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!
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!
You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for even more delicious food.
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?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
Originally published 8/16/16. Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Reader Interactions
Love this recipe?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat! Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below and show me what you made!
Comments & Reviews
Eose says
Thank you so. Much for sharing this recipe it’s us! I love baking, and these cookies are outstanding!
Kate says
You are very welcome! I’m so glad that you liked the cookies! =)
Murtr123 says
I’ve had this recipe up on my phone for over a week now. I don’t know why it took me this long to try your cookies but but my husband and I loved them! I was going to share a picture of them, it doesnt seem like I can. They came out looking and tasting so yummy. Thank you for sharing :)
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that! I would love to see them! I don’t have a way to upload photos on here, but if you share it on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram, please tag me so I can see them! =)
Mary-Anne says
What temperature should the oven be set on
Kate says
Hi! The oven temperature is 350F.
Baking Queens says
This recipe was a little too specific for us, & we added a little extra vanilla. But it was quite yummy
Kate says
I’m glad you liked the cookies! With baking recipes, I’d rather give people too much info and have it work out well. =)
Donna Sam says
I tried this for the first time. It came out fantastic. It’s the perfect recipe for busy people. Thank you for sharing this easy to make yet delicious recipie. Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Kate says
Thank you! I happy to hear that you liked the cookies. =) I hope you find some others you enjoy!
Seema.R.Sapre says
Hello Everyone,
Just tried out this receipe …..had a mini cookie baking session with my kids And my friend’s daughter today and guess what ?it turned they turned out awesome ?……..only one extra procedure was added in this recipe ,we had kept the dough in the fridge for around 10mins ….?
Thanks for the receipe Chef??
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that they turned out well for you! =) Thanks for commenting!
Jane says
Those recipe makes tasty cookies in a no time! I will make with my church Youth Group teens this weekend.
Question… you suggest weighing the flour but I don’t see the weights in the recipe. Can you provide them please?
Thank you
Kate says
Thank you so much! If you click on “metric” right below the ingredients, it will show you the weights for the ingredients. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! =)
Lori says
Great easy recipe my cookies are perfect and look fabulous
Kate says
Yay!! That’s great! Glad you liked the cookies, and thanks for commenting!
David Michalski says
Can I mix peanut butter with this recipe ??
Kate says
I haven’t tried mixing in peanut butter, so I can’t say for certain how it would work out.
Marcella Smith says
I bet you could use the peanut butter flavored chips instead of, or mixed with, the chocolate chips. That would add a peanut flavor to the cookies.
Jordan says
I really like this recipe but, I have one question. Are these cookies gluten free?
Kate says
Thank you! No, the cookies aren’t gluten free. I’ve heard from several people who have used measure-for-measure gluten free flour blends, and they’ve said that the blends work well in this recipe.
Maria says
Cookies were very dry and didn’t flatten out the way regular cookies should. My suggestion is to find a different recipe and dont melt the butter for 40 seconds. Not a good recipe and I am very dissapointed by the results.
Kate says
Hi! Something went wrong when you made the recipe. I know it’s frustrating when that happens, and it’s tempting to blame the recipe, but you can see from the 100s of reviews on here and on pins like this one that the recipe works just fine.
With that said, I’m happy to help you troubleshoot so that you can get better results next time!
Mary says
Hi my cookies won’t bake I’m not sure why.
Kate says
Hi! I’m not sure what you mean. Could you please give me more information so that I can help you?
gabriella minneci says
i’ve been using this recipe for about 3 years now because it’s just that good!!they always come out delicious, not to mention other recipes i’ve tried havent even come close to being as good as this one.i have all the measurements memorized at this point lol! truly an amazing recipe always with great results. thank you!!
Kate says
Yay!!! I love hearing this!! I’m so glad that the recipe has worked well for you and that you’ve been enjoying it. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Ebs says
Bliss. Sheer Bliss.
Made this with my daughter and even with a bit too much butter they were Grand.
It was really last minute- I mean like we had a twenty minute window and we got it done so quickly it was ridiculous.
My husband had to stop himself from eating more so the rest of the kids could have some.
THANK YOU YOU’RE BRILLIANT.
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad! Thank you, and thank you for commenting! =)
Jose Rivera Cosme says
Love them…easy to do…I am a Pre k teacher and will try with my students….can you freeze left over?
Kate says
Thank you! Yes, you can freeze the leftover cookies. =)
Stephanie says
Salted or unsalted butter? I’d like to make this evening, they look delicious!
Kate says
Thanks! I like to use salted butter, but, really, you can use either one.
Sabine says
Can I use a cookie cutter with this recipe?
Kate says
The cookies are meant to be drop cookies. I don’t think they would work well with a cookie cutter.
Heidi says
My family loves them!!!! I made with almond flour this time, takes an extra 2 minutes in oven but still amazing!!!
Kate says
Thanks! I’m so glad that the almond flour worked out well. =) Thanks for commenting!
Emily says
My sister is making these, she is a first timer and she made six cookies instead of twenty four, at this point they’ve been baking for 20 mins too long (she made them WAAAYYYYY too big) but they smell really good and I think I will really like them!
Kate says
Good! I hope you do! =) Yes! Making giant cookies will definitely increase the baking time.
Carolyn Noury says
Awesome recipe! I added some M&Ms for valentine’s day cookies and cooked the cookies for 9 minutes .. .. still soft!!
Kate says
Thanks! I’m so glad that they turned out well for you! Thanks for commenting. =)