Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

This Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe uses all simple ingredients, no chilling or special techniques, and it makes only 9 cookies.

These cookies are soft and chewy and super chocolatey. This recipe is great for when you only want a few cookies, or you’re running low on some ingredients in your pantry.

One upside to making a small batch is that you’re not left with a ton of leftovers that you either end up munching on when you don’t intend to or eventually toss out as they become stale after a few days. It also saves time baking since all 9 cookies will fit on one baking sheet, rather than multiple batches.

I’ve made a number of small-batch recipes, which are perfect for when you only want a few cookies. These Small Batch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are a classic oatmeal chocolate chip recipe but with a small yield.  Or if you’re in the mood for crispy cookies, try this Small Batch Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe or these Rice Krispie Cookies both with crispy rippled edges.

For more on making small batch cookie recipes, see my Guide to Making Crispy, Cakey, and Small Batch Cookies.

If, however, you’re in the mood for giant cookies try these Chocolate Chunk Café Cookies, or these White Chocolate Pretzel Cookies.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• Substitutions and Variations
• How to Make Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Recipe Tips:
• How to Store and Freeze
• Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie FAQs:
• More Cookie Recipes That You May Love:
• Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies.

• Butter: The butter should be softened. If you have not softened the butter in advance, place the butter in a large mixing bowl and microwave at 20% power for 30 seconds, adding 30 seconds and flipping the butter over in between as needed.
• Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: The recipe calls for a little more brown sugar than granulated sugar to add extra moisture and flavor that comes from the brown sugar.
• Egg Yolk: Use one egg yolk only. Do NOT include the egg white. There is so little cookie dough to incorporate the egg into. If you were to add the egg white the cookie would be very different. It would be cakey and not have that satisfying soft and chewy texture.
• Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. If you bake somewhat regularly consider buying a large bottle of vanilla extract from Costco, which may be more economical.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Baking powder and baking soda are both used as leavening agents. Baking soda also helps to give cookies that crinkly look that we associate with delicious gooey cookies.
• Flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour. It is important to use the scoop and level method to measure because the amount of batter is so small. There is little to no margin for error measuring the flour for this specific small-batch recipe.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: I use Nestle chocolate chips, but any chocolate chips will work well here. This recipe calls for ½ cup of chocolate chips, which is a lot for a small batch, but it makes the cookies extra chocolatey and indulgent. When shaping the cookies, if there are any leftover chocolate chips at the bottom of the bowl press them into each individual ball of cookie dough.

To learn more about these cookie ingredients, see my Guide to Cookie Ingredients.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Brown Sugar: For alternatives to brown sugar in cookies, see my post on Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar.

Chocolate Chips: You can use any variety of chocolate chips in this recipe including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate according to your taste preferences. I use the Nestle brand classic semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I also use for these Oreo Brookies.

Einkorn Flour: To use Einkorn flour (an ancient grain, similar to regular flour in taste and texture) to make cookies, use this recipe for Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies.

How to Make Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make this Small Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Select a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix to combine with a large spoon.

Do not use a bowl that is too large. Because the ingredient quantities are so small, having a large bowl makes it more difficult to stir and combine the ingredients.

Use a large spoon, rather than a hand or stand mixer as the small amount of dough would get all caught up in the spindles.

Step 2. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir to combine. Scrape down the bowl and the spoon as needed.

Step 3. Measure ¾ cup of flour using the spoon and level method. This will give you a more accurate measurement which is important in this small batch recipe. See the note below on how to use the spoon and level method if you are unfamiliar.

Add the flour and stir to combine.

Step 4. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Step 5. Shape the dough into balls with about 2 tablespoons of dough each. Press any remaining chocolate chips from the bottom of the bowl into the tops of the cookies. Bake for 9 minutes.

The cookies are done when they are lightly browned on some, but not all of the edges of the cookie. The center may look slightly underbaked, which is fine. They will firm up further from the residual heat of the pan after being taken out of the oven. If you bake them too long and they will no longer be chewy and soft.

Recipe Tips:

• Measuring the Flour: Because this is a small batch recipe, it is even more important to be accurate with the amount of flour that you are adding to the batter. If you do not have a kitchen scale, be sure to spoon and level the flour. To do this, use a spoon to add flour one spoonful at a time to a measuring cup. There should be enough flour that the cup is full and overflows a little. Then use the back flat side of a knife to level or scrape off any excess flour. This will give you much less flour than scooping your measuring cup directly into the bag of flour.
• Use a Spoon: Use a large spoon to mix the dough rather than a hand-held or stand mixer. Because there is so little dough, when you use a mixer the dough will just get caught up in the beaters and not mix effectively.
• Scrape Down the Bowl: Be sure to scrape down the bowl and the spoon as you mix the ingredients. Because it is a small batch it is extra important that all the ingredients get incorporated (rather than getting stuck on the side of the bowl or the upper part of the spoon) and that they are incorporated evenly.
• Portioning the Dough: Portion out 2 tablespoons worth of dough into each cookie. This makes 9 cookies, the perfect small batch. You can either do this with your hands, or using two small spoons – one to scoop and the other to help shape into a round ball, or with a cookie/ice cream scoop
• Checking for Doneness: The cookies are done after 9 minutes. They will look slightly underdone in the middle. This is perfect, don’t wait until they look fully cooked to pull them out. They should still be a little soft and look a little underbaked in the middle. They will continue to cook and firm up from the residual heat of the pan.

How to Store and Freeze

Store: Once baked, the cookies can be stored wrapped in plastic or a sealed plastic bag for 2-3 days on the counter.

Freeze: Prior to baking, the cookie dough can be shaped into round balls and frozen in a sealed quart or gallon-sized bag. The cookies can also be frozen after being baked. Store the cookies in a sealed plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie FAQs:

More Cookie Recipes That You May Love:

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