Go no further! This chocolate chip cookie recipe will ruin your life.
Consider yourself warned.
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 cookie recipe”, and dog-eared cookbooks of “award winning” and family favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes, you have somehow found yourself here, face-to-cookie with the actual worst chocolate chip cookie.
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 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 best-turned-worst chocolate chip cookie recipe), that will work just fine, too.
What kind of self-respecting cookie doesn’t demand purity and quality?
Only the worst kind.
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 to die for.
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 was. 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 recipe? 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 any other “delicious” cookie. 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 chocolate chip cookie 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 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 ever” 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 30ย 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.
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.
Letโs bake together!ย Iโll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe andย videoย below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me onย Instagram, and you can also find me onย YouTubeย andย Facebook
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 ยฝ cups (300 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ยฝ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ cup (60 ml) maple syrupยฒ
- 3 ยผ 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
- 1 ยฝ Tablespoon cookie scoop
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together melted butter and sugars.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ยฝ cups (300 g) light brown sugar, ยฝ 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, ยผ cup (60 ml) maple syrupยฒ
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.3 ยผ 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.)
- 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
ยนButter
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.ยฒMaple 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 the worst 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.
Stella
Sorry but I didn’t like these cookies…
I LOVED THEM!
These cookies are SOOOOO soft and SOOOO chewy!I didn’t have chocolate chips only jumbo chocolate chips. I L-O-V-E Chocolate chip cookies and now that I have tasted these- ahem sorry mom but I am NEVER making your chocolate chip cookies again. Unfortunately now I am to good for chips ahoy. ๐ฑ Its not very obvious but when you hear about the syrup it makes sense it gives the cookie an extra richness. GONE in less then a day I think I got 2 oh wait no it was ONE! Thanks a lot faithful family. What happened to respecting the baker. HUH!?! Guess I’ll hafta make more(just for me)!!! I thought I was making my cookies the same size as you when I scooped them but I guess not they were HUGE I only got 21 out of this recipe. LOL. Thx for another AMAZING recipe. I fear this is the end of me. Good bye Sam.
Sam
That is so awesome, Stella! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much. ๐
Bonnie
I made these cookies two days ago since my daughter and family are visiting from Michigan. I have just deleted all other chocolate chip cookies recipes from my Pinterest cookie folder. This is the only one I will ever need to bake again! They were PERFECT in every way. Gone in 2 days!
The reason I loved this recipe is they are so easy to make. I have become an annal baker ever since I started baking bread 2 years ago. Measuring correctly is everything! I love to measure by weight. It is so much easier. The cookies are soft and delicious. I have never used corn starch or maple syrup in a cookie recipe before. I guess thatโs the secret!
My cookies were larger. I only got 27 from the recipe. I learned to put only 6 on a pan at a time. I will make them a little smaller next time (45 grams/cookie) My first pan spread into each other with 9 cookies on the pan. Since your cookies cool on the pan and you need to use a cool pan to start with, I had three cookie sheets going. I used mini chips and dark chocolate chunks. There was chocolate in every bite!
My family loved these! Every time someone ate one they had to comment on how great they are! Thank you for the worst/best chocolate chip cookie recipe. Iโm making another batch today!
Sam
That is so great to hear Bonnie! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much. ๐
Kathy Joyce
Bonnie I just had to comment on your comment because after making these the first time I did the same thing. I knew I would never need another chocolate chip recipe again. These are the BOMB!! Today I am trying something new with them…I am going to add malt powder and crushed malt ball centers…can’t wait to see how they come out!
Ramona
Iโve been making these cookies for a couple of years( yes they ruined me) and they always turn out perfect. This time I forgot to melt the butter before adding the sugars. It was very soft room temp 70ยฐ. Will it change the outcome?
Sam
Hi Ramona! If it was soft enough that everything was combined really well I think they will still turn out for you. ๐
Ramona
Iโll let you know. Iโve refrigerated them until tomorrow. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly ๐ช
Akhila
These look amazing! Do you think there is any substitute for the eggs? Like flax eggs?
Sam
Hi Akhila! While I haven’t tried it, I have had a commenter report success with flax eggs. If you do try it I would love to know how it goes. ๐
Tiffany Burnette
I donโt think I ever rated or commented before. I am in love with these terribly delicious cookies!!! Theyโve ruined my life๐. My kids request them often!
Sam
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, Tiffany! I’m so sorry for the your newly ruined life. ๐คฃ
Samantha
Omg!! These are the best cookies ever!! My life is ruined!!
Eve
Do you know how long the cookie dough will last if it is frozen?
Sam
Hi Eve! The frozen cookie dough should last a few months. ๐
Glenna
The flavor of these cookies is great! What altitude are you baking at? I’m having a bit of trouble with the texture. I’m at 5000 ft above sea level. Do you have hight alt adjustments?
Sam
Hi Glenna! I am at a much lower altitude than you are. Unfortunately I don’t have any recommendations for changes. Hopefully someone else can chime in with some tips. ๐
Lhise Schmitz
Can I use salted butter and cut back on the salt? TIA…
Sam
You can use salted butter. You will want to reduce the salt by 1/2 teaspoon. I actually have an article on using salted or unsalted butter that may be helpful to you. ๐
Rachel
Hands down, best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! I will never buy pre-made cookies or dough again. AMAZING!
Sam
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Rachel! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Marti
Recipe is easy and cookies are delicious!
Nyaziah
No matter what recipe I use my chocolate chip cookies always come out bad. They literally never taste like anything. Do you have any advice on how to fix this. I weigh all of my ingredients. Itโs one of the things I just canโt bake right
Sam
Hi Nyaziah! That’s so sad! Have you tried this particular recipe?
Sam
I have made these cookies so many times they are the BEST! I made them with agave syrup once and that was good too. LOVE!!
Sarah
Sam, if I want to used brown butter for added flavor, how would you adjust the amount of butter to use here? Thanks so much!
Sam
Hi Sarah! I know others have substituted brown butter here without making any other changes to any of the amounts. Enjoy! ๐
Bonnie
Sarah, these cookies have so much flavor, I would say you donโt need to use brown butter for more flavor. That would just be one more step. They are delicious just as the recipe is printed.
Ashley
Such a great recipe! The only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use now, and now I definitely check your page 1st before I try any other recipes. Thank you! I was wondering if I could add nonpareils sprinkles to the batter, if it would change the ratios for any other ingredients? Thank you again.
Sam
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Ashley! You can add nonpareils, no need to change any other ratios. Enjoy ๐
Ashley
Thank you! โบ๏ธ
Patti
Thank you so much for the tip about weighing the ingredients. 3.5 cups of flour using the dip and scrape method was about 498 grams as opposed to the 415 grams called. Also used bourbon infused maple syrup and espresso chocolate chips and half milk chocolate. Dough is resting but it tastes gooooood. Canโt wait to bake and update.
Patti
Sorry meant 3.25 cups.
Sam
I hope you love them! ๐
Ben
I made these cookies and baked up a dozen and then rolled the unused batter into balls and then put into a cookie sheet and froze them. Once they hardened I put them all into a ziploc freezer bag. They are equally as good baked out of the freezer. They take longer to bake, maybe closer to 15 minutes but it is a great way to have fresh cookies without having to make a new batch. It also saves you from needing to eat 3 dozen cookies in 2-3 days before they start to lose their luster. For a family of 4, making 8 cookies at a time works great. On 4 separate occasions, everyone got 2 warm fresh cookies.
This is my go to recipe from now on, without a doubt.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Ben! I love freezing the dough so I can have fresh cookies any time. ๐