Toaster Oven Chocolate Cookies

ByBrie Updated
34 Comments
View Recipe

Toaster Oven Chocolate Cookies are rich brownie-like cookies stuffed full of melty chocolate chips. The easy small-batch recipe makes just 6 indulgent cookies, so go ahead and splurge!

Cookie split in half on a piece of parchment surrounded by chocolate chips.

This recipe is great for when you’re craving a cookie but don’t need a few dozen. It requires only one bowl, a few pantry staples, and makes a mini-batch of fudgy chocolate cookies that are perfectly sized for baking in a toaster oven.

Below we’ll walk you through how to whip up a batch in less than 30 minutes using your little oven. Come on, let’s make cookies!

Ingredients in bowls and ramekins arranged on table and labeled.

Ingredient Notes

Egg Yolk: Please don’t add the whole egg, the cookies will not turn out great.

Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted. If you only have salted, just omit the salt from the recipe. Or leave it in if you’re a fan of saltier chocolate cookies.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is fluffy and lighter in color. A hand mixer makes this job really easy but you can also use a fork – it just takes a little longer.

Butter and sugar creamed with a fork in a bowl.

2. Next, mix in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the cocoa powder and slowly mix it in. If you go too fast the cocoa powder will puff up and get everywhere.

Once the cocoa is mixed in, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips, setting aside the other tablespoon for topping the cookies before baking.

Chocolate cookie dough mixed in a glass bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Right now, the dough will be very sticky. To keep the cookies from spreading too much during baking, chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 10 minutes.

4. While the dough chills, adjust the cooking rack to the middle placement, select the BAKE setting, and preheat the toaster oven to 350°F. Then, lightly oil a small cookie sheet or line with a silicone baking mat.

Related >>> Our Most-Used Toaster Oven Baking Dishes and Accessories

Chocolate dough balls on a small pan lined with a silicone baking mat.

5. Roll the chilled dough into heaping tablespoon-sized balls and place them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared pan. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the top of the dough.

6. Bake until the cookies are dry and set around the edges but the centers are still puffed and soft about 5 to 7 minutes.

How do you know if the cookies are ready?

You want the tops of the cookies to be dry to the touch but you may still see a little wet dough in the cracks. Remember, cookies continue to bake as they cool.

Small batch of double chocolate cookies cooling on a sheet pan.

7. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baking With Convection

The fan in a convection toaster oven circulates the oven’s warm air more evenly. This is great for making cookies but it can cause them to bake faster than expected.

For the best results, reduce the temperature to 325°F and begin checking on the cookies a few minutes early. Then, add more time as needed.

Learn More >>> 5 Tips That Will Make You a Toaster Oven Cookie Baking Expert

Cookies baked at different time and temperature on a sheet pan.
Store-bought cookie dough baked with and without convection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Help, my cookies burned after just a few minutes!

It sounds like your toaster oven may run warmer than the dial indicates. This article will walk you through how to use a thermometer to check your oven’s temperature accuracy. Then you can make adjustments (like turning the temperature down) for recipes as needed.

Can I bake these in a traditional oven?

You sure can. Use the same settings, adding more baking time as needed.

Can the recipe be doubled?

Yes! For a dozen cookies that are just like the original recipe, you’ll need to use two egg yolks and double all of the other ingredients.

Another option is to use a whole egg (instead of two yolks). The dough will be stickier and need at least 30 minutes of chilling. The baked cookies are more tender but still have a delicious chocolate flavor!

A dozen chocolate cookies with colored candies on a plate.
Here’s what a double batch made with a whole egg looks like. The cookies don’t have crispy edges but are soft and chewy.

More Toaster Oven Cookie Recipes

Closeup of warm chocolate cookie broken in half with melted chocolate chips spreading across the middle.

Toaster Oven Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 6 Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Chill Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Crispy on the edges, soft and melty inside, these brownie-like cookies are easy to whip up whenever a craving strikes. For a fun twist, try swapping the chocolate chips with Reese’s Pieces or M&M’s. 

Ingredients

  • 1½ tablespoons (21 grams) Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons (36 grams) Light Brown Sugar (see note)
  • 1 Large Egg Yolk (about 25 grams), reserve egg white for another use
  • 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tablespoons (10 grams) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, (not Dutch-processed)
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) All-Purpose Flour or White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • Pinch Fine Sea Salt
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (at least 1 minute). Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Gently stir in the cocoa powder. Then add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips.
  2. Chill cookie dough in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
  3. While the dough chills, adjust the cooking rack to the middle placement, select the BAKE setting, and preheat the toaster oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a small cookie sheet or line it with a silicone baking mat.
  4. Roll chilled dough into heaping tablespoon-sized balls. Place at least 2 inches apart on the prepared pan. Press the remaining 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips into the top of the dough.
  5. Bake until the cookies are set but the centers are still puffed and soft, 5 to 7 minutes. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool.
  6. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Sugar: We've also made this recipe using granulated white sugar and coconut sugar. Brown sugar gives them the best chocolate flavor but the other sugars work well too.

Convection Toaster Ovens: Reduce the temperature to 325°F and begin checking on your cookies after 5 minutes adding more time as needed.

For 12 smaller cookies: Roll chilled dough into 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and bake for 5 to 6 minutes.

Recipe adapted from the AARP Betty Crocker Cooking for Two Cookbook.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 104Total Fat: 5.6gSaturated Fat: 3.2gCholesterol: 38.4mgSodium: 80mgCarbohydrates: 15.4gFiber: 0.7gSugar: 9.6gProtein: 1.8g
© Brie Norris
Cuisine: American / Category: Toaster Oven Cookie Recipes

34 Comments

  1. I reluctantly shared with some friends and now I’m wondering will this recipe double or triple without modification; or do you have a recipe for a 24-30 batch. There are begging for more of these.

    Reply

    1. Hi Rosie,

      You can double the recipe (for a total of 12 cookies) using a whole large egg in place of the egg yolk and the cookies will bake up fine.

      I’ve never tried making a larger amount than that and probably wouldn’t suggest it. Things can sometimes get a little wonky with the different ingredient ratios the more you try to scale up a small batch recipe.

      Happy Baking!
      Brie

      Reply

    1. Hi Cynthia,

      Yes, the cookies can absolutely be made in a traditional oven using parchment paper.

      The only difference I can think of is that they might take a tiny bit longer depending on your oven. I’d start with the time listed and then add more time as needed.

      Happy baking, I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply

    1. Hi Summer!

      A wooden spoon or spatula should be fine, it’s just easier with a hand mixer. Also, you might need to mix the butter and sugar a little longer, it should be very light and fluffy.

      Reply

    2. @Summer I personally never use a mixer and just reach for a fork when mixing anything lol. It worked just fine for this recipe!

      Reply

    1. Woo-hoo congrats on your first homemade toaster oven bake!! We’re so happy you enjoyed the cookies 🙂 and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

      Reply

  6. Did you update this recipe recently, by chance? I could have sworn I made it from this same page a couple of weeks ago, but that recipe had more butter and flour…

    Reply

  7. Tried these today and turned out really fudgy. Almost brownie-like. But had an the perfect cookie crunch outside. My toaster oven doesnt come with temperature settings so I just winged it at 5 minutes. Will definitely be here often now and try more recipes. Hats off to you!

    Reply

    1. Yay, I’m so glad to hear the cookies were a success! Great job winging it, Areej 🙂

      Happy Baking!

      Reply

  8. Hi Brie,
    I found this helpful post of yours while searching for tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading. I am no expert, however something new I learnt today is the type of oven can affect the baking. I am sorry if I’m a noob in this matter (lols!) – one quick question: i have Cornell Convection Oven Toaster (it has a fan switch) – so am I supposed to switch on the fan? or switch it off? Thank you so much.

    Reply

    1. Great question, Shee! The convection fan is fantastic for baking cookies. The fan forces the air in the oven to circulate and heat more evenly, we have a post on toaster oven convection you might find helpful.

      If you use the convection it will cook things faster so you will want to reduce the temperature to 325 and begin checking for doneness around 5 minutes.

      You can find instructions for baking a test cookie (which will help you figure out the timing) in our cookie baking tips guide.

      Thanks for stopping by and good luck with the cookies!

      Reply

  9. Hello.. I just made this cookies but unfortunately they were super toasted i mean burned! What should i do? Should i bake it instead of 9-7 min to 5 min?

    Reply

    1. I’m so sorry about that Vanessa, I know how disappointing burnt cookies are.

      It sounds like your toaster oven may be running a little warm. You can try reducing the temperature to 325 and/or the cook time to five minutes. Also, if you’re using convection that can affect how the cookies bake.

      We just published a toaster oven cookie tips post that guides you through baking a test cookie to find the perfect time/temperature for baking any recipe in your specific toaster oven. Feel free to email us or comment here if your cookies still aren’t turning out the way you’d like, we’re happy to help you troubleshoot.

      Reply

  10. Hi Brie,

    I’d like to make these this weekend as a dark and spooky Halloween treat to myself. hehe Can I sub the palm sugar for regular white sugar and the whole wheat flower for white without affecting the cookie integrity?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. What a fun idea Cassandra! I’ve used both light and dark brown sugar before for these cookies but have never tried white sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and deepens the rich chocolate flavor so if you have some I would definitely go that route.

      We usually substitute an equal amount of white whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour in a recipe, seems like it should work for the reverse too 🙂

      Let us know how it goes if you try them with the substitutions, I’m sure it would be helpful for others too. Happy Halloween!

      Reply

  11. Wow, these are so good! And I didn’t need to turn on my oven. I can’t wait to try out the fruity ones! I don’t like to eat much sugar, but the chocolate calling to me today.

    Reply

    1. So glad you enjoyed the cookies, Megan! Chocolate cravings are serious business 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and we’d love to hear what you think of the fruit cookies if you make them.

      Reply

    1. Thanks Adina! I’m definitely more of a lemon and berries gal like you (currently crushing on your raspberry rhubarb jam recipe) but that didn’t seem to stop my inner cookie monster either 🙂

      Reply

    1. Thanks for sharing the recipe Tania! Oooh I can’t wait for the day we can just grab a cookie from our computer screens 🙂

      Reply

    1. Haha Mary 🙂 Tim’s usually right especially about cookie related matters. It looks like you two have a very similar chocolate philosophy 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.