Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies (2024)

Small batch chocolate chip cookies are the perfect treat to make when that sweet tooth strikes. This recipe makes a dozen chewy chocolate chip cookies in less than 30 minutes with no chilling required!

Ever had a craving for homemade, hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookies? This recipe makes a dozen warm and chewy chocolate chip cookies that are ready in less than 30 minutes!

If you keep simple baking ingredients on hand like flour, sugar, eggs, and chocolate chips, you can make a small batch of cookies right now. This recipe can even be customized with your favorite mix-ins like chopped walnuts, peanut butter chips, or M&M's candies.

Small batch chocolate chip cookies are perfect for your next family movie night or after dinner treat. You may also love my recipe for small batch brownies!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Unsalted butter - Butter adds moisture and flavor to your cookies, so I don't recommend omitting it or reducing it. The listed salt and unsalted butter can be substituted with salted butter if needed.
• Sugars - A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar give these cookies a perfectly sweetened and chewy texture.
• Egg yolk - One egg yolk adds the perfect amount of moisture and stability to a small batch of cookie dough. Adding an entire egg would cause the cookies to spread more in the oven and turn out a bit cakey instead of chewy.
• Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavor of your cookies.
• All-purpose flour - Adds structure and stability to your cookies. I have not tested this recipe with other types of flour, so I can't say how substitutions would turn out. If you have a different type of flour on hand, I recommend searching for a recipe that was developed specifically for that type of flour.
• Salt - Enhances the flavor of your cookies.
• Baking soda - Adds lift to your cookies. Can't be substituted with baking powder, the two are not interchangeable.
• Chocolate chips - Feel free to substitute with your favorite mix-ins here. Milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, sprinkles, M&M's candies, pecans, and walnuts are all great choices.

Tips and tricks

For a full list of my best baking tips, check out my post: 10 tips for baking cookies

Room temperature ingredients - Using room temperature ingredients make a consistent, creamy, and even dough. When beaten, the sugar and butter form an emulsion, which traps air in the dough, baking up into a soft and fluffy cookie.

Properly measure your flour - This is the most common issue I see in baking. By scooping directly from a bin or bag with a measuring cup, this compacts the flour into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to the recipe. Instead, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir your flour with a spoon, then gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup. Level off the top with a knife.

Use parchment paper - This helps prevent your cookies from spreading too much while baking. A greased baking pan guarantees your cookies spread more than they should, so I always suggest parchment paper (or a reusable baking mat) instead.

Storage

Homemade chocolate chip cookies will keep for about 5 to 7 days when stored in an airtight container. I like to place a slice of bread in my cookie container to help keep them soft for longer. Replace the bread slice as needed to keep your cookies fresh.

Frequently asked questions

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