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The Easiest Frugal Family Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!

The Easiest Frugal Family Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!

By Mona - Far From The Farm
September 7, 2025
Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies made from scratch with simple pantry staples. No chilling, no fuss, budget friendly, and quick!
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Makes: 18 cookies
Approximate cost $12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies
Course: Cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup salted butter - softened to room temp (not melted)
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar - packed works best
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract - or vanilla flavoring
  • 2 large eggs - room temp eggs tend to incorporate easier
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 1 12oz bag chocolate chips - about 2 cups worth

Equipment

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • hand or stand mixer
  • mixing bowls
  • spatula
  • baking sheets 2 or 3
  • Parchment paper or baking paper
  • cookie scoop
  • cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars until fluffy.
  4. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  7. Using a cookie scoop or rolling balls of dough about 2–3 tablespoons in size in your hands also works. Place them evenly spaced on your baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 11-14 minutes for the larger size like these, removing when cookies are lightly golden but still look slightly doughy in the center. If you prefer your cookies smaller you will need to adjust the time accordingly.
  9. Let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack gently because they are still very soft at this stage.
  10. Best enjoyed when cooled.

Notes

 

Batch size & measurements

This recipe usually makes about 18-22 cookies, depending on how generous your scoops are (I’m a little more generous than most!)
I use around 2-3 tablespoons of dough per cookie, but it doesn’t need to be exact.

Baking tips

Pull the tray when the cookies still look pale in the middle. They’ll finish setting as they cool, which keeps the centers chewy.
For convection ovens, lower the baking temp by about 25°F.
For an extra glamorous just-out-of-a-cookbook-look you can add 2 or 3 chocolate chips directly on top of your cookie balls before baking them, pressing them in slightly.

Freezing & storage

For dough: Scoop into balls, flash freeze on a tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. Keeps up to 2 months.
For baked cookies: Store in an airtight tin or container for 4–5 days, or freeze baked cookies for 2 months.

Baking from frozen

Bake straight from frozen by placing dough balls on a lined sheet, setting the oven to 350°F, and baking for 14-16 minutes.
If you thaw first (about 1 hour on the counter), bake at 375°F for 9-10 minutes.
 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you make this, tap the stars on the recipe card and leave a quick comment below. I love hearing how these recipes work in real kitchens like ours!