4 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy 4-ingredient chocolate chip cookies recipe to make a big batch of warm chewy thick cookies loaded with chocolate goodness.

If there is a staple cookie in my world it has to be chocolate chip cookies. And why complicate things, when they can be made in under 30 minutes and with just a few simple ingredients?

Save this great recipe for later to make easy chocolate chip cookies for family, friends, coworkers, and school lunch boxes. You can easily double it to make a large batch during the holiday season (or for those sudden craving fixes).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Chewy and soft cookie texture, chocolatey, easy recipe, homemade. What else do we need?
• Just 4 ingredients that you already most likely have in your pantry. No eggs, creamy peanut butter, or baking soda involved!
• Very cost-efficient – the recipe makes around 20 cookies on a budget. My family loved them and they are pretty universally loved too, so it makes an easy sweet treat for a long time!
• Best part? From start to finish, you can make these cookies in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients Notes

There is no easier recipe than this one: it is quite literally just flour, butter, sugar, and chocolate chips.

• Unsalted butter melted. Using salted butter can be ok too, but you may have to adjust the sugar amount (taste before baking).
• Confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar. If you want a more chewy texture and some crisp on the edges use granulated sugar instead. For a healthier option, use coconut sugar.
• All-purpose flour. You can use gluten-free or almond flour too.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips. Of course, what chocolate chips to use is down to your preference. Milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or dark are all taste delicious. You can even use chocolate chunks.

Kitchen Equipment

• Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
• Optional, cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough. You can always just use a tablespoon.
• Microwave-safe bowl to melt the butter.
• Large bowl.

How To Make 4-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

To make this easy cookie recipe you simply need to combine all 4 ingredients, shape the cookies, and bake them.

1: Prepare The Cookie Dough

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Like a baking sheet with parchment – set aside.
3. Place the butter in a large, glass mixing bowl. Heat in the microwave in 10-second increments on 50% power. Stir between each increment until the butter is melted. (don’t overheat or melt it too quickly)
4. Whisk the confectioner’s sugar into the melted butter until mixed.
5. Add the flour and mix well until well combined.

2: Add Chocolate Chips

Fold in the chocolate chips. Make sure to just fold. Do not mix or move the spoon/spatula roughly to make sure you don’t break them or overmix the dough.

3: Divide The Dough & Bake Perfect Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Portion the cookie dough using a small cookie scoop and place it onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave enough space (2 in) between them, as they will spread!
2. Bake chocolate chip cookies for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven or until the edges are slightly browned.
3. Cool baked cookies for just a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
4. Optional, dust cookies with some powdered sugar.

Storage

Store chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze them for 3 months.

For best results when freezing, wrap each cookie individually with plastic wrap and then place all of the cookies in a zip-top bag.

Love warm cookies? Pop them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Substitution & Variations

• Healthy 4-ingredient cookies with chocolate chips can use oatmeal (rolled oats), mashed bananas, chocolate chips, and raisins. A simple recipe for a guilt-free snack. Raisins can be easily replaced with peanut butter. These are good for breakfast too. Oatmeal-based cookie dough usually takes less time to bake, check around 8 minutes.
• Double chocolate chip cookies. For extra chocolate flavor, you can use chocolate cake mix (plus oil and eggs), and chocolate chips of choice.
• Want something different? Use white chocolate chips instead of regular ones.
• Possible mix-ins (beyond 4 ingredients): added vanilla extract, chopped nuts, raisins, different chocolate chips, peanut butter bits (or caramel), and whatever you come up with.
• Non-dairy. You can use natural peanut butter or almond butter instead of regular dairy butter. It will make the soft chocolate chip cookies vegan and also very rich and flavorful. These recipes work better with added egg though. Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies tend to hold the ball shape and not spread as much on the baking sheet too.

Expert Tips To Make This Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

• Cooked cookies look light brown and edges may seem darker. They need to still be soft. If the edges start to burn, remove them from the oven.
• The dough is ready when it is uniform and doesn’t crumble or stick too much. Always scrape the sides to make sure everything is mixed well.

Popular Questions

What Is The Secret Ingredient To Keep Cookies Soft?

Beating butter with sugar just enough and using a mix of white and brown sugar makes chocolate chip cookies soft and chewy. When freezing tightly wrapping the cookies will help them stay soft after thawing.

What Basic Kind Of Mixture Is A Chocolate Chip Cookie?

The basic ingredients for chocolate chip cookies are flour, butter, chocolate chips, and sugar. This dough doesn’t require chilling, won’t rise, and needs a very short baking time.

Is It Necessary To Use Brown Sugar In Cookies?

No, using brown sugar is not mandatory, but it will add a soft and chewy texture as well as a subtle caramel-like flavor due to molasses in brown sugar. You can use a mix of brown and granulated sugar.

What Ingredient Makes Cookies More Chewy?

Adding brown sugar, slightly underbaking cookies (a couple of minutes short when they are just lightly brown), adding an egg yolk, as well as using bread flour or rolled oats can make cookies more chewy.

If you love this easy cookie recipe, you’re going to love these other easy treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Quick Cookie Recipes

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

4-Ingredient Sugar Cookies

Vanilla Cool Whip Cookies

Classic Shortbread Cookies

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