Go no further, these chocolate chip cookies will ruin your life.
You have been warned.
I can only assume something must have gone horribly wrong to bring you here today.
Amidst a cherry-picked Pinterest Sea of “perfect chocolate chip cookies” a Google Forest of “best ever chocolate chip cookies”, and dog-eared cookbooks of “award-winning” and family favorite recipes, you have somehow found yourself here, face-to-cookie with the “worst” chocolate chip cookies.
I know what you’re probably thinking: It’s just a cookie, right? I mean, they look innocent enough, golden with melty chocolate chips, crinkled edges and melt-in-your-mouth interiors… but one bite and you’re ruined for life.
These cookies will consume your life, shrink your jeans, and steal your boyfriend (I wouldn’t put it past them, anyway).
They even contain a secret ingredient.
How obnoxiously cliché, and, even more obnoxiously, intriguing.
I won’t drag it out, the secret ingredient is maple syrup. Sure, pure maple syrup (priced per ounce nearly the same as gold) would be just wonderful. But, if you have a sticky bottle of Aunt Jemima in your cabinet (as I did), that will work just fine, too.
What kind of self-respecting cookie doesn’t demand purity and quality? Only the worst kind.
I credit this “secret ingredient” for being the greatest offender in this recipe. It gives the cookies a subtle, caramelized flavor, as well as long-lasting chewiness and softness (these cookies stay soft for days, the cornstarch also helps with that significantly), and the flavor is to die for.
And while anyone who takes a bite will be able to detect the extra richness of flavor, no one who I shared these cookies with was able to identify any sort of secret ingredient. Just “really, really, good cookies”.
OK, so what’s so bad about really really good cookies?
A Recipe For Ruining Your Life
How about the fact that they will consume you as you consume them. I’m not kidding about them wrecking your relationships.
Mom’s favorite chocolate chip cookie? Ditch it. You will snub your nose at every “favorite” cookie of the past and struggle to hold back scornful laughs at anyone who comments on a “delicious cookie”. Nobody likes a cookie snob, but you will become one.
Here comes that girl again, the one who’s too good for Chips Ahoy.
Be prepared for weight gain. It creeps up slowly, the cookies gently embracing you at first, then clinging to your thighs, your stomach, tighter and tighter until yoga pants are your only way out of the house. If you’re worried about your significant other noticing, don’t bother. They don’t notice anything anymore, only whether or not there are more cookies readily available for consumption.
Perhaps worst of all is that these chocolate chip cookies can be made so easily. There’s no KitchenAid or any sort of electric hand mixer required to make these cookies. They can be stirred by hand, dirtying only two bowls.
They do need to chill for 30 minutes, which would only serve as a deterrent if 25 of those minutes weren’t spent sneaking copious chunks of dough from the refrigerator.
If you’ve made it this far, I fear it might already be too late for you.
It’s too late for me, unfortunately, and I’ve made these cookies nearly a dozen times in the past two weeks. I’m swapping gym time for cookie time to keep my fridge well-stocked with dough, and the photo shoot for this post took three times as long as it should have because I kept eating the subjects.
If you can, stick to the “best ever” cookies, stick to Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies and the family favorites. Those cookies are safe, they are your friends, made to be consumed by you.
These cookies will consume you, instead.
Good luck.
More Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy!
The WORST EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted and then cooled for at least 5 minutes¹ (226g)
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed (300g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup² (60ml)
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (415g)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips I used half regular semisweet chips and half mini semisweet chips
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together melted butter and sugars.
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until combined.
- Stir in vanilla extract and maple syrup.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stirring until completely combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Cover bowl with clear wrap and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes (chilling!? I told you, this recipe is the worst.)
- While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper (if you don't have parchment paper, you can bake directly on an ungreased cookie sheet).
- Scoop about 2-2 1/2 Tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls, making them slightly taller than they are wide. Place them at least 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake about 13 minutes (cookies will appear to be a bit underdone, but edges should be just beginning to turn golden brown).
- Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet. If desired, gently press a few chocolate chips on top of the hot cookies.
- Keep unbaked cookie dough in fridge while waiting to put the next batch in the oven, and do not place cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet.
Notes
Why Did My Cookies Spread Too Much?
Did you run into cookies that spread all over the baking sheet in the oven? Here are your most likely culprits:- The butter was too hot when you added your sugar, causing the sugar to melt and creating a greasy cookie dough that never stood a chance.
- You didn't add enough flour. If the flour was under-measured, your cookies could spread when baking.
- Your baking powder/baking soda was bad. These need to be stored properly and often will expire after 6 months, if yours is old, that could be the problem.
- The dough didn't chill long enough. If your dough is still very sticky after 30 minutes, let it chill longer.
- You put your cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet. It actually starts to melt before it can even begin baking.
- Your oven temperature is incorrect. Make sure the oven is fully preheated and at the correct temperature before baking your cookies. Many ovens do not report their temperatures correctly and run hotter or colder than they indicate. I purchased two inexpensive oven thermometers that I keep in my oven to make sure the temperature is right.
Why Did My Cookies Not Spread In the Oven?
Did your cookies not spread at all? Did they stay in balls even after baking? This might be the reason:- Flour was over-measured. It's so easy to over-measure flour, especially when using cups rather than weight measurements. Never scoop your flour directly into your measuring cup, it packs the flour into the cup and you end up with way more than the recipe actually calls for. Instead, use a scale (this is the scale that I use) or use a spoon to pour the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a straightedge (like the back of a knife).
- Your oven temperature could be incorrect. See above note, just as it can cause your cookies to spread too much, it can cause them to not spread enough!
Nutrition
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
I originally published this recipe 3/21/16. I am re-sharing it today with a new photo and a new video and some additional notes that I’m hoping will be helpful. While I’d like to update all of my photos, they’ve become so well-known that I have chosen not to replace all of them at this time.
Alivea says
I’m gonna replace the brown sugar with dark brown sugar! Is it okay if i do that??
Sam says
Sure thing! Enjoy! 🙂
Letty says
These cookies are amazing! I have made them for my family multiple times and they always come out crispy and delicious! I admit I have used honey before instead of maple syrup just because I ran out and they were so good. My twin toddlers always try to gobble them all up!
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoys them so much! I am not sure how you have time to bake with twin toddlers!! 🙂
KKelley says
I love these cookies! Usually my cookies are flat or too crispy but this recipe is awesome!
Sam says
I’m so glad you enjoy them so much! 🙂
Sharon says
I made these last night for my husband. He loves chocolate chip cookies, but unlike me, he prefers a soft cookie while I prefer my chocolate chip cookies crisp (I’m a die hard Toll House girl). After reading your recipe and the reviews, I figured these were exactly his kind of cookie, and I was right. He was very happy with the results, and wants them again. The only changes I made were due to my on hand ingredients. I didn’t have unsalted butter, so I cut back a bit on the amount of salt, a change I personally regret, but hubby say they’re fine. I also had to use a bag of chocolate chunks as I didn’t have regular chips. I’d never used chunk chocolate before.I had bought a bag on sale during the holidays. They were good, but it made scooping the dough a bit difficult. The first dozen cookies got an overdose of chocolate, while the last trays, though a bit deprived of chocolate, were still yummy. I’ll make sure to have chips next time. In fact, I think my husband might like all mini chips. I’m sure these will be asked for often. I’m anxious to try your recipe for the crisper cookie too. I also want to let you know I made your White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies (my favorite cookie) and they were SO good. In fact I just bought more nuts and chips for a second batch. They’re amazing !
Sam says
I’m so glad they passed the test, Sharon! I hope you’ll enjoy the crispy cookies just as much as your husband enjoyed these. I know the struggle of having to bake with the chunks because that’s all I have on hand but it still turns out. I’m glad you enjoyed the other cookies as well. 🙂
Jen DiMartino says
Absolutely hands down, the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever tried… And I’ve tried more than is right to admit!! Thank you so much for sharing, it’s now my staple go to cookie recipe!! <3
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jen! I won’t tell you how many I’ve tried. 🤣
liyah says
Also wanna add that this site never steers me wrong, I swear. Anytime I need a recipe I search here and her recipes are ALWAYS the best. I now make perfect biscuits every single time in only 10 mins thanks to this woman haha
liyah says
These were absolutely the cookie recipe I have been searching for. They are so darn goood!!! These are the kind of cookies that are almost cake like nice and soft and a tad chewy. The maple syrup really gave them a certain something but you can not tell what it is at all!! Only change I made was decreasing the chocolate chunks to a cup and a half..reserving 1/4 cup of that for adding to the tops. They were perfect with a cold glass of milk. We ate so many we skipped dinner lol.
Sam says
🤣🤣🤣 Cookies for dinner is an awesome idea! I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Sabrina says
Absolutely amazing cookie recipe!! I followed instructions to a tee, even weighing ingredients (much easier for halving recipe, which is what I did). The only “difference” is I browned my butter when I melted it (ANY recipe that calls for melted butter is better off if the butter is browned, TRUST ME), and the only syrup we had was some grade A bourbon maple syrup that my bf made. Either way, a gloriously delicious cookie!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Sabrina! 🙂
Ray says
Best cookies ever!! Maple syrup is genius! Love all your recipes! Keep it up!