I just made these Easy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies in one bowl and they’re shockingly soft in 20 minutes, so keep scrolling before I eat the whole batch.

Jump to Recipe

I’m obsessed with this Easy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe because it actually tastes like home and never asks for drama. I love that the dough is buttery from light brown sugar and loaded with semisweet chocolate chips melting into chaos.

But it’s not precious. It’s soft, slightly chewy, and still bold enough to handle a forkful of cold milk.

I bake a tray when life feels loud, when guests bail, Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies when I just want something stupidly good. No fancy rules.

Just big, honest cookies that vanish too fast. I hoard the pan for myself often.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

Unsalted butter, melted — Basically makes cookies chewy and rich.
(use contraction?)
Light brown sugar, packed, adds moistness and caramel-y depth to dough.
Granulated sugar, gives crisp edges and a little snap when cooled.
Large eggs, they bind everything and give structure and lift.
Vanilla extract, it’s warm and sweet, makes the chocolate pop.
All purpose flour, the backbone that holds cookies together and shapes them.
Baking soda, it’s the gentle rise that keeps cookies tender inside.
Fine salt, balances sweetness and brings out hidden chocolate notes.
Semisweet chocolate chips, pockets of melty chocolate in every bite.
Chopped chocolate, bigger melty chunks for rustic, gooey hits.
Flaky sea salt, optional; plus it adds a little crunchy salty finish.

Ingredient Quantities

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups (280g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. In a large bowl stir together 1 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until mostly smooth and no big lumps of brown sugar remain.

3. Add 2 large room temperature eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, whisk or beat with a spoon until mixture is glossy and well combined; a few streaks are fine.

4. Sprinkle in 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt over the wet mix, then fold everything together with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined; dont overmix.

5. Stir in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, scraping the bowl so no pockets of flour are left.

6. Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to drop generous tablespoon sized mounds of dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies; press a few extra chips on top if you want them pretty.

7. Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 9 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft and puffy; they will continue to cook as they cool.

8. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling or eat warm if you cant wait.

9. If desired sprinkle flaky sea salt over cookies right after baking for contrast, and store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

10. Quick tips: use melted butter for a tender, slightly chewy cookie; dont chill the dough so you can bake right away; room temp eggs help the dough come together fast.

Equipment Needed

1. Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
2. Measuring cups and spoons
3. Rubber spatula and/or wooden spoon
4. Whisk or fork
5. Baking sheets (2)
6. Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
7. Cookie scoop or two spoons
8. Wire cooling rack
9. Small bowl for sprinkling sea salt
10. Oven mitts and a timer

Here’s the recipe written like I’d scribble it down at home, with a few tips and common little mistakes so it feels real.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats so the cookies don’t stick.

In a large bowl stir together 1 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until mostly smooth and there aren’t big lumps of brown sugar left. You can use a whisk or a fork, just make sure the melted butter gets into the brown sugar good.

Add 2 large room temperature eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Whisk or beat with a spoon until it looks glossy and blended, a few streaks are fine, don’t stress it.

Sprinkle 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt over the wet mix. Fold everything together with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined; dont overmix or the cookies get tough.

Stir in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, scraping the bowl so there’s no dry flour hiding at the bottom. If you want extra melty pockets of chocolate, toss in a few chopped larger pieces.

Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to drop generous tablespoon sized mounds of dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Press a few extra chips on top if you want them to look pretty.

Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 9 to 12 minutes. You want the edges set but centers still soft and puffy, they’ll keep cooking a little as they cool so dont overbake.

Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Eat warm if you can’t wait, theyre perfect right out of the oven.

If you like contrast sprinkle flaky sea salt over the cookies right after they come out of the oven. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Quick tips:
– Melted butter gives a tender slightly chewy cookie, which is what you want here.
– Don’t chill the dough so you can bake right away, if you chill them theyll be thicker and different.
– Room temp eggs help the dough come together faster, so take them out ahead of time.
– If your oven runs hot check them a minute or two earlier, ovens arent all the same.
– For fewer flat cookies add one more tablespoon of flour, for thinner ones use a touch less.

FAQ

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups (280g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

Q: Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter? A: Yes, but reduce added salt by half since salted butter adds extra salt.

Q: Can I substitute whole wheat or bread flour? A: You can swap up to half the flour with whole wheat for nuttier flavor, but texture will be a bit denser. Bread flour will make chewier cookies because it has more protein.

Q: How do I get flat cookies or thicker cookies? A: For flatter cookies press the dough slightly before baking and don’t chill. For thicker cookies chill dough 30 minutes to an hour or bake larger scoops and add a minute or two to bake time.

Q: Can I bake from frozen cookie dough balls? A: Yes. Add 1 to 3 extra minutes to the bake time, bake straight from frozen on a lined sheet.

Q: How do I make them extra gooey in the middle? A: Take them out when centers still look soft and slightly underbaked. They’ll set as they cool but stay gooey inside.

Q: Can I reduce sugar or use a sugar substitute? A: You can cut granulated sugar by up to half, but texture and spread will change. Sugar substitutes often change texture a lot so results vary.

Q: How should I reheat leftover cookies? A: Warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes or pop a cookie 10 seconds in the microwave for a quick soft cookie.

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Here are a few easy swaps you can make if you’re out of something or want a twist. Try one at a time so you know how it changes the cookie.

Unsalted butter (melted) — use salted butter cup for cup, and cut the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Or swap with light-tasting coconut oil 1:1 for a slightly tropical note.
Light brown sugar — substitute dark brown sugar 1:1 for a deeper molasses flavor, or make 1 cup by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses if thats what you got.
Eggs — replace each large egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water (let sit 5 minutes) for a vegan option. Applesauce works too at 1/4 cup per egg, but cookies will be softer.
All purpose flour — use a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend (one that already has xanthan gum) by weight, so use about 280 grams instead of measuring by volume.

Pro Tips

1. Chill the melted-butter batter for 20 to 30 minutes before scooping if your kitchen is warm. It firms up the dough just enough so cookies spread less and get a chewier center, but you still bake right away afterward.

2. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling with a knife instead of scooping. Too much flour makes them cakey; this keeps the texture tender and slightly chewy.

3. Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped chocolate or extra chips on top right before baking. It makes the cookies look bakery-fancy and gives pockets of gooey chocolate on top.

4. Pull the cookies at the earlier end of the bake time while centers still look soft and puffy. They’ll finish on the sheet and stay tender. If you want contrast, sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt immediately after they come out.

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Recipe by Sammy Hunter

0.0 from 0 votes

I just made these Easy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies in one bowl and they’re shockingly soft in 20 minutes, so keep scrolling before I eat the whole batch.

Servings

servings

Calories

235

kcal

Equipment: 1. Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
2. Measuring cups and spoons
3. Rubber spatula and/or wooden spoon
4. Whisk or fork
5. Baking sheets (2)
6. Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
7. Cookie scoop or two spoons
8. Wire cooling rack
9. Small bowl for sprinkling sea salt
10. Oven mitts and a timer