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!
- 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!
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 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?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
Published 8/16/16. Updated with new photos and tips 10/3/18.
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
Tami Jensen says
Hi Kate! I modified this recipe to be more healthy since I’m working with a health coach and losing weight. I substituted the white sugar with coconut sugar and omitted the brown sugar altogether. I also used gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free all-purpose one-to-one flour in place of regular flour. They look great and the house smells good…I baked them for 12 minutes and by gosh they taste good! Really good. My cookies were puffy, not flat but very soft like you said. Thanks for the recipe.
Kate says
I’m glad all of those changes worked out for you! =) Thanks for coming back to comment!
Stephanie says
My youngest just passed her wheat challenge, so I was looking for an easy “normal” cookie. Omg. I halved the dough and froze some, my husband and I are taste testing now… I think we’ve eaten 8 of the 12 already ?
Kate says
Yay!! Isn’t taste testing the best? I’m glad that you’re enjoying the cookies! Thanks for coming back to comment. =)
julia says
oi
hi
I’m Julia from Brazil, a want to thank you for the recipe this really saved my school trip.
Obrigada
estava delicioso!!!!!!!!!!!
Kate says
I’m so glad! Thanks for coming back to comment. =)
Brittany says
I Love these cookies! I personally don’t really enjoy baking and these were easy and delicious!
Kate says
I’m so glad! Thank you for coming back to comment! =)
Olivia says
Good cookies, but we had to double the flour because the dough was soup.
Kate says
Thanks! Was your butter hot? Sometimes that can make a difference.
Cassidy Collier says
OMG THESE COOKIES ARE PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!??
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you liked them! Thanks for commenting. =)
Cassidy says
OMG THESE COOKIES ARE PHENOMENAL!!!!!??
Karen says
I made this recipe today. Absolutely delicious and everyone loved it. I used cacao nibs in place of the chocolate chips, as I live where cacao (chocolate) is grown. Lucky me! Anyway, with the intense chocolate flavor of the nibs, half a cup was plenty. With our oven, 10 minutes cooking time was exactly right. Today was beach cleanup day, so I made over 100 cookies for the celebration after. In the end, I made additional cookies for our staff and our hotel guests. Everyone absolutely loved these cookies. Big win! Thank you!
Kate says
How great! I’m glad that everyone liked the cookies. Yes, you sure are lucky! =) That’s a great idea! Cacao nibs are delicious, but they can be hard to find here. Sounds like it would be worth finding some! Thank you for coming back to comment!
Tanya says
I want to make this simple recipe and want to give to my daughter as a gift but wanted to know can this recipe be jar stored for later use and add in wet ingredients when prepared?
Kate says
I haven’t tried that, but I would guess so!
Sharon says
My cookies didnt look like the video..but good. Should i use unsalted or salted butter?
Kate says
I prefer salted, but I really think it’s just a matter of taste. What did you cookies look like? I am happy to help you troubleshoot. =)
Sharon says
The cookies never became flat like the cookies in video. They took the shape of the cookie scoop. I fluffed the flour and scooped the flour into measuring cup and used knife to level flour. The cookies were delicious though!
Kate says
Hmmm, did you happen to use a dark nonstick baking sheet?
Taya says
I made this cookie recipe and absolutely loved it! It was significantly chewy and crispy my kids loved it so much and I’m definitely going to make these again!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you and your kids liked the cookies! =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Dan says
These are so good and easy to make! Made them for my family last week and they loved them! Making them again tonight. Do you think the times would be different if I wanted to spread all the cookie dough across a cookie sheet rather then make individual cookies?
Kate says
Thank you so much! =) I’m glad that your family likes them! I do. What size cookie sheet are you thinking of using?
Cheryl Schroeder says
So simple 5 min to make & 10 to cook. Love it. Will use this again!
Kate says
Thanks! I’m glad that you found the cookies easy to make. =) Thanks for commenting!
Monica says
These definitely the easiest cookie I’ve ever made. Turned out great. Made them for a bible class tonight and I’m sure everyone will love them
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that they came out well for you. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Cole Kabachenko says
Hi, I was wondering if you could sub in almond flour.
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried using almond flour in this recipe. I’m not sure whether other changes (more eggs?) would be necessary or not. Sorry that I’m not more help with that one!
Sahana says
I have always made Chocolate Chip cookies from a store mix. This turned out to be an awesome cookies!! I made two batches one with granular sugar and the next batch with powdered sugar(as I ran out of granular sugar). Both had different texture. The one with granular sugar had better texture with no cracks. Keepsake recipe!!
Kate says
I’m so glad that you liked the cookies! Mixes are definitely convenient, but there’s just something about being able to make the cookies from scratch. Thanks for coming back to comment! =)
Alexa Carter says
A very good cookie recipe! It turned out great and everyone in my family loved them!
Kate says
Yay! I’m so glad! Thanks for coming back to comment! =)
Jen says
Hi I made your cookies they taste great but they didn’t flatten out. The just baked in a mound. What did I do wrong?
Kate says
Hi! That’s usually a result of too much flour in the dough. You can either slightly reduce the amount of flour (maybe 1/4 cup), or you can try to stir up the flour before you measure it. Hope that helps! =)
Gemma Flores says
My first time baked this cookies,and its made my day…my kids love it too….. thanks for sharing…lovelovelove?,
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for coming back to comment. =)
Amanda says
I’m not sure how I messed this up, but I did. Perhapse the butter in my first batch wasn’t melted enough. It tastes great even though my attempt looks funny. I’m making a second batch now to use for a base to make almond joy cookies. I’ll be sure to fully melt the butter lol.
Kate says
I’m glad that they tasted good! Hope that the next batch comes out even better for you! =)