This recipe is my go-to when I’m craving fresh-from-the oven chocolate chip cookies, but can’t be bothered to make a whole batch. The proportions make the perfect amount of dough for cookies for two. (Ok, it’s 2 jumbo chocolate chip cookies or 4 more regular-sized ones. Worst case scenario: you’ll have a leftover cookie or two for breakfast.)
I love dessert-recipes-for-two for a couple reasons. First, they come together ridiculously fast. This cookie dough can be thrown together in about 5 minutes, and all you need is a small bowl or mug and a few measuring utensils.
Second, sometimes I crave variety. Maybe I want to eat cookies one night and brownies the next. Making these ultra small-batch cookies are great for that.
And lastly, sometimes my impulse control is….lacking, shall we say? If I have leftover cookies sitting on the counter, quite often I find myself snacking on them all day instead of taking the time to make real food. This recipe is great because I can get my chocolate chip cookie fix and then move on with my life. (Until it’s time to address a different dessert craving, at least.)
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
- Vegan butter — Just put this in a microwave-safe bowl and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until melted. Give it a minute to cool down before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Brown & white sugar — Traditional chocolate chip cookies call for both types of sugar. The brown makes the cookies chewy and adds depth of flavor. The white sugar helps ensure that the cookies rise properly. In a pinch, you can use all brown sugar.
- Plant milk — Only add this if your dough is looking a little dry or crumbly! Depending on the brands of your ingredients they may require a little more or less moisture. Add nondairy milk (pretty much any kind of will work) a teaspoon at a time until you have the right consistency for your cookie dough.
- Vanilla extract — A must for classic chocolate chip cookies!
- Baking soda — For rise.
- Salt — Make sure to add a pinch to round out the flavors, especially if you are using an unsalted variety of butter.
- Flour — I tested this recipe with regular all-purpose flour. I generally have pretty good luck substituting in the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour in cookies, but I haven’t personally tried this substitution yet.
- Chocolate chips — My favorite vegan-friendly chocolate chips are the semisweet chips from Guittard or Trader Joe’s! If you’re making these cookies on a whim and don’t have chocolate chips, you can chop up a good bar of chocolate and add in a handful.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Microwave-safe bowl. Just something you can pop in the microwave for a few seconds to melt your butter. You’ll mix the cookie dough entirely in this bowl.
- Measuring spoons.
- Spatula. Or really any stirring implement. A regular spoon works fine too. Just something to mix the ingredients together.
- Cookie sheet. A small one works for this recipe. If you have some parchment to line it with, all the better (less cleanup). But you can bake directly on the sheet in a pinch.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
It’s super easy! You can make this easy cookie dough in about 5 minutes in one small microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave the vegan butter for a few seconds to melt. (Keep an eye on it. This small quantity will melt fast and will quickly start to spatter in your microwave.)
- Add in the brown and white sugar, baking soda, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir it together. You can use a regular spoon or a little spatula for this.
- Add in the flour and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Try not to over-mix it; just mix until there are no patches of dry flour.
- Divide dough into 2 portions for jumbo cookies, or into 4 portions for standard-sized cookies. Try to make sure the chocolate chips are more or less evenly divided between the portions.
- Roll the cookies into balls in your palm. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes before enjoying!
Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
For Soft & Gooey Cookies
Take them out of the oven at the lower end of the cook time, around 10 minutes. At this point they’ll look a little underdone in the center, but that’s ok! They will continue to cook and firm up on the cookie sheet as they cool.
For Crispy Cookies
Let the cookies cook for the full 12 minutes until they are evenly golden brown. Then let them cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet. They’ll have the perfect crispy edges and bottom.
Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
Equipment
- small microwaveable bowl or mug to melt butter in and mix dough
- measuring cups and spoons
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon plant milk (only add if the dough is dry!)
- 1/4 cup nondairy chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. If you have parchment or a silicone baking mat, I recommend using it to line your cookie sheet (but it's not strictly necessary).
- In a small bowl or mug, stir together melted vegan butter, brown and white sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Add in flour and stir until just combined.
- *Only* if the dough is looking a little crumbly or dry, add in plant milk 1 teaspoon at a time and stir to combine. (I usually don't have to add milk, but this will depend on how you measure your flour.)
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the cookie dough in half for 2 large cookies, or into 4 for regular-sized cookies.
- Bake for 12 minutes for large cookies, or 10 for regular. The cookies will still look slightly underdone in the center. That's okay; they will firm up as they cool on the tray. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying.