Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is a one bowl chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes soft chocolate chip cookies in less than 20 minutes- 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.
This popular recipe has been shared over 100,000 times and has thousands of glowing reviews. Give it a try, and it may just be your new go-to easy chocolate chip cookie recipe!
“This was seriously the easiest and most delicious cookie recipe I’ve ever tried! and I’ve tried a lot!!!” – Treasure via Pinterest
What makes this the easiest chocolate chip cookie recipe?
This recipe
- uses just a few basic ingredients like flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- is so fast and so easy that you can make it in less than 20 minutes – no mixer needed, no chilling required.
- is a one-bowl recipe so both mixing and cleanup are easier.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- 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.
- I’ve also swapped the amounts of brown sugar and granulated sugar and used 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. The cookies are slightly chewier this way.
- 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 that the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of kosher 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.
How to make easy chocolate chip cookies
This is a seriously simple recipe with just a few steps. Here are step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe.
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: Once the butter has melted, whisk in the sugars until well-combined.
Step 3: Mix in the vanilla extract and the egg.
Step 4: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in just until combined. You don’t want to overmix the dough.
Step 5: Stir in the chocolate chips, and then scoop the dough. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 6: 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.
Recipe Tips!
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!
- Mixing: I recommend mixing the cookie dough by hand to avoid overmixing the dough. However, you can mix the dough using an electric mixer if you prefer.
- 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.
- Freezing: You can freeze the baked cookie dough or freeze the cookie dough.
- Cookies: To freeze the cookies, bake them as-directed, and let them cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack. Once the cookies have cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Cookie dough: To freeze the cookie dough, scoop up the cooking dough and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Flash freeze until the dough is frozen through. Once the scoops are frozen through, place the frozen scoops in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month.
How to make 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.
Storage
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies are best eaten within 3 days.
More chocolate chip cookie 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 ¾ cups all-purpose flour properly measured
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 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
- Flour: Be sure to fluff and then scoop and sweep to measure the flour. Too much flour will result in a dry or crumbly cookie. For the ingredient measurements by weight, please click “metric” directly underneath the ingredients.
- Salt: Or 1/4 teaspoon table salt.
- Baking: 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
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 8/16/16. Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
nina says
perfect quick recipe. we had all ingredients in the house. great for anytime.happy holidays!
Kate says
Thank you! So glad that you liked the cookies. =)
Naya says
Making these with my kids as I type. Super easy recipe!
Kate says
Thank you! So glad to hear that!
Jean says
Super easy and tasty. I doubled the receipe and got about 5 1/2 dozen out of the batch.
Kate says
Thanks! I’m so glad to hear that. Thanks for commenting! =)
Donna C says
These cookies were super simple and they came out fantastic. I baked them for 10 minutes and they were perfect. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you !!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked the cookies. Thanks for commenting!
Alicia says
Im really bad at baking but these cookies were pretty good..
The 1st batch were overcooked with 13 min but after we ajust at 8 min and they were perfect.
Thanks for the recipe!
Kate says
That’s great! Can I ask why you decided to bake them for 13 minutes the first time?
Angel Torres says
I live in Japan and my wife asked my to bake cookies…found this recipe and got all but, chocolate chips used substitution somewhat like m&m chocolates. And came out amazing
Kate says
Thank you so much! My sister lives in Japan! =)
Danielle says
Is this salted or unsalted butter? I seen recipes for both before.
Kate says
I use salted butter. However, you can absolutely use unsalted butter if you prefer.
Evelyn Mitchell says
Thank you I did make these cookies, very easy and very good. I didn’t have chocolate chips so I cut bakers unsweetened chocolate into bits, (not easy), to make 1/2 cup, added 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup walnuts, to make up for the reduced chocolate chips. I lowered the gluten content by splitting the floure’s using Bobs Red mill gluten free all purpose flour and Spelt flour, (one of the ancient wheat’s) I added a little extra baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, the baking powder was an accident of me not paying attention to the recipe, but it worked out well. Oh and I didn’t have brown sugar either, I had to make it by adding a tablespoon of Black strap molasses to a half cup of white sugar, should have been regular molasses, but I didn’t have that either. Anyway it all turned out to be very good. They weren’t very sweet but they were really rich.
Again thank you, for the inspiration.
Kate says
You’re very welcome! And thank you for sharing your notes about the substitutions you made. =)
Evelyn Mitchell says
My pleasure.
Votes are in… from work. “The best chocolate chip cookies they ever tasted!” and no I didn’t tell them it was reduced gluten.
Again thank you.
Evelyn
Shar says
Such a great easy recipe. I sprinkled a little bit of chunky sea salt on top for a little extra salty goodness.
Kate says
Thank you! The salt on top is a perfect addition. =)
Jess says
My 13 year old son was begging for homemade chocolate chip cookies and didn’t want my oatmeal chocolate chip standby ?. I let him find a recipe & told him he was on his own. Darn if the kid didn’t make some delicious cookies! Thanks for a great and “easy enough for a 13 year old boy who doesn’t know how to bake” recipe! Now if he & his brother want homemade cookies, they’ll be using your recipe to satisfy their craving!
Kate says
Yay!! That’s awesome!! Thanks for coming back to comment! I love to hear things like this. =)
Francine says
I love ? these cookies!!! They are the easiest and most yummy! I always volunteer to make choc chip cookies and always get compliments on them, I’m sorry to say this on your site but I will continue to let people think I slave to make cookies, and keep this recipe for myself! Lol! Thank you for the recipe.
Kate says
Thank you so much! No worries! I’m completely ok with that! =) Thanks for coming back to comment.
Sherry says
I make this recipe all the time. They are the best!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you like the cookies. =)
Anonymous says
how do u measure in decimals???!?!?!
Kate says
Well, we do measure in decimals. We just convert them into fractions. For instance, 1/2 cup is 0.5 as a decimal. Does that answer your question?
Amanda says
Excited to try this, but is there an adjustment for high altitude baking?
Kate says
Hi! Unfortunately, I don’t have a way to test high altitude adjustments.
Rachel says
I made this for my BFF when she was sick she loved it!! she made me bring some to thanksgiving she can’t stop asking for more!!…until I had to give her the recipe! 100% worth it :)
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that the cookies were a hit. Thanks for commenting!
Jade B says
Tried this recipe for my first attempt at home made chocolate chip cookies. Followed the instructions for measuring flour and the rest of the recipe to a T and they turned out lovely!! Really happy with this recipe, especially since it’s really fairly simple compared to other cookie recipes I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing this!
Kate says
Yay!! That’s awesome! I’m glad that the tips helps and that your cookies turned out well. Thanks for commenting! =)
Ella says
I’ve made these cookies numerous times and always come out PERFECT.
Also love the fact that it’s for a small batch of cookies.
The grands are coming over tomorrow to bake a triple batch for Thanksgiving nothing better then baking at
Oma’s house.
Thank you so very much ,
Ella.?
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that! That’s so true! Hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving!!
karen smith says
Can you double this recipe ?
Courtney says
Idk what I’m doing wrong. They didn’t come out at all. They never settled or flattened out
Kate says
That’s too bad! It’s always disappointing something like that happens. For next time – there are 3 common reasons why cookies may not spread. 1) The baking soda is old/expired. Baking soda helps cookie dough to spread as it bakes, so if it’s old or expired, it may not do its job. 2) Your oven bakes too hot. If your oven bakes hot, it can cause the outside of the cookies to set before they’ve had time to spread. 3) Too much flour. If the dough was dry or crumbly, this was probably the culprit. After weighing the flour, the next best way to measure it is to stir the flour to break it up (it settles and packs really easily). Then, lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and level. That should help to avoid packing in the flour. I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, please ask! I’m happy to help you troubleshoot.
Kerri says
I need to make a bunch for a bake sale. Any suggestions? Can I refrigerate the dough? Double up on all ingredients?
Helen says
Can you make and freeze these uncooked ? Just think batch making them then when my teenage kids want one they can pop one in the oven etc
Kate says
You can! I’ve frozen the scoops of dough, and it has worked well. When I bake them, I just add an couple minutes to the baking time. Hope that helps!
Lynn says
How do I convert to almond flour for this recipe. We are gluten free.
Thanks
Kate says
I haven’t tried making these cookies with almond flour. The starting point is a cup for cup conversion, but, without testing it, I’m not certain that that would work. Have you tried a measure-for-measure gf flour blend? I’ve heard from people who have successfully used that in this recipe.
Mama and Tommy says
Wonderful recipe and cookies!
Kate says
Thank you so much! =)
Eeva R says
This is the best cookie recipe ever! so easy, very quick, and created hardly any dishes! 11/10! <333
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for commenting. =)