Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Updated Apr 26, 2026
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This small batch chocolate chip cookies recipe makes just 8 cookies in less than 20 minutes – no chilling required. If you’re craving warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies with chewy edges and melty chocolate chips, but don’t want to make a full batch or have leftover cookies, you need to make these! Perfect for two, these small batch chocolate chip cookies are the easiest way to satisfy a cookie craving – fast!
If the chocolate chip cookie craving hits, but you don’t want to make a ton of cookies, this small batch chocolate chip cookies recipe is the solution (also try my small batch brownies). It makes 8 cookies with crisp edges, gooey centers, and lots of chocolate chips—so you can enjoy fresh cookies without leftovers.
Made with simple ingredients in under 20 minutes, this small batch cookies recipe is perfect for two – think weeknights, date nights, or anytime you want a quick, easy and irresistibly delicious homemade dessert. Adapted from my famous chocolate chip cookie recipe (with over 14,000 five star reviews), these small batch cookies are just as irresistible—just scaled down perfectly to make 8!
Why You’ll Love These Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Makes 8 cookies (no waste)
- Ready in under 20 minutes
- Uses 1 egg yolk (easy to measure).
- Perfectly soft + chewy with crisp edges
- Same flavor and gooey texture as a full batch—just scaled down
- Perfect for date night or a smaller family!
See what Polina says:
I love this recipe so much that I have it memorized!! Best small batch cookie recipe. So easy, and the perfect amount of cookies.
– Polina
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version use 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Fine sea salt. Use fine (not coarse) sea salt. If using iodized table salt, decrease the amount by half.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter, coconut oil, ghee or vegan butter sticks (like Earth’s Balance) work well. For vegan substitutes, see my vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe. Or, use browned butter to add a nutty flavor.
- Granulated sugar. I recommend using organic cane sugar or regular white sugar.
- Light brown sugar. dark brown sugar will impart a more pronounced molasses taste.
- Egg yolk. you can use egg replacer, or 1 tablespoon heavy cream in place of the yolk if desired.
- Chocolate chips. use your favorite variety, or use chopped chocolate bars, etc.
How to Make Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let’s walk through this recipe step-by-step, and make sure to watch the video.
tip
Pro Tips for the Best Small Batch Chocolate CHip Cookies
Before we get started, here are some tips:
- Do not overbake—cookies should look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. They continue to bake & set as they cool on the cookie sheet.
- Use room temperature ingredients—butter and egg yolk, for easy mixing
- Measure flour correctly—spoon + level. Or weigh the flour in grams.
- Let cookies rest on the pan for 5–10 minutes to set.
Then, in a medium bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.
Next, add vanilla and egg yolk and beat until light and fluffy.
Then, add the dry ingredient mixture and beat well. The dough should easily clump together.
Next, stir in chocolate chips by hand.
Then, use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough, then roll it into balls and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the small batch chocolate chip cookies in the preheated oven for 8-9 minutes or until set around the edges and just barely starting to turn light brown top.
Do not over-bake, they will look slightly underdone and that is exactly how you want them (see this post for help: chocolate chip cookies).
Then, let the small batch chocolate chip cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Small Batch Cookies – Variations
If you want to doctor up this recipe to make these cookies your own, here are some suggestions:
- Add chopped chocolate instead of chips – makes them extra gooey.
- Or, use different baking chips like white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, etc.
- Stir in walnuts or pecans
- Add some dried fruit like cranberries or raisins
- Use dark brown sugar for deeper molasses flavor. Or, use all dark brown sugar and no white sugar.
- Add flaky sea salt on top (always)
Serve
Serve these small batch cookies slightly warm with a cold glass of milk.
Store
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze
If you’d like to freeze these cookies (even though this recipe only makes 8), here’s how. (honestly, if you want to make cookies to freeze I recommend making a full batch of chocolate chip cookies so you have plenty in the freezer, that’s just my two cents).
Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month, thaw in the microwave or oven set to warm.
Or, freeze the dough in an airtight contianer, let thaw and bake according to the recipe instructions.
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe FAQS
Yes, there are many egg substitutes that work well for the yolk in this recipe like heavy cream, yogurt, etc.
Use 1 Tablespoon heavy cream, yogurt or applesauce.
If you’d like to make more cookies but not a full batch, I suggest making half of this chocolate chip cookie recipe.
It’s possible your butter is too warm. If this is the case, chill the dough first.
Then, check and make sure your baking soda/powder is fresh.
The most likely reason is that you’re not using enough flour. Use the metric measurements and measure in grams. Or make sure to scoop and level.
Yes, instead of mixing the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, you can just add them to the dry ingredients after mixing.
Yes, you can make these small batch chocolate chip cookies in the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius), use a pan and line it with parchment paper and air fry for 6-8 minutes.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt in a small bowl, then set aside.
- Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together in a medium bowl with a hand mixer (or in a standing mixer), for 1 minute.
- Add vanilla and egg yolk and beat for an additional minute, or until light and fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.
- Stir in chocolate chips,
- Use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough, then roll it into balls and place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-9 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned and the top is just barely set. They will look underbaked. Do not overbake.
- Put the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat them slightly warm and gooey.
Notes
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version use 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Fine sea salt. Use fine (not coarse) sea salt. If using iodized table salt, decrease the amount by half.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter, coconut oil, ghee or vegan butter sticks (like Earth’s Balance) work well.
- Granulated sugar. I recommend using organic cane sugar or regular white sugar.
- Light brown sugar. dark brown sugar will impart a more pronounced molasses taste.
- Egg yolk. you can use egg replacer, or 1 tablespoon heavy cream in place of the yolk if desired.
- Chocolate chips. use your favorite variety, or use chopped chocolate bars, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This cookie recipe is very nice and tasty I’ve made it lots of times and each time is better
Thank you, Mae!
Thank you very much for this small batch recipe! Does the egg yolk and the butter need to be at room temperature?
It’s best if it is, but you can do it with a cold yolk too!
Truly the best cookies I’ve ever made, and there have been A LOT of other recipes I’ve tried. Thank you, thank you!
I’m so happy you love them, Nicole!!!
Excited to try this recipe with my daughter. Curious if we want to make smaller cookies (say, with a 1 tbsp scooper), should we alter cooking times at all?
yes you might want to cook them for closer to 7 minutes!
I love this recipe so much that I have it memorized!! Best small batch cookie recipe. So easy, and the perfect amount of cookies.
Thank you so much Polina!
It was just my 16th birthday and have been researching for monthss about chocolate chip cookies and yours have caught my interest the most! I tried them just now and wow!! Such a good classic cookie, my cookies dont look exactly like yours but thats just my oven, Can’t wait to try the brown butter version!!!thank you.
Happy birthday, Sam!!! I hope you had the best day! And you make these cookies for 16 MORE years! 🙂
Easy and extremely delicious. I have an egg allergy so used your recommended substitute of heavy cream, as well as a 1:1 gluten free flour. It worked perfectly. Now I have to try your other recipes. Thanks.
I’m so happy you love this recipe and were able to adjust it to your dietary needs, Julia!
My cookies are delicious but completely flat. They don’t look like your image. What am I doing wrong?
Hey Karie, the first step is to check the freshness of your baking soda & powder. Then, I suggest following the metric measurements and weighing the flour in grams to make sure you’re using enough.
I had to get you the props you deserve on these cookies, ma’am. I am a guy who had never ever made cookies and wanted to surprise my wife. That was months ago. I have never looked back and even eyeing different recipes, nothing compares to these cookies. So I think this is the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe on the internet.
Not only for their taste which is amazing, are they the best, but the ingredients are easy- things people have around the cupboard; the ease to perfect is there. I love them.
Thank you again,
David
Im’ SO happy you love them David, and how sweet to bake them for your wife! I hope you both enjoy them together for years to come!
absolutely the perfect recipe for small batches.
Thank you Kelly!