This Small Batch Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe makes 8 large cookies that are filled with deep flavors and chunks of chocolate. They have the perfect crispy edges, are gooey, rich, and so easy to make!
There's nothing like a perfect chocolate chip cookie to eat, and on this National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, I present to you the perfect Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. They're the perfect Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies that are filled with deep flavor, crispy edges, chewy center, and just the right amount of chocolate pools. This recipe creates 8 cookies so you can share it with your small household, or to enjoy all by yourself.
If you're in the mood for a little more pizzaz, try these Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies, Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies, Pistachio Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flavor: This Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookie is PACKED with flavor. It has deep flavors from the long chill time, salted butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla, and all the chocolate chunks.
Texture: These cookies have crispy edges with gooey and chewy centers with pools and pools of chocolate that create even more depth of flavor and texture.
Easy: Not only does this recipe contain few basic ingredients, it's also very easy to come together. No mixer required because we're using slightly melted butter. No browning of the butter, so don't worry about any extra steps. Once it all comes together and you roll into balls, you cover, chill, and forget about it for 12-72 hours.
8 cookies: This recipe only makes 8 large cookies. That's all. I LOVE small batch recipes because it's just me and my husband, and most of the time when it comes to cookies, it's just me, so I don't really like making large batches. But this recipe can be doubled to add more, or you can make them smaller.
What Makes these Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Amazing?
As simple as these cookies are, there are three things that make them some of the most amazing cookies I've made.
Salted Butter: Using salted butter truly enhances the flavor of these cookies to another level. The extra salt balances out the sweetness and creates the perfect flavor.
Chilling: Marinating the dough in the refrigerator does a few things: chills the butter to avoid over spreading; hydrates the flour and creates thicker cookies; and develops richer flavors the longer it chills.
Chocolate chunks: Adding chopped chocolate bars that are mostly dark chocolate and a little milk creates the perfect flavor and texture for these cookies. It also creates pools of melted chocolate throughout the cookie.
Large: This recipe creates 8 cookies that are large and packed with flavor.
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Ingredient Notes
This Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe uses very few simple ingredients.
- Butter: This Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe uses salted butter. I've tested out this recipe using unsalted butter, and salted won by a landslide. If you only have unsalted and want to make this recipe, I suggest adding at least ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
- Sugar: Both brown sugar and granulated sugar are used. I love using dark brown sugar for the deep flavor, but in a pinch, you can use light brown sugar. Granulated sugar is important for the crisp of the cookies.
- Salt: This cookie uses salted butter, but I like to add more salt because it truly does enhance the flavor of the cookie.
- Egg: Only one egg is used for this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe. Creates structure, gives color, and adds moisture.
- Vanilla: You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Flour: For the best texture and cookie, use regular all purpose flour.
- Baking soda: Using only baking soda will result in a cookie that spreads a little more with crispy edges. Don't worry though, the long chill will prevent it from spreading too much.
- Chocolate: A key ingredient in this recipe is the chocolate. Chopped chocolate bars are used, and it's very important for the flavor and structure of the cookie. I like using a combination of dark and milk chocolate. I love adding mostly dark chocolate with about 2 oz. of milk chocolate to balance out the richness from the dark chocolate. It also creates different flavor combinations that make the cookie incredible. Some of my favorite brands to use: Ghirardelli, Lindt, Valrhona, or Guittard because I know they all taste wonderful in recipes. I personally don't suggest substituting with chocolate chips, but if you want, you can, and be sure to use a high quality chocolate chip like Ghirardelli, Guittard, or even Valrhona chocolate discs.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Melt the butter: In a medium heat-proof bowl, slightly melt the salted butter. Don't melt it completely. It should be mostly melted with chunks of butter still unmelted but soft.
Mix: To the bowl, add the sugars and the salt and mix until completely combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until all combined well.
Hint: Do not melt your butter completely. You want the butter to be slightly melted with chunks of butter softened.
Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and chocolate chunks (reserving a little for the top) and mix until just incorporated.
Form Balls: You can use a scale or eye ball, but form 8 large balls, then add chocolate chunks on top. Cover, and chill.
Bake: Once chilled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add the balls to the baking sheet, making sure to leave 2 or so inches between each other. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tip: To create perfectly round cookies, use a spoon to scoot the edges of the cookies into a perfect circle. You can even use the cookie cutter method: place the large cutter over the cookies and create small round motions. Make sure the cookie cutter is much larger than the cookie. You can even use a glass or a round bowl.
Substitutions
Butter: In a pinch, you can use unsalted butter, but make sure to add extra salt to the cookie dough to balance out the missing salt from the butter.
Brown sugar: You can use light brown sugar if you don't have any dark brown, but I highly recommend using dark brown sugar.
Chocolate: This bakery style chocolate chip cookie was developed specifically with the type and amount of chocolate listed. I tested this recipe out with both chocolate chips, less chocolate, as well as all dark chocolate, and the best combination was mostly dark chocolate chunks and a little milk chocolate. However, if you want to make this recipe, you can try it out with chocolate chips. Just be sure to use high quality chocolate chips.
Variations
These cookies are perfect as-is, but here are some suggestions:
Nuts: I love adding pecans to cookies for an extra flavor and crunch.
Espresso: Add a little espresso powder for a deeper flavor and a hint of coffee
Equipment
Food scale: As always, best to use a scale when weighing ingredients because it produces the best results.
Storage & Freezing
Cooked: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Uncooked in fridge: You can store uncooked cookie dough in the fridge for up to 72 hours. Once ready to bake, preheat your oven and pop them in.
Uncooked in freezer: These bakery style chocolate chip cookies freeze well. Just form them into balls, let them chill for at least 12 hours in the fridge, then transfer them to a ziploc bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Once ready to bake, defrost overnight in the fridge or let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking.
Pro Tips
Measure Ingredients Correctly: As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't melt the butter completely: Only slightly melt the butter. See image in post. The butter should still have chunks of softened butter.
Don't over mix: Using a spatula instead of a hand mixer reduces the chances of over mixing, but once your ingredients come together, stop mixing.
Don't skip the chill: These cookies are best when chilled for at least 12 hours and no more than 72 hours. My favorite is to keep them refrigerated for 48 hours for the best flavor and texture.
Don't over bake: Start checking the cookies at 12 minutes.
Parchment paper: To avoid sticking, make sure to line the pan with parchment paper.
Round cookies: To achieve a round cookie, immediately after removing from the oven, use a cookie cutter to form round cookies, or my favorite way is to just use a spoon to push the edges into a round circle.
Light-colored pan: Use a light colored metal baking pan. It helps cook evenly and doesn't burn the bottom of the cookies.
High quality chocolate: I like using Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Guittard because I know they all taste wonderful in recipes. Here's more info on baking with the right chocolate.
Note on salt: Because this recipe uses salted butter, you can use anywhere from ¼ - ½ teaspoon of salt. I use a ½ tsp, but if you don't want too much salty flavor, then just use ¼ tsp. If using unsalted butter, use ¾ teaspoon of salt.
FAQ
Yes, this step is non-negotiable. If you bake immediately, the cookies will come out flatter with less flavor.
This recipe was specifically developed for chocolate chunks, but if you don't have any, you can use chocolate chips. Use high quality chocolate chips.
If your cookies spread way too much, it's possible you added more butter than necessary or the butter was completely melted and not chilled enough. Be sure to chill your dough for at least 12 hours.
Salted butter is best for this recipe, but if you don't have any, you can use unsalted, but make sure to add at least ¼ teaspoon extra salt to the recipe.
Absolutely! You can use a smaller cookie scoop or divide the dough into around 12 cookie balls.
📖 Recipe
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) salted butter slightly melted
- ¾ cup (150g) dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt see notes
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (180g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 oz. dark chocolate chunks, chopped 70-80% (reserve some for the top)
- 2 oz. milk chocolate chunks, chopped (reserve some for the top)
Instructions
- Line a small baking pan or large plate with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add slightly melted butter, salt, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and mix using a spatula. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until completely combined.½ cup (113g) salted butter, ¾ cup (150g) dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, ¼-½ teaspoon salt, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking soda, and chocolates and mix until JUST incorporated. Do not over mix.1½ cups (180g) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 6 oz. dark chocolate chunks, chopped, 2 oz. milk chocolate chunks, chopped
- Divide the dough into 8 balls, add remaining chocolate chunks on top, then place in the parchment lined pan/plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24-72 hours. My favorite is to chill for 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place chilled dough on the baking sheet. For a large baking sheet, I like to add no more than 5.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
- TIP: To create perfectly round cookies, use a spoon to scoot the edges of the cookies into a perfect circle. You can even use the cookie cutter method: place the large cutter over the cookies and create small round motions. Make sure the cookie cutter is much larger than the cookie. You can even use a glass or a round bowl.
- Cookies will last at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Notes
- Because this recipe uses salted butter, you can use anywhere from ¼ - ½ teaspoon of salt. I use a ½ tsp, but if you don't want too much salty flavor, then just use ¼ tsp.
- If using unsalted butter, use ¾ teaspoon of salt.
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