3 Single Serve Cookie Recipes – Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal & Shortbread

How to Make a Cookie for One – 3 Easy Single Serve Cookie Recipes

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie for One, Single Serve Oatmeal Cookie & GF Shortbread Cookie

When you’d rather not have an entire dozen freshly baked cookies in the house, try these single serve cookie recipes instead! Learn how to bake a cookie for one in 3 deliciously different flavors: my triple chocolate chip cookie for one, single serve oatmeal cookie, and a single serving shortbread cookie made with almond flour.

I know, some of you may be thinking that baking a single serve cookie is silly. I mean, why not just bake the entire batch? For me, some days a cookie craving hits, but I just can’t handle having a whole batch of cookies tempting me…

If you’re fine with those freshly baked treats calling your name all day, then go ahead and bake an entire batch! But, for anyone who’d prefer a cookie for one that you can eat and then the treats are DONE for the day—these single serving cookie recipes are made for you.

I’ll show you how to make a single cookie recipe for your craving convenience, in 3 different flavor options. As always, you can totally adjust and tweak my flavor ideas however you like to come up with new single serve cookie recipes all your own!

Single Serve Cookie Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions

Each of these single serve cookie recipes follows a similar base formula, with some slight tweaks for flavor. You can adjust those mix-ins and flavorings to create new cookie for one ideas, but it’s best to keep the base recipes the same.

Most importantly, since these are all SINGLE serving cookie recipes, every ingredient matters a little bit more than when you’re working with a big batch. For that reason, it’s crucial to stick to the ingredient amounts as given in the recipes below, and do your best to measure your ingredients with precision!

My single serve oatmeal cookie recipe and the triple chocolate chip cookie for one both use the same base ingredients: butter, sugar, all purpose flour, eggs, baking soda, and then any flavorings and mix ins. The single serve shortbread cookie base is a bit different: using almond flour instead of all purpose, and without any eggs or baking soda.

Just keep those differences in mind if you want to adjust any of these single serve cookie recipes to make new flavors! Here’s some guidance and recommendations for those of you looking to adjust these recipes with substitutions:

Butter

Each single serving cookie recipe below uses butter as the fat component. Now, I’ve only tested these recipes using butter, so I’m not sure how they’d turn out with a butter substitute.

Generally, the best potential substitute would be coconut oil—because of its saturated fat content, it’s a solid at room temperature and liquid when heated, like butter. Now, that doesn’t mean coconut oil will work perfectly in these recipes, but it might. You’d have to experiment to find out!

Sugar

Another constant in each of these cookie for one recipes is sugar. When I tested the recipes, granulated white sugar (table sugar) works best. If you’d prefer to use an unrefined option like coconut sugar, or a no calorie granulated sweetener like stevia, your single serve cookie should turn out okay. But, just know that the change will affect the texture a bit.

Flour

Unsurprisingly, all purpose flour or wheat flour will work best in most of these recipes—particularly in my the triple chocolate chip cookie for one and the single serve oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Gluten free flour alternatives or oat flour just don’t work as well, and the texture of the cookie will suffer.

But, if you really want to keep these single serve cookie recipes gluten free, a one-to-one gluten free flour is your best option. If you go this route, you may need to add ½-1 Tbsp of additional flour to get the dough right. Again, just be prepared for the texture to be a bit different.

For a gluten free single serve cookie that I can confirm will turn out well, your best option is my single serve almond flour cookie recipe—the orange cranberry shortbread! I’ve made the shortbread cookie with almond flour multiple times (both in the regular oven AND the toaster oven) and it’s always turned out delicious.

Eggs

Similar to the butter situation, I haven’t tested any of these recipes with an egg substitute. Again, if you’re willing to experiment in one of these single serve cookie recipes by using a flax egg or vegan egg substitute, go for it! I just can’t guarantee that it will work or turn out well.

Also, it’s important to note that each single serving cookie recipe that calls for egg uses just 1 Tbsp of whisked egg—not an entire egg. So, if you’re trying to substitute for the egg, you’ll have to consider that difference in the ingredient amount. If you’d rather keep your cookie completely egg-free, go with the single serve shortbread cookie recipe which doesn’t need egg at all.

Baking Soda

The 2 recipes that call for baking soda—the triple chocolate chip cookie for one and the single serve oatmeal raisin cookie recipe—both need baking soda to help the flour rise. I can’t say how they’d turn out without the baking soda!

If you’d rather try a recipe without a leavening agent, my single serve almond flour cookie recipe is your best option.

Flavorings & Mix Ins

Now, here is where you can get creative with these single serve cookie recipes to make them your own. Whether you go with the all purpose flour base or single serve almond flour cookie base, feel free to substitute the flavorings and mix-ins to create new cookies! Again, just do your best to keep the ingredients amounts similar.

For example, if you wanted to turn the triple chocolate chip cookie for one into just a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, you could omit the cocoa powder and use 2 Tbsp of mini chocolate chips instead of regular and white chocolate chips. Or, for a gluten free single serve cookie option, make the shortbread cookie base with vanilla extract instead of orange zest, and replace the dried cranberries with chocolate chips!

Create the cookie for one recipes that you would enjoy eating. Remember, these are SINGLE serving cookie recipes so don’t feel like you’ve got to overdo it on the flavorings and mix ins. You just need a little bit for flavor and texture!

Too much orange zest or vanilla can result in a way too flavorful cookie. Or, too many chocolate chips might result in a single serve chocolate chip cookie that doesn’t bake quite right! Keep it conservative and adjust the ingredients until you’ve got the perfect cookie. Trust me, once you learn how to make a single cookie recipe, you’ll want to try it again…and again.

Video: Single Serve COOKIE + LATTE Combos

How to Make a Single Cookie Recipe

If you know how to bake a batch of cookies, you know how to make a single cookie already. We’re just using smaller ingredient measurements and the process is a bit quicker. Simply combine your ingredients in a bowl, shape the dough into a disc shape, and bake!

Originally, I wanted to design these single serve cookie recipes for the toaster oven. As convenient as that would’ve been, the truth is they just taste better baked in a regular oven. They did work when I tested them out in the toaster oven, but they turned out a bit drier and chewier.

Now, even though I’m calling these single serving cookie recipes, you can adjust the serving size based on your preference. You can bake one larger cookie, or you can split the dough into two smaller cookies. Do whatever feels right to you—I’d rather bake two small cookies and keep one leftover, rather than having eleven leftover cookies calling my name!

For the recipes using all purpose flour, I recommend splitting the dough into two cookies because they’ll bake through more evenly and in less time. Since the dough tends to expand, a single, larger cookie will need more time in the oven. But, the almond flour shortbread cookie doesn’t expand as much, so it bakes perfectly as an individual cookie for one!

Single Serving Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

For those mornings when a breakfast cookie craving strikes, this single serve oatmeal cookie is just what you need! Everything you love about an oatmeal raisin cookie, but in a convenient single serving cookie form.

It’s satisfyingly sweet but not overwhelming—like a breakfast cookie should be—with a hearty, chewy bite from the rolled oats and raisins. Soft and comforting in the center, with deliciously crispy edges!

To make this single serving oatmeal raisin cookie, simply combine the wet ingredients, stir in the dry ingredients, and then fold in the oats and raisins. Then, shape your single serve cookie dough into one large or two smaller disc shapes. For this recipe, I’d recommend baking as 2 cookies!

Finally, add to a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until browning around the edges. If you decide to bake this as a single oatmeal raisin cookie for one, you’ll need to bake it a bit longer—maybe 15-20 minutes. While that bakes, why not whip up a homemade oat milk latte to serve with it?

Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookie

For those wanting a gluten free single serving cookie option, give this orange cranberry shortbread cookie a try! A single serve almond flour cookie base with a bit of orange zest and dried cranberries folded in. Indulgently buttery like a shortbread should be, but still deliciously light with a bright citrus flavor—and made with just 5 main ingredients!

To make the single serve shortbread cookie base, start by mixing melted butter and powdered sugar. Then, stir in almond flour and a pinch of salt, and there’s your dough! I decided to make this shortbread cookie for one with orange zest and dried cranberries, but feel free to get creative with different flavorings and mix ins if you like.

Finally, pop that single serve cookie onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes, until it’s browning on the bottom and feels firm on top. For this recipe, I found that it bakes beautifully as a true single serving cookie for one—no need to split the dough into two smaller cookies. And, this recipe also worked well baked in the toaster oven!

Perfect for a morning treat or an afternoon pick-me-up. Pair this single serve almond flour cookie with a homemade matcha latte, and you’ve got the ultimate easy indulgence (in under 15 minutes)!

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie for One

Last but not least, the most requested single serve cookie of them all: a chocolate chip cookie for one, heavy on the chocolate! A rich, comforting chocolate cookie that’s crispy around the edges, but soft like a brownie in the middle. Add some regular chocolate chips AND white chocolate chips into the mix, and you’ve got a triple chocolate “brookie” (brownie + cookie).

I designed this chocolate cookie for one as an evening treat to pair with my homemade mocha latte, so I went all in on the chocolaty indulgence. But, with a few adjustments, you can make this as a classic single serve chocolate chip cookie instead! Simply omit the cocoa powder and use all regular chocolate chips.

Whatever you choose, start by making your chocolate chip cookie for one base dough. Cream together melted butter and sugar, whisk in the remaining wet ingredients, then stir in the dry ingredients. Once your single serve cookie dough is integrated, fold in the chocolate chips.

Finally, shape the dough into either one GIANT single serving cookie or split it into two smaller cookies. For this recipe, I recommend going with two smaller cookies because they’ll bake more evenly and in a shorter amount of time! Whip up a decaf mocha latte or a cup of cocoa while they bake, and end your day in a choco-bliss.