Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes super soft chocolate, super yummy chip cookies – no mixer necessary, no chilling needed.
I’ve made a lot of chocolate chip cookies. A lot a lot. Probably more cookies than I should say. Sometimes, I break out my mixer and make a recipe like my brownie cookie recipe that needs time to chill.
Other times, I want cookies five minutes ago. When those cookie cravings hit, I need a simple, easy, go-to cookie that I can whip up in just a few minutes.
This Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is just such a recipe. The cookies can be made from scratch in less than 20 minutes, and there’s no need to get the mixer out or to chill the dough. All of which make this the simplest chocolate chip cookie recipe.
What Makes This the Simplest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe?
This recipe uses just a few basic ingredients – flour, sugar, baking soda, salt.
Also, it is so fast and so easy – no mixer needed, no chilling required – that the cookies can be mixed up and baked in less than twenty minutes.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
For this recipe, you’re going to start by melting the butter. The butter shouldn’t be sizzling hot. If you’re not sure how hot is too hot, you’ll want it about 90% melted, and then you’ll whisk it until it finishes melting.
Once the butter has melted, whisk in the sugars until well-combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and egg.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in just until combined. You don’t want to overmix the dough.
Stir in the chocolate chips, and then scoop the dough. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake until the cookies are set on the edges but slightly underdone in the middle, about 7-10 minutes.
Slightly under-baking the cookies helps to keep them soft. Since oven temperatures can vary, you may find that you need to adjust the baking times.
Can I Use an Electric Mixer?
Sure! You can use one if you would prefer. I do recommend mixing in the flour by hand, though, to avoid overmixing the dough.
Tips/FAQ
There are over 1,000 comments and questions on this recipe. I’ve added this section to answer some of the common questions in the hope that it saves people from having to try to sift through all of those comments. If you have a question that isn’t answered below, please feel free to ask!
- Gluten Free: I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard from several people who have used a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour in this recipe, and they’ve said that it worked well. However, I haven’t heard from anyone regarding other flours, such as almond flour.
- Butter: This recipe begins with melted butter. I prefer to use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- The butter should just barely be melted. That means that it shouldn’t be sizzling hot or browned.
- If you’re worried about getting it too hot, melt the butter about 90% of the way and then whisk it until it is completely melted.
- Sugars: This recipe uses both brown sugar and granulated (white sugar). If you would like to use only brown sugar, check out my brown sugar chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Using only granulated sugar will give you crispier cookies.
- For this recipe, you can use either dark or light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will give you a slightly richer flavor.
- Measuring Flour: If you aren’t weighing your ingredients, I can’t recommend that enough. If you are using measuring cups, be sure to sift or stir the flour before measuring. Flour packs easily and using too much flour in cookies will give you dry, crumbly dough and cookies that don’t spread.
- Salt: Kosher salt is a larger-grain salt that isn’t as “salty” as table salt. If you’re using table salt, be sure to use 1/4 teaspoon.
- Please note the measurements on the salt. I’ve seen people who have commented that the cookies were salty, and it turned out that they had used several times the amount of salt that the recipe calls for.
- Chocolate Chips: I use semisweet chocolate chips. You can use dark, bittersweet, milk, or white chocolate chips.
- People have used all sorts of mix-ins, like M&Ms or other candy and chip combinations, in this recipe.
Tips For Making Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
The best way to make soft chocolate chip cookies is to slightly under-bake the cookies. In order to slightly under-bake the cookies, the edges should look set (but not brown).
The center of the cookies should look soft and even a little puffy still. This trick will help to keep your cookies nice and soft.
Kitchen Tools I Use When Making Homemade Cookies
Here are some of my must-have kitchen essentials that help to make this recipe even easier.
Whisk: A good whisk doesn’t have to be expensive, but it’s a kitchen must-have for really combining ingredients like the melted butter and sugars.
Cookie Scoop: I use my cookie scoop so often that I bought a second one. It’s great for scooping cookies, mini muffins, and even meatballs.
Silicone Spatula: A great all-purpose spatula is a must-have. They’re great for incorporating dry ingredients that are harder to whisk in and scraping the bowl.
Kitchen Scale: Using a kitchen scale is easier than measuring with measuring cups. It’s also more accurate! I was a holdout for a long time, but now I love using my kitchen scale.
More Easy Cookie Recipes!
More Easy Cookie Recipes!- Chewy Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Thick Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve tried this easiest chocolate chip cookie recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
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Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour¹
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt2
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds. Butter should be completely melted but shouldn't be hot.
- In a large bowl, mix butter with the sugars until well-combined.
- Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Please read the recipe note about properly measuring flour.
- Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough (medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. They will be puffy and still look a little underbaked in the middle.3
Video
Notes
- Be sure to fluff and then scoop and sweep to measure the flour. Too much flour will result in a dry or crumbly cookie.
- Or 1/4 teaspoon table salt.
- Don't over-bake the cookies, or you won't end up with soft cookies. Several people have said that they've needed to bake the cookies for longer. Since oven temps can vary, I suggest starting with the listed baking time and increasing the time as needed.
- If you're interested in the chocolate version of these cookies, you can find that recipe here.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Published 8/16/16. Updated with new photos and tips 10/3/18.
Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Anthony says
These cookies are the best i love your recipe
Kate says
Thank you so much! =)
Emily Smith says
My kids and I LOVE this recipe! Easy to make, but enough steps that they all get to help. 😊
Kate says
Yay!! Love to hear that!
Diana says
Such an easy great recipe. Followed your steps to a Tee and they are perfectly soft with amazing flavor.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked the cookies! =)
N. says
Never mind! Just found it!
Nancy says
Hi there. I’ll be using a scale for the first time to weigh my flour. Sorry if you already mentioned this somewhere, but what do 1 3/4 cups translate to in grams?
Thanks so much.
Kate says
Glad you found it!
Connor says
I measured 1cup=164g so 287g.
Kate says
Hi! That’s going to give you a lot more flour than I call for in this recipe as I only call for 210 grams of flour. Please take a moment to check out the weights that I use for the recipe. You can find them if you click on “metric” just underneath the ingredients.
Anna says
Hi! These are great! My friends and family have loved them! Mine are small and cake-like (don’t usually spread out), but I’ve gotten rave reviews!
Can I freeze this dough? How long might it last in the freezer? Any tips for defrosting the dough after being frozen?
Thanks!
Kate says
Thank you so much! You can freeze the dough. The easiest way to do that is to freeze scoops of cookie dough until solid and then place them in a resealable freezer-safe container. I bake cookies from frozen without defrosting the dough. You just need to add additional baking time (usually a couple minutes) when baking from frozen. The dough lasts for about 3 months in the freezer.
Ginger Moran says
Okay so I’ve struggled for YEARS i have a reputation of burning or not mixing or my butter wasn’t soft enough and my cookies always always come out flat BUT this recipe WAS PERFECT and I’m so excited i can finally make normal chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for this recipe! You have no idea how excited i am 🤣🤣
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear that! Your comment made my day! =)
Stacey says
Hi! Are you sure they don’t need a higher temp? I made but they barely spread and second batch i flattened them but still something is a bit off. I bake a lot and still can’t figure out what it is!🤣
Kate says
Yep! I’m sure. =) There are three reasons why cookies don’t spread: 1) too much flour in the dough 2) old/expired baking soda 3) oven temp is too high. When the oven temp is too high, it cooks the outside of the cookie before they’ve had a chance to spread. So, if your cookies aren’t spreading, you don’t want to increase the oven temp.
With that said, oven temps can vary tremendously. If your oven bakes hot, you may find that lowering the temp by 25F helps. If that doesn’t help, then I would look at the other two reasons next. Hope that helps!
Laura says
I put together this recipe and had freshly baked yummy cookies in less than 30 mins. Thanks for easy to follow instructions, they turned out PERFECT!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked the cookies!
vladimir rebej says
mm theas are so good you are so good
Kate says
Thanks! Glad you liked them!
Bailey Brooks says
How long does the cookie dough last in the fridge?
Kate says
The cookie dough should last for up to 3 days in the fridge. It will last longer, but I think that the quality of the dough starts to diminish after that point.
Bailey says
Can I leave extra dough in the fridge and cook them later?
Kate says
You can! The dough should last (covered) in the fridge for 3 days.
April says
These are hands-down the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made and the icing on top is that they are also the easiest! I won’t ever make another recipe, these are perfect!!
Kate says
Yay!! Thank you so much!!
Daisy says
im doing this for a project due today, what are the supplies you need for this?
Kate says
Hi! I’m not sure to which supplies you’re referring. All of the food you need is listed in the ingredients and any supplies will be listed in the instructions. Is that what you meant?
/kk says
I used to love baking these gorgeous cookies but now your page won’t change recipe to metric even though the option is there and can’t bake them anymore :( :(
Kate says
Hi! It’s working for me, so I’m not sure where the issue is coming from. Here are the ingredient weights so that you can make the cookies. =)
113 g butter
99 g granulated sugar
54 g brown sugar (packed)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
210 g all-purpose flour¹
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt2
170 g semisweet chocolate chips
Frankie says
That was really kind and thoughtful of you to post the measurements. I will definitely be checking you site often.
Kate says
Thank you!
AB says
Having same issue! Thanks for posting the metric version!
Kate says
Sorry about that! I can’t replicate the issue, and it appears to be fixed on my end.
Amy says
Are these chewy?
Kate says
The cookies are mostly soft with kind of chewy edges.
Meena says
Amazing cookies! I used almond flour instead of white and they were yummy !! Thank you for a keeper recipe!
Kate says
I’m so glad that they worked out well! Thanks for commenting!