somehow simultaneous ooey, gooey centers.

Thanks for the tip, mom.

Shop Other Kitchen Tools at Amazon

Briout Cooling Rack Set

Cook With Color Mixing Bowl Set

Fonya Measuring Cups and Spoons Set

Pyrex 3-Piece Measuring Cup Set

IXO Oven Mitt Set

At the time of publishing, the price was $18.