Yield: 6 chocolate chip cookies // Total Time: 20 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.
One bowl, 20 minutes, 6 perfectly delicious chocolate chip cookies.
Small batch chocolate chip cookies
These cookies are seriously my favorite things to bake. They are so perfect for when you want something sweet right now. They come together in just one bowl, and 20 minutes – how perfect is that?! Now, I don’t want to be a baking snob but chocolate chip cookies are kind of the most basic of cookies. So how do we overcome that? Well, it’s by using high quality ingredients. I know it can be annoying and pricey, but I really highly recommend using European style butter and high quality chocolate in this cookie. It’s what takes these from delicious to “I need another batch IMMEDIATELY”. Of course they will still turn out delicious no matter the butter and chocolate, I just want you to know what I use and highly recommend!
Small batch chocolate chip cookies recipe tips
Weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!
Mix the dough carefully
When adding in the flour, only fold the mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Overmixing the dough leads to more gluten formation, which can make the cookies super tough and chewy.
Under bake for perfect cookies
Cookies continue baking after they have been taken out of the oven. The cookies may look a little underdone at 10 minutes, but it’s important to take them out to keep them nice and soft. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for an additional 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool (or just eat them right there!)
Cookie scooting
Wanna know the secret to perfectly round cookies? It’s cookie scooting! Right when the cookies come out of the oven, take a bowl, cup, or biscuit cutter that is just slightly larger than your cookies and place it over one of the cookies. Gently swirl the bowl around the cookie to make the cookie perfectly round (and slightly thicker). And that’s all there is to it!
Ingredients and substitutions
All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness.
Baking powder: for helping the cookies rise.
Salt: to help balance and bring out the sweetness of the cookies
Unsalted butter: for tenderness and flavor. You can use salted butter in place of the unsalted, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the cookies. I highly recommend splurging a little and using European style butter here for the best flavor.
Light brown sugar: for sweetness and for moisture.
Egg yolk: for binding and for moisture.
Vanilla: for flavor. I use and love this vanilla extract!
Chocolate: put your favorite chocolate here. I used Valrhona baking discs (these ones here) and can’t recommend them enough. Just look at those puddles! But they are definitely on the pricier side. If not using the discs, I recommend using a chocolate baking bar. You can also of course use chocolate chips here, just note that the cookies will most likely end up a little thicker. In terms of using milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate, use your favorite!
How to make small batch chocolate chip cookies
1. Melt the butter. In a small microwave safe bowl, microwave the butter just until melted. Microwave it in 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval. Then, whisk in the light brown sugar.
2. Add in the egg yolk. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla until the mixture is cohesive.
3. Fold in the dry ingredients. Fold in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until only a few flour streaks remain in the cookie dough. Then, add in your chocolate. If using chocolate discs, break them in half to get them more evenly distributed in the dough. Fold the mixture together just until no more flour streaks remain. Overmixing will lead to a tough cookie!
4. Bake the cookies. Evenly space out 3 tbsp. scoops of the cookie dough on a cookie sheet. Top with additional chocolate if desired. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F / 175°C.
5. Get perfect cookies. Once the cookies come out of the oven, I recommend “scooting” them. This just means take a bowl, cup, or biscuit cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie, place it on top of the cookie, and swirl the bowl around to make the cookie perfectly circular. It’s not needed at all but it will help you get that perfectly round cookie look! Also, leave the cookies to cool on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes to help them set up.
Small batch chocolate chip cookies Q & A
Can I double these small batch chocolate chip cookies?
Of course! Obviously they will not be small batch anymore but small batch isn’t always what we need! Simply double all of the ingredients in the recipe to make 12 delicious chocolate chip cookies. I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results.
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Definitely! Cookie dough only gets better with time. You can keep the cookie dough tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. For longer term storage, you can also freeze the cookie dough. Just be sure to take the dough out of the fridge at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before you want to bake, so that it becomes soft enough to scoop again!
How to store small batch chocolate chip cookies
If for some reason you don’t feel like inhaling these 6 cookies (like I did IMMEDIATELY after taking these pictures), you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will taste the best on the day that they are baked, but will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
Why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!
A note on oven temperature
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
Tools and ingredients
Cookie Sheet: I absolutely love USA pan products because of their great quality. I use their cookie sheet which is always the perfect size for all of my small batch cookies!
Silicone baking mat: parchment paper will always do the job for cookies, but I like to use a silicone mat when I can to try to cut down on waste. This is the one I use.
Cookie scoops: I have gone through a lot of cookie scoops in my baking journey, and these ones have lasted me the longest without breaking. Plus they are dishwasher safe!
Vanilla: I love using Rodelle vanilla extract. Not only is it a great quality product, but it’s on the lower end of the price that vanilla can be! This is the one I use.
For a full list of tools, equipment and ingredients that I use and love, you can check out this page here.
Did you make these small batch chocolate chip cookies?
If you made these small batch chocolate chip cookies I would love to see them and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 65 g all purpose flour (½ c.)
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 50 g unsalted butter melted (3 ½ tbsp.)
- 65 g light brown sugar (⅓ c.)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- 115 g chocolate (discs, bar, chips) (⅔ c.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone mat.
- In a medium sized microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.
- Add the light brown sugar to the butter and whisk until combined.
- Add in the egg yolk and vanilla, whisking until thoroughly combined.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Lightly fold together using a rubber spatula until the flour is almost completely combined. Add in the chopped chocolate (save some for topping the cookies if desired), and fold until no flour streaks remain.
- Use a 3 tbsp. cookie scoop to dish out the cookies and evenly space them out on the baking sheet. Top with extra chocolate if desired. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the middles of the cookies are almost completely set.
- Serve, and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, I would love to see it and know what you think! Please leave a rating down below and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. Thanks for stopping by!
Can I use chocolate eating bar instead of chocolate baking bar? What’s the difference?
Hi! Chocolate bars usually have a lot more sugar and other additives in them when compared to a baking bar. Baking bars are specifically made for baking so they tend to melt nicely when baked. The chocolate bar may act more like chocolate chips and result in less spread in the cookies. I have seen people make these successfully with chocolate chips so you can certainly try them out with a chocolate bar! I’d love to see and know how it turns out if you do! 🙂
I loved these! I made 4 large cookies and we really enjoyed them. The recipe is fast and easy to make. I liked not having a dozen more cookies staring me in the face today. I might add an extra 5-10 g of flour out of personal preference and only used 85 g of chocolate (70% cacao Lindt bar) and they tasted incredible.
I’m so happy you liked them and thank you for making these! 🙂
Just made these and they look amazing. Had to leave them a little longer than 10 minutes but that’s my oven’s fault rather than the recipe. As for an airtight container to keep them in ha ha ha.
Thank you so much for making these, I hope you enjoy them! 🙂
These are SO good! They are possibly my favourite chocolate chip cookies ever. I make 5 instead of 6 so they’re a bit bigger. I also cut down on the chocolate by about 20-30 grams so it wouldn’t be too overwhelmingly chocolate-y.
mine tastes and turned out great! using everything the recipe asked for, i was worried at first cause mine turned a bit paler and it kinda spread a little too bigger compared to yours as reference but the “swirling in a glass” method did the trick for the size and shape, as for the taste it is actually quite real good, the center was super chewy, like realllly chewyyy, and the outside was crisp and crumbly. anyway, do you think it will be okay and will it make a difference if i brown the butter for this recipe? thanks for your recipes btw, will definitely do this again and will try more of your recipes soon! 💗 * i wanted to attach a photo of the cookies but for some reason i can’t upload it. sorry for that*
Hi! Thank you so much for making these, I’m so happy you liked them! I haven’t tried them with brown butter but it would definitely be great for adding in some extra flavor! Just make sure that the brown butter is cooled enough to not cook the egg. You might also want to add in 8-10g of water if you brown the 50g of butter in order to make up for the moisture loss. Also I don’t currently have a way to upload pictures here – sorry about that, but if you would like to upload them to Instagram I would love to see them. Thank you again and I hope this was helpful! 😊🤍
will take note on that, thank you for the tips! 💗
These are my favourite cookies – I’ve made them so many times. Thank you!!
Thank you so much, that is such an honor to be your favorite!! So happy you like them 🙂
I cant stop making these cookies! so insanely good and so so fast.
So happy you like them – thank you so much! 🙂
Can I sub gluten-free flour mix instead of the all purposee flour element for this recipe?
Hi! I have never tried these with gluten-free flour but I’ve seen other people make the swap in other recipes for cookies and have no issues. I’d love to know how they turn out if you do end up trying them with gluten-free flour!
Can I triple the recipe to get 18 cookies at once?
Hi! Yes, you can! I really strongly recommend using the gram measurements if you are going to do that in order to get the best results.
[…] what to do with all the leftover egg whites from making my small batch chocolate chip cookies? My goal for these cupcakes was to make a delicious vanilla cupcake that only required one egg […]
This is a delicious recipe! I got four big cookies out of this recipe and one little buddy. I did bang them on the counter to flatten them out to get that perfect texture as they were quite puffy. Going to brown the butter next time because #brownbutter 😉
Best cookies ever 🤍🤍
Hii I only have baking powder so will that work okay?
Hi, the cookies will be a little bit more thick and cakey but it should work!