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.
Maureen
These cookies are awesome! They stayed soft and the flavor is delicious. I will never use any other chocolate chip cookie recipe again. They are costly though in that I will likely have to buy clothing one size larger!
Sam
🤣🤣 I am so glad you enjoyed them, Maureen. 🙂
Rachel
I have not tried this recipe yet, but have wanted to for months. My daughter’s 12th birthday is tomorrow, and she has requested a cookie cake. Do you think this recipe would work for that? Any modifications I should make? I apologized if this was already asked, I didn’t see it anywhere in the comments. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Rachel! Although I haven’t tried it, it should work as a cookie cake. The texture may be a little different than a typical cookie cake. If you’d like, I do have a cookie cake that I have tried and know it works well. 🙂
rose
hi can I still make good cookies even I don’t put cornstarch because I can’t find any of it in the supermarket. Thank you
Sam
Hi Rose! You can make them without the cornstarch but you will want to add an equal amount of flour. The corn starch helps with the texture and helps keep the cookies from spreading. 🙂
Rose
Thank you so much to your “WORST” chocolate chips cookies recipe my boyfriend and friends love it so much and still turn out perfectly yummy even without cornstarch. I also try to bake the cheese cake and also very very yummy. I will also try your other recipe. Your recipes are the best of the best so thankful to you now I know how to bake because of your recipe. Cheers!
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed everything so much, Rose! Happy baking! 🙂
Angeli
Hi Sam! I hope you are doing well 🙂 i haven’t tried this but I just want to ask if it’s okay to brown the butter using this recipe? Just to add a nutty flavor ☺️ plus Im happy to know about the maple syrup! I want my cookies to stay longer even in room temp. Im really excited to try this!!!
Sam
Hi Angeli! Brown butter should work just fine here. 🙂
Nykko
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made!! I didn’t have maple syrup so I used milk instead!!
Sam
I’m glad they were such a hit, Nykko!
CookieMonster
Hahaha I am here because I make your cheesecake, and you chocolate cake with buttercream frosting which was the most amazing cake I’ve ever had. I am here because my boyfriend is falling deeply in love With my sweets. Today he asked for chocolate chip cookies. So after the past successes using your guide, I am here again to win the heart aka stomach of my amor. I will report back with how they turned out. Thanks!
Sam
I hope he LOVES them! So glad to hear everyone has been enjoying the recipes, thank you for commenting! 🙂
CookieMonster
Okay, I’m back Very very good cookies! Mine needed More chilling time in the refrigerator. However, A major issue crept up….I like soft chewy cookies but the man likes crunchy cookies!!! Almost irreconcilable differences!! But we decided..I eat the center and he eats around the edges. Voila! Match made in heaven. Saved some dough to put in my homemade ice cream 😋
Sam
Sounds like you two are perfect for each other!! Haha, I’m so happy to hear the cookies were such a success for both of you!! 🙂
Gordie
I wasn’t sure about these at first, but these are the cookies that my family rates all other cookies by. They’re amazing.
Sam
Ah I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for letting me know how your family likes them, Gordie, I appreciate it 🙂
Tia
This was the best/worst chocolate chip cookie ever! I’ve made this twice for my boyfriends who swears only his deceased mother could make chocolate chip cookies that stayed chewy for a week. Well he loves this cookie and said its just like his mama’s. Thank you so much! I’ll be making these again tomorrow.
Sam
I’m so thrilled to hear it was such a hit, Tia!! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how they turned out, I appreciate it 🙂
Ty-Leigh
I am about to make these for the second time this month, as my children have decided that they really are the *worst* (best) cookies ever. Finally, truth in advertising! 🙂
Sam
I am so glad everyone has enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Sandy Long
This is the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but now my Grandson wants me to infuse them with peanut butter not peanut butter chips but real peanut butter. How much peanut butter do you suggest and do I cut down on anything else.
Thanks for all your help.
Sam
Ooh that’s a tough one, while I have a chocolate chip peanut butter cookie recipe that I love, I have never tried adding peanut butter to this recipe. I’m not entirely sure how to advise without testing it myself, but if you try it would you let me know how they turn out for you?
Sandy long
Sam, I made these cookies with peanut butter and got a thumbs up from my Grandson. I reduced the all purpose flour to 3 cups and used 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter and reduced the chocolate chips to 1 cup. I added the peanut butter before the chips and used my hand mixer with dough hook, reduced the temperature to 325 baked for 10-12 mins and used my 1/2 tablespoon scoop. I found that the higher temperature and larger scoop made for a too brown bottom and not quite done center.
Let me know if you try them.
Sandy
Sam
Thanks for letting me know how they turned out. I will have to give them a try. 🙂
Lindsay Greenwood
Hey Sam – OMG I made these for the first time today and everything you say in your post is true. I had to eat two before they had even cooled!
My questions are – how long will the dough last in the fridge to make freshly baked batches over a few days? And also can you freeze part of the dough to bake another batch later?
Thanks so much for all your tips about the best chocolate cake the other day btw. I did freeze my leftovers and it’s unfreezing perfectly so we’ve enjoyed it over several weekends. Xx
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies so much, Lindsay! You can keep the dough for up to a week in the refrigerator wrapped tightly so it doesn’t dry out. If you want to freeze it you can roll out the individual dough balls and wrap them separately and store in a gallon freezer bag for later baking. They may take an extra minute or two to bake from frozen. 🙂
Hansa
I made these and now I can’t stop eating. I was thinking of sharing them with some of my friends and now I’m not feeling very generous.. thank you for the recipe
Sam
Haha, this made me laugh! I’m glad you enjoyed, Hansa! Thank you so much for commenting, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Michelle T Dunn
I made these again and they are by far the best cookies I’ve made. They disappear like hotcakes. To cool the pan down quicker, I stick it in the freezer for about a minute and ready to throw in the next batch. Love this cookie.
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Michelle! Thank you so much for letting me know how they turned out for you, I appreciate it!
Hansa
Hey a small question, do you think it’s okay to add regular semi sweet Chocolate chips and mini white chocolate chips to these cookies?
Sugar Spun Run
Yes, that will be fine, Hansa! 🙂
Shenaya
Another hit! That crispy edge, that gooey center! Perfection! I halved the recipe but followed everything to the T. The ready batter looked identical to yours 🙂 I did find the overall cookie a tad too sweet for my taste – think I’ll use dark chocolate chips next time to lessen the sweetness? But really, AMAZING!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Shenaya! 🙂
Shenaya
Quick one – what is the best way to store the already baked cookies?
Sam
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week 🙂
Fatima
Hi hope you’re well!! The cookies smell so amazing but I haven’t tried them yet because I’m fasting 🙈 they look amazing only think is they’re very moist from the bottom and look uncooked, however I don’t want to over bake them, any ideas how I can fix this? Thank you can’t wait to try them!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Fatima! The cookies will appear to be a bit underdone when you take them out of the oven, but edges should be a nice golden brown. You will leave them on the cookie sheet to cool, this will continue the rest of the baking process. The cookies should be soft and chewy once they have completely cooled. Let me know how they turn out. 🙂