Go no further! While many have called these the best chocolate chip cookies, I assure you they are actually the worst, and this recipe might actually ruin your life.
Consider yourself warned.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies are the Worst
I can only assume that 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 the “best chocolate chip cookies”, and dog-eared cookbooks of “award winning” and your family favorites, you have somehow found yourself here, face-to-cookie with the actual worst chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Oh, I know what you’re thinking: It’s just a cookie, right?
I mean, sure, they look innocent enough. Golden with melty chocolate chips, crinkled edges and chewy, melt-in-your-mouth interiors… but one bite and you’re positively 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.
A Secret Ingredient You’ll Wish You Never Discovered
How obnoxiously cliche, and, even more obnoxiously, intriguing.
I won’t drag it out. The secret ingredient is maple syrup. And sure, pure maple syrup (priced per ounce nearly the same as gold) would work just wonderfully here. But, if you have a sticky bottle of Aunt Jemima in your cabinet (as I happened to when I set out on the unholy quest for a secret ingredient for the worst-but-should-be best chocolate chip cookies), that will work just fine, too.
What kind of self-respecting cookie doesn’t demand purity and quality?
Only the worst kind.
Ingredients (& Secret Ingredients)
I credit (or, rather, blame) this “secret ingredient” for being the greatest offender in this positively worst chocolate chip cookie recipe. It gives the cookies a subtle, caramelized flavor as well as long-lasting chewiness and softness (these cookies stay soft for days, and the cornstarch helps with that as well), and the flavor is other-worldly.
And, while anyone who takes a bite will be able to detect the extra richness of flavor, not a single taste-tester was able to identify exactly what the secret ingredient actually is. Just that they were enjoying “really, really good cookies”.
OK, so what’s so bad about really good chocolate chip cookies?
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 (chocolate chip or not) of the past and struggle to hold back scornful laughs at anyone who comments on their own personal best chocolate chip cookies. Nobody likes a cookie snob, and yet here you are.
Here comes that girl again, the one who’s too good for Chips Ahoy.
A Cookie Recipe for Ruining Your Life
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 chocolate chip cookies readily available for consumption.
Perhaps worst of all is that this recipe can be made so easily. There’s no stand mixer or even an electric hand-held one required. They can be stirred by hand, dirtying only two bowls.
They do need to chill for at least 30 minutes, which would only serve as a deterrent if 25 of those minutes weren’t spent sneaking copious chunks of cookie dough from the refrigerator.
If you’ve made it this far, I fear it may already be too late for you.
It’s too late for me, sadly, 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 refrigerator 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” chocolate chip cookies. Stick to Grandma’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and the old family favorites. Those cookies are safe, your friends, made to be consumed by you.
These cookies will consume you, instead.
Good luck out there. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
If your cookies are spreading too much, you can try stirring in a bit more flour or just chilling them (covered) for longer.
It could be that your flour was over-measured. 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).
Honey or light or dark corn syrup would work instead of the syrup, just note that the flavor will be slightly different.
Easily one of the most-asked questions that I get, I suspect those who ask this question were merely so distracted by the siren call of these cookies that they were unable to read the blog post. Just know that they would be the best chocolate chip cookies… if they didn’t turn you into a cookie obsessed monster at first bite.
If you’re looking for something a little tamer but still delicious, check out my best chocolate chip cookie recipe, instead.
Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my email list to be notified of all my newest recipes and find my video tutorials on YouTube.
The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter melted and then cooled until no longer warm to the touch (see note)
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup²
- 3 ⅓ cups (415 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (340 g) 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.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until combined.2 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract and maple syrup.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup²
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.3 ⅓ cups (415 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stirring until completely combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.2 cups (340 g) 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) and up to 3 days (the cookies look and taste even better after a longer chill. Note the dough will be harder to scoop after a longer chill time, just let it sit at room temperature a bit until it's scoopable)
- 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 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 warm 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
¹Butter
You do not want your butter to be too hot or it may melt the sugar and you’ll have a very runny dough. Best practice would be to cut the butter into about Tablespoon-sized pieces, microwave in 10-second increments (stirring after each) until it is just completely melted, and then allow it to sit for 5 minutes. If your butter is too hot it could make your cookie dough or resulting cookies greasy.²Maple Syrup
I don’t recommend leaving out the maple syrup, it is critical to the flavor and is what makes these truly the “worst” chocolate chip cookies. In a pinch, honey or even corn syrup or golden syrup will work as a substitute to give you the same texture, but the flavor will not be the same. Pure maple syrup and imitation “pancake syrup” both work just fine here, the former lends itself to slightly flatter cookies and the latter to slightly thicker ones.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Cookie dough may be chilled, scooped, individually wrapped in plastic wrap and then frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months.Gluten Free
A number of readers have commented that this recipe works well when substituting the flour 1:1 with Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour, but I have not tested this myself.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Related Cookie Recipes That are Also Pretty Terrible But Not As Bad:
I originally published my chocolate chip cookie recipe on 3/21/16. I have since updated it to include new photos and a video, but the recipe has remained unchanged.
Zovesta
Swapped maple syrup for pancake syrup and butter for avocado… turned out great! Although not quite as sinfully delicious as with butter, a definite keeper. 😀 Thanks for coming up with this delicious recipe!
Linda P
I saw this recipe on a day that was one of the worst for me. I knew I had to make some for my grandson who is going through chemo and having an especially had day. In addition, everything tastes awful. I made one batch according to the recipe for his brothers and a second batch with raw honey for him (health benefit of honey over maple syrup). I told him they were they Worst Ever so it was okay if he didn’t think they tasted good. He liked that idea and ate some. Doctors were pleased he ate something. Thank you. They really are delicious
Sam
Linda, I am so grateful for your kind comment and I appreciate you coming back to let me know how the cookies turned out. I’m sorry that you were having such a terrible day, I actually work with cancer patients doing research on taste loss that happens as people go through chemo/radiation, and I hope your grandson soon gets his sense of taste back as so many of my patients do (I know it can take a while and be a very frustrating process, it’s really made me realize how much we take for granted — something as simple as being able to taste a cookie).
I’m sending tons of well-wishes out for you, your grandson and family, I hope he feels better soon, and it gives me so much joy to know that he ate some of these cookies. –Sam
bobbi
I think cooking honey destroys the health benefit
Emily
Love this recipe! I’m curious if you’ve ever tried using it for bars rather than drop cookies. If so, how did the bars turn out? Do you have any modifications or recommendations to modify? Thanks!
Sam
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t exactly taken this recipe and made it into bars, but I have used it as a starting point when developing both of these recipes: https://sugarspunrun.com/browned-butter-blondies-with-walnut-crumble/ and https://sugarspunrun.com/congo-squares/
Hope that helps!
Drew
Delicious! I added an extra tsp of Vanilla because vanilla brings out the chocolate flavor in cookies really well. Also added a smidge more syrup (Because Im a glutton for sweets) and they came out stupendous! Thanks for the Worst Cookies!
Sam
Yum! So glad you enjoyed the cookies, Drew! 🙂
Donna
WOW! These are great cookies! Possibly the best I’ve ever baked, and I’ve baked a lot of chocolate chip cookies! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
It makes me so happy to read this! ☺️
Thank you for commenting, Donna!
Sara
These cookies are the best (worst!!) because as you said, I have to make sure these cookies are available at home at all times! Love love love them!!
Joseph S. Hernandez
Thank you for the recipe.
I loved it
Sam
So glad you enjoyed the cookies!!
Kjersti
Love! Love!! LOVE!!! these are the best!! They will be my go to for chocolate craving! Family loves them and so will Santa!
Sam
Woohoo! So glad you love them, Merry Chrismtas! 🙂
Marian D.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s a great cookie. Everyone really enjoys it.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear it, thank you for commenting!! 🙂
Adrianna
Is this a high altitude friendly recipe? I’m currently in Colorado and I’m dying to make these!
Sam
I’ve never tried at high altitude so I have no way to know for sure, but here are some tips from King Arthur Flour on how to adjust a recipe for high altitude: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html . If you do try them, with alterations or without, I hope you let me know how they turn out!! 🙂
EF
So gooooood!! Thank you 🙂
Kiena
Are you able to freeze the dough and then bake?
Sam
Yup! I recommend portioning it into balls before freezing, then you can bake right from the freezer (they may take a minute or two longer if they’ve been frozen completely).
Sofia
Hey Sam! I am just trying out your cookies and was wondering if t makes any difference using lined baking sheets rather than parchement paper… can’t wait for them to be ready!!
Sam
Hi Sofia! Do you mean unlined baking sheets? You definitely don’t have to use the parchment paper, I just prefer it because it makes cleanup easier, but you’ll be totally fine without! Hope that helps! 🙂
Jenn
I am not normally a fan of raw cookie dough, but it was unbelievably hard to leave this in the fridge for the hour while I got the kiddos ready for bed. I did one slight variation on the recipe and used a bag of peanut butter/chocolate chips because it was all I had on hand. OMG. It’s perfect, like my favorite pancake toppings but in cookie form. Will never use another chocolate chip cookies recipe again.
Linda
I love these cookies. I usually use the white chocolate chips.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy them, Linda! 🙂