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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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 were fantastic!! After your amazing Pad Thai recipe, I came straight to your website when I wanted to make cookies and this recipe was a dream! So easy, no creaming butter and sugar and I ended up with perfect cookies! So thrilled I found your website. Highly recommend this recipe 🙂
My daughter and I have made these 3 times now, and everyone loves them. They are super soft. I get 14 out of mine.
table or cooking salt?
found them salty
Whenever I want to try a dish your website is the first that I go too. I love your chocolate brownies I think I’ve made them 6/7. Now I’m addicted to your soft cookie recipe
Hi Kim, sorry you found them salty – I always use cooking salt – table salt is a finer grain so you’d need half the amount. N x
Hey Nagi! So I’m at high altitude right now (over 2600m) and so I tried the suggestions of reducing sugar and just using 1egg + 1yolk and it worked well at 180C, but 5min one side turn 3min other. Longer and the edges would have gone past golden brown. They’re still divinely soft (you definitely want to ensure they rest of the tray – not enough trays and my first batch I took off and the center is cooked… Barely!) And I don’t miss the sugar either. I also used aluminum foil instead of parchment paper (less smoke) and they slide off easily. Thanks for yet another successful baking afternoon 🙂
I’m so glad they worked for you Lara!! N x
This is amazing! The cookies were soft and chewy in the middle. Going to make this regularly. Thanks Nagi!
Tasted amazing!!! Love!
My cookies kinda flattened out too much, think I needed to make them more into a round ball to get them to look like the photos? Tasted amazing though.
Do you think I can use oatmeal flour instead of plain flour? Just looking for a “healthier” substitute 🙂
Hi Tash, oatmeal will change the texture here unfortunately – N x
Just tried variation with blending 3/4c oats to make the oat flour and we all really loved it. It’s really delicious!
I made first batch as described and I felt as if they were slightly undercooked by the time they finished cooling on the baking sheet.
I put the second batch in for an additional 1.5 minutes on the back end and they were perfect, so, even if 11 minutes is for you, a little extra time definitely doesn’t ruin them!
Hi Jeffrey, everyone’s ovens run slightly different (some cooler than others) but I’m glad you managed to get it right! N x
You never fail me, do you! Found you through your sausage rolls, stayed for the pulled pork and have now started seeking you out specifically for my last couple of cookie batches. The triple choc chunk were a hit with my not-a-sweet tooth partner and now these ones have come out perfectly too! Thanks for your work in honing a recipe to perfection!
My daughter loves making these cookies as it’s so yummy!!! Thanks for the recipe! The whole family loves them, being lactose intolerant, I can’t eat more than 1. My daughter wants to make a giant cookie with this recipe as a bday present for her friend, any advice on achieving this?
Just amazing thanks soooooo much nagi your recipes are just delicious!!! 😀
Thanks so much Jenna! N x
Hi Nagi, thanks a bunch for your great recipes! Just made these cookies with my son today; it was so easy and they taste great. First time making chocolate chip cookies for us and what a hit! 🙂
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Nisha! N x
very easy and delicous cookie. Perfect!
Thanks so much Kiki! N x
Hi Nagi! Your chocolate cookies are DANGEROUSlY DELICIOUS! Yes they are very very DANGEROUS! I made large size and I can’t stop eating once start eating and seriously I think I’m going to finish the cookies soon 😂 My son loves it too! Definitely will make it again! Thanks for sharing this Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe 😘
Nagi! U just made me the Mum/wife who makes the best choc chip cookies! Is so goood! Your recipes are brilliant and you are just awesome 😄
I just made these for the third time in 10 days, and forgot to add the salt. DEVASTATING.
You’ll just have to remake them a 4th time 😉 N x
Hi, these cookies were super easy to make and tasted delicious. My boys loved them. The only thing I noticed was the dough spread a little too much making them a lot thinner than yours. Do you think chilling the dough will help next time? Thanks!
Any suggestions about why my dough might’ve spread more than yours? Would love to make them again!
Altitude baker here! (900m above sea level in the Japanese mountains)
I baked these with half the sugar same as Marg, but with one egg, one egg yolk. Baked at 190 for the same amount of time (9mins for each tray of smaller cookies) and ended up with 33 delicious soft cookies a and they didn’t spread too much so I suspect the extra egg white does overdo it. Definitely be making these again!
That’s do good to know Felicity – thanks so much for sharing! N x
Thank you for this recipe. Great to try for a beginner like me. I’m only using a multi cooker so it is not the same as yours. It came out crunchy but at least my family love it. Next time I’ll try to monitor before it gets toasted.
By the way, can I still keep the batter left in the refrigerator and bake it for tomorrow?
Perfect activity for a quarantine day 😀
Thanks, Nagi! (As always.)
Absolute winner in our home! So easy and delicious. Kids and hubby love them and anything sweet/salty has my vote! 🙋🏻♀️
I wondered though if we could sub the choc chips for smarties? Request from the kids. 😀
I don’t see why not Danielle! N x