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
David Chester says
Hi Kate. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you creating and posting this recipe. I live in Japan where finding an honest-to-goodness American-style chocolate chip cookie is nigh on impossible. I have tried almost every recipe I can find, but yours is the best.
Although I have always used softened butter, I never thought to melt the butter. So, thank you for that tip. This has got to be the secret to keeping the cookies soft, moist and chewy.
At any rate, these are A+ and thank you again!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Alyssa says
I love it, instead of making 24 or how much it makes, I make a lot of small fluffy cookies! I can make it 30-50 cookies, SO GOOD!
Alyssa says
But it sucks bc my dad and brother eat them all in a day, I also put sprinkles in them too.
Lauren says
From start to cookie 20 minutes! And these are truly great cookies. They are my go to for quick easy gifts, guests, and cravings. I heart these chocolate chip cookies!!! Ps I use the metric for the flour. I love having the option to double or use metric. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Alyssa says
Love It!!!!
Kate says
Thank you!
sara says
great recepie for any occasion but was very soft when it first got our of the oven just need a little more baking!
Kate says
Hi! Glad you liked the recipe! Oven temperatures vary, so please always adjust the baking times to fit your oven.
Brinz says
24 cookies? I made 7 big ones! 😋
Kate says
Hi! You can certainly make fewer large cookies if you prefer!
Laura says
You speak my cookie language! I made 7 large ones also lol
Miranda says
This recipe makes such a soft fluffy dough and such a perfect cookie. I bake mine a little longer than the recommended time for a more crispy cookie. So good.
Kate says
Thank you!
Rose says
Delicious and so easy to make!
Kate says
Thank you!
anna leigh says
these are sooooo good!
Kate says
Thank you!
Michael says
love this recipe! i’ve made it twice now, and i personally replace the chocolate chips with chocolate chunks (for pools of melted chocolate in the cookie, yum!) but otherwise keep it the same :) super easy, i can even mix the whole thing with a fork which makes clean up a lot nicer!
Kate says
Thanks! Glad you liked the cookies!
Ana Marija says
I have made it just minutes ago, but had to make a gluten free version.
I’m new to gluten free baking. I used schar all purpose gluten free flour, but knowing it soaks up a bit more water so I put 10 grams less. Also, I haven’t had chocolate chips so I coarsely chopped regular cooking chocolate. Both “tweaks” worked great and I found my new favourite quick and easy recipe.
Thank you for perfecting it
Kate says
Thank you!
Nicole says
Easy quick and fluffy delicious thank you!!!
Kate says
Thank you!
Hope says
I made these cookies but I added nuts and butterscotch chips along with the regular chocolate chips they came out delicious! My family loves them and they were fast and easy to make.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked them!
Kat Murphy says
Super easy & ooowwie googey good!! If you like chocolate chip cookies that are very soft I suggest this recipe. Very yummy and fluffy.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Aimee says
I was wondering approximately how many cookies 1x make?
Kate says
Hi! This recipe will make 24 cookies. You can find the servings for my recipes next to the print, pin, and rate buttons just above the recipe. =)
Tracy says
My husband and children obsessed with these cookies ! Best ever
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Jenna Breckenridge says
My husband will ask me to make him cookies at least twice a week, and this recipe is a hit! I like to add a dash of cinnamon sometimes! They’re quick, easy and yummy!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that!
Betty says
Kids say these are the best cookies ever
Kate says
Yay! Thank you so much!
Sara says
The butter was not melty enough even though I did what it said.
Kate says
Hi! The reason that it says “about 40 seconds” is because microwaves vary in power. The directions state that the butter should be completely melted but not hot. So, if your butter wasn’t completely melted, you can stir it until it is completely melted or continue microwaving it until it melts.
Morgan says
Super easy to follow and delicious cookies!
Kate says
Thank you!