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
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Originally published 8/16/16. Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Finley Cope says
Can you not use brown sugar? I made this with my grandmother and they were delish!
Kate says
Thanks! I’m glad you liked the cookies! There is brown sugar in the recipe. Are you asking if you can use only brown sugar in the cookies?
Joann says
Looks good going to try this .
Kate says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the cookies. =)
Aimee says
I made these delicious cookies last weekend. I didn’t use a mixer, and also used only light brown sugar. They turned out so chewy and soft. My husband couldn’t believe how quickly I made them. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you and your husband liked them! =) Yes!! I love that I don’t have to get the mixer out and that they’re super fast. Makes it easy to just whip up a batch whenever. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Katie says
I don’t bake often, but I really want to make “grinch cookies” for a Christmas cookie exchange. All the recipes I’ve tried didn’t quite turn out as yummy as I had hoped… could I use this recipe with smaller sized white chocolate chips and add green food colouring to it? If so, should I add the food colouring after? Or with the butter/sugar? Should I add a bit of extra flour to accommodate the extra liquid? And finally, should I assume with all baking that unsalted butter should be used?? Thanks so much for your help! ?
Kate says
Hi! Ok!
Yes, you should be able to add mini white chocolate chips and green food coloring to the cookies.
Usually, you add food color in at the very end of a recipe. This will allow you to add a drop or two at a time to get the desired color.
I don’t know that you’ll need to add extra flour. I’m guessing that you’ll only need a few drops of green, and that shouldn’t affect the dough. I would wait to see if the dough seems too thin before adding in extra flour (and check out the notes about measuring the flour. Adding too much flour is the #1 place people go wrong when making cookies). There are step-by-step photos, and there’s a video. If you aren’t sure if your dough is thick enough, you can compare with the pictures.
I know this is baking heresy, but I don’t worry about using only unsalted butter. When you’re making something like cookies, it’s really just a matter of taste. I’ve tried tons of recipes with both unsalted and salted butter and haven’t found that it made enough of a different to warrant specifying one or the other. So, use what you have. =)
I hope that helps, and if you have questions, please feel free to ask!
Katie says
Thank you sooo so much for your help! I’ll give this a shot tonight and let you know how it turns out. I’ll definitely keep the technique for measuring flour in mind, and that is very good to know about the butter!
Kate says
Any time! =) I hope they come out well for you, and if you have any other questions, please let me know!
Lori Mitton says
Do you think this dough would work spread in a pan? If so, what size? (I’m looking for something to make in bar form.) Thanks!
Kate says
I haven’t tried making these as bar cookies. I have a chocolate chip bar cookie recipe if you’d be interested in that instead.
Debra says
Thanks for a quick and yummy recipe. I used Christmas chips (red/green and white) and they showed nicely, can’t wait to make again with chocolate ones.
Kate says
Yay! How festive! =) I’m glad that you liked the cookies. Thank you for commenting!
Katie says
I don’t bake much, but I’d like to make them into festive cookies as well! Could I use smaller white chocolate chips and add green food colouring? If so, should I add the food colouring in at the end? Or add it with the butter/sugar? And should I add a touch more flour to accommodate the extra fluid?? And finally, I should always assume unsalted butter correct? Thanks so much!
B Larrison says
I was born in Georgia and raised in Texas so as a southern girl I added pecans to mine also I used margarine instead of butter
Kate says
I love pecans in my cookies, too! Thank you, and thank you for the note about using margarine! I’ve only used butter in the recipe, and it’s really helpful to hear the things that have worked for other people. =)
Kate says
Love this recipe?
Kate says
Thank you so much! =)
Kate says
Hi I love these cookies great recipe!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked the cookies! =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Mandy says
Could I substitute granulated sugar to golden sugar?
Kate says
I haven’t tried golden sugar in this recipe, so I’m not sure how it will work. Good luck! =)
Mikela says
They turned out amazing! My whole family liked them, even my grandparents grabbed some and they usually don’t like cookies because they can’t chew properly but with these beauties it just didn’t matter to them. I will definitely be making these again and probably very soon. Thank you!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad that they were a hit with the whole family. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
LaToyia says
4th time baking these and it get better each time. Thank you ?
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you like the cookies. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Melissa Ann says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I’ve made it more times than I’d care to admit :) I’ve had great success with switching out the chocolate chips for other types of chips and candies.
Kate says
Good! I’m so glad to hear that!! I love that you’ve found a way to make the recipe your own by switching out the add-ins. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Gail Cushman says
Im about to make these cookies I’ll let yall know how they turn out.
I’m kinda nervous about the flour hopefully i wont make tge same mistake other’s have.
Thats way you alway read all the instructions befor starting something especially when the instructions are short and easy to follow like this recipe is .wish me luck
Kate says
Hi! Yes! It’s always a good idea to read the recipe through before beginning. =) I also have step-by-step photos and a video above the recipe. I hope the cookies turn out well for you! If you have any questions or issues, please let me know, and I’m happy to help you out. Good luck!
Sara Dunnigan says
I wish the comment about the flour scooping was noted earlier. I followed the recipe exactly but didn’t do the flour directions and they came out insanely dry crumbly and weird. I’ll try the flour thing next time. Suggestion – maybe move that recommendation right at the instructions!!!
Kate says
Hey! I’m sorry that you missed the notes. The notes about the scooping are just to explain the proper way to measure flour for baking. I’ve found, however, that if I make the instructions too long and wordy, then people miss things in them. So, I’ve tried to break everything down and make it all as clear as possible.
Linda says
Always read the recipe before beginning! If you didn’t read the recipe, that’s your fault. The cookies are delicious.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the cookies. =) Yes, reading the recipe through is very important. Thank you for commenting!
Julie Ann Cristine Reyes says
This recipe is awesome! I tried others but did not came out like this. It was perfect I say! My kids said I got it right this time. I have to keep this recipe! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that the cookies came out well for you. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!!
Judy Kowalkowski says
The best chocolate chip cookies ever, I’ve made chocolate chip cookies before, but never this great, grandkids gave me thumbs up.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that the cookies came out well for you and that you got the thumbs up. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
SS says
The easiest and tastiest cookie ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Husband and children approved :) Thanks for the recipe. 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad that your family enjoyed the cookies! =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Larissa says
I added to much flour because mine didn’t unball all the way. But they still tasted good. I am awful at making chocolate chip cookies, they always taste good but never form the actual cookie my husband loves most. Gotta get this recipe down! ?? delicious and easy.
Kate says
I’m glad you know what went wrong! If you spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level, it will make it so much easier! =) Hope that helps! And if you have any other questions, please let me know!
Kimberly K Foster says
Best cookies ever , first attempt at making chocolate chip cookies they were perfect. Thank you
Kate says
Thank you! Congrats on making your first chocolate chip cookies! I’m glad that you liked them, and thank you for coming back to comment. =)