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These small batch chocolate chip cookies bake up soft and chewy in the center with crisp golden edges and pockets of melted chocolate in every bite. The recipe makes 6 cookies in 20 minutes with no chilling required.
Featured Comment
“This recipe is so simple and probably the best ever chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made… and I’ve baked a lot!!”
– Lynnie
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Method: Oven-baked
- Servings: 6 cookies
- Difficulty: Easy
Warm, bakery-style chocolate chip cookies scaled down to a small batch, ready to eat in 20 minutes and just the right number for one or two people to enjoy.
Why You’ll Love This Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Six warm cookies in twenty minutes, thick and chewy with rich chocolate in every bite. This is the recipe I reach for when I want a fresh cookie without three dozen of them sitting on the counter.
When I first started scaling cookies down to a small batch, I learned quickly that you can’t just cut a full recipe in half. The ingredient ratios shift, and that’s why so many scaled-down cookie recipes bake up dry, cakey, or flat.
I figured this out one ingredient at a time, starting with the egg. A whole egg has too much liquid for half a cup of flour, which loosens the dough and makes the cookies bake up cakey instead of spreading into chewy rounds. One egg yolk delivers all the richness and binding the dough needs. Save the leftover white for one of my egg white recipes so nothing goes to waste.
I also add a small amount of cornstarch, which softens the protein in the flour and keeps the centers tender even a day or two later. And I lean heavier on brown sugar than white sugar, because the molasses in brown sugar is what gives these cookies their soft, chewy bite.
Once you have the ingredient ratios right, this recipe is fast. No chilling needed, and from the time you preheat the oven to the time you’re eating a warm cookie is right around twenty minutes.
If you love a good small batch cookie recipe, you’ll also want to try my deep dish chocolate chip cookie for one baked in a ramekin, my small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or my air fryer chocolate chip cookies for when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
Watch How To Make a Small Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies
Table of Contents
- Quick Look
- Why You’ll Love This Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Watch How To Make a Small Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ingredient Notes
- Recipe Variations
- How To Make Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Expert Tips
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredient Notes
If you have any ingredients leftover from this homemade chocolate chip cookies recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Butter: Room-temperature salted butter gives the cookies rich flavor and helps them spread evenly during baking. Pull the butter out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start so it presses easily with a finger but isn’t melted. Avoid softening the butter in the microwave, partially melted butter causes the cookies to spread thin. Unsalted butter works too, just add a small extra pinch of salt to the dough.
Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: A mix of both is what gives these cookies their texture. Brown sugar adds moisture and the molasses flavor that makes them soft and chewy, while granulated sugar helps the edges crisp up and turn golden. If you’re out of brown sugar, make a quick batch with my small batch brown sugar recipe.
Egg Yolk: Just the yolk for this recipe, no whites. Use the leftover egg white in a mini pavlova, a small Texas sheet cake, or in my recipe for two chocolate cupcakes.
Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the dough a warm, rounded flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure so the cookies hold their shape without spreading too thin. For a gluten-free option, I’ve tested King Arthur Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour and it works well in this recipe.
Baking Soda: A small amount gives the cookies a gentle lift and helps the edges brown.
Cornstarch: My secret ingredient for soft, chewy cookies. It softens the protein in the flour so the centers stay tender even after the cookies cool.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: I use semi-sweet, but dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate from a bar all work. Extras? Use them in a single serve chocolate lava cake, small batch chocolate chip pancakes, or my deep dish brookie recipe.
Recipe Variations
This easy single serving chocolate chip cookie recipe is simple to customize with a few small swaps and add-ins.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally. The butter will foam, then quiet down, and you’ll see small golden-brown specks form at the bottom of the pan with a nutty, toasted smell, about 4 to 5 minutes total. Pour into a heatproof bowl, scraping in all the browned bits, and refrigerate until firm, about 90 minutes. Once solid, cream it with the sugars just as you would softened butter. Brown butter adds a rich, toffee-like depth.
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies: Sprinkle a small pinch of flaky sea salt on each cookie right after they come out of the oven. The salt sharpens the chocolate and balances the sweetness.
Chocolate Chunk Cookies: Swap the chocolate chips for chopped chocolate from a bar. Chunks melt into uneven pools instead of holding their shape, which gives the cookies a more bakery-style look.
Nut Cookies: Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips for added crunch.
White Chocolate Chip Cookies: Use white chocolate chips for a sweeter, creamier cookie. A small handful of dried cranberries pairs well here.
M&M Cookies: Use M&Ms in place of the chocolate chips for a colorful variation.
How To Make Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make chewy small batch chocolate chip cookies from start to finish. Scroll to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and full baking instructions.
Before you begin: Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth and well combined. The butter should be soft enough to press with a finger but not melted.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla: Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Combine wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the chocolate chips: Stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon or spatula until evenly distributed.
- Scoop and shape the dough: Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough, or measure 2 tablespoons of dough with a measuring spoon. Roll each scoop into a ball and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so the centers finish setting, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
Measure the flour correctly. Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping straight from the bag packs the flour and adds too much, which is the most common reason small batch cookies turn out dry or cakey. A kitchen scale is even more accurate if you have one.
Use room-temperature butter, not melted. The butter should sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes until it presses easily with a finger but still holds its shape. Avoid softening it in the microwave, even partially melted butter causes the cookies to spread thin and lose their chewy texture.
Cream the butter and sugars for a full minute. You want the mixture lighter in color and smooth, but not whipped or fluffy. Undercreaming makes flat cookies. Overcreaming makes them cakey.
Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which makes the cookies tough.
Pull them out underbaked. The cookies should look slightly soft in the centers when you take them out. They keep cooking on the hot baking sheet for the first few minutes after baking, which is what gives you soft centers and crisp edges.
Troubleshooting
Small batch cookies are forgiving once you know what to watch for. Here’s how to fix the most common chocolate chip cookie problems.
Why are my cookies flat and thin?
The butter was too warm, the dough was overmixed, or there wasn’t enough flour. Make sure the butter is at room temperature but not soft enough to look greasy, mix only until the flour disappears, and measure the flour by spooning and leveling.
Why are my cookies dry and crumbly?
Too much flour. This almost always happens when flour is scooped straight from the bag, which packs it down and adds more than the recipe calls for. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off, or weigh it on a kitchen scale.
Why are my cookies cakey and not chewy?
Either the butter was creamed too long, which whipped too much air into the dough, or a whole egg was used instead of just the yolk. Cream the butter and sugars for one minute, no longer, and stick to one egg yolk.
Why did my cookies spread?
The dough balls were too close together. Place them at least 2 inches apart on a standard rimmed baking sheet so they have room to spread without touching.
Frequently Asked Questions
This small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe makes 6 to 7 cookies using a 2-tablespoon scoop. For smaller cookies, use a 1-tablespoon scoop and you’ll get 12 to 14.
Yes. This recipe is designed to bake without any chill time. Mix the dough, scoop, and bake right away.
Yes. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked. They will finish baking on the hot pan for about 5 minutes after coming out of the oven. If the centers look fully set in the oven, they’ll be overbaked once they cool.
Yes. Double all the ingredients, including using two egg yolks instead of one whole egg. A whole egg adds too much liquid even for a doubled batch and changes the texture. Bake on a single rimmed baking sheet, or split between two if needed, keeping the same baking temperature and time.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Refresh in a 300°F oven for 2 to 3 minutes to bring back the soft centers.
A small batch recipe is developed from the start to make a small number of cookies, with ingredient ratios scaled for the smaller volume. A half batch is a full batch recipe cut in half, which can throw off the texture because some ingredients (like a whole egg) don’t divide cleanly. This recipe is a true small batch.
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 this recipe for chocolate chip cookies for one or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen, I’d love to hear from you. Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out.
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 to room temperature
- 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
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, beat the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute, until smooth and lighter in color.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until fully combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips with a spoon or spatula until evenly distributed.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoon to portion the dough. Roll each scoop into a ball and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to finish setting, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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.
Salted or unsalted butter? And if I only have salted, do I omit the 1/8 tsp of salt?
Thanks!
I use salted butter (please see the section, “Why I Use Salted Butter” in the recipe post) and also use 1/8 tsp of salt.
Great recipe but I baked it in the 5″ baking dish as you did for the Oatmeal chocolate chip skillet cookie. OMG – it was fantastic!!!! Thanks so much for posting this recipe.
Can these be made with white chocolate chips
Yes.
So I screwed up this recipe fairly large time but it turned out fantastic. I didn’t read the amount of cornstarch correctly and used 1/4 of a cup instead. However this made the cookies soft and chewy with a glorious mouth feel. I love chewy cookies. I also didn’t have chocolate chips on hand and instead used some mini marshmallows forming them into a loose ball with the marshmallows inside. Very good! So good I made the recipe again and realized my mistake the first time.lol. but it’s good and the dough turned out perfect for exactly 6 cookies.
So perfect 👌
If I double this recipe, would I still add another egg yolk? Or, would one whole egg suffice?
We have tested this recipe using 1 whole egg for a double batch and 2 egg yolks for a double batch. If you use the entire egg, the cookies are much flatter. When you use 2 egg yolks, the cookies rise better and have more of a cookie texture. I don’t recommend using the entire egg when doubling this recipe, the cookies really need the extra protein that the extra egg yolk provides.
I’m glad I finally read through the comments. This whole egg vs 2 egg yolks on a double batch was exactly my question. I made my 2nd batch double with the whole egg and flat is exactly what I got. So I guess 2 egg yolks it is. 😏 I better start scrambling some egg whites!
I have made these cookies multiple times. They are always good! The recipe is really easy to increase if you want to share. However, I find if you add the chocolate chips BEFORE you add the flour mixture it blends much more easily then trying to fold in the chips at the end.
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hardly ever have corn starch on hand. Is it absolutely necessary? Ty.
Cornstarch is the ingredient that makes the chocolate chip cookies soft and makes them rise. If you leave the cornstarch out, the cookies will be much flatter.
Why does an ad pop up when I click on the ‘go to the recipe’ link? I have to back out of the ad and click on the link again to get to the recipe. I love your recipes–they’re always excellent and I save every one of them. I’m just curious about the ad coming before the recipe.
Thank you. I will reach out to our ad company. Was this on mobile or on desktop?
If I could give 10 stars, I would do so. This is a STELLAR recipe and a STELLAR website. ALL Ms. Zisk’s recipes are excellent! A+ for this recipe!
Than you so much!
You are quite welcome! Your website is PERFECT!