Chocolate Chunk Cookies | Simple 8-ingredients chocolate chunk cookies with a crispy edge and soft center. Easy one bowl cookie recipe you can make by hand, without a stand mixer.
These chocolate chunk cookies are so good. They are just the right mix of crispy edges and soft center and each cookie is dotted with big melty, chocolate chunks.
How to Make Chocolate Chunk Cookies Without a Stand Mixer
Cookies are about one of the easiest dessert recipes to mix and it's just as easy to make cookies by hand with a wooden spoon and bowl, as it is to make them with a stand mixer. By hand just takes a bit longer to get the butter fluffy, but it works just as well.
When I make my cookies by hand I always make sure my butter is a little more softened than it is when I make them in my stand mixer. The stand mixer easily does the job of whipping up the butter so it'll take more time by hand - I cut out a bit of that time by making sure my butter is really soft, but not melted.
And honestly, we all know you're supposed to prepare well ahead of time and let that butter sit out, but what if you want cookies now?
I am obviously not a professional baker, but I've never thrown a batch of cookies out because I let the butter soften a bit too much if I've microwaved it for a few seconds and it melted a bit.
Can You Microwave Butter to Soften It?
Sure, why not, it's your kitchen!
I sometimes take this shortcut, but I only microwave for about 5-8 seconds, flip the stick over and try another 5-8 seconds. With my microwave this will get me soft-ish butter. Just go slow if you're trying this out.
If you're too nervous to try it, just make sure to set your butter out for a few hours so it softens gradually.
How to Quickly Soften Butter for Baking
There are a few other tricks I've read:
- Fill a tall cup (taller than your stick of butter) with boiling water and then empty it out. Stand your stick of butter upright on a plate and cover with the hot glass. This has worked just OK for me.
- I recently read this cool trick from Inside the Rustic Kitchen, about how to soften butter in warm water. Looks interesting, I'm going to try it out soon.
Check below for the recipe video for How to Make Chocolate Chunk Cookies. (go easy on us, it was our first one and was made a couple of years ago, haha)
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
center. Easy one bowl cookie recipe you can make by hand, without a
stand mixer.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (at room temperature)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- If using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment for about three to five minutes until light and fluffy. In mixing by hand, use softer butter and beat the butter with a wooden spoon until it is very soft and creamy and easy to stir.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix to combine.
- Set aside a few chocolate chunks to press on top of the cookies before they go in the oven, if desired, and then fold the rest into the batter.
- Using a 1 ½ tablespoon scoop, place cookies on line cookie sheet. (I used a silicone mat)
- Press chocolate chunks into the tops and then bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until golden around the edges and cooked through.
- Let cool for five minutes on wire tray. Serve.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!