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
- 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?
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Originally published 8/16/16. Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Julie says
Came out pretty flat but still yummy! Did have to add a few mins to the bake time to get golden.
Kate says
Hi! Oven temperatures vary, so it’s good to adjust the baking time to fit your oven.
Theresa Ryan says
I needed a quick dessert for a cookout that was spontaneous. These cookies are wonderful and quick!Tried to give this recipe 5 stars, but the site will not allow me to. Easy and delicious. I didn’t change a thing in the recipe and the cookies were perfect! Moist, chewy and a huge hit with everyone! Thanks for a great recipe and for saving the day,! I will keep this recipe for the future!
Kate says
Thank you!
Susan Kilgore says
Easy and delicious!! Best chocolate chip recipe ever! Thank you!
Kate says
Thank you!
Amanda says
Love this recipe. Have you tried browning the butter? Do you think it would work?
Kate says
I haven’t made these with brown butter. However, if you want to give it a try, you’ll need to use more butter than the recipe calls for because the butter cooks down as it browns. It usually takes about 3 extra tablespoons for 1/2 cup, but that’s not an exact amount. I hope that helps!
Lara Maxwell says
I like to bake, but cookies have never been my thing, I am not very good at making them. Well, I gave it a try with this recipe, AMAZING!! For once, my cookies weren’t hard and flat. I followed all the extra tips, about the butter and flour and I think that really made the difference! These were so good!! I really liked the semi-sweet chips because they weren’t overly sweet. I experimented with the extras and came up with my favorite combination: 1/2 cup Heath Toffee Bits, 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1/4 cup white chocolate chips. Thank you for this recipe!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that the tips helped!
C says
How many cookies does this make roughly, this is for a project. Thank you!
Kate says
Hi! The recipe makes 24 cookies. You can find the servings for all of my recipes located next to the “print”, “pin”, and “rate” buttons above the ingredients.
Grey says
Do you need salted or unsalted butter
Kate says
Hi! You could use either, but I use salted butter. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, I would recommend adding an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Yvonne Novack says
My grandson made these,and they turned out really good,and so easy for him to due on his own.
Kate says
That’s wonderful!
Lou says
Works well with gluten free flour too
Kate says
Thank you!
Trish says
Very easy and yummy
Kate says
Thank you!
Kayla says
This chocolate chip recipe is amazing! As a newbie to baking, I’ve tried over 10 different recipes, but I always come back to this one. It’s perfect every time!
Kate says
Thank you!
Jolie says
Will they turn out the same if you double the recipe??
Kate says
I’ve doubled the recipe, and it has worked out well for me.
Dawn Cassaday says
easy and excellent
Kate says
Thank you!
Eliana says
Super simple yet super delicious, the first time I made this recipe for my family they loved it immediately now they keep asking me to make more.
Kate says
Thank you!
Alicia says
Our family has done this recipe twice now. We love how the cookies are so soft! 10 out of 10!
Kate says
Thank you!
Sarah says
I just made these! I didn’t want to wait for butter to soften, and I didn’t want to break out my hand mixer. These were perfect! Thank you for such an easy, great tasting recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!
Dianne says
Very good and easy! Cookies stayed soft! I also added in some chopped pecans!
Kate says
I’m glad you liked the cookies!
Tabitha says
This is now my go-to cookie recipe! My whole family loves them, making a double batch for my grandpa today.
Kate says
How sweet! Thank you!
Mike says
You mention weighing the floor is preferred but don’t say how much flour to use in grams/oz! What measurement should we use if we are weighing? Thanks!
Kate says
Hi! If you click on “metric” immediately above the ingredients, it will give you the weights of the ingredients.
Alisha Dyer says
My only issue is when I swapped to the metric the recipe was way different 99 grams of sugar and well I’ve 1/2 cup. Same for the flour. I dont understand is there
Something wrong with the converter?
Kate says
Hi! I’m not sure that I understand what the issue is. Are you asking if 99 grams is the weight for 1/2 cup of sugar?
Alisha Dyer says
Sorry, typo. It was supposed to say 99 g of sugar as well over 1/2 cup of sugar. Not sure why.
Harleen says
What are the consequences of swapping the flour for 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose?
Kate says
Whole wheat flour tends to pull more moisture, so you’ll end up with drier dough and cookies.
Julie says
These cookies are so amazing! Very easy to make, quick and delicious! I have made them many times and brought some to a Fourth of July bbq. I was told that they were better than the bakery cookies!
Thank you! I am sharing the recipe with everyone I know!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that they were a hit!