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.
RuthDetroitArea
You are TOO FUNNY! Can’t wait to make these (guess I’d better lose a pound or two first, ay?) ~ ruth
Sam
Thank you! I know you are going to love them! 🙂
Susi
Truly the worst! 💕
In a typical tired-mom-of-3-move I made half the dough, but used 2 eggs. Added some flour until the consistency seemed similar to yours and they came out pretty close to perfect.
Definitely the best chocolate chip cookies I made yet! I‘m actually a bit scared of the outcome once I‘ll do everything right … thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Susi! Keep up the hard work! 🙂
Cheryl Robbie
These are the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve ever made. My granddaughters are in love with them. In fact, Amy, my 20 year granddaughter is taking the recipe with her when she goes back to college so she and her friends can make them in the dorm kitchen. Thanks for sharing.
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful to hear, Cheryl! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed them. 🙂
Jen
Hi! I am gluten-free and I was wondering with this recipe work with gluten-free flour.
Jen
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jen! I do have experience baking gluten-free however, others have tried using 1:1 Gluten-free flour and have reported success. I hope that it works well for you too! Keep me posted. 🙂
nourhan
These turned out so delicious! I have also tried your white chocolate macadamia recipe. Would it be a good idea to use the recipe for worst chocolate chip cookies and add macadamia nuts to create the white chocolate macadamia cookies? Thank you!
Sam
You could definitely add macadamia nuts to the worst chocolate chip cookies. I would recommend reducing the chocolate chips in the cookies just a bit so you don’t overload the dough. 🙂
Bertha
Hi can this be used to bake giant cookies too?
Sam
Hi Bertha! I’ve found they don’t quite bake as evenly when you start making them too large. I do have a giant chocolate chip cookie you can use. 🙂
Chris
The recipe sounds wonderful but I don’t like maple at all I don’t use it on anything. I don’t even like the smell of it. Is the flavor of the maple really strong in the cookie?
Sam
It’s not, but if you want a different chocolate chip cookie recipe I would recommend my brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
senda
I love this cookie recipe so does my family! there perfect!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Senda! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it!
Jenny
Hi i’m making these for a special occasion and only need half the dough. Can i store these in the freezer for future events and if i can for how long do you think it would last without going bad.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jenny! Yes, the dough freezes well. I usually roll them into cookie dough balls and store them in a freezer bag or an airtight container. The dough should be good for up to 3 months. I hope that helps. 🙂
Olga
I’ve been baking for over 40 years. This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made and I’ve tried many! I bake for our local hospital’s operating rooms and they devour these cookies. Thank you very much for this recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
What a sweet gesture, Olga! I am so glad that the staff has enjoyed them! Thank you for using my recipe. 🙂
Christina Knightley
These were amazing! So yummy thank you for the recipe
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Christina! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Grace Anderson
I love this recipe! It is one of my go to recipes now. Thanks for sharing!
-Grace
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you LOVE this cookie recipe. Thank you so much for commenting, Grace! 🙂
NIKA
I made half of the suggested serving because i dont need 32 cookies LOL so i split in half all ingredients andddd they were so delish! – now i wish i made all 32 so i can freeze and save for the occasional craving!! do you ever freeze cookies and which is the best way to preserve them when ready to eat again?
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! I typically freeze them before baking. I will roll out the dough balls and then wrap them individually and store in an a freezer bag. Then I bake them straight from frozen. It takes a minute or 2 longer, but then you can have fresh cookies anytime in just a few minutes. 🙂
Bridgette Ramirez
if i wanted to add peanut butter how much do you recommend i add or take away from other ingredients in order to add it?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Bridgette! I have not added peanut butter to this exact chocolate chip cookie recipe before therefore I can not provide you with any personal recommendations. I do have a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe that I would reccomend using instead. 🙂
Dolores
Can I use my stand mixer or is it better to do it by hand for this recipe?
Sam
Hi Dolores! You can use a stand mixer but the melted butter makes these really easy to do by hand. 🙂
Maureen Eichman
Well, I made it past all the dire warnings because of course the devil was at work here. But I was saved by the angel of weight loss when I read those dreaded words “long-lasting chewiness and softness”. Thank you guardian angel, I hate soft chewy chocolate chip cookies. Now that my brother has passed away I am alone on the planet craving the perfect hard and crunchy-crumbly choc. chip cookie.
So, that’s a long way to go to ask your advice on making a hard(ish) crunchy cookie. I have been experimenting and think I may be on to something. From the original Toll House cookie recipe, I have reduced the brown sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup, increasing the granulated to 1 cup. I think I read somewhere that the brown sugar encourages the dreaded softness. Then I reduced the temp from 375 to 350 and increased the baking time accordingly. I’m getting there.
Do you have any further recommendations?
If you haven’t already deleted my lengthy tome, I must tell you that your lemon cake looks incredible and I will be trying that as soon as I make sure I have all the ingredients in the house.
Thanks Sam….
Maureen
Sam
Hi Maureen! This unfortunately is not the recipe for crunchy cookies. I do have one coming in the near future. There are lots of different things that go into making the cookie crunchier rather than softer. I hope you love the lemon cake! 🙂
Jenni
We make our chocolate chip cookies (different recipe, I haven’t tried this one yet) and put them immediately into the freezer. They are absolutely fabulous that way if you like a crunchy cookie. I know it sounds crazy, but give it a try!
Maureen Eichman
Thank you, Jenni. I will try it.
E
Hi!
I love your videos and recipes. ! Last night I was exited to try this cookie recipe . I got distracted and added 2 teaspoons of baking powder and forgot to add the corn starch. I haven’t baked them yet, but everything is mixed together. Can I still add the corn starch?
Thank you!
Sam
You will need to get the cornstarch thoroughly mixed in and at this point I don’t know that it will be possible. The cookies won’t turn out properly with double the baking powder. I’m not sure how it will turn out. Good luck! 🙂