Easy Bake Cookies – Soft & Chewy One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies
These EASY BAKE COOKIES are a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie no mixer required! Scoop, bake with a brief fork-press midway through, and you will have tender centers with slightly crisp edges.
These cookies are the ones you bake when you’re in the mood for something warm and homemade in less time than it takes to pull out a stand mixer or chill dough for hours. The dough takes a few minutes to make, bakes up thick and buttery and is so rich because it’s literally packed with chocolate.
You half-press it with a fork and that’s all they need to spread evenly and come out with a smooth top, the texture soft in the middle, just set around the edges.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-bowl dough (easy cleanup)
- No mixer required
- Chewy middles and soft edges that are just barely crispy
- Chocolate in every bite
- Fast when made from the pantry utilities
Ingredients
Candy base
Wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (115 g)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (60 g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 gr)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Finish
Mix-in
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate* (150 g)
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Butter: Unsalted is best. If you’re using salted butter, decrease the added salt by a small pinch (this recipe doesn’t include salt).
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar makes them softer, dark brown adds a deeper caramel note.
- Baking powder: The leavener that helps to inflate and keep them chewy. If you have only baking soda, the texture will be different.
- Chocolate: Chips are great, but chopped chocolate equals melty puddles. You can even mix milk + semi-sweet.
How to Make EASY BAKE COOKIES
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Melted butter is whipped together with brown sugar and granulated sugar until they’re glossy. Whisk in the egg and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients. Add flour and baking powder. Stir with a spatula (or clean hand, as in your method) just until no dry flour is visible.
- Add chocolate. Gently mix in chocolate chips/chunks until well distributed.
- Shape the cookies. Roll into balls and set on lined baking sheet, well apart.
- If you wish, top with extra chocolate pieces.
- Bake one minute. Bake for around 5 minutes — until the tops appear set, but are still pale.
- Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack to cool.
Soft center, chocolate in every bite
Expert Tips
- Use melted butter that’s on the slightly warm side, not hot, so as to cook the egg.
- Stir flour until just combined to prevent cookies from being tough.
- To ensure uniform cookies, use the same size scoop each time to measure out dough portions.
- The fork-press at mid-bake ensures even spreading and a smooth top.
- Pull cookies when the centers resemble they’re barely done; they set up as they cool.
- For thicker cookies, chill the rounds of shaped dough for 15–20 minutes before baking.
- For extra chocolate on the top, simply press a few chips/chunks into each dough ball and then bake.
Storage & Freezing
- Refrigerator: Keep in a closed container for up to 5 days (best served at room temp before eating for better texture).
- Freezer (baked cookies): Freeze in a zip-top freezer bag up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temp 30-60 min.
- (via Chicago Tribune) Freezer (cookie dough): Freeze dough balls on a tray, and then bag them. Bake from frozen, tacking on 1–2 minutes to bake time.
Variations
- Stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Replace half the chocolate with white chocolate chips.
- Include a teaspoon of cinnamon for additional warmth.
- Make them double-chocolate: sub 2 tbsp flour with cocoa powder.
- Make sure mini chocolate chips, so you get a chocolate in every bite.
EASY BAKE COOKIES
Soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies made in one bowl with melted butter—no mixer needed.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add flour and baking powder. Mix just until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips/chunks.
- Roll dough into equal balls and place on the baking sheet, spaced apart.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove the tray and gently press each cookie with a fork to slightly flatten/shape.
- Return to oven and bake 5–7 minutes more, until edges are set and centers look soft.
- Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack to cool.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- For thicker cookies, chill dough balls 15–20 minutes before baking.
- Don’t overmix after adding flour to keep cookies tender.
- Chocolate chips can be swapped for chopped chocolate, or mix both.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!FAQs
Why were my cookies so dry ?
Most likely you are using too much flour or overbaking. Dip, loosely measuring flour, and slightly undercook the cookies.
Can I Substitute Bars or Chunks of Chocolate ?
Absolutely—chunks give extra melty pockets.
How can I tell when they’re ready ?
The edges should look set, the centers perhaps a bit soft. They firm up while cooling.
Can I make the dough ahead ?
Yes — cool the dough (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, then bake according to instructions.
Why do you bake, then fork-press, then bake a second time ?
That fast first bake just sets the surface so that the fork-press shapes them without causing them to spread too thin.
Can I use salted butter ?
Yes, but the cookies might be a little bit saltier.
Key Takeaways
- EASY BAKE COOKIES are soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies that require no mixer and are simple to make.
- The recipe includes wet ingredients like melted butter and sugars, plus dry ingredients such as flour and baking powder.
- Baking the cookies involves rolling dough, a quick bake, and a fork press to achieve even spreading.
- These cookies store well in a closed container for up to 5 days or can be frozen for 2 months.
- Variations include adding nuts, using white chocolate chips, or incorporating cinnamon for extra flavor.
More Recipes You Will Like :
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
