This quick and easy Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is one of the recipes I make most often. These cookies bake up with crisp edges, soft centers, and lots of chocolate chips.
This recipe makes 4 to 6 cookies with one bowl, no mixer, no chill time. For those times that you want a cookie, but don’t need several dozen cookies sitting around, you can reach for this recipe.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
Quick: Start to finish, this recipe takes 30 minutes or less.
Easy: This recipe is simple and straightforward.
No mixer: No mixer? No problem! This recipe comes together in one bowl with a silicone spatula.
Flavor: The classic flavor of a sweet and buttery cookie packed with chocolate chips.
Texture: Crisp edges with soft and chewy centers.
Ingredients needed
- Unsalted butter: It should be really soft and a tiny bit melty.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: Using a combination of both creates the best cookie texture.
- Baking soda: For the perfect lift.
- Salt: Just a couple pinches to balance the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla, not imitation.
- Large egg yolk: Since this is a small batch recipe we only need the yolk, no white.
- All purpose flour: You’ll need ⅔ cup, spooned and leveled.
- Chocolate chips: Use any kind of chocolate chips that you like.
Step by step overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Stir softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fully combined.
Stir in egg yolk and vanilla extract.
Sprinkle in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
Stir in chocolate chips.
TIP: Chop a tablespoon of your chocolate chips so that you have tiny chocolate shards running all throughout the cookies along with the larger chips.
Scoop the dough. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake!
TIP: For thicker cookies, form your dough balls into mounds that are taller rather than wider.
Cookie sizing
I like to make 5 large cookies with this recipe by scooping the dough into generous 2-tablespoon portions. If you’d like to stretch this recipe, you could get 7-8 cookies by making the dough balls a little smaller (if so, reduce the cook time by 1-2 minutes).
Success tips
- Ingredients: It is super important to be precise when making small batch recipes. Since you’re using such a small quantity of ingredients a little more or less of one thing or another can make a huge difference.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper: This will help the cookies from spreading too much. Bonus: It makes clean up a breeze!
- Measure flour properly: Lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off OR use the weight measurements provided.
- Light brown sugar vs. dark brown sugar: You can use either for this recipe. I have noticed that the extra moisture in dark brown sugar makes the cookies spread a bit more than the light brown sugar, but they’re equally delicious either way.
- Don’t overbake: Pull these cookies from the oven before they are baked all the way through. The edges should be golden, but the center should still be slightly underdone. They should be so soft that they would fall apart if you tried to pick them up straight from the oven (pssst, don’t do that). Once they cool on the baking sheet they will firm up. Underbaking slightly ensures a soft and tender cookie.
- Use your favorite “chips”: I most often make these cookies with chocolate chips/chocolate chunks, but I have also made them with white chocolate, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips and walnuts (like a Kitchen Sink cookie). Use your favorite mix-ins.
Serving and storage
Serve these cookies warm or at room temperature. My family LOVES them served warm alongside a bowl of vanilla ice cream (Tillamook is our fave!).
Store leftover cookies (if there are any) at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56g), *very soft with some melted spots (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (38g)
- 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar (38g)
- 1 large egg yolk (19g)
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour (86g), spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized bowl, using a silicone spatula, stir together butter and both sugars until well combined (at least one minute). Add the egg yolk and vanilla, stirring until combined.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt over the butter mixture. Stir until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough into generous 2-tablespoon mounds. Place on the baking sheet a few inches apart (you should have 5-6 dough balls). If desired, press some additional chocolate chips onto the tops. Mound the dough balls higher rather than wider to ensure they won't spread too thin. Bake for about 9-12 minutes**, until the edges are beginning to get golden brown and the centers are still slightly under-baked. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to let the cookies cool and firm up.
Video
Notes
**This is the bake time I used for cookies made with two tablespoons of dough. If you make yours bigger or smaller, adjust the baking time by a couple minutes either way.
Recipe update May 2024: I added more precise measurements, including weights. I also made a slight adjustment to the temperature of the butter and the quantity of sugar which produces a more consistent result. See previous recipe here. Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Josh says
Okay first off love it! Just wonderful every time. I have been making these for years. I first found this recipe in 2020 when I was single. Now I get to make these with my kids and they love them as much as I do. I am not a baker so from time to time they don’t flatten out and are lumpy but my wife and kids still like them but how do I make them look like yours. My batter is never as creamy as yours is and is crumbly when making balls. Do you have any suggestions to make them smother?
Allison says
Hi, Josh. If your cookie dough is sometimes crumbly you might be adding too much flour. Be sure to spoon it into the measuring cup or weigh it. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe. 🙂