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!
If you’ve tried this easiest chocolate chip cookie recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for even more delicious food.
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?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
Originally published 8/16/16. Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Reader Interactions
Love this recipe?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat! Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below and show me what you made!
Comments & Reviews
Rachel says
My first time making cookies from scratch. I did not properly read the assignment and thought this was for a dozen, so I’m certain these are twice as big as they should be. I ended up with 15 and some extra dough that I went ahead and ate.😂
I increased the cook time to 15 minutes and they still turned out delicious.
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m glad that they turned out well for you.
Emma Blackburn says
Hi. Should I use coarse or salt flake kosher salt
Kate Dean says
Hi! I use the Morton coarse kosher salt or Kirkland fine grain sea salt. The coarse kosher salt will give you a bit more of the salt in the bite, so if you would prefer the salt to be more integrated, I would recommend the fine grain.
Theresa says
Delicious! This one’s a keeper.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Kaitlyn Roberts says
I love this recipe! This is now my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe, I have tried so many and this is by far my favorite! I usually double it so my family doesn’t scarf it down in 1 day :D 10/10 would recommend.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Andrew says
The 2 dozen cookies recipe was given 1 cup of extra flour.
Kate Dean says
The recipe has 1 and 3/4 cups of flour. So, 3/4 cup of flour for this recipe wouldn’t be nearly enough. However, you’re more than welcome to try that if you feel like it would work out for you.
Stacey says
I love these cookies!! They are truly the easiest and the best choclate chip cookie I have ever made. I was wondering could you substitute m n m s or ,heath bar pieces, or butterfinger pieces for the choclate chips?
Thanks Stacey 😊
Kate Dean says
Thank you! You can! I’ve made the cookies with M&Ms, different flavors of chocolate chips, etc., and it’s always turned out. The only caution I would give is that sometimes candy with chocolate on it, like Snickers, can cause the cookies to spread more.
Anne says
These had great texture! I mistakenly grabbed the wrong flour and ended up using bread flour. I added more chocolate chips than the recipe called for (230 grams), didn’t have time to bake them so I chilled the bowl of dough overnight. It was rather hard to scoop so the next time when I make’em, I’ll have to scoop them right away. I baked only 6 cookies (added a pinch of maldon salt when it came out of the oven) and froze the rest for when I need a cookie fix. YUM!😋
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m glad that they turned out well for you!
Rose says
Everyone that I’ve shared these with has said the same thing – these are the best cookies I’ve ever made! Thx for an easy recipe and for putting the measurements at each step, soo helpful🙏🏼❤️
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m so glad that the measurements in the instructions were helpful!
Joelle says
Super quick and delicious cookies!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Gauthami says
Can I know how many cookies this recipe will make? Because I need a lot, but then I don’t know if I should double it, but then it’ll be too much.
Kate Dean says
Hi! I get about 24 cookies from the recipe. You can find the yield for my recipes just above the ingredients next to the pin, print, and rate buttons.
Geoff says
I got 20 but that was because the cookie dough was so good I kept eating it 😁
Ellie says
They are so gooey and yummy. 7 year old made them.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
SamyLou says
I cannot bake cookies no matter how many times I have tried!!!
Found this recipe today, and my gosh! Delicious, crispy chewy soft cookies! Proud of myself and saving this recipe forever. ❤️❤️❤️
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m proud of you, too! =)
Linda J says
I just made these cookies! I was looking for a cookie recipe that I could make quickly with little effort before I started dinner. This one definitely fit the bill. It was quick and easy, and they’re very good. From start to finish, I don’t think it took even an hour to make them. I followed the recipe as written, but I did add a half a cup of walnuts because I like walnuts in my chocolate chip cookies. I baked them for 10 minutes, and I got 27 cookies out of the batch. That was just perfect! I will definitely be making these on repeat!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m glad that it worked well for you!
Zoey says
has anyone tried to swap the one egg out for like Apple Sauce ingredients
Kate Dean says
Hi! I’ve heard from someone who used applesauce in place of part of the sugar, but I haven’t heard from anyone who has tried it as an egg replacement.
Queen says
Yes, I use applesauce to substitute eggs for a lot of things. and it works! just be careful on the measuring. Because it says 1/4 cup of applesauce per egg. BUT depending on what I’m cooking. Sometimes that may be a little too much.
Barb says
These cookies were great! They stayed chewy which I loved.
Kate Dean says
Thanks!
Abby says
Just made these again today and wow. This is my new go to recipe and dare I say…absolute favorite.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Layla says
I recommend everyone double this recipe. For me this made about 20 very small cookies, and that’s including the nice helping of chocolate chips I stirred in.
Olivia Thrower says
This is a great recipe. Very easy to follow and I always appreciate when people ATT the measurements in the directions. That makes it so much easier.
I used coconut sugar instead of brown and I added Almond Extract, as I find it really boots the vanilla flavour and gives it a nice slightly nutty flavour also.
On top of that, I added cinnamon and pecans to the recipe. They were delicious!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! And I’m so glad that having the measurements in the directions was helpful!
Dakota says
I love this recipe. Best cookies. I froze the dough and was wondering how the baking directions differ if the dough is frozen?? Thanks so much!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I just add about 3-4 minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
Ada Mantooth says
I’ve never made a decent chocolate chip cookie before this one was so easy and tasty too
Kate Dean says
Thank you, and congrats on your cookies!