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This single serving deep dish chocolate chip cookie bakes in a 10-ounce ramekin with crisp edges and a soft center full of melted chocolate. Made from scratch in about 25 minutes, without baking a full batch.
Featured Comment
“Outstanding!! I wanted a dessert for myself but didn’t want to make anything that would yield leftovers tempting me again and again. This was perfect and tasted great!”
– Linda
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Cool Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Equipment: 10-ounce ramekin, small mixing bowl
- Cook Method: Oven-baked at 350°F (177°C)
- Servings: 1 to 2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Rich brown-sugar sweetness, buttery, with pockets of melted semi-sweet chocolate. Crisp golden edges and a soft, tender center.
This deep dish cookie bakes up thick enough to eat warm with a spoon, and the same dough shapes into one large cookie on a baking sheet if you’d rather skip the dish.
Why You’ll Love This Ramekin Chocolate Chip Cookie
This deep dish chocolate chip cookie is baked in a single 10-ounce ramekin, crisp and golden at the edges with a soft center you eat warm with a spoon. It’s made from scratch for one, or two if you feel like sharing. No full batch to bake, and no plate of extra cookies to work through afterward.
For a cookie this thick, I cream the softened butter with the sugars instead of melting it the way most single serve cookies do. That step gives it a lighter, taller rise, and the center bakes through and stays soft.
From there it’s quick. Everything mixes in one bowl, there’s no dough to chill, and it bakes in about 25 minutes. If you’d rather have a few separate cookies, my small batch chocolate chip cookies make a handful at once and my air fryer chocolate chip cookies skip the oven. For the same deep dish cookie in another flavor, there’s my deep dish peanut butter cookie for one.
Table of Contents
- Quick Look
- Why You’ll Love This Ramekin Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Ingredients
- Recipe Variations
- How To Make A Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Expert Tips
- Troubleshooting
- Serving Suggestions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Cookie Recipes For One Or Two
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie For One Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this single serve chocolate chip cookie recipe and why each ingredient earns its place. If you have any ingredients leftover, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder to find ways to use them up.
Salted butter: Although I prefer using salted butter, unsalted butter works too. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature, not melted, so it creams with the sugar. I leave mine on the counter for about 30 minutes before I start.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel flavor that keeps the center soft. Granulated sugar sweetens and helps the edges turn crisp and golden. Out of brown sugar? You can make a quick batch with our small batch brown sugar recipe.
Egg yolk: Use just the yolk, not the whole egg. The yolk adds richness and binds the dough, while a whole egg would bring too much liquid for this small amount of flour. Save the white for one of our egg white recipes.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla rounds out the flavor.
All-purpose flour: Gives the cookie its structure. Even with just a third of a cup, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping from the bag. At this size, packed flour can add a good bit more than you need, and that extra flour is what dries a cookie out.
Baking soda: A small amount lifts the cookie as it bakes and helps the edges brown.
Salt: Balances the sweetness so the brown sugar and chocolate flavors come through.
Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet is my first choice for the right balance of sweet and rich, but milk or dark chocolate chips work just as well. Leftover chips are good in a chocolate chip muffin for one or single serve chocolate chip banana bread.
Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional): A small handful of chopped pecans or walnuts adds a nice crunch against the soft center. Any extras go nicely in small batch blondies.
Recipe Variations
A few easy swaps change the flavor or size of this ramekin cookie.
One Chocolate Chip Cookie
Prefer a classic flat cookie to a deep dish one? Shape the same dough into one large cookie on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake it flat, about 10 to 13 minutes at 350°F, until the edges are set.
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie
Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over the top of the cookie before or right after it bakes. Use just a small pinch. The bit of salt makes the chocolate taste richer and keeps the cookie from tasting too sweet.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookie
Swap 2 tablespoons of the flour for 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor. If you’d rather make a few at once, our small batch double chocolate chip cookies are made this way and yield several cookies.
Change the Chocolate
Use milk, dark, or white chocolate chips in place of the semi-sweet chips, or chocolate chunks for bigger melted pools.
Change the Mix-Ins
Fold in a tablespoon of chopped pecans or walnuts, toffee bits, or M&Ms in place of some of the chocolate chips.
How To Make A Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie
This deep dish cookie recipe comes together in a single bowl. The step-by-step photos below show you what the dough should look like at each stage. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts.
- Set the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until the dough is smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir just until the dough comes together.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, and the nuts if you’re using them.
- Butter a 10-ounce ramekin and press the dough into it in an even layer. For one large cookie, shape the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet instead.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are set. The center will still look soft.
- Let the cookie cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. It firms up as it cools.
Expert Tips
Use a 10-ounce ramekin. This is the size the recipe was developed for, so the dough fills it to the right depth and the 22 to 25 minute bake time is calibrated to it. If you use a different dish, the bake time changes: a wider or larger ramekin spreads the dough shallower, so it bakes faster and you should start checking several minutes early. A smaller ramekin may not hold all the dough, so divide it between two dishes.
Cream the butter until it’s light but still cool. Softened butter should give when you press it and leave an indentation, without looking greasy or melted. That’s the consistency that whips air into the dough and gives the cookie its rise. Butter that’s too warm won’t hold the air.
Take the cookie out while the center still looks soft. Remove the ramekin from the oven before the middle looks fully baked. The hot dish keeps baking the cookie as it sits, and the center firms up as it cools.
Use good chocolate. The chocolate is the main flavor here, so better chips or a chopped chocolate bar make a real difference. Chopped chocolate and chunks also melt into bigger pools than standard chips.
Troubleshooting
Most people get a great cookie on the first try. If something’s off with yours, it’s usually an easy fix. Here’s what to check.
Why is my deep dish cookie dry?
A dry cookie almost always comes from too much flour or too long in the oven. Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, since a packed cup adds more than the recipe needs. Take the cookie out while the center still looks soft, because the hot ramekin keeps baking it after it leaves the oven.
Is the center of my deep dish chocolate chip cookie supposed to be soft?
Yes. A soft center is how this cookie is meant to come out, and it sets as it cools. It should look soft but not wet. If the middle still looks like raw batter once the edges are set, bake it a few more minutes and check again.
Why did my cookie stick to the ramekin?
The cookie sticks when the ramekin wasn’t greased. Butter the inside of the ramekin before you press in the dough, and let the baked cookie cool for about 10 minutes so it sets before you scoop or turn it out.
Serving Suggestions
This deep dish chocolate chip cookie is meant to be eaten warm, right out of the ramekin, and it’s plenty on its own. If you want to add something, these are all made for one, so nothing goes to waste:
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream for one, melting into the warm cookie.
- A spoonful of small batch whipped cream.
- A drizzle of homemade caramel over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Use just the egg yolk. A whole egg adds too much liquid for this small amount of flour and changes the texture. Save the white for one of our egg white recipes.
Yes. Double all the ingredients, use 2 egg yolks, and divide the dough between two 10-ounce ramekins, or press it into one 5×5-inch baking dish.
Yes. Make the dough, cover it, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. This cookie is best baked fresh, so bake it the same day if you can.
Not as written. This deep dish cookie was developed for a 10-ounce ramekin, and a single batch doesn’t make enough dough to fill a skillet properly. For a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet, use our mini oatmeal chocolate chip skillet cookie, which is portioned and timed for that pan.
More Cookie Recipes For One Or Two
Looking for more cookies sized for one or two? Try these next:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried single serve ramekin cookie, please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
RELATED: Recipes For Empty Nesters – The Joys Of Cooking For Two
Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter – softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a small bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir just until the dough comes together.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and the nuts, if using.
- Butter a 10-ounce ramekin, then press the dough into it in an even layer.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are set. The center will still look soft.
- Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hello –
When doubling this recipe should I use 2 egg yoks, or will one do?
Thanks so much.
Use 2 egg yolks when you double it. One yolk won’t give the doubled dough enough richness or binding, so two keeps the texture right.
I just made this yesterday using dark chocolate chips and some french butter I had. So good, yummy and melty and crispy on the edges. A perfect portion for two (or one 🙂
So glad you loved it!
Hi! I don’t have the ramekins in the 10 oz side. However, I do have a 6 in cast iron pan. Would that work for this? Any adjustments to the bake time if I use cast iron?
For a 6-inch cast iron pan, I’d point you to my mini oatmeal chocolate chip skillet cookie instead. It’s made for a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet, so it’s the right amount of dough for a pan that size and the bake time is already set for cast iron. This deep dish cookie was developed for a 10-ounce ramekin, and there isn’t enough dough to fill a 6-inch pan properly, so it really needs that ramekin size. The skillet cookie is the one you want for the pan you have – https://onedishkitchen.com/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-skillet-cookie/
Thank you, Joanie! I’ll check out the skillet cookie recipe. And, BTW, your site is perfect for me! I don’t remember how I came across it, but I sure am happy I did!
So happy you found it too. Enjoy that skillet cookie, it’s a good one!
Can I use self rising flour and omit the baking soda?
Self-rising flour has baking powder and salt in it, not baking soda, so they aren’t a straight trade. In this cookie the baking soda does more than lift. It helps the edges brown and gives that chewy spread you want in a chocolate chip cookie. If you swap in self-rising flour and drop the baking soda, you’d also want to leave out the salt the recipe calls for, since it’s already in the flour, but the cookie may come out a little more cake-like and pale than intended. I haven’t tested it that way, so I can’t promise the same result. If self-rising is what you have, it will still bake up into a good cookie, just expect a slightly different texture.
I was thinking of adding a little protein powder to this (I have vanilla). Would I need to reduce any of the other ingredients? Love, love your recipes! 💖
I haven’t tested this cookie with protein powder, so I can’t give you exact amounts. What I can tell you is that protein powder tends to soak up moisture and dry baked goods out, and this cookie doesn’t have much moisture to begin with, just an egg yolk and a little butter. If you add much, it can turn dry and dense. If you want to experiment, add only a small amount, watch the dough, and stir in a splash of milk if it looks stiff. Vanilla protein powder will add a little sweetness too, so you may not need it quite as sweet.
Hi! I made this the other day, as a giant cookie, very good! I only used 2 tablspoons of the chocolate chips, I feel that 1/4 c is a bit too much for me. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Can I use Kings Arthur Bread flour?
Yes, King Arthur bread flour can be used, but the cookie may turn out a little chewier and denser than it would with all-purpose flour.
Can this be cooked in an air fryer?
I have not tested this recipe in an air fryer, so I can’t say exactly how the timing would need to change.
I made a huge cookie instead of using the ramekin. Sooo good!!! Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
OMG….. I just made this this afternoon. I used Trader Joe’s salted caramel chips instead of choc chips. Just a whim. and put pecans in it. Someone better come over here and take this away from me!!!! It is soooooooo good !!!!! I kept going by it and taking spoonfuls. I had to cover it up!!
Thanks for another awesome recipe!
i don’t have salted butter haven’t bought any in years, so much salt do i add to recipe?
You can go ahead and use the unsalted butter. Just add the 1/8 teaspoon of salt listed in the recipe and you’ll be all set.
I have made this recipe 5 times in the past two weeks! Perfect for one
I love hearing that! Five times in two weeks is the best kind of compliment — I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.
This came out sooo good! Will definitely bake again. It’s perfect!
Amazing cookie. My ramekins were only 8 oz, so I made two cookies. I used half whole wheat flour haf unbleached flour. These taste like my grandmas cookies. Yummy! Thank you for the recipe.
This has been my cookie for many years. Baked as one cookie. @7” And then, I was diagnosed with celiac disease @7 months ago. And have been sad ever since. Messing with all the gluten free stuff. Trying to tweak recipes. Finally decided today to just use 1-1 King Arthur flour. It’s perfect! Kind of cakey but that’s ok. I let the mixture rest for about an hour which is kind of the standard for all this gf stuff. And it turned out great! I’m back on board!
Thank you so much for sharing this—I’m really happy to hear you’re back to enjoying your favorite cookie again! Celiac disease can definitely make baking feel like a challenge, but it’s wonderful that the King Arthur 1:1 flour worked well for you. Letting the dough rest was a great idea too—gluten-free baking often benefits from that extra time. I’m so glad this recipe could still bring a little joy to your kitchen!
These cookies are fantastic! Delicious!!!
This is the best single serve recipe I have made. Added to my favorites and will definitely make again when i don’t want to make a dozen cookies.🍪
Thank you!
I was looking for a single serve dessert that wasn’t a mug cake, and this was perfect. It all mixed together well using only a spoon. I baked it in a pyrex ramekin, and it ended up crunchy on the edges and soft in the middle. I had it with ice cream, but I think it would be good on its own. I will definitely make it again. I used mini chocolate chips because that was the first bag I found in the pantry, and that worked really well.
This recipe is perfect (even better with chocolate chunks) & responsible for me gaining weight with how often I made it…..
I’m so glad you loved the recipe! I totally get it—this cookie is definitely hard to resist!
this was life-changing thank you
I tried this recipe and substituted Bono olive oil for butter. Half garbanzo flour and half white flour and half an egg instead of a yolk. It was delicious. Only took 19 minutes in my oven. Added 1/8 tsp. Tapioca flour/starch also. Next time will try with almond flour.
IT WAS SO SO SO GOOD! I omitted the chocolate chips because I all my life I’ve wished for cookies that were just cookie dough, then added milk for dunking and loads of ice cream! Thank you for making recipes for one! 🍪🧡 Maybe I’ll try experimenting with adding oats in this recipe for a deep dish oatmeal cookie… thanks again!!
Your cookie sounds wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Can I use a whole egg instead of just the yolk?
It’s best to stick with just the egg yolk, rather than using the whole egg. The reason behind this is all about the texture of your cookies. By using just the yolk, you’ll ensure your cookies have that perfect, rich, and chewy texture we’re aiming for. You might consider using the egg white in other recipes as mentioned in the Ingredient Notes.
Thank you fro your reply. Will try to follow your suggedtion