A terrific chocolate chip cookie recipe that is dangerously easy and makes soft, buttery cookies! No creaming butter, no beater required, no refrigeration, no rolling dough into balls and these are not too sweet. The hardest part is waiting for the cookies to cool. Watch the video and see my mother getting in trouble for trying to swipe one off the tray!
Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe
A long awaited reader request…. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had people writing in asking for my chocolate chip cookie recipe!
In truth, I was sitting on it because I wanted to make sure I tested it properly for different measures in different countries. If you’ve ever tried a cookie recipe written by someone in another country and had it fail miserably, chances are that it’s because of the difference in cup, tablespoon and teaspoon measures between countries. As an example, 1 standard Australian cup of flour is 150g/5.3 oz whereas 1 standard US cup is 120g / 4.5 oz.
For most recipes, the difference between measures is not enough to affect the recipe or the difference is proportional across the whole recipe so it still works fine. However, for baking recipes, you really have to be careful. Especially cookies and cakes.
So that’s a little tip for you when using baking recipes – check the country of origin of the writer. If it’s not your country, proceed with caution! 😉
Oh – in case I forgot to make it really clear – yes I’ve tested this recipe using Australian & rest of world cups (all exc US are very similar) and US cups and weight measures.
Oh – and this is based on a Cooks’ Illustrated tried and tested recipe. That always helps!
This chocolate chip cookie recipe may be a little different to most you’ve come across. It’s unique in that there’s no creaming butter, no electric beater is required, there’s no refrigeration of the dough (unless it’s stinking hot where you are!) and there’s no rolling dough.
Dump and mix. The batter will be quite soft at first because of the melted butter, but after 5 minutes or so, it firms up into a soft dough that can be scooped onto the baking tray and it holds its form perfectly. Using an ice cream scooper with a lever (seriously handy kitchen utensil – cookies, pancakes, MEATBALLS), it’s super quick to dollop the dough into perfect round mounds that spread into beautiful round cookies.
I’ve tried to capture how soft these cookies are in the recipe video (below the recipe). I hope I’ve succeeded. I also hope I’ve succeeded in showing you how straight forward these are to make.
Dangerous. I should have called these Dangerous Choc Chip Cookies.
Happy weekend everyone! – Nagi xx
For Cookie Monsters 🙋🏻♀️
Byron Bay copycat cookies – Choc Chunk, White Choc Macadamia and Chewy Choc Fudge
PS That moment when I smack my mother’s hand in the video….. I have been wanting an excuse to do that all my life….
PPS This recipe makes big cookies about 10cm/4″ wide. I have a cookie baking session planned this weekend and plan to test out different sizes for bake times and will update the recipe! <– Said baking session took place, recipe updated for directions for small cookies!
PPPS I don’t know why it is but my recipes always seem to come out with odd numbers. This recipe makes 13 cookies. THIRTEEN. My trays fit 6 each perfectly. Which means I have to have a third tray…..for just ONE cookie. 🙄
Watch how to make it
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe video!
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Soft Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups plain / all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda (bi carb soda)
- 175g / 12 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 2 cm/ 4/5″ cubes (1.5 US sticks / 6 oz)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed (light or dark) (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (US: granulated sugar)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips , separated (US: semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan / convection). Place oven shelf in the middle of the oven.
- Line 2 trays with baking / parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
- Place the butter in a large heatproof bowl. Microwave until the butter is almost fully melted (25 sec for room temp butter, 40 sec for fridge cold butter on high).
- Whisk to finish melting the butter. (Note 2)
- Add brown and white sugar, whisk energetically for 15 seconds.
- Add egg, yolk and vanilla, whisk well for 15 seconds.
- Add flour mixture and mix until flour is almost fully incorporated.
- Add 1 cup chocolate chips, stir to disperse and flour is fully incorporated. Batter will be quite loose.
- Stand for 5 minutes for batter to firm up a bit so it is scoop-able into mounds. (Note 3)
- LARGE COOKIES: Scoop up a level ice cream scoop / 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup (Note 4) and place on baking trays 5cm / 2″ apart – 13 balls. Top with remaining choc chips (these remain on surface once baked = prettier).
- SMALL COOKIES (26 – 30): Scoop up 1.5 tbsp (heaped tbsp measure) OR 1/2 an ice cream scoop (this works well). Place on baking trays 4cm / 1.75″ apart, top with choc chops.
- Bake 1 tray at a time. LARGE COOKIES: Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the tray and bake for 3 minutes (11 minutes in total). SMALL COOKIES: Bake 6 minutes, turn then bake 3 minutes (9 min total). The cookies should be just golden on the edges and pale golden on top. They will be slightly puffed up.
- Cool on the tray – they finish cooking. They will lose the puffiness while resting. Dig in and get your cookie fix!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
At the coffee shop responding to messages and recipe questions on my site…..and Dozer wanting to know what I’m writing. That’s a nice way of saying he’s being annoying, shoving his face onto my computer!!
These are insanely good Nagi! I am the sitting president of the biscuit/cookie fail club (a looooot of wasted cookie dough and/or rock hard biscuits which could be used as weapons) but now with your help I can happily resign or get impeached for failing to be a failure 🙂 and best of all embrace all things biscuity! Thanks as always for your super awesome recipes.
BA HA HA! Yes you are BOOTED out! New title – COOKIE QUEEN! 👑
These taste like the cookies I fell in love with from the Cookie Time store in Queenstown, NZ. Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely be making this on a regular basis 🙂
Oooh! I’m so pleased to hear that Siv, thanks for letting me know! N xx
How can I bake this brownie is a 9 x13 inch pan? Can I double all of the ingredients? How about the baking time? My kids love the brownies 🙂
-Jenni
Hi Jenni! Did you mean to put this question on this cookie recipe??? 😉
Hello Nagi and greetings from the Czech Republic! ☺ Just made your cookies and they are delicious and will be gone soon!!! Thank you so much! I used tbsp and made 24 nice size cookies. I was a little nervous, as I have never made cookies before, but it was so super easy with your recipe! I truly adore your site, your recipes, your style and sense of humour! You are simply the best! We also love your Singapore noodles and are excited to try more of your recipes! With love, Leela
WOW your first cookie!!! WHOOT!! So glad you loved it Leela, and thank you for your lovely message, so great to hear you’re enjoying my recipes! N xx
Delicious cookies, only had dark chocolate for the chips and for my taste half milk and half dark would be just right. I love that there’s no creaming butter and sugar, they’re not too sweet and have a gorgeous texture. Great recipe, thanks.
I’m so pleased to hear that Debbie! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Your video is so funny! Hehe
This is just how I love chocolate chip cookies, SOFT!
Yummy with a cup of hot coffee, my other great addiction besides chocolate!
Thanks!
You’re speaking my language Malika. I am a shameless coffee addict! 😉 N xx
Hey Nagi,
Made these ones yesterday. I made small cookies using 1tbsp for each cookie. Batter needed no firming on a chilly morning in my neck of the woods. The batter was lucky to even make it to cookie form. Whole batch was devoured in the space of a day. Thanks for another winner. Given the tragic demise of my electric beaters a dump and mix recipe was just what the doctor ordered
YES!!!! I am so pleased you enjoyed these Katrina, thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed it! I used to use an old Women’s Weekly butter creaming one but since I discovered the Cook’s version, NO MORE!! N xx
I made a white choc batch the following day just to double check that they were as delicious as I remembered, and they were completely devoured very rapidly! Thanks, this one will henceforth be my ‘go to’ cookie recipe 🙂 🙂
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ N xx
Wow! Easily the BEST chocolate chip cookie I have ever made. Of course, mine turned out to be M&M cookies since we were out of chips. Thanks Nagi for the BEST recipe blog I’ve found.
😂 High praise, thanks Amy!!! PS Bring on the M&M’s!
Could you update cooking time for smaller cookies – Kids like 3-4 cookie no mater the size – so smaller ones work better
Done!!!
Hi nagi: how did you know I hated creaming butter!?!? Made these cookies and they are gorgeously huge and not terribly sweet. I didn’t use up all of the dough (had to run to piano recital) so some of the dough will be baked after resting 24 hrs- will see how that affects texture. Thank you for this recipe! Ps: I think it’s sweet that dozer wants to work, too…
So glad it’s not just me! 😉 Works great after refrigerating the dough, but you’ll need to roll into balls (too firm to scoop up). And bake for 1 minute extra. So glad you enjoyed them Judy! N xx
Hi Nagi, thanks for this yummy chocolate chips. Made them today got 32 pcs, they not spread too big so I have to flatten them after 10 min.
Hi Helen! So pleased you enjoyed these cookies! N xx
There is no thirteenth cookie if you taste test the dough 😛
YOU JUST SOLVED IT!!!
Yes! I was just coming down to comment the same thing. 😂 Sam beat me to it!
Dear Nagi thanks for this yummy and VERY EASY recipe. I am a high-altitude cook (985m) so adjusted as follows – 1/2 the sugar (1/4 C brown and 1/4 C white), 170 deg (fan forced) for 7 mins turn 3 mins. As well as being in the clouds, I am also a lazy cook so re eggs, I just used 2 whole eggs (what to do with an extra white?). The cookies did spread a little but definitely not flat.. so maybe next time I will be more exact with the eggs. They tasted delicious, certainly didn’t miss the sugar, and they were soft inside. Thanks for sharing this recipe – perfect when you need a quick morning/afternoon tea. All the best, Marg.
Marg! I would reach over and give you a giant hug through the screen if I could! Thank you x a million for the high altitude adjustments. So many people will be utterly grateful too! N xx ❤️
Hi Marg, You can freeze egg whites and when you have sufficient defrost and whip up a delicious pavlova, just a suggestion as I can’t bring myself to throw away egg whites. Regards, Debbie.
how odd…….it’s only 3 pm this end………..and nearly midnight your end…..BWA HA HA
I know! The time difference always amuses me – when I’m saying good night, it’s good morning to half the world! N xx
Yummy – great biscuit cookies Nagi. Now here’s a thing…………I also had to smack hands, my son’s and nephew’s [and they’re over 30yrs old]. Needless to say they graciously left me 2, shoved the rest in a baggie and went their merry way. 🙂 so i will be making another batch later today – for me!
I am SO glad you didn’t miss that step in the recipe Suzanne!!! I hope they got a very FIRM smack on the hand 😉 Too funny! N xx
Hi Nagi,
A silly one, i know the butter is essential to hold the texture together and keep it soft, is there an alternative to butter?! 🙂
Hi Ziad! I’m afraid I don’t know – it probably could be made with oil or shortening or margarine but it would require experimentation and the flavour would not be the same. Can I ask why you are asking?? Do you need to make it dairy free?
I’ve been looking for a soft cookie recipe for a long time! This recipe is certainly a must try – thank you, Nagi!
Oooh! I hope you do Daniela! N xx
Cookies Are nice but YOU Are NOT…. Samacking your MUM is NOTON, NO, NO, IF I WAS THERE I WOULD HAVE MEASURE WOODEN SPOON ON YOUR BOTTOM.You know My Cat Would do the same as Doza does to YOU. Even when reading Newspaper She WOUL Pull, RIP Or flop her self on top of paper. Tonight am going with friends to Asian restaurant for Dinner, Happy! They went to Singapore to see Family and return trip was horra. Plane Had to make return to the AirPort and from 0530 Pm they Were left there until 05 AM, than on to hotel and 24 hrs later to Melb. Nancy got sick, flu and 02 weeks later is on mend so having catching up. Tommorow am off to monthly art and Craft Market , Happy! New privat baker, he is From Russia and wife Germany, beautiful bread, and ROLLES with potato etc., nice. Have good w/ End. Vera.
BA HA HA!!! I just had a vision of you bursting into my house with a wooden spoon to smack me – HA HA HA!!!
Hi Nagi, I understand NZ measurements are different to OZ is that correct.
Love all your recipes😋
Hi Linda! The NZ Measurements are the same as Australia with the exception of tablespoons – the standard NZ tablespoon is 15 ml whereas it is 20 ml here. But there are no tablespoons in this recipe! 🙂 N xx
I’ve been dreaming about these chocolate chip cookies! Oh, my! They are sheet bliss! Is it bad if l hide from my little ones and eat a big batch all by myself? I guess it is… naughty mummy!!!
You have GOOD dreams. I never drew about food!