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.
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.
Lauren
Hi! After reading this recipe and comments, I had big expectations of these cookies and was not disapointed!! finally found them! these are my dream cookies come true! actually chewy -“bendable”!!! I’m good in the kitchen, but always so frustrated with my chocolate chip cookies- just not worth it. these are 100% worth the time and calories! and so easy to put together. Thank you so much!! you are really talented not only in recipe development also giving it over in a fool-proof, friendly, clear way.
Also want to say that I also tried these dairy free using coconut oil with excellent results. the taste is different, but the texture is just as beautiful. the coconut is not overwhelming actually quite subtle -especially since its balanced out with the taste of the syrup. coconut oil adds a sweetness similar to butter that you dont find with other non-dairy substitutes. I used it in liquid form, when its runny, but not clear, still a white color. (hope this helps someone!)
If I want to freeze the dough- should I wait for them to thaw a bit before baking? or could they go straight from the freezer into the oven? thanks again!
Sam
Hi Lauren! Thank you so much for your kind comment and your feedback on making them dairy free. If you freeze the dough you can cook them straight from frozen. I have done this many times. It normally just takes an extra minute or two in the oven. 🙂
Jean-Michael Diaz
You ruined my life. My family and neighbors expect nothing less of us now that we provided these most delectable cookies that I’ve ever made or eaten. Another batch coming today. It’s now a curse.
Sam
🤣 I’m sorry! 😉
Nayy
Hello I’ll like to try these cookies for Father’s Day but I don’t have unsalted butter can I use regular butter & still keep the 1 tsp salt or should I just leave the salt out?
Sam
You can use salted butter. I have an article on substituting salted for unsalted butter you can refer to whenever you need to know how to make the substitution. 🙂
Nayy
Thank you for providing this recipe & sharing your secret with us, they were delicious!! In my oven 14 mins worked out best because at 13 mins they’re way too soft easily break more on the white side my husband is a fan & he’s not a sweet tooth type of guy thanks again!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Nayy
Also I completely forgot to ask by any chance do you know how many inches these cookies are 3 or 4 inches?
Sam
Hmm I don’t think I have ever measured them but I would guess they were probably close to 3 inches across when they finish baking. 🙂
Nayy
Hey Sam when I wrote this comment it was when the cookies were right out of the oven they were really puffy & beautiful I forgot to comment afterwards but when they cooled they were crispy on the outside & soft in the middle when I tried taking them off the pan I had to be careful not to break them because they were so fragile in the center also when stacked they stuck together in the middle were they undercooked?
Sam
Did you let them cool on the pan completely to finish baking? If so I wonder if your oven temperature is a little higher than it says it is which would cause the outside to get crispy and the insides to not cook thoroughly. They are a pretty soft cookie but they shouldn’t crumble or stick together. I hope you still enjoyed them. 🙂
Nayy
They did cool completely on the baking sheet they did inflate a little but when I looked on the bottom of the cookies they were a little brown so I believe I underbaked them I did have to use the bathroom after eating them lol they were just as delicious though I’ll try again this time I’ll cook them longer do you recommend me using the same temperature or should I lower/rise it? Or just bake for longer? Thank you!
Sam
It sounds like maybe baking them for a minute or two longer may be the solution here, unless your oven temperature is off, which you can only really tell if you have a thermometer in there. I would start by just trying to bake them for another minute or two. 🙂
Nayy
Thank you so much! Your amazing, I’ll try again today I pray I’ll bake them right this time 🙏😊.
Sam
You’re welcome. Good luck!
Nayy
These were so amazing sorry for the late response I forgot to leave a comment. What helped was baking them in conventional mode for 13 mins baked well these cookies do not last long in my house the next day they’re gone! You rock! Keep up the good work! Hope to soon see a pumpkin pie recipe 😉. Thank you for all those nice tips!
Sam
I’m so glad they turned out and you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
connie
i made them yesterday with half salted and half unsalted just use less salt…they are the most amazing cookies i have EVER made…Happy Father’s Day..
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Connie! 🙂
Jane
Do these have a noticable maple taste, or does the syrup just add a sort of “I can’t put my finger on it” taste? I’m not a huge fan of maple in baking (I know, I know, I’m wrong) but I’m intrigued by this recipe!
Sam
Hi Jane! When I created this recipe I had about 15 different people try it and not a single one could tell that there was any kind of syrup in them, so no you shouldn’t have a strong maple flavor. 🙂
Adriana
My new go to cookie recipe!! Thank you so much for posting. I’ve made these twice now after searching forever looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that would suffice and these are IT!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Adriana! 🙂
Coco
I absolutely love all your recipes and this one was no exception!! The cookies taste amazing, thank you so much 🙂
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Kate
Can these be made ahead… maybe frozen as dough and baked fresh? Thanks.
Sam
Hi Kate! You can make these ahead and freeze them. I have done it several times myself. I typically roll the dough balls, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then store them in a gallon freezer bag. They will take another minute or two to bake from frozen. 🙂
Anita Spencer
All I can say is that this cookie is the “BOMB”! My family loves them and they are always asking when I am going to make them again! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Sam
I am so glad everyone has enjoyed them so much, Anita! 🙂
Pam R.
This is my go to CCC recipe. My last batch i switched chocolate chips with butterscotch chips. OMG, out of this world delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Pam! I love a little extra flavor with the butterscotch chips! 🙂
Ginger
I made these to welcome a new family to the neighborhood. They were perfect in every way.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Ginger! 🙂
Vanessa
Hi! If I wanted to make these “jumbo” how much longer do I need to cook them for?
Sam
Hi Vanessa! This recipe doesn’t work very well as a jumbo cookie. They don’t really bake evenly enough. I do have a giant chocolate chip cookie that always gets rave reviews. 🙂
Geraldine
Wow the best chocolate chips cookies ever, my children loves it so much 😋😋😋
Keep posting relevant recipe Sam, this is not actually the first time I’ve tried your recipe, the very first one is your Pizza Dough… it’s always sold out whenever I made one. Thank you Sam you helped me a lot in my baking journey 🤗😘
Sam
Thank you so much, Geraldine! I am honored to be able to help you in your baking journey. I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies so much. 🙂
Sandy
I made these cookies with high expectations however I was rather disappointed. I made them exactly like the recipe stated however They didn’t flatten that much and after they cooled down they became really hard and crunchy 😩 whereas I prefer my cookies with a chewy soft center and little hard on the outside. I wonder what went wrong
Sam
Hi Sandy! These definitely should be a soft cookie. Is it possible that your baking soda/powder could be bad?
Sandy
No, I checked that specifically because I read on the recipe that they shouldn’t be more than 6 months old. I made everything exactly like it was written on the recipe so it really is a mystery for me, especially after reading all those good reviews..
Sam
You probably already viewed the notes below the recipe that suggest what might have gone wrong, but two other things that seem possible/likely are that 1) the flour could be accidentally over-measured, which would explain why they aren’t flattening properly and 2) your oven is running hotter than indicated, making the cookies crisp even though you only baked them for the indicated time. They should definitely be nice and chewy. I hope this helps, and I hope you give them another shot!
Allie Rose
Hi! I love these cookies sooo much! I have made them over and over again! I was wondering if I could add old fashioned oats to them?
Sam
Hi Allie! I haven’t had much success doing that. If you want a good oatmeal cookie I would recommend my chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. 🙂
Mitsy
Outstanding cookies !! Thank you so much ! They are absolutely heavenly ❤
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cookies so much, Mitsy! 🙂