These easy chocolate chip sugar cookies combine two beloved classics into one irresistible cookie. The sugar cookie base is soft, buttery, and ultra-chewy, while mini chocolate chips add small pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout.
This is a no-chill dough inspired by classic chocolate chip cookies but made without brown sugar—perfect for a quick holiday bake or anytime you want fresh cookies fast.
These cookies are a customizable holiday favorite and pair nicely with other treats like cookie sticks and slice-and-bake shortbread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy — made with pantry staples and no special equipment.
Quick — no chilling required; ready in about 25 minutes from start to finish.
Perfect texture — crisp edges with a chewy center and the slight crunch of mini chocolate chips for contrast.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter — use room-temperature butter that is soft but not greasy.
- Granulated sugar — gives these cookies their classic sugar-cookie flavor and crisp edge.
- Baking powder — the sole leavener in this dough to help the cookies rise and hold shape.
- Eggs — use room-temperature eggs for best texture.
- Vanilla extract — important for flavor since this dough doesn’t use brown sugar.
- Mini chocolate chips — the small size melts and distributes best; avoid regular-sized chips for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for full quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use milk, semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips, or combine varieties.
- Add finely chopped nuts, toffee bits, crushed peppermint, or M&M’s.
- For a different aroma, substitute ½ teaspoon almond or peppermint extract for part of the vanilla.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Whisk together the dry ingredients until uniform.
Two: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
Three: Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just halfway combined.
Four: Fold in mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until the dough is evenly mixed.
Five: Portion dough into 3-tablespoon scoops, roll into balls, then roll each ball in granulated sugar.
Six: Arrange dough balls on parchment-lined sheets 2 inches apart and gently flatten the tops.
Seven: Bake until edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone (about 9–11 minutes). Immediately “scoot” cookies into a round shape using an appropriately sized round object if desired.
Eight: Press extra mini chips onto the hot cookies, cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Expert Tips
- Use butter that is at room temperature but still slightly cool to the touch for the best creaming and structure.
- Measure flour accurately — a digital scale is ideal. If using cups, spoon flour into the cup and level with a knife.
- Avoid overmixing once the flour is added to keep cookies tender.
- Scoot the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven for perfectly round shapes.
- Remove the cookies when centers still look slightly underbaked; they will finish setting on the hot pan as they cool.
Recipe FAQs
Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and the sugar begins to dissolve, use quality vanilla, and slightly underbake so the centers stay chewy.
Classic chocolate chip cookie dough typically includes brown sugar for moisture and caramel notes; sugar cookie dough uses only granulated sugar for a cleaner, crisper profile.
Either works. Semi-sweet balances the cookie’s sweetness nicely, while milk chocolate gives a creamier, sweeter bite. A mix is also great.
Because these cookies lack brown sugar, avoid overbaking. Pull them when edges are set and centers still look slightly soft.
Storage
Store cooled cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for 3–4 days.
To freeze baked cookies, place them in an airtight container for 1–2 months. Thaw uncovered at room temperature before serving.
For frozen dough: flash-freeze rolled and flattened dough balls on a sheet, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
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Coconut Pecan Cookies
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Classic Thumbprint Cookies
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Cinnamon Coffee Cake Cookies
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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Share a photo and leave a rating — we’d love to hear how it turned out!
Recipe
Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
Soft, buttery, and chewy sugar cookies studded with mini chocolate chips. No chilling required—perfect for quick baking and holiday cookie trays.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Large sheet pans
- Parchment paper
- 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips, plus extra ⅓ cup for topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pour ½ cup granulated sugar into a shallow bowl for rolling.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and 1 ¼ cups sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 4–5 minutes. Add the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla; beat on medium for 1 minute.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low until halfway combined. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix until the remaining flour is just incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape sides and finish mixing.
- Portion dough into 3-tablespoon scoops, roll each into a ball, and roll completely in the reserved granulated sugar.
- Place dough balls on the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart (about 6 cookies per sheet). Gently press the tops down slightly.
- Bake 9–11 minutes until edges look set but centers still appear slightly underdone. If desired, immediately “scoot” each cookie with a round object to perfect the shape. Press extra mini chips onto the tops while cookies are hot.
- Cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Store baked cookies in a sealed container for 3–4 days.
Use a digital scale for accurate flour measurement. If measuring by cup, spoon flour into the cup and level with a knife.
Do not overbake—the cookies will look slightly underdone in the center when removed but will finish setting as they cool.
Nutrition (per cookie, estimated): 275 kcal, 38 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 3 g protein.