Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies are super easy to make. Small Batch Cookies are made with brown butter and can be made by hand - no mixer required. This cookie recipe makes 12 homemade chocolate chip cookies, and can easily be doubled. This cookie dough freezes well, so that you can always have a stash of frozen cookie dough to bake as needed!
Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies. This recipe makes just 12 cookies, and comes together with just a whisk or an electric hand mixer - no stand mixer required! The dough is great to freeze and have on hand in the freezer for whenever you need a cookie!
I have a lot of homemade chocolate chip cookies on my site, and few brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipes - but wanted to make something that can be made by hand and doesn't make two dozen cookies.
These small batch cookies are great to whip up for a quick dessert, or to just have when you need a few cookies. Back when we used to have friends over, or if we were going somewhere for dinner, I would make cookie dough ahead of time and then pop it in the oven to bake after dinner.
Why this is (one of) my favourite recipes
There are a couple of things that make these cookies so, so good. I think I made them about 8 times while testing - playing around with flour quantities, sugar ratios, leavening, chilling time, and baking time. I finally landed on what I think is the best small batch cookie dough.
- Small Batch - This recipe only makes 12 chocolate chip cookies, which is perfect if you are in a small household or have limited freezer space. You can easily double this recipe for a full 24 cookies if you need!
- Brown Butter - I love adding brown butter to recipes. It adds a depth of flavour that isn't immediately obvious what it is, but adds a complexity to the cookie.
- No Mixer Chocolate Chip Cookies - I made these using just a bowl, a whisk, and a spatula! You can use a handheld electric mixer if you like, but a whisk works just fine.
- Easy to freeze - If you don't want to bake all of this small batch cookie dough off at once, you can freeze some of the dough. I'll add tips for that further down the post.
For a perfect freezer stash - make these ahead!
If you want to make this chocolate chip cookie recipe super small batch, and have six cookies now and six later, you can freeze some of the dough. Chill all the dough down. Then, place however many balls of dough you are wanting to freeze on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Cover lightly with plastic and then freeze until solid (also known as a flash freeze) - 30 minutes to an hour. Transfer the dough to an airtight container or ziploc bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I like to label the dough with what it is and baking time - you will need to add 2-3 minutes onto the baking time when baking frozen dough. There is no need to defrost. You can bake it straight from frozen! Sometimes we will bake just two cookies off to have in the evening. I like to drop the temperature when baking to 325°f / 160°c and increase the bake time by a few minutes to account for frozen dough.
For all my best tips on freezing cookie dough and baking from frozen, check out my post: How to freeze cookie dough
How to get perfect chocolate puddles
Moisture loss when browning butter - this is important!
Ranting aside, it is particularly important that you use a scale to bake with for small batch recipes, or recipes using brown butter. Small batch recipes rely on the ratio of ingredients being correct and there is much less room for error. And the best way to get this correct is to by using a scale. Different butters will have different moisture levels, which affects the yield of brown butter. American style butter have a higher water content, so will produce less brown butter when the water is cooked off. European or New Zealand style butter, which is higher in fat than American butter, will have less water that needs cooking off, so you will end up with a higher yield of brown butter.
The quantity of the butter in the recipe is important here, so the best way to measure it is by using a scale. You start with an initial quantity of butter - in this case 120g, and then cook it down. You then re-measure the weight of the brown butter, and use 95g of that in your cookie recipe. I have accounted for the moisture loss from the initial quantity of brown butter in the recipe.
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
Description
These Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies are super easy to make. They are made with brown butter and can be made by hand - no mixer required. This recipe makes 12 chocolate chip cookies, and can easily be doubled.
Ingredients
- 120g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge is fine
- 120g dark brown or light brown sugar
- 45g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 140g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp espresso powder (optional)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 180g chocolate from a bar, chopped (I used 100g dark and 80g milk, use what you like here), plus extra for pressing on top, if desired
Instructions
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes.
- Measure out 95g (see Notes section below) of the brown butter into a medium or large mixing bowl, and set aside for 15-20 minutes to cool so that it doesn't scramble your eggs.
- When the butter is cool, add the brown sugar and white sugar, and whisk briefly to incorporate.
- Add the egg and whisk well for 1-2 minutes, or mix using an electric mixer, until the mixture has lightened in colour and has thickened.
- Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Add the flour, salt, espresso powder if using, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine with a rubber spatula until there are some flour streaks remaining - this is to ensure you do not over work the dough.
- Add the chopped chocolate and mix with a spatula to incorporate and finish incorporating the flour.
- Line a quarter sheet pan or other container with parchment paper. Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough (approx 55g) , arranging them on the parchment (they can be touching). Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. See "how to freeze cookie dough" in post for tips on freezing
- 10 minutes into the chilling period, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Arrange 6 cookie dough balls onto the pan. If desired, flatten each ball of dough, press more chocolate on the top, and roll into a ball, then space evenly on the pan.
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, or until set around the edges and golden brown. Bake for closer to 11 minutes for still gooey inside, or 12-13 for more set cookies.
- Remove from the oven, and if desired, use a cookie cutter slightly bigger than the cookies to 'scoot' them into a round shape.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using. Leave to cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Repeat the baking process with the remaining 6 balls of dough.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
You may notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that in my FAQ.
Please note that if you use the 2x button to double the recipe, this only doubles the ingredients list and not the quantities within the method, so you need to weigh out 190g brown butter to use in your cookies.
For notes on adding biscoff chunks please see the notes in the body of the blog post.
I like to use a little trick to get those big puddles on the tops of my chocolate chip cookies. Just before the dough goes in the oven, I take each ball of dough, and flatten it slightly. I then press chunks of chopped chocolate onto the top. You can add some of the chocolate dust from chopping too. Then I squeeze it back into a ball, and place it on the baking sheet. This means that when the cookie bakes, the chocolate will end up spread across the top of the cookie, and give you those big chocolate puddles on the tops. If you are freezing your cookie dough, do this step before they go into the freezer. You can't squish frozen dough!
Can I add Biscoff to the cookies?
I added biscoff chunks to this cookie recipe in a similar way that I did with my Nutella chocolate chip cookies. To add biscoff, pipe 170g biscoff spread (I used crunchy) into blobs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, then freeze for at least 30 minutes until firm. Release from the paper and place back into the freezer until ready to use.
Reduce the chopped chocolate in the recipe to 110g. Add the biscoff pieces in with the chocolate, reserving a few for the tops of the cookies (place back into the freezer while the cookie dough is chilling). Scoop the cookie dough into balls, chill for the time in the recipe, then add a few of the biscoff pieces when you are adding the chocolate on the top of the cookies before baking. Bake the cookies as per the recipe - because the biscoff gets a little melty the cookies may come out a little flatter than the ones in this recipe but they are just so, so good.
I use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop - I like this 2 tablespoon cookie scoop. You can also weigh your dough balls if you don't have a scoop. Mine weighed about 55g each.
Comments
Laura says
These cookies are amazing. I made the whole batch for the freezer, and they bake up really well in the air fryer if I just want a single cookie. I put a frozen ball of cookie dough on some parchment paper and bake it in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius. You may need more or less time, it will firm up as it cools.
Kat says
This is now my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. They turn out great every time and I always make extra to freeze. I usually don't brown the butter as I'm lazy, but they are still delicious. I also reduce the chocolate and add some nuts.
Valeria says
If I choose to not brown the butter, should I do 120g or 95g of butter?
Erin Clarkson says
95g melted butter 🙂
Jess says
I’m a cookie dough lover (yes, I ate a lot of these raw, yes I know you’re not supposed to, but I’m fine and all is well), and usually I reckon the cookie dough tastes better than the baked cookie.
BUT when I finally actually baked one, wow did I realise these were even better after baking!!!
So good, amazing recipe!
Thank you
Arianna says
Amazingly easy, tasty, and fast! I definitely recommend it.
Emily says
I hardly ever write comments but these cookies are AMAZING! They’re so easy to make and it’s now my go-to chocolate chunk cookie recipe and in my regular baking rotation. They’re always a hit with friends and family!
Kalliana says
Super easy recipe and the cookies turned out perfect. I used some chopped up Easter eggs on the top to add a festive Easter flair. Will definitely make again
Jane says
Used this dough to make Nutella stuffed cookies and they turned out amazing! Instead of chopping the chocolate I grated the it into the dough, and froze teaspoons of Nutella and wrapped the dough around them, before freezing again for half an hour. Put on the tray to bake without flattening. Delicious! Thank you!
Rebekah Dieffenderfer says
These are my go to cookie to make friends and are so easy to whip up!
Sylph says
My oven is smaller so I had to just use 35g dough per cookie, they end up being crispier but still delicious! They're a tad too sweet though for my liking, maybe in my next time I'll adjust it to have less sugar
Steph says
So so so good!
I’ve made these dozens of times, favourite browned butter cookie recipe yet. I always use salted milk chocolate on mine and so I skip the added salt. I tried a different recipe before and it was soul destroying, following this recipe makes me feel like a 5 star baker!
Lisa says
So so delicious!!
Zoe says
This has become my staple biscuit bake for our lunchtime pack ups. I also used the browned butter to make shortbread for Christmas gifts. Easy, but oh so tasty.
Brooke says
It’s rare I leave comments on a recipe. I’ve made A LOT of chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years. This is probably the best recipe I’ve ever used. Cookies came out perfect. I did end up with a little less dough though. I did 6 (55g) balls to start but had to do 50g balls to get another 5. But nonetheless, they taste amazing. Will make again and again.
Mary says
Absolutely love them! have been my go-too, trusty, works-every time cookies for a long time now:)
rara says
Hi!
Would these cookies turn out fine with AP flour?
Thanks 🤗
Erin Clarkson says
That's what the recipe uses 🙂
Judi says
Hi Erin
I made these cookies today, I've been using the same old recipe for years and wanted to try something new. They were easy to make, great instructions and came out perfect. This will be my new go to cookie recipe!
Jenn S. says
You might be reading this recipe thinking it seems a bit more "extra" than the chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the bag. But let's be very clear, the slightly more effort will give you SUPERIOR results. These are ridiculously delicious with unbeatable balance of sweet and salty mixed with the depth of flavor boost you get from the brown butter. Don't skip the brown butter!! I used significantly less chocolate in mine because I wanted to just worship the brown butter flavor. Next time I might try it totally chip-less (scandalous, I know), because just the simple batter base is that good. Keep them in the freezer, eat a fresh baked cookie everyday. Thanks for the lovely recipe, Erin!
Rachel Muir says
What a great addition of the biscoff and nutella “chips”! These were easy and delicious! Thanks for all your great recipes!
karen says
These cookies turned out amazing ! I followed the amounts as indicated and used 50 gr of chocolate chips + 80 grams of M &Ms. Delicious !
Justine says
This is the only cookie recipe that I ever use! The cookies are amazing every time & I love having some in the freezer so I can have amazing cookies all the time 🙂
A.peso says
How did yours come out so thick and hardy? ❤️
Ujjal Chakraborty says
Small batch chocolate chip cookies are a delightful solution for satisfying sweet cravings without the commitment of a full batch. Ever wondered how something so simple can bring so much joy? These perfectly portioned treats offer just the right amount of gooey, chocolatey goodness to make any moment special.
Bridget says
The best cookies - such a foolproof recipe. They turn out great every single time!
Louise says
Delicious cookies, soo good with the espresso in them. Will certinally make these again, but will have to make more next time!
Atiqa says
I made this last night, freeze it overnight and bake frozen at 150c for 15 minutes. It tastes so good but I wonder why it is kinda oily, although I’ve measured everything correctly. Still love it though because it flattens the way I want it to be (always failed, but your recipe did it). Thank you Erin!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! It will be oily because you froze them and then baked them at quite a low temp!
Kay says
I've made these countless times and I keep coming back to them again and again. The perfect recipe when you just want a little treat and you don't want to deal with your stand mixer. Eminently customizable.
I can also confirm that these are perfect gluten free and dairy free (King Arthur GF Measure for Measure and Country Crock Avocado Oil plant butter - which can be browned as well). Well done, and keep up the good work!
Sue says
These were AMAZING. Oh my word! I cut down bith sugar quantities and WOW. must try recipe and will do again!
thank you , Erin.
Ashley says
This is my go to cookie recipe. So easy to make with common ingredients. They come out perfect every time and I love the small batch size.
Nana says
Found this recipe while browsing through a ton of website. I have made these numerous times, and I am very happy with the results. The chocolate chunks did it for me. I have always use semi-sweet chocolate chips for baking but have become a chocolate bar fan! As my children are back in school, I knew that I need to bake these and add them to my meal prep for their lunches. Since I had a whole bar of Trader Joe's pound plus dark chocolate, decided to make your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies too. I subbed canola for olive oil and boy it did not disappoint! It was my first time trying out the recipe and it sure is a keeper!
Thank you for sharing your passion and churning out delicious recipes!
Katie says
Made these cookies, substituted the AP flour for gluten free King Arthur measure for measure flour and they came out amazing!
Alyce says
I love this recipe, they're definitely the best cookies I've ever made. I love that the recipe is in grams, it ensures you get the most perfect texture and flavour every time. I'd never baked in grams before, but it's a game changer and I'd never go back to baking with cup measurements.
I always have a batch of these cookies in my freezer and like to bake them for ten mins and serve them straight out of the oven with vanilla ice cream for delicious, quick and easy dessert.
Pat says
BEST. COOKIES. EVER!!! Made them with gf four and still turned out perfect (just need about 2g of xanthan gum and you’re good to go!)
Josie says
They turned out so good! These will be my go-to cookies from now on. Thanks, Erin!!
Steven says
This is the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s been my go to secret recipe that I wont share ;).
Erin Clarkson says
ahhh I am so happy to hear that!
Chrissie McMullan says
I love this recipe so much I almost know it off heart. These are my go to Christmas present cookies all my neighbours and daycare teachers get these and love them!
I love that the recipe is in grams it makes it fool proof for those of us who aren’t natural bakers! 😉
Mélanie says
Best cookies ever. But I say this with each new recipe I test from Erin 😊
And: YES for kitchen scales!!
Jaclyn says
Hi would it be possible to brown the butter the day before making these and then put it in thr fridge and just slighlty warm it up before using it? Thank you
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yep I always batch make brown butter and just keep it in a container and carve however much out that I need. The only thing to watch is to make sure that you stir it as it cools so the brown bits are evenly distributed through the butter otherwise they settle at the bottom (if you're only making enough for the cookies no need to worry about this as you will re-mix it when you warm it)
Mimi says
These are amazing. I just made them right after getting your email with the recipe and have a few questions:
- When browning the butter, the solids were very dark. I sifted them out. Do you leave them? Browning the butter was trickier than expected!
- My cookies are overbaked - do you recommend setting the oven to fan/convection heat, or to the regular heating spiral? (I used fan heat 180C - that was too much apparently).
- Which rack in the oven do you place the cookie sheet? (Mine was on middle rack).
- Do you have tips, illustration or video for the "rolling of the ball" technique for the top chocolate chunk puddles? Most of my chunks remained encased inside the cookie - sadly, I got barely any puddles!
That all being said - the smell and taste of the brown butter was to die for. I'm planning to keep making these until they come out just right!
Samantha says
I’ve made the recipe at least 30 times and it’s my go to CC cookie recipe!
Aidenmommy says
Just made these and I now have to make this my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Just the best and only 1 egg. This will be on repeat at my house
Lexi says
Easily my favorite cookie recipe
Jackie says
Amazing. The best cookies ever. I'm doing a cookie trial these are the 9th recipe I've made, first from this site. These take the top spot. They are honestly mindblowingly good. They are the first cookie I can actually taste the brown butter in. The espresso powder adds depth and bring the chocolate out. They are buttery chewy have such depth. I top them with toffee powder as soon as they come out of the oven and a tiny bit of fleur de sel. I've also stuffed them with caramel. I always lessen the chocolate to 65 of Tonys Milk chocolate chopped tiny. And I use dark brown sugar, non iodized salt and kerrygold unsalted butter browned of course. A 24 hour chill add even more flavor. If your looking for a cookie with true depth and complexity these are it. Best cookies ever.
Luka says
I made this recipe twice and both results of my cookies turned out flat, sorta bubbly, and oily! I used a scale in grams to make sure my measurements were acurate. Can you give me tips to help me improve? Iv only made cookies twice, which I made following your recipe:)
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Make sure that your baking powder / soda isn't expired 🙂
Cristina says
Great recipe! My family loved them.
Claudia says
THE BEST COOKIE RECIPE EVER! I make these often and every time I remember how easy they actually are, especially using the scale. Life changing! Never last long though.
Bernadette Robinson says
These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. I'll never go back.
Sarah says
These are the BEST choc chip cookies ever. I've baked them so many times and they are always a crowd pleaser, never any leftover, and I'm always asked for the recipe without fail! Thanks Erin 🙂
Aidensmommy says
I make these cookies every week since I've found this recipe. Different mix ins and it's a beautiful cookie add a tsp off malted milk powder and it's next level. Love this recipe it's so easy to make and tasty all my friends insist I make this for get together.
Clare Lord says
Five stars for this recipe. I made them with dark brown sugar and they are ridiculously tasty. Perfect chew and they look great as they have wrinkled and I have them a gentle scoot. I cooked half and put the rest in the freezer for a treat and I can thank my past self 😄
Gabi says
L O V E this recipe. It’s my go to cookie and I have played with so many mix-ins. Yesterday I used butterfingers instead of chocolate and they were class.
Cristina says
This recipe has become a family favorite. We enjoy these cookies so much. Thanks so much for sharing!
Michelle says
Had this recipe saved for a while and finally tried it! They come out amazing, hands down the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. Thank you so much! My kids looooved them!
Katherine says
These cookies are delicious and always such a hit. This has been my go to recipe for the last few years, it never fails me - they're easy to make and great to freeze too. Highly recommend using a mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate. I'm often requested to make these for get togethers and have passed this recipe on to SO many people.
Sandra says
So yummy these cookies I have them always in stock and make them with different kind of chocolate and nuts every time😍
Z says
Question: What altitude was this recipe designed for? I am looking for a great chocolate cookie recipe and would love to try this one but I live at around 5,000 ft and have had a lot of failed recipes with the high altitude. I also find it quite challenging to "adjust" recipes for the altitude, so I am wondering if this recipe will need adjustment?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, I live at sea level!