Best Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect for smaller families or those moments when you just want a warm, chewy chocolate chip cookie without leftovers tempting you for days.

Have you ever just needed a cookie, but didn't want the responsibility of restraining yourself from an entire batch, sitting on your countertop, inviting you to eat the whole lot? I find myself in that situation often. The cookie craving strikes, and while 1 or 2 might be ok, having a full batch of 24 hanging around is just too dangerous for me. That's why I love small-batch recipes - they're the perfect amount when your sweet tooth starts making a stink, but won't break the calorie bank (especially when the rest of your family is there to help you gobble them up).

I find myself making this easy recipe for small batch chocolate chip cookies a lot. And, if you really only want one or two, it's easy to freeze the rest of the dough, and then just pop a bit off to bake when you're in the mood. Diet crisis averted! (And really, there is NOTHING like a warm chocolate chip cookie, straight out of the oven. Try this also with my Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies, Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies or the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!) Tip: Make it even more indulgent by pairing it with a mug of my Mexican Hot Chocolate!)

Why This Recipe Works

• Easy. I have other chocolate chip cookie recipes on my site that involve different types of flours or longer chill times, but this one is super simple, using everyday ingredients like purpose flour, eggs, and vanilla extract. These perfect chocolate chip cookies come together in a snap, requiring absolutely no chill time and a short baking time. 
• Delicious. These are truly the best chocolate chip cookies if you're looking for chewy cookies with golden brown and crisp edges. If a classic batch of cookies is what you're after, this is it.
• Just the right size. These easy small-batch chocolate chip cookies make just the right amount for your cookie craving. 
• Easy to double. While I love making a half batch of chocolate chip cookies, you could also double the recipe for a larger crowd, or freeze half the dough for an easy cookie session later on. An easy hack: roll the cookie dough into a log, freeze it, then just cut off a couple at a time when you want one. You can bake them straight from frozen! (Although you'll probably need to add just a couple of minutes to the baking time.)

Key Ingredients

As I said before, this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe uses simple ingredients to make the best cookies. Here's what you'll need.

• All-purpose flour. The foundation of these cookies which gives them structure and chewiness.
• Baking soda & baking powder. These leavening agents help our cookies rise to the perfect texture.
• Salted butter & sugars. A mix of white sugar and light brown sugar with butter creates a rich, caramel-like flavor.
• Pure vanilla extract. A dash of vanilla enhances the flavor profile of our cookies.
• A whole egg. Binds the ingredients together and adds moisture.
• Chocolate chips. The star of the show! For this recipe, I used chocolate chunks because I love the bigger puddles of chocolate they produce in the cookies. I also used a few mini chocolate chips at the end of baking to add to the appearance of the cookies. 

Variations and Substitutions

One of my favorite things about these small-batch chocolate chip cookies is that while they're great on their own, they are also sort of a blank slate, and you can customize them in loads of ways to change them up. Here are a few ideas.

• Use brown butter. For a nuttier flavor, use brown butter instead of regular butter. This takes just an extra step (you have to brown the butter in a pan for a few minutes), but oh man, the result is worth it! Brown butter chocolate chip cookies are incredible. (Really, brown butter can turn any dessert into a decadent treat! Try these Brown Butter Snickerdoodles, Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats, or this recipe for Brown Butter Ooey Gooey Bars and tell me I'm wrong!)
• Different sugars. This recipe calls for light brown sugar, but if you only have dark brown sugar, that will work too, and will give you a deeper molasses flavor.
• Change the chocolate. I used classic semi-sweet chocolate in this recipe, but you could change it up to use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate chips, or any other kind you prefer. 
• Add extra chocolate. Feel free to add extra chocolate chips or chunks for plenty of chocolate in each bite.
• Other add-ins. These classic cookies go great with lots of other add-ins. Try nuts (Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are a FAVE!), dried cranberries, toffee pieces, or peanut butter chips for a delicious variation on this small batch of chocolate chip cookies. You could also add some cocoa powder to the flour mixture to make these chocolate-chocolate chip cookies. 

How To Make Small-Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Making these deliciously chewy cookies is easy. These small-batch cookies come together quickly - you'll be washing them down with a big glass of milk in no time! 

1. Preparation. Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F and lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Be careful not to add too much flour, which can make the cookie crumbly and dry. 

3. Cream butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened, room-temperature butter with granulated and brown sugar until well combined. (I just used a hand mixer to make this easier, and it works fine - I didn't feel like pulling my huge Kitchen-Aid out!)

4. Add egg and vanilla. Mix the egg and vanilla extract into the butter/sugar mixture.

5. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips. Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks, ensuring they're evenly distributed.

7. Shape the cookies. Roll the chocolate chip cookie dough into small balls of dough (about 1.5 inches in diameter) and place them on your baking sheet. A cookie scoop makes this a lot easier!

8. Bake. Put them in the oven for about 8 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
9. Add extra chocolate chips. This step is optional, but it makes your cookies look pretty. Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, press a few extra chocolate chips into the top while the cookie is still soft (it will continue to firm up as it cools). I used mini chocolate chips for this but you can use whatever kind you wish.
10. Cool. Let the cookies rest on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.