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6 perfect chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies. This Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is great for those late night cravings when you can't be bothered to make a full batch. These cookies are rich, nutty, and rolled in chocolate two types of chocolate.
Sometimes all you need is a warm chocolate chip cookie. But making a full batch can be time consuming and yields way too many cookies for one or two people. So whether you are short on ingredients or just making cookies for yourself, this 6 cookie recipe is perfect.
This recipe was much more difficult to perfect than I anticipated. But after lots of trial and error, I landed here and I think this might be one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies of all time.
I am currently working on a standard size recipe for this cookie because they are that good. Stay tuned.
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Highlights
- Small batch recipe that makes 6 chocolate chip cookies
- Brown butter adds nuttiness and richness
- Rolled in chopped chocolate and chocolate chips
- Brown sugar only for more flavor and a chewier texture
Ingredients
- Brown butter: Browning butter is the process of heating it until the milk solids in the butter become a golden brown. If you need help browning your butter, check out this tutorial. After it is browned, pour the butter in a bowl and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Chocolate: You use whatever kind of chocolate you have one hand (chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, chocolate chunks). I prefer semi sweet. Just be sure to use 3 ounces of chocolate total.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Instructions
before you start
- Brown and chill your butter. Don't skip this step. I have not tried this recipe with melted or softened butter. Browning butter is the process of heating it until the milk solids in the butter become a golden brown. If you need help browning your butter, check out this tutorial. After it is browned, pour the butter in a bowl and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Separate the egg yolk. This recipe only calls for the egg yolk. Using the shell of the egg you can separate the yolk from the white. Make sure to do this in a separate bowl to avoid any shells getting in the cookie dough.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer and a medium bowl), beat the butter, brown sugar, and brown sugar on medium high for about 2 minutes or until smooth.
Step 2: Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Continue beating until well combined.
Step 3: Add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix on low until combined.
Step 4: Add the chocolate chips and mix on low until combined (you can also roll the cookie dough balls in the chocolate after the next step). See recipe notes for more on this. Divide the cookie dough into 6 equal balls (about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
TIP - Egg yolks vary in size. Since this is a small batch recipe there is much less room for error. So you may have to add 1 - 2 ½ teaspoons of water after step 3 if your yolk was on the smaller side. Start with 1 teaspoon if your dough is crumbly and add another if needed. I have never had to add more than 2 ½ teaspoons. You want your dough to be the same as the texture shown above in step 3. If you add too much water, the cookies will run.
Step 5: Bake for 11-12 minutes or until golden around edges. Allow the cookies to cool (and continue cooking) for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
TIP - Do not over bake the cookies or they will dry out!
Expert Tips
- Egg yolks vary in size. Since this is a small batch recipe there is much less room for error. So you may have to add 1 - 2 ½ teaspoons of water after step 3 if your yolk was on the smaller side. Start with 1 teaspoon if your dough is crumbly and add another if needed. I have never had to add more than 2 ½ teaspoons. You want your dough to be the same as the texture shown above in step 3. If you add too much water, the cookies will run.
- Do not over mix the dry ingredients. After you add them, just mix until combined.
- Do not over bake the cookies or they will dry out!
FAQs
Store for 5-7 day in an airtight container at room temperature. Microwave for about 15 seconds to warm leftover cookies.
Well this depends. In general, baking soda is better for cookies, because the texture is more chewy and dense. Baking powder gives a more cake like texture, which is great for things like cake or biscuits.
If you added too much water to your dough, this will cause them to spread. You just need to add enough water so the dough is not crumbly, but it should still be very thick. Depending on the size of your yolk, you might not need to add any water.
Parchment paper prevents the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet. There is no need to grease the sheet.
Related Recipes
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, browned and chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes*
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon (80g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste*
- ⅔ cup (87g) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (3oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping (optional)*
- optional: sea salt for topping
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer and a medium bowl), beat the butter and brown sugar on medium high for about 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Continue beating until well combined.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix on low until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix on low until combined (you can also roll the cookie dough balls in the chocolate after the next step). See recipe notes for more on this. Divide the cookie dough into 6 equal balls (about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes or until golden around edges. Allow the cookies to cool (and continue cooking) for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
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