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
Sandy says
Can you bake these cookies on parchment?
Kate Dean says
Yes, you can use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Megan says
If I use the salted butter do I still need to put salt into the recipe?
Kate Dean says
Hi! Yes, I recommend still adding salt. The salt helps to balance out the flavors in the cookies.
leo vuolle says
So good🤤
Kate Dean says
Thanks!
Faith says
The recipe is easy and it’s delicious. Came out just the way I wanted it.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Jim Spangler says
My first attempt at cookies , they turned out great ! However I like them a little crisper , so 14 minutes was just right ! Thanks for the recipe and the help !
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
bob says
just made these bad boys today :) i used about 1/2 a cup of choccy chips (Laura Secord dark choc. chips to be exact) and 1/2 a cup of chopped up pecans, “yum-o!”as they say, it is indeed very easy made about 21 cookies, i made them a bit fatter
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Carla says
Very dry cookie. Good for dipping in milk or something else. I prefer gooey soft cookies myself. Glad I tried recipe once. Will try another one next time.
Kate Dean says
Hi! It sounds like something went wrong because they cookies are soft. I’m happy to help you troubleshoot if you’d like to try it again.
Gareth says
Bussin
Kate Dean says
Thanks!
Stacy says
These are so good. Could possibly be the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve had. Was worried they would not turn out right but they turned out perfect.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
David says
I tried 5star rating 😊wouldn’t click. Best recipe 💯 I’m not a cook😂 before I couldn’t get enough chips in dough😂 tried this one and solved problem! Don’t over beat and only used one Bowl !! Thank You
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Joseph Wright says
My niece and I made these today! Turned out perfect!
Kate Dean says
I’m so glad to hear that!
J Welcher says
YYYuuuummmmyyyy!!!!!!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Parth Singhal says
Also is it possible to do all of this process along with flash freezing in an hour and thirty minutes? Thank You
Kate Dean says
I’m not sure how big of a batch you’re planning or how long your freezer takes to freeze, but you could make a regular-sized batch and get it into the freezer in less than 30 minutes.
Parth Singhal says
How big are the cookies? I am planning to use this recipe as a means of fundraising but I don’t believe you list the size of them? Is it possible to make the cookies bigger if they are too small? I apologize if it has been stated in the recipe but I just missed it.
Kate Dean says
Hi! The cookies are made with 1.5 tablespoons of dough. Yes, you could make the cookies with a larger scoop, but you would need to adjust the baking time and possibly the oven temperature depending on how big you make the cookies.
polly says
It was really good but they but they did get really hard
Kate Dean says
Hi! One of the keys to getting cookies to stay soft is to slightly underbake them. If you take them out with the edges are set but the middles are still slightly underdone, this will help the cookies to stay softer.
savanna says
These turned i it amazing. I used vegan egg substitute, splenda brown & white sugar and dairy free chocolate chips. SO good!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Zanne Dailey says
What vegan egg substitute did you use? my grandson is allergic to eggs and dairy, but we still want to make choc chip cookies! This is my normal go-to, and it turns out great with non-dairy plant butter & chips, but I haven’t made them with an egg substitute yet. Thanks in advance!
Tina Dee says
This was my first time ever baking chocolate chip cookies from scratch. They were soft, chewy, chocolately and incredibly addictive! My family loved them. Thanks for sharing!
Kate Dean says
Congrats on baking from scratch! That’s fantastic!
Raivn Swaim says
They’re very simple and very tasty, but a little too cakey for me. I followed the recipe exactly, but I wasn’t pleased with the texture.
Kate Dean says
Hi! Did you mix the cookies by hand? I’ve found that using an electric mixer makes for cakier-cookies. If not, I’m happy to help you troubleshoot.
William Callnan III says
Can you use a KitchenAid mixer tabletop
Kate Dean says
You can use an electric mixer, hand or stand, but the reason that I recommend mixing by hand is because using an electric mixer will give you cakier cookies.
Patsy says
This recipe is brilliant! It’s now my go-to for quick, perfect cookies!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Emma says
Easy for my seven year baker! Very good recipe!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m so glad!