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This small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe delivers six delicious cookies with crispy edges and soft, gooey centers. Made with simple ingredients, these cookies are quick to prepare and full of rich, buttery flavor with just the right amount of chocolate in every bite.
If you’re looking for more delicious small batch cookie recipes, try these: chewy oatmeal cookies, buttery butter cookies, fruity thumbprint cookies, and warmly spiced soft ginger cookies. Each one is perfect for enjoying freshly baked treats in small portions!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just the Right Amount: This chocolate chip cookie recipe makes six perfectly portioned cookies, perfect for when you want a sweet treat without the leftovers.
- Quick and Simple: Made with one bowl and basic pantry staples, these cookies come together fast—no chilling required!
- Always Delicious: Carefully tested for consistent results, this recipe delivers cookies with crisp edges and soft, gooey centers every time.
- Easily Doubled: Need more cookies? You can double the recipe effortlessly!
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is all about delivering maximum flavor in a small batch. The cookies are rich, buttery, and packed with just the right amount of chocolate in every bite. Whether you’re treating yourself or sharing with a friend, this recipe is perfect for those moments when a warm, freshly baked cookie is all you need. It’s a simple way to enjoy a homemade classic without committing to a full batch.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch chocolate chip cookies recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: I recommend using salted butter for a touch of balance to the cookies’ sweetness. Softened but slightly cool butter blends easily with the sugar while keeping the dough manageable. In small batch baking, salted butter adds just the right amount of flavor. If you prefer, unsalted butter works well too—just add a pinch of salt to the dough.
- Sugar: A combination of brown sugar and white sugar creates the ideal dough texture and flavor. Brown sugar adds moisture and richness, while white sugar helps with structure. Need brown sugar in a pinch? Check out my quick brown sugar recipe.
- Egg yolk: You’ll need one large egg yolk for this recipe—perfect for small batch baking! Save the egg white for another egg white recipe like Pavlova, Texas Sheet Cake, or Two Chocolate Cupcakes.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract to give your cookies a warm, authentic vanilla flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly here. If you need a gluten-free option, I’ve tested this recipe with King Arthur Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour, and it works beautifully.
- Baking soda: A pinch of baking soda is all you need to give the cookies a slight lift, keeping them soft and tender.
- Cornstarch: This is the secret to soft, chewy cookies. Cornstarch helps break down the flour’s proteins, giving your chocolate chip cookies that melt-in-your-mouth texture. I use it in many recipes, including my shortbread pie crusts.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite for this recipe, but feel free to use dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for variety. Got extras? Try them in my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Chocolate Lava Cake, or Brookie recipe.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few simple ways to customize these cookies to make them your own:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nuts: Replace the chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for cookies with a delightful crunch.
- White Chocolate Chip Cookies: Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a creamy, sweet variation.
- Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies: Swap semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate chunks to create a rich and indulgent treat.
- M&M Cookies: Substitute the chocolate chips with colorful M&Ms for a fun and festive cookie.
- Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin spice to the dough for a warm, seasonal twist that’s perfect with white chocolate chips.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar together for about 1 minute. Make sure the butter is soft but not melted—it helps create light, fluffy cookies. Don’t overmix, as too much creaming can make the cookies cake-like, while too little will result in flatter cookies.
- Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla: Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until everything is combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Form the dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together.
- Add the chocolate chips: Gently fold the chocolate chips into the dough.
- Scoop and shape the dough: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to portion the dough and place scoops 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Roll each scoop into a ball for even baking.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 8-10 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden, and the centers should look slightly underbaked.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Read the Recipe First: Take a moment to read through the entire recipe and ingredient notes before you start. Understanding each step helps ensure success.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your dry measuring cup, slightly overfill it, then level it off with a straight edge. Avoid scooping directly with the cup, as this compacts the flour and can throw off the measurement.
- Soften the Butter: Let butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. Soft but cool butter is ideal for mixing.
- Prep Your Baking Sheet: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Avoid greasing it, as this can cause the cookies to spread too much.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: A scoop holding 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of dough helps create evenly sized cookies. This recipe yields 6-7 cookies.
- Add Extra Chocolate Chips: Press a few chocolate chips on top of each dough ball before baking. This not only adds extra chocolate flavor but also makes the cookies look bakery-perfect!
Serving Suggestions
A warm chocolate chip cookie is always a treat, but here are a few ideas to take your cookie experience to the next level:
- With Milk: Pair your cookies with a cold glass of milk, almond milk, or oat milk for the ultimate classic combination.
- Ice Cream Sandwich: Make a fun dessert by sandwiching a scoop of ice cream, like mint chocolate chip, between two cookies.
- Cookie Sundae: Crumble a cookie over vanilla ice cream and add caramel and whipped cream for a simple yet decadent treat.
- With Coffee or Hot Chocolate: Enjoy your cookie alongside a freshly brewed cup of coffee or rich hot chocolate or a comforting pairing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily double the ingredients to make 12 cookies.
The combination of cornstarch and brown sugar creates a chewy texture. To achieve that perfect gooey and chewy consistency, avoid over-baking the cookies. Remove them from the oven when the edges are golden, but the centers still look slightly undercooked—they’ll firm up as they cool.
Flat cookies can happen for a few reasons:
Greased Baking Sheet: Using a greased baking sheet instead of lining it with parchment or a silicone mat can cause the cookies to spread too much.
Ingredient Ratios: Too much sugar or too little flour can affect the structure of the cookies. In small batch recipes, precise measurements are especially important.
Expired Baking Soda: Old or expired baking soda may not provide the necessary lift, so always check the expiration date.
Improper Butter and Sugar Creaming: If the butter and sugar aren’t creamed properly, the dough won’t have enough air, resulting in flatter cookies.
To keep your cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay delicious for up to 4-5 days. If you’d like to extend their freshness, you can refrigerate them, where they’ll keep well for about a week.
Yes, scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
More Small Batch Cookie Recipes
If you love baking small batch cookies, here are more recipes to add to your collection. From timeless classics to unique favorites, these recipes let you enjoy freshly baked cookies without worrying about leftovers:
- Peanut Butter Cookies.: Rich and nutty with a soft texture.
- Frosted Sugar Cookies: Sweet, buttery, and topped with a creamy frosting.
- Lace Cookies: Thin, crispy, and caramelized for an elegant treat.
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: Loaded with chocolate for an extra indulgent bite.
- Molasses Cookies – Spiced and chewy with deep molasses flavor.
- Shortbread Bites – Buttery, crumbly, and perfect for snacking.
- Hermit Cookies – Soft, spiced cookies with raisins and dates.
- Coconut Macaroons – Sweet, chewy, and packed with coconut goodness.
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 these easy small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Watch How To Make This
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter -softened
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for about 1 minute. Pro Tip: Make sure the butter is soft but not melted—it helps create light, fluffy cookies. Don’t overmix, as too much creaming can make the cookies cake-like, while too little will result in flatter cookies.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until everything is combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together.
- Gently fold the chocolate chips into the dough.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to portion the dough and place scoops 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Roll each scoop into a ball for even baking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden, and the centers should look slightly underbaked.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Read the Recipe First: Take a moment to read through the entire recipe and ingredient notes before you start. Understanding each step helps ensure success.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your dry measuring cup, slightly overfill it, then level it off with a straight edge. Avoid scooping directly with the cup, as this compacts the flour and can throw off the measurement.
- Soften the Butter: Let butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. Soft but cool butter is ideal for mixing.
- Prep Your Baking Sheet: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Avoid greasing it, as this can cause the cookies to spread too much.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: A scoop holding 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of dough helps create evenly sized cookies. This recipe yields 6-7 cookies.
- Add Extra Chocolate Chips: Press a few chocolate chips on top of each dough ball before baking. This not only adds extra chocolate flavor but also makes the cookies look bakery-perfect!
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.
Great recipe. I like using it as a basic cookie dough recipe as well so i can customize everything that goes in without having a lot of cookies left over
Great cookie!!!
its good
Best cookie recipe!
Thank you so much!
These are perfect and yummy. We’re empty nesters and do not need more than 6! We’ll, maybe 12…😅
I love your recipes for my home care clients! Do you have any for diabetic desserts? I have one client with a sweet tooth,lol. Thanks for your great recipes.
I’m thrilled to hear that you and your home care clients are enjoying the recipes! While I do have a variety of low-carb dessert options, it’s important to note that my recipes aren’t specifically formulated to meet diabetic standards. For specialized diabetic-friendly recipes, I’d strongly recommend sourcing them from medically recognized or certified sources to ensure they meet your client’s dietary needs. Thanks for your kind words!
I’m replacing the brown sugar with Swerve. I tasted the dough and it tasted great not sure if this might help. Swerve makes chocolate chips too.
This recipe is so simple and probably the best ever chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made… and I’ve baked a lot!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much, Lynnie!