This easy recipe for Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies makes six perfect cookies in 20 minutes.
I call these cookies my instant-gratification chocolate chip cookies because they go from cookie desire to cookie reality in 20 minutes.
These photos have been updated. Don’t worry, you’re in the right place. 🙂
The Best Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
This recipe is designed to make the best chocolate chip cookies possible FAST. It uses melted butter so there is zero waiting time for butter to come to room temperature AND you don’t have to chill the dough.
So you can throw these cookies together with no planning needed and then pop them right into the oven.
It will make half-a-dozen chocolate chip cookies, and they come out soft, a little chewy, and packed full of gooey, melty chocolate chips.
How you choose to distribute those six cookies is up to you, though I vote for being a cookie monster and eating two for breakfast and then hiding the rest of them at the back of your freezer so you don’t have to share.
How to Make Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Start with melted and slightly cooled butter. Your butter should NOT be hot to the touch as it can cause bits of your egg to cook if it’s too warm. Mix the butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Add the yolk from a large egg and vanilla. Make sure you’re working with a large egg or you might not have enough liquid in your dough for it all to come together.
- Add flour, measured precisely, and the other dry ingredients. Flour measurement is really important in small-batch recipes. Measure by weight or using the spoon and sweep method (stir the flour in your container to fluff it up and then spoon it into your measuring cup, sweep excess off with the flat of a knife). Too much flour can lead to a dry, sandy dough.
- Add chocolate chips. This recipe calls for semi-sweet, but you can use any chips you prefer (or add M&Ms and make M&M Cookies).
- Bake. Do not overbake your cookies! Bake just until the cookies look set and then pull them from the oven. They might still seem a little gooey, but they’ll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet as it cools.
Tips and Tricks
Can I freeze these cookies? Yes! Just store the cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag and they’ll keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Give them five minutes at room temperature to soften a bit before eating or enjoy them frozen on a hot summer day.
Can I double the recipe? Yes! If you want to double the recipe, you can do so with no changes or use one whole egg instead of two yolks.
Cookie Troubleshooting
If you’re having trouble with your cookies, here are a couple troubleshooting tips that might help:
My dough is dry/crumbly: This is usually caused by too much flour in the dough (make sure you’re measuring it by weight or the spoon and sweep method) or it can happen when you get a particularly small egg yolk, so there isn’t enough liquid for everything to mix well. To fix crumbly dough, add a little milk or water by the half teaspoon, just enough so that everything comes together and there are no dry bits of flour at the bottom of the bowl, and your dough should be good to go.
My cookies didn’t spread: There are a couple of things that can cause this. One is (again) because there’s too much flour in the dough. Next time make sure to measure by weight or the spoon and sweep method. Changing the recipe, particularly cutting the amount of sugar, can also cause the cookies not to spread as much as they should.
More Small-batch Cookie Recipes
- Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies
- Small-batch Oatmeal Cookies
- Perfect Small-batch Sugar Cookies
- Small-batch Gingerbread Cookies
- Small-batch Buckeye Brownie Cookies
Or check out my entire Small-batch Cookie Recipe Archive.
This recipe uses just one egg yolk. Check out these Egg White Recipes for ideas on what to do with the leftover egg white.
No-chill Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (80g) all-purpose flour measured by weight or the spoon and sweep method*
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (2oz) butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1/3 cup (66g) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (3oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and brown and granulated sugars. Add egg yolk and vanilla and whisk until well-combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just mixed and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls (just under two ounces) onto your prepared cookie sheet (for the most perfectly round cookies, roll into ball first), and bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until the cookies just look set. Cool on the cookie sheet and enjoy!
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Michelle says
Just the right size of recipe for a little helper to help with … My son loved making these and said they were yummy.
Tracy says
So happy he enjoyed them, Michelle! Thanks for letting me know!
Sarina says
I stumbled onto this recipe a couple weeks ago and I’ve made them 4 or 5 times since. They’re amazing and quick, my daughter and partner ADORE them. I finally got a mixer so I can do bigger batches but I’ll be revisiting this one often.
Tracy says
I’m so happy that your family enjoys the cookies, Sarina! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!!
Desiree says
Love them….me and little girl…. easy and delicious! Thanks
Tracy says
So glad you both enjoyed them, Desiree!
Davina Browning says
OMG !!!!! I have tried probably around 20 recipes for cookies over the years and gave up on them as they were go revolting and then this morning i tried these and YAY!!!! They were great i might add a little more vanilla next time tho but i am sooooo impressed . Thank you. I will try your small batch gingerbread men next , also had a disaster with them a few weeks ago. Do you have a small batch chewy gingerbread man recipe?
Tracy says
Thank you, Davina!! So happy to hear this!
As for the gingerbread, the small-batch gingerbread recipe on the site is a little chewy, but not super super chewy. For max chewiness, definitely pull them from the oven closer to 9 minutes than than 14. You might want to bake a couple cookies at a time and experiment to see what yields the best results for you. Hope you enjoy them!
Gayatri says
Any way of making these eggless?
Tracy says
Hi, I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure you could. Here’s a good resource for eggless baking: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/ If you do try, please report back how it turns out!
Elaine says
I got 9 fairly generous cookies out of it. My hubby says they’re really good!
Not sure why, but I can’t seem to get the rating stars to light up, and the print function didn’t work. I tried with 2 different browsers.
Tracy says
Thanks, Elaine! Glad the hubs enjoyed them! Thanks for reporting the rating/print issue. My tech guy is on it, and hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow.
Ria says
I made this with my children and it turned out so delicious and easy. We had a good time. Thankyou for your recipe
Greetings from Indonesia
Tracy says
Thanks so much, Ria! I’m so happy you and the kids enjoyed them!
Gloria says
I LOVE your recipe. I’ve made it three times since I discovered it a just as many days ago. I’ve tried at least 3 or 4 different cookie recipes before and I’ve always felt like they were lacking something. But these are perfect. I made a batch earlier tonight, left to take a quick shower while they cooled and by the time I got back to the kitchen 20 minutes later my roommates had literally eaten all but one of them.
Tracy says
So happy that you liked the cookies, Gloria!! Sorry that apparently your roomies like them a little too much. 😉
Marissa says
This recipe just made my night! I’m pregnant, was literally laying in bed trying to go to sleep, when I could not stop thinking about chocolate chip cookies! I hoped on Pinterest to see if there was some magic 5 minute recipe and this did the trick! By the time my oven was preheated I had all my cookies on the sheet, and my two little Bowles, measuring spoons, measuring cup, and mixing fork were washed before they were done! Now I’m satisfied and going to bed a happy woman, thanks!
Tracy says
So glad this recipe was able to help out with your cookie cravings, Marissa! 😉
Sydni G says
Will this recipe be okay if I double it and is there anyway to save it if it’s “no chill”? Will refrigerating it then allowing it to reach room temperature before baking mess up the texture of the cookies?
Tracy says
Should work just fine. You can bake them right out of the fridge if you want, but they just won’t spread as much.
Bernadette says
Yes. I actually did it and they turned out just like the recipe picture.
Olivia says
Lately, I’ve been having trouble finding a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that are both soft and chewy without being cakey. This recipe was SO easy and wow these cookies are great. I love that these cookies get a little crunch around the edges! They are so satisfying and AMAZING warm!!! Made 8 cookies for me which is a perfect amount! I am for sure keeping this recipe and definitely plan to share it with friends.
Tracy says
Thank you, Olivia! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!
Rida says
I just tried these out and they are amazing. Got rid of my cravings pretty nicely! These are definitely on my make list for cookies now 😀
Tracy says
So happy these helped your cookie cravings! 😉
Ria says
I made this today with my kids. We all enjoyed the process. It’s easy. And turned out delicious. Thankyou
Tracy says
Thanks, Ria! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed them.
Prim says
For Christmas this year I️ decided to bake my dad a batch of his favorite cookie. I’m not really a baker…. and so after 5 attempts at other recipes I️ was about to just buy the damn things. This recipe was the only one that worked for me! Thank you for posting it!
Tracy says
Thanks, Prim, I’m so glad it worked for you. Hope your dad enjoys the cookies!
Cookies says
Just made these. They’re very delicious . Thank you!
Tracy says
Thrilled to hear!
Carolyn Neuhalfen says
I have been searching for a recipe just like this one. Specifically, I wanted one with melted butter and no refrigeration before baking. This is an outstanding recipe….my cookies tasted like bakery quality! Absolutely perfect, a bit crispy on the outstanding and a bit chewy on the inside. There were no burned bottoms, and my cookies did not flatten. In fact they stayed nice and full. I consider this to be a perfect recipe. Can hardly wait to make them again. Total prep/cooking time was about 30 minutes. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Tracy says
Thank you for the lovely comment, Carolyn! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!