When that cookie craving hits, but you don’t want a huge batch or a lot of work, this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe is perfect! It makes just one dozen cookies (or 6 large bakery-style cookies), doesn’t require a mixer, and there’s no chilling necessary.
Chocolate chip cookies are requested quite often in my house, and maybe yours too. But sometimes I don’t have the energy or time to actually bake them. That is, until I created this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Now I’m baking a fresh batch of cookies practically effortlessly any time my family wants them, and the kids can actually bake these all by themselves (new level of motherhood unlocked!). Not only will you love how easy this recipe is, but they’re delicious too! They’re buttery, rich, soft and chewy, and so flavorful.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe is perfect
- No mixer required, the dough comes together with just a bowl and spatula.
- Less time start to finish since it starts with melted butter, so there’s no need to wait for butter to come to room temp, and also no chill time before baking.
- Recipe makes just 1 tray of cookies, either 12 regular or 6 XL.
- They’re just as delicious! All of the buttery chocolate chip cookie flavor, crispy edges, and soft chewy texture we love, just more easily!
Creating the perfect small batch recipe
I tested these cookies more times than any other recipe in quite some time. I want them to be perfect! I tweaked little things here and there, since little changes can have a big impact on a small-batch recipe. And I always ended up in the same place, with the ingredients and ratios you see here.
If you follow the recipe below as written, measure your flour correctly, or better yet, use a kitchen scale, I promise you’re going to LOVE these cookies too!
Ingredient you’ll need
To get started, here’s everything required to make these small batch chocolate chip cookies (full recipe is at the bottom of this article):
Step by step instructions
- Melt butter. You can do this in a saucepan over the stove, or in the bowl you plan to mix the dough in.
- Mix cookie dough in a bowl. Stir the sugars into the butter, followed by the egg and vanilla. Mix vigorously for about 30 seconds until the dough thickens and lightens in color. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to combine. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop and portion. Use a cookie scoop to portion dough into 12 regular/6 XL cookies, depending on what size you want.
- Bake. Place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-9 minutes till edges are golden brown (11-12 for larger cookies).
- Enjoy! Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then enjoy warm (our fave) or transfer to a wire rack to cool. If you like, sprinkle cookies with salt for an extra boost of flavor!
baking tip:How to bake pretty, picture-perfect cookies
While they will taste great no matter what, cookies sometimes need a little extra TLC to look as great as they taste:
- Only mix half of the chocolate chips or other mix-ins called for.
- Portion the dough with a cookie scoop, then roll into balls by hand.
- Give them plenty of space. I only bake 6-8 cookies at a time on my sheet pan, depending on size.
- Before baking, strategically place and press the remaining half of the chocolate chips/chunks into the tops of the dough balls.
- As soon as the cookies are pulled from the oven, and while they are still hot and pliable, use a spatula to push any uneven edges back into a perfect circle.
- Let them cool completely before packaging or storing.
Recipe tips
- Be sure to measure flour correctly! All of my recipes are tested using the “spoon and sweep” method (more info through that link). If you measure by simply dipping your measuring cup into the flour, you’re likely ending up with too much flour, resulting in a dry cakey cookie.
- Use chocolate chips, mini chips, or chopped chocolate. Semi-sweet, bitter-sweet or dark chocolate are all great too. Use what you have or prefer! Or use a combination for extra appeal.
- Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion cookies. Either medium #40 1.5 Tbsp for more regular-sized cookies or large #20 scoop 3 Tbsp for the XL cookies you see in this post.
- Bake larger cookies for the best texture. I prefer to portion cookies with the larger scoop because the center of the cookies stays soft and a little gooey while the edges are crisp and chewy. Smaller cookies just bake faster and are harder to get the timing right.
- When in doubt, under bake! Especially with the smaller cookies! The cookies will keep setting up on the sheet pan out of the oven, so pull them before the centers are completely done.
- Cookie dough freezes very well. If this small batch recipe is still too much, I recommend freezing the extra cookie dough balls to bake fresh later! Simply take them out of the freezer, place on a sheet pan, and let them thaw a bit while the oven preheats.
Make these now!
I’d love to hear from you if you make these cookies!
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
When that cookie craving hits, but you don’t want a huge batch or a lot of work, this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe is perfect! It makes just one dozen cookies (or 6 large bakery-style cookies), doesn’t require a mixer, and there’s no chilling necessary.
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Preheat oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
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In a bowl, combine the butter with the granulated and brown sugars (you can use a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula). Add the egg and vanilla extract and stir vigorously for about 30 seconds until well-combined, and mixture has thickened slightly and lightened in color.
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Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir just until a few streaks of flour remain (it may take a few moments to combine the dry ingredients with the rest of the dough, but don’t worry it’ll come together). Add the chocolate chips and continue stirring until dough is uniform.
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Portion into 12 balls of cookie dough about 1 rounded tablespoon each (for regular sized cookies) or 6 balls of dough about 3 tablespoons each (for larger bakery-style cookies). Use a cookie scoop if you have one, but it’s not necessary.
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Place on the prepared sheet pan, evenly spaced and bake until edges are golden and tops appear just barely set, 8-9 minutes for regular cookies and 11-12 for larger cookies, though ovens will vary.
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Let the cookies finish setting up for a few minutes on the sheet pan, then enjoy warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store any extras (if you have them!) in an airtight container for several days.
Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 104mg, Potassium: 63mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 120IU, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg
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