These one-bowl Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies are quick and simple—ready start to finish in about 30 minutes with no chilling required. This small-batch recipe yields roughly eight cookies, perfect when you want a few fresh, soft, chewy cookies without making a full dozen.
This post originally published April 2019 and was updated February 2020 with step photos and a slight recipe tweak based on feedback.
When a cookie craving hits and you want cookies right now, this one-bowl small-batch chocolate chip cookie recipe is the answer. It’s fast, low-mess and reliably delicious—soft in the center, slightly crisp at the edges, and loaded with chocolate.
One bowl means fewer dishes, and since no long chilling is necessary, you can have warm cookies in under half an hour. A tall glass of milk definitely improves the experience.
Reader Reviews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Time and time again I come back to this recipe. I haven’t made another chocolate chip recipe since this!” (Tiahna)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “I’ve tried so many cookie recipes and this one is my family and my favorite!! Love how it doesn’t make so many at one time too.” (Morgan)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “I have used this recipe multiple times and the cookies turned out great! It’s so easy to follow especially for someone new to baking!” (Rebecca M.)
Why We Love These Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Perfect quantity: Makes about eight medium-large cookies—enough to satisfy a craving without extra leftovers.
- Kid-friendly: A small, simple recipe that’s great for baking with children who don’t want to tackle multiple trays.
- Less cleanup: Everything mixes in one bowl, so dish duty is minimal.
- Fast to make: From mixing to baked cookies in about 30 minutes. No lengthy chill time required (though a short chill can help if your butter runs warm).
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted, softened (not melted). If using salted butter, reduce added salt.
- Flour: All-purpose flour. If possible, weigh ingredients—½ cup plus 2 tablespoons equals about 85 grams. Accurate flour measurement prevents flat cookies.
- Sugar: A mix of packed brown sugar (light or dark) and granulated white sugar.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract when available.
- Egg yolk: Use one large egg yolk rather than a whole egg for this small batch.
- Baking soda: Make sure it’s fresh; old baking soda can cause poor rise.
- Salt: Sea salt or table salt. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top after baking is optional and delicious.
- Chocolate chips: Use your favorite—dark, semi-sweet, milk, or a mix. Add extra if you like more chips in every bite.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, cream the softened butter with both sugars using a hand or stand mixer for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix just until incorporated.
Step 2: To one side of the bowl, add the flour, baking soda and salt and whisk gently to combine. Gradually add the dry mix into the wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated. Avoid over-mixing.
Step 3: The dough may look slightly crumbly—this is normal. Continue mixing until it comes together.
Step 4: Fold in the chocolate chips. Use more if you like a very chocolatey cookie.
Step 5: Scoop or roll the dough into eight even balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space to spread.
Step 6: Bake 9–11 minutes until edges are light golden and centers are still slightly puffy. Cool on the pan 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Optional: top with flaky sea salt.
Recipe Tips
- Butter: Use softened (room temperature) butter—not melted. If butter is too warm, dough can spread and cookies may turn flat.
- Don’t overbake: For soft, chewy centers remove cookies when edges just begin to brown.
- Chilling: Chilling isn’t required, but 10–20 minutes in the fridge can help if your dough feels too soft and spreads too much.
- Yield: Makes about 8 medium-large cookies (around 3 inches). A 1½ tablespoon scoop works well.
- Chocolate: 2/3 cup chips is a good guideline, but add more if you prefer.
FAQs and Troubleshooting
Yes. After creaming and adding the egg, stir the dry ingredients in only until fully incorporated. Overmixing can lead to flat or tough cookies.
Common causes: overmixing, expired baking soda, under-measured flour, or dough/butter that was too warm. Chilling the dough briefly can help.
If the dough is warm, chill it in the fridge for 15–30 minutes so it firms up before baking. If dough still seems too loose after chilling, add a little more flour.
You may have added too much flour or the dough was too cold. If chilled dough is used, let it come closer to room temperature before baking.
Overbaking is the most common reason. Remove cookies when the edges just turn golden; they may look slightly underbaked in the center but will set as they cool.
Freezing the Dough
Scoop the dough into individual portions and freeze in an airtight container. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F for about 12–14 minutes.
Recipe Variations
Switch up the mix-ins to change the flavor:
- M&Ms: Substitute some chips with 1/3 cup M&Ms.
- Nuts: Add 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.
- White chocolate & cranberry: Use white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup dried cranberries.
- Peanut butter chocolate: Use 1/3 cup peanut butter chips with 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
Other cookie recipes
- CREAM CHEESE SNOWBALL COOKIES
- KEY LIME COOKIES WITH LIME GLAZE
- PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
- GLUTEN FREE BLONDIES
- CARAMEL STUFFED SNICKERDOODLES
- LEMON SUGAR COOKIES
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Note: This recipe was updated to add an extra tablespoon of flour to help the cookies rise a bit more. If your cookies still come out flat, add another tablespoon of flour.
One Bowl Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cream butter and both sugars for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt to one side of the bowl, whisk to combine, then gradually mix into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop or roll into 8 even balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 9–11 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool slightly on the pan before transferring to a rack. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Store in an airtight container.
- To bake from frozen: bake 12–14 minutes at 350°F.
Notes
Butter: Use softened, not melted. If dough is too warm, chilling briefly helps prevent spreading.
Don’t overbake: Remove when edges just begin to brown for soft, chewy cookies.
Yield: About 8 medium-large cookies.
Chocolate: ⅔ cup is a guide—feel free to add more chips or substitute different mix-ins.
Nutrition
Calories: 214 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 10 g (approximate)
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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