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
Gracie says
I have these in the oven rn. I’ll do a report when they are done 🤍 🍂🍁
A few minutes later….
These are epic! They did take 15 minutes though. Delicious!
Kate says
Thank you!
Rachel says
Easy and DELICIOUS!!! I used butterscotch chips and were fabulous!!
Kate says
Thank you!
Erin says
Delicious and super easy to
Make!
Kate says
Thank you!
Kim says
OK, first: this should be a 5 star rating, but the app would only let me hit 4 or less. Delish, and about as simple and straightforward as baking can get. No creaming the butter and sugars! No chilling! Cookies on demand! Yippee!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Lori says
Came out great !
Kate says
Thank you!
Sarah says
FINALLY found the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!!! I have had to make these 2 out of 3 of the last days because they are gone within minutes! And I had to put them in my room at night so my teenagers wouldn’t eat them all lol.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Kirsten says
Delicious! Great recipe. I didn’t have baking soda, so I used a teaspoon of baking powder and they turned out great. Had to cook them for 14 minutes.
Kate says
Thank you!
Amber says
Recommendations on turning this into a cookie cake? Just kinda do the same thing but put in a skillet? 🥴
Kate says
My chocolate chip cookie cake recipe is pretty similar to this one. You can either search “cookie cake” on my search bar or find that recipe here – https://www.ihearteating.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-cake/.
Gina Caracci says
Seriously the easiest and best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever eaten! The only negative is I cannot stop making them LOL
Thank you!
Kate says
Thank you!
Sharon says
Hi, can I use self raising flour instead?
Kate says
No, self-rising flour has baking powder and salt added to the flour, so it won’t work in this recipe.
Pamela Lewis says
Very east to make. A little salty and it took much longer to bake my first batch versus the second batch.
Kate says
Glad that they were easy to make! Feel free to adjust the salt to your tastes.
Mary Elizabeth Best Best says
Omgosh so easy (one bowl) and delish!!!!
Kate says
Thank you!
Delaney Hodge says
This recipe was SO FUN to make!! I made 2 batches, and they turned out VERY different. That was the only issue. The first batch, they turned out kind of flat, and I’m going to guess that was my fault, i forgot to add the brown sugar until the end… The second batch was PERFECT!! Thanks so much for this recipe i get to share with my family and friends!! YUM!
Kate says
Thanks!
Nikkie Cossairt says
These cookies are delish! It makes it so much more convenient not to have to put butter out beforehand. Meaning, I can make these cookies on the spur of the moment. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!
Dianne says
Cookies turned out perfect! I doubled the recipe and made twice as many and they tasted perfect and it was super easy
Thank you
Kate says
Thank you!
Hala Alheeti says
This recipe is easy and delicious thank you.
Kate says
Thank you!
Jess says
Huge crowd pleaser! But I did chill the dough for 2 hours in the fridge before baking and premade the balls! Baked them for 15 min
Kate says
Thank you!
Julie says
*Edit to my previous post* 🍪
First batch I made came out way too light and very flat. Still tasted great just not the kind of cookie I prefer. BUT I had only made one small batch since I like making a couple throughout the week so I can have fresh out of the oven cookies multiple times. I covered the remaining dough and put in the fridge. Made another batch the next day and did not come out flat at all!!! To get the golden brown slightly crisp around the edges style I like, I made the second batch at 375 for about 15 minutes.
No matter how you like your cookies baked, super soft or a little more cooked, or if you want to chill the dough first or put them in right away, you can’t go wrong with this recipe! It works for all! So glad I found it, will definitely be my go to moving forward and I already sent to others as well!
Kate says
Thank you!
Emma says
These are actually the best chocolate chip cookies out there. They are the picture level of crunchy exterior with super soft interior. They’re definitely a little trust the process cause it’s the softest dough I’ve ever had, but it makes the best cookies known to man.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Gale Satrom says
the very first edible chocolate chip cookies i’ve ever made! They are even perfect today!! I am not the baker but this is so exciting!
So long nestle hard to make toll house cookies lol!
Thank you 🍪I’m getting the peanut butter and oatmeal cranberries cookie recipes!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked the cookies!