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 ¾ 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. For the ingredient measurements by weight, please click "metric" directly underneath the ingredients.
- 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
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Published 8/16/16. Updated with new photos and tips 10/3/18.
Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Julie says
Very good! I read your notes up above and used 1/4 cup more brown sugar and pink table salt 1/4 tsp. Cooked for 10 minutes and they turned out wonderful!
Kate says
Thank you!
Sara S says
These were delish!
Kate says
Thank you!
Taylor says
Best cookies ever!!! My family begs me to make these alllll the time lol. I’ve done these and the chocolate base one from her and man they are GOOD! We play around with different chips and mmmm! So good!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
April says
I was looking for a recipe where I wouldn’t have to pull out the mixer and this is perfect! I only used about 1-1/2 cups of flour as the dough was starting to get a bit dryer than I thought it should. I baked the cookies for 11 minutes but I think my oven heats a but lower. I love how they don’t spread out and they were delicious. Thank you for a tasty and easy recipe.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the cookies!
Quinn says
Hey, these are great but just not for me. I don’t know if it was a skill issue for me but they didn’t cook at all in the oven, sorry!
Kate says
Hi! If your cookies didn’t bake at all in the oven, it sounds like it was an oven issue. You may want to double check that your oven is working.
Josephine Mullane says
When I went to print the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe it would only print 27 pages. When I used Custom print, it automatically read 1-27 and I was unable to delete those numbers and insert 13-15. Any suggestions or do I just copy and paste, which is annoying.
Kate says
Hi! I’ve tried the settings on my end, and it looks like everything is ok. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what the issue is, and it may be a printer issue.
Debbie says
If you have a wireless printer, try printing from your phone. I was able to deselect all the pages but the 3 the recipe is on. Can’t to try try them!
Kate says
Thank you! I can’t replicate that issue on my end as the recipe shows up on 2 pages with the settings I have enabled. The notes and nutrition information can also be de-selected on the print menu at the top, and that would take the recipe down to 1 page.
Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Shelley Guinther says
These were so simple and absolutely delicious! Thank you for such a great recipe.
Kate says
Thank you!
Elizabeth says
The BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!
Cass says
THESE COOKIES ARE SO GOOD!!! hard on the outside soft on the inside ~ my brother scoffed them down
It’s a little too sweet for my taste so I’ll be reducing the sugar when I make it again, but otherwise this is a great recipe
Kate says
Thank you!
Ca ba says
This was not a good recipe at all.. I followed the instructions to the t and they chips didn’t melt despite me cooking it for 15 min
Kate says
Hi! That’s because chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape in the oven. If you’re looking for melted chocolate, you can chop up a bar of semisweet baking chocolate and use it in place of chocolate chips.
Basset mom says
These are amazing. I have to admit I was worried at first because they look underbaked but I followed the directions and did 10 minutes. Wow. The bottoms were prefect golden brown. These were not spreaders but more risers but we loved them. Bookmarked this recipe. Also, it’s very easy and most people have everything required already!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the cookies!
Katie says
Tried the recipe, overall I wish I used more brown sugar. It was perfectly fluffy but not quite sweet enough.
Kate says
Hi! You can use 1/4 cup additional brown sugar if you want sweeter cookies. You can also use milk chocolate chips, and that will make the cookies sweeter, too.
Jenna says
My favorite choc chip recipe so far! I often have a craving for CC cookies and I’ll try different recipes every now and then, but I prefer soft over crunchy. I found this recipe and it was so easy, and the cookies were the perfect texture in my opinion. I will definitely make this my go-to recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!!
Beverly henry says
Love this easy recipe. Thank you
Kate says
Thank you!
Jess says
I tried your easy recipe only to find you put “baking soda” instead of baking powder…my cookies did not spread as much as I expected and taste a bit off.
Kate says
Hi! Yes, cookie recipes use baking soda. Baking soda helps cookies to spread, but I’d recommend checking your baking soda. It sounds like it was old or had lost some of its potency if your cookies didn’t spread much and tasted off.
If you’d like to read more about baking soda vs. baking powder, you can find out more about the role each ingredient has in baking.
Peggy M says
These were really good! If your butter is at room temp then you only need to nuke 20 seconds. I made a mistake. I was looking at the 2 teas vanilla and ended up putting 1 tsp of baking powder. After 7 min they looked like they had barely cooked. They were mounded. I left them in another 5 min and finally took them out. They were still soft but done. I used kosher salt and the cookies were just a little salty (but a good salt taste). I wasn’t sure if it was because of the extra baking soda. Thanks for the recipe.
Kate says
Hi! If you used baking powder instead of baking soda that would prevent the cookies from spreading. Baking soda helps the cookies to brown and spread as they bake. Also, oven temperatures vary, so you’ll find that you may need to adjust the baking times to fit how your oven bakes. Hope that helps!
Maria says
They were really easy to make! All ingredients found at home easily even if you don’t bake very often!
Kate says
Thank you!
Yvette says
Made these with my niece. It was easy to make and they tasted great. I had to add two minutes to the baking time. I would recommend trying this recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!
Katie says
These are the best AND easiest chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. My 3 year old son and I made these together, and they are so delicious. Thank you so much! Also easier to clean up than other recipes I’ve tried as well. Finally found my “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Kate says
Yay!! Love that! Thank you so much!
Daisy says
So good, soft and chewy! I followed the recipe exactly as written. I was very careful to let the melted butter cool down before mixing, and I also chilled the dough for an hour. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. <3
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the cookies!