The Best Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Love baking but don’t want a bunch of sweets sitting around tempting you? These small batch chocolate chip cookies are for you! This recipe yields just 8 delicious cookies, so it’s perfect for a small family or treats for yourself for a few days.
Table of Contents
If you have been around here long, you know that I love baking. The only problem with baking is that when you’re done you have a whole cake, a whole pie, or a whole mess of cookies. That might sound like a delightful problem to have, but trying to eat it all while it’s fresh can be a task – especially if you’re trying to watch the old waistline.
That’s why I love this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe. It may make just 8 cookies, but they’re big on flavor and so easy you won’t believe it.
In just 22 minutes {no chill time needed} you’ll have a batch of cookies that are the perfect amount for you to have a daily sweet treat, for a small family who doesn’t need dessert every day or for a couple.
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Tips & tricks to achieve the most delicious cookies of your life!
What goes into this recipe
- Butter: I prefer to use salted butter when baking but you could always use unsalted butter if you are worried about the amount of salt. Using melted butter allows you to make the cookies in minutes without waiting for room temperature butter. You could also use brown butter for a different taste.
- Brown Sugar: This will give the chewy cookies a slight caramel taste. Use dark brown sugar for an even deeper flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: White sugar will give the cookies a chewy texture and added sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Helps to enhance all of the other flavors of the cookie. For an extra special touch, use vanilla bean paste.
- Egg Yolk: Instead of using a whole egg, just use the yolk of the egg to create the perfect consistency The fat content also gives the cookies an extra rich and delicious flavor. Save the egg white for another recipe or scramble it for breakfast.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: These are my personal favorite but feel free to use regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips. They work great in these Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
To change up the flavor, you can replace the semi-sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or white chocolate chips.
You can also add pecans or a different type of nut {these Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies are awesome}, toffee bits, dried fruits, or caramel bits are also great options.
How to make a Small Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Microwave the butter in a large microwave safe bowl for about 20 seconds, or until melted. Add the sugars and mix with a spoon until creamy {no need for a stand mixer or hand mixer}. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and mix gently, being sure not to over mix. Add the dry ingredients {flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt} to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. Pour in the chocolate chips.
- Stir until the chocolate chips are evenly distributed.
- Scoop dough into your hands using a medium cookie scoop and roll into a smooth ball.
- Place the balls on a silicone mat or a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are set. Remove from the oven and allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack. Unless you are like me and can’t resist a warm chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven.
Expert Tips
- Be careful not to over mix the ingredients in the cookie dough. Over mixing can cause dense cookies instead of the soft cookies we want.
- Use a cookie scoop to keep all of the cookies the same size. This helps them to bake evenly and makes them look uniform.
- You may want to rotate the baking sheet halfway through the bake time. This will help to promote even browning.
- To add an extra delicious touch, sprinkle with flaky sea salt after baking. The extra salt enhances the flavor and takes them over the top in the best way possible. I love doing that with these Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- For best results, let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. This will help the centers firm up but will prevent the cookies from becoming over baked while still giving you chewy centers.
Storage and Freezing
Store: Place leftover cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. They will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Allow them to cool completely, then flash freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer the small batch cookie recipe to an airtight freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! The way I like to do it is to scoop out the dough balls and put them on a baking sheet, then freeze them for 1 hour. Then they can be transferred to a freezer bag for easy storage. When you’re ready to bake, just bake the frozen cookie dough balls for 11-13 minutes.
Absolutely! This recipe is for a small batch of cookies, but you can use the same recipe to make a full batch by doubling or even tripling the recipe.
There are a combination of things that make these cookies so soft and chewy. Not over mixing the dough, using melted butter, the addition of more brown sugar than granulated sugar and not over baking are all important for getting just the right texture.
Do you love Classic chocolate chip cookies? Try these recipes…
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The Best Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter {melted}
- ¼ cup brown sugar {packed}
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Microwave butter in a small microwave safe bowl for about 20 seconds {add 5 second increments if not melted}. Add both sugars to the butter and mix by hand until creamy. Add the vanilla and egg yolk, mix until incorporated but do not over mix or the dough can get stiff.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until everything is incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly distributed.
- Use a medium cookie scoop {or about 1 1/2 tablespoons} to scoop dough into your hands and roll into a smooth ball.
- Place the cookie dough balls onto a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven for 9-11 minutes {or until edges are set and center is still slightly jiggly} remove from the oven. Allow cookies to cool completely on the pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Place cooled cookies in an airtight container or ziploc bag. They will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Dough balls can also be frozen for convenience. Just put them in the oven directly from the freezer and add about 2 minutes to the baking time.
