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
Summer says
How many calories are in each cookie?
Kate says
Hi! There are 138kcal per cookie. All of the nutrition information is available just under the notes in the recipe.
Sukhii says
Hiii If I use Vinegar and baking soda as my egg replacement do I still have to add in baking soda(as listed in the recipe)
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried that to say for certain how that substitute would work.
Susan says
Thank you!! I substituted the sugar for applesauce, the cookies came out soft, tasty and was easy to make.
Kate says
I’m so glad that they turned out well!
Faith says
These are so good. Out of all the cookies that I’ve made, these came out the best. They tasted so good. My twin stole a bunch of them before I even go to try them myself. Thank you for this recipe :)
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that they were a hit! =)
Allison says
I am an extremely inexperienced baker. I decided to make these on a whim because I was craving cookies. I could not believe how well they turned out. I have genuinely never had a better chocolate chip cookie. I was so proud of myself! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that they turned out well for you!
Karyn says
These are so good! It’s the second time I have made them and they are so easy and delicious! I used my kitchen aide mixer which was great!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you like the cookies! =)
Brooke says
These were really tasty! Mine were pretty blonde, even adding an extra minute to the cook time (11mins total), but they were delicious. I also used mini chocolate chips (because that’s what I had on hand), and it made it so the cookies were absolutely FILLED with chocolate throughout. Will definitely save this recipe!
Kate says
Thank you! Glad you liked the cookies! =)
Carina says
These are amazing and tasted even better than if you spent 4-5 minutes using a mixer! Totally recommend for a quick, easy, delicious chocolate chip cookies recipe! (Only took me about 13 minutes to make)
Kate says
Thank you so much! =)
Stéphy says
These were really delicious and very easy to make! I did not substitute any of the ingredients and used the metric measurements. Out of habit, I refrigerated the dough for 1 hour prior to baking and they turned out great!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad that they worked out well for you! =)
Lexi says
They are delicious! Love, love, love them. Thank you for the recipe!
Kate says
Thank you so much!!!
Tam says
So easy, so delicious! This recipe is a keeper!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Julie C. says
Wow, these cookies are delicious and came out looking like cookie models! The recipe was very easy to follow and the results made me feel like an expert baker. Definitely holding on to this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Kate says
Thank you so much!!
Cora Deane says
Wow! Really great recipe! My siblings even loved the raw dough! (Which is difficult while using Gluten Free Flour.)
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you guys enjoyed it! =)
Kathy Sickler says
I have never made chocolate chip cookies like these! They taste like they come from a gourmet bakery! Great recipe! Thank you!
Kate says
Yay!! That’s so great to hear! I’m glad that they worked out well for you!
Ashlyn says
I can never get chocolate chip cookies right. I love softer, taller, chewy cookies, and I (typically) always end up with flat crispy cookies no matter what recipe I use. HOWEVER, that was not the case with this recipe. This was by far the easiest and best cookie recipe I have ever followed. The best part (in my opinion) is that you don’t have to use room temperature butter (so time consuming for someone like me who keeps their house pretty cool). Melted butter is easier to work with and so much quicker. I highly recommend this recipe! It’s perfect even for people who aren’t the best of bakers.
Kate says
Yay!!! I’m so happy that the recipe worked out well for you! Thanks so much for commenting!
Cynthia says
I followed the recipe exactly, including using a scale to measure the ingredients. My cookies didn’t spread and were raw in the center after 20 minutes. I used gluten free Measure for Measure flour. I cannot figure out what went wrong. I will definitely try this recipe again with regular flour and hope for better results.
Kate says
Hi! I’m guessing that it was because the weight of a cup of gluten free flour varies by brand.
Grace says
We made these cookies and they are the best cookies we ever made!
Kate says
Thank you so much!!
Gina says
These are the easiest and best cookies, Thank you so much for sharing.
Kate says
Thank you so much!!
Kelli says
I have cooked these dozens of times, and they are perfect every time. So easy and delicious!
Kate says
Thank you so much!!
Evelyn says
Delicious! They were all gone last night. So I’m making another batch today. I am a terrible cook. Thank you so much for telling us to sift the flour.
Kate says
Yay!! I’m glad they worked out well for you! I’m so glad that that tip helped! =)