One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter (you will be melting this); ½ cup light brown sugar; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ((not packed, just scooped and leveled with a knife)); 1 cup chocolate chips (I like to chop half so the cookies spread more, but it's totally optional!)

The EASIEST chocolate chip cookies made in one bowl, no mixer required! Since we're using melted butter, there's no need to get out the electric mixer. Simply mix by hand & have warm cookies in under 20 minutes!

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Why I love these one-bowl cookies:

Melted butter: You don’t have to soften the butter. This recipe uses melted butter which means you can make them on the spot when the craving hits.
No mixer: You don’t need a mixer and actually you should NOT use one. All you need is a bowl and spatula.
No chilling: You don’t need to chill the dough because the last thing I want to do is wait 2 hours to make cookies.
Bakery-style: This recipe makes 10-12 large bakery-style cookies, which means you only need to bake 1-2 trays!
Giftable! They’re perfect for gifting (more on that later).

Psst! If you love these, try my chocolate chip cookie bars (no scooping!) or one giant chocolate chip cookie!

Inside Texture of Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tips & Tricks

Consistency: Since we're using melted butter, this is more of a wet dough that should be the consistency of a very loose playdoh. If your dough is too liquidy, you can add a few tablespoons of flour until it firms up (dough can vary based on the butter you use). The dough will also firm up as it sits, so you can let it sit on counter for a few minutes (or pop in fridge if it is really too runny).
Flatten into thick discs: After scooping and rolling the dough balls, lightly flatten the tops into a thick disc. If you like puffier cookies, you can skip this step. But by flattening, you help the cookies flatten into a larger cookie.
Reshape after baking, if wonky: Depending on your mix-ins, you may want to use a bowl or round cookie cutter (slightly larger than your cookie) to wiggle it back into a circle. You need to do this immediately after removing from the oven.
Chop half the chocolate: by doing so, you'll get more chocolate dust in every bite and it will also help the cookies spread a bit more!

Ingredients for Copycat Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies

Variations & Mix-Ins

This dough is super versatile and can be turned into lots of different flavors! This one bowl recipe is actually the base to my viral Kitchen Sink Cookies (Panera Copycat) and can be made into s'mores, peanut butter, or m&m variations!

Adding 1 cup of mix-ins per batch is a good starting point, then you can add more to your preference!

How to Make One Bowl Cookies

Step 1: Chop Half the Chocolate

Use a sharp knife to chop ½ cup of the chocolate chips (or chunks!) into small shards and slivers (set the other ½ cup of unchopped chunks aside). Set aside.

Step 2: Melt Butter & Add Ingredients

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and cover with a paper towel (will help for splattering). Melt the butter for 30-60 seconds until all is melted (no chunks left). You want it hot; if you hear it "pop" then it's most likely done.
Pour melted butter in larger mixing bowl then add in granulated sugar and brown sugar; use a spatula to stir until combined. Mix in egg.
Next, add in baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix again.
Add flour and mix until all the flour disappears into the dough. Lastly, add the ½ cup of chopped chunks and ½ cup of whole chunks into the dough and mix. Let sit for a minute or two to allow dough to set up a bit so it’s not too sticky.

How to mix panera chocolate chip cookies

Step 3: Scoop and Roll

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 3-tablespoon-sized scoops then gently roll into your hands to create a ball. Flatten the tops so that they're a thick disc vs. a round ball (see image below).

Tip: If you notice 2-3 chocolate chunks are stuck together, separate them before baking. This will allow the chocolate to be evenly dispersed and prevent the cookie from having a giant clump of chocolate in one spot.

Chocolate chip cookie dough scoops on baking tray

Step 4: Bake

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. You want them to be slightly brown on top and look slightly underbaked (my oven was perfect at 11 minutes). Remove from oven and place entire pan on a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool on the hot pan for 10-15 minutes before removing them. This will allow them to finish baking on the hot pan. Once cooled, use a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

Copycat Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies on Baking Tray

Freeze or Gift

Freshly baked cookies or frozen cookie dough is the perfect thing to keep in the freezer, or to gift to a friend! When baking from frozen, cookies will need closer to 12-16 minutes to bake. I love to 4x the recipe, press into a half-sheet pan, cut into squares, and then freeze.

I've got 7 Easy Cookie Packaging Ideas if you need more inspo!

And as a gift to you, you can download my free printable cookie tags to help you gift them!

Frequently Asked Questions:

How big will these be?

If you follow the instructions, flatten them into thick discs, and use a 3-tablespoon-sized scoop, your cookies should end up being around 3.5 inches. This can vary based on how ovens bake and the pan you use (i.e. using a light metal vs. dark metal pan will affect how your cookies spread).