Soft, chewy, and chocolate-loaded Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies! Only one bowl, a wooden spoon, and eight ingredients are needed — no stand mixer or hand mixer needed.
And if you’re looking for a full batch of similar cookies, try these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. These Snickerdoodle Cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Cookies are other reader-favorite recipes.
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe for Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies is ideal for those moments when you crave cookies but don’t want to be overwhelmed with a large batch. Perfect for cookie lovers who find it hard to stop at just one, it’s a practical solution to manage cravings.
Additionally, it’s an excellent choice during the holidays, for cookie exchange parties, or even for leaving a treat for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve without the need to bake dozens of cookies. This recipe provides a convenient and delicious option for various occasions where fewer cookies are preferable.
Ingredients In Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Butter: Adds moisture and fat, giving the cookies a rich flavor and tender texture. It’s partially melted for easier mixing.
- Brown Sugar and White Sugar: Sweeten the cookies and affect their texture. Brown sugar brings moisture and a caramel-like flavor, while white sugar helps the cookies spread and become crispier.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies.
- Large Egg Yolk: Contributes to the richness and acts as a binder, ensuring a smooth dough. Save the egg whites to use in an omelet, add to this egg skillet, or use in this easy egg wrap.
- Baking Soda: A leavening agent, it helps the cookies to rise slightly and prevents them from being too dense.
- Flour: Provides structure, balancing moisture to create a moldable dough.
- Chopped Chocolate Bar and Chocolate Chips: The key flavor elements, offering rich chocolate taste and varied texture.
How To Make A Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Melt Butter: Partially melt butter, let it cool.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Combine cooled butter, brown and white sugars, vanilla extract, and egg yolk.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix in baking soda and flour.
- Incorporate Chocolate: Stir in chopped chocolate and chocolate chips.
- Shape and Chill: Roll dough into 9 balls, chill for 30-60 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 325°F, bake cookies 8-12 minutes until golden.
- Cool and Store: Let cookies cool, store in airtight container. Enjoy within 4 days.
Quick Tip
Fresh baking soda: Test the baking soda to be sure it’s fresh by adding boiling water to a small amount. If it fizzes, it’s good. Here’s how to test if your baking soda is fresh and will work in these Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Tips For Success
- Cool the Melted Butter: After melting, let the butter return to room temperature. Hot butter can cause the cookies to become greasy and spread too much.
- Chill the Dough: Chill the dough to allow the melted butter to solidify. This prevents cookies from spreading too thin and burning, and enhances flavor development.
- Shape Dough Taller: Roll the dough into taller, cylindrical shapes for a thick, chewy center and crisp edges.
- Add Extra Chocolate: After baking, press additional chocolate chips into the tops for more chocolate in every bite and an appealing look.
- Monitor Baking Carefully: Avoid hard cookies by not overbaking. Ensure the oven is correctly calibrated and watch cookies closely as they finish baking. Measure ingredients accurately and use fresh ingredients.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze, roll the dough into balls and freeze them on a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag. When ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls directly on a baking sheet and bake at 325°F, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
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- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies not the cakey version
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk see note 1
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup chopped chocolate bar see note 2
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, partially melt the butter in a microwave (about 35 seconds straight from the fridge, just enough to easily mix it). Let butter stand until it has cooled to room temperature. Do not add sugars to hot butter, or the cookies will be greasy and spread.
- Once butter has cooled to room temperature, add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir until smooth and combined. Add vanilla extract and egg yolk. Stir to combine.
- Add baking soda and flour. Stir until a thick dough forms.
- Coarsely chop the chocolate bar and add in the chunks and chocolate chips. Stir until combined; you may need to knead the chips into the dough. Divide dough evenly into 9 parts; each cookie is about 2 tablespoons (38 grams). Roll dough into cookie balls that are tall and cylindrical (as opposed to short and round—see photos in post). Place dough balls on a parchment-lined sheet pan, cover, and chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
- When ready to bake, set the oven temperature to 325°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Place dough balls on sheet pan with plenty of space between cookies—I only bake 6 at a time. Bake 8–12 minutes or until very lightly golden brown at the edges and no longer glossy on top.
- Remove cookies from oven and let stand on the sheet pan for 3–4 minutes before removing with a metal spatula to a cooling rack to finish cooling. I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies right out of the oven (optional).
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are the cookies that you could make in a post apocalyptic world (yes…there’s still sugar there. cmon. :P) Totally chewy and perfect and yay for you still being able to make ’em without a mixer, etc.!
These look so incredibly rich and messy, and chewy and dense…everything I want!
Saw these on instagram and could not WAIT to come over and see the full post! Such a great recipe
These look absolutely delicious! I think it’s a great idea to make a half-batch.
xx Hannah
Great tips! I definitely chill my cookies and now want to whip up this easy and perfect-looking batch!
My mom preferred recipes with smaller batches, so this sounds great! Also, thanks for the tip about chilling the dough before cooking; I didn’t know it changed the final texture. My husband is on a no-dessert month, but I might just have to make some for me anyway! 😉
You’re completely right about the Mexican vanilla. It is amazing. My husband and I went to Mexico 6 years ago on our honeymoon and came back with a bunch of it. Sadly it’s gone now so I need to get my hands on some more!
These cookies look amazing and perfect for when I need, I mean when my kids need, just a little bit of chocolate!
I mean… they look like the most perfect chocolate chip cookies ever. That texture is like bakery cookie texture! You’re a wizard, Chelsea. Huge fan. Pinning this for later!
I made these 9 times dam there good
I’m so happy to hear that!! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Wow those look amazing! Hahah yeah about keeping it light in January… I am cheating on my new years resolution on a daily basis 😀 How about that?
They do look super soft and chewy. Last summer I have been on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookies and I made some great discoverys..
Using brown sugar makes a much chewier cookie while white sugar makes them crispier.
I replaced part of the butter with creame cheese. That made a huge difference!! And if you sprinkle some sea salt on top after baking it will take it to a whole new level of excitement.
I love the idea of making a half batch of cookies, Chelsea! Definitely good for portion control. And I love that no mixer is required, too.
I just made these with gluten free flour and they were delicious! I used Pamela’s AP GF flour and no one could tell that they were lacking gluten.
So happy to hear these worked well with gluten free flour! Thanks for the comment!