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!
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Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour properly measured
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ 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.½ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Please read the recipe note about properly measuring flour.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.
- Stir in chocolate chips.1 cup semisweet 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?
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Originally published 8/16/16. Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Varsha says
Thanks for this simple yet delicious receipe. I did mess up my dough initially but added more dough later. The cookies turned out really good. I added oatsflour as well.
Kate says
Glad that they worked out well!
Caity says
Didn’t change a thing and they are delicious!!! Read through many comments but didn’t see any about freezing them? One week to Christmas and wasn’t sure if I could freeze them or put them in our garage room that will stay around 40/45 degrees.
Kate says
Thank you! You can freeze the cookies for up to 1 month. Putting them in a cool garage should also help to keep them fresh longer.
Tasha says
My cookies are very bready .. what could I have done wrong?
Kate says
Hi! Did you make any changes to the recipe?
Tasha says
No I followed it. Im going to give it another shot and make sure measurements are correct. Could too much flour cause it to be bready ? I googled it and I also saw not enough butter can cause it to be bready. But I did half a cup of butter like the recipe called for. Idk 🤦♀️ im going to keep at it until I get it right. Thanks so much for the recipe chocolate chip cookies are my fave
Kate says
Too much flour absolutely could cause the cookies to be bready. It’s really easy to pack the flour as you measure it. The best way to avoid that is to sift it or stir it well to break it up. Then lightly spoon in into the measuring cup and level. I hope that helps, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
Tasha says
Thank you so much. Giving it another shot right now I will let you know how it turns out!
Linda says
I was looking for a quick, last minute recipe and these are great!
Kate says
Thank you!
Bee says
Great receptor for kids to have their baking time. The only thing I find is, too much sugars in it.
I did try to reduce the granulated sugar, still finds it sweet. Would be great to have your not so sweet chocolate chips cookies.
Kate says
Hi! You could also try using dark chocolate chips to cut some of the sweetness.
Nadezhda says
I also add raisins. The kids love them with the chocolate chips.
Kate says
I’m so glad!
Stacy Hopke says
They are so easy
Kate says
Thanks!
Hayley says
It won’t let me rate it 5 stars which i want to. Best cookies I’ve had hands down. Turned out sooo good. I used a scale. Perfection.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Younique says
Definitely a quick go-to! I love that I found this recipe because I kinda just started baking really. I found this recipe to be so simple and got it right away on my very first try! It was a wonderful success and impressed everyone!
Kate says
Yay! I’m glad that you liked them.
Kay says
I followed the directions exactly & they never flattened out. The middle was raw & outside was over done even after like 15 min.
Kate says
It sounds like your oven bakes hot or you baked the cookies too close to the heating element. When your oven bakes hot, the cookies don’t have time to spread before the outside sets, and the outside gets done before the middles have a chance to bake all the way through. Try reducing your oven by 25F and the go from there.
Vikki Carter says
Oh my goodness! These were so easy and good! Even better than my usual recipe that takes forever to make. I added nuts and they were perfect! Thank you!
Kate says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Debra Sadelson says
Perfect
Kate says
Thank you!
Dev says
This recipe is SO delicious when I make one batch, however, if I try to double the recipe the cookies don’t look or taste the same. They are not as round and wonderfully cake like. Is this an error on my side or is there a way to fix this?
Kate says
Could you tell me more about how the cookies turned out? I can try to help you troubleshoot.
Leslie Adkins says
These are a winner. Made them tonight.. they were soo good and gooey and soft and yummy.
Kate says
Thank you!
Cindy says
I tried this and it tasted so good. Amazing and quick cookie idea!!!
Kate says
Thank you!
orly says
made them they look great also really easy, i baked them for longer bc my oven sucks but regardless love it yay thanks
Kate says
I’m glad you liked the cookies!
Tara Hodell says
Great idea about the baking time!
Kate says
Thank you!
Dorothy WARNCKE says
Easy recipe would recommend to anyone
Kate says
Thank you!
Al says
These may be the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot. Not sure what the secret is..maybe more flour than most recipes. They are a little cake-like but I prefer that to greasy flat ones. Thanks for the recipe, I will be making these again! Made them with milk chocolate chips and they were divine.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Ivy says
I am SHOCKED these cookies were SO easy and SO DELICIOUS. This has become a weekly favorite.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Marilyn says
I was in need of a quick cookie recipe when I was visiting grandchildren. These were a huge hit! so soft and chocolatey! I’ll use this recipe from now on.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that they were a hit!