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.
Trisha
Love the title and the post. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw this on Pinterest. But I will have to wait till next week for these cookies. I ran out of maple syrup yesterday 🙁 … oh the cookies look fantastic BTW.
Sam
Oooh, that wait must be torture! I’m glad you like the look of the cookies, Trisha! I hope you enjoy them!
Mary
These are killers! I doubled the ingredients and I’m still baking them 😀 Everyone loves them! Just one question – is there something I can use instead of maple syrup? I used maple syrup a friend got me from Canada, but I won’t have for the future (I live in eastern europe) and I wanna make these awesome cookies again.. and again :C
Megan
I made these cookies yesterday, and they didn’t spread in the oven while baking. They tasted fine, but they stayed rather small in diameter and thick, nothing like the picture, which was disappointing. What did I do wrong?
Sam
It sounds like the flour was over-measured. Try spooning the flour into the measuring cup and then using a straight edge to level it off (don’t scoop the flour).
Lauren
Hi! I have struggled making the perfect chocolate chip cookie and I loved your detailed instructions and I had high hopes for these. However, like all the chocolate chip cookies I make, they turned out super flat! 🙁 I live in Utah and it occurred to me after the first couple batches that I’m at high altitude and maybe should have added more flour. Any recommendations on how much, or other alterations to make? (And I always scoop then level my flour so technically I should be overmeasuring as is but still all my cookies go flat!) Still, the taste is great but my husband hates flat cookies and really wants me to figure out a thick cookie. 🙂
Sam
Hi Lauren! I’m not familiar with baking at high altitude unfortunately so I can’t really advise to that, but I would recommend adding a bit more flour to help make them thicker, add enough so that the dough isn’t sticky or clinging to your hands. I hope that helps!
Eden Stringham
The best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had or made!!! Amazing, thanks for the recipe!
Sam
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Joanne Pifer
First of all, this is my new chocolate chip cookie recipe, my husband says I always cook my chocolate chip cookies too long, he said these were SPECTACULAR the first time I made the, I am wondering if I wanted to make these a little bit smaller, how I can figure out how long to bake them??
Thanks
Sam
Yay! I am so glad you and your husband love the cookies so much! I would cut back on the time, so if you make them 1 1/2 Tbsp I’d think they would take just 8-10 minutes, instead. I hope that helps!
Janice Emery
I am a “close-friend proclaimed” baker and chef. My friends usually rave about my creations. I love chocolate chip cookies and have not wavered from the traditional back of the bag recipe. Until now! These are sooo good! Being from NH, all things maple are always welcome. My daughter who does not eat CCC, loves these! She is 20 and very picky. She requested them yesterday, and the dough is in the fridge chillin’ as I type.
Thanks for the recipe! Looking forward to making more of your goodies!
Janice
Sam
Yay, this makes me so happy to read!! I’m so glad that you and your friends and family enjoyed the cookies, Janice!!! 🙂 <3
Morgan Quinney
I made these cookie sauce and people love them, but how can I get them to be flatter? They are so puffy, almost round at the top. I would love for them to look like the picture!
Sam
Hi Morgan! Is it possible you are over-measuring the flour? Don’t scoop the flour using your measuring cup, use a spoon to fill up the cup and then level it off. I hope that helps!
Vanessa
I made these and they were SO GOOD. Thanks for sharing!
Sam
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!
Sharon
I’ve added pecans bc hey who doesn’t care for nuts in their cookies. Absolutely outstanding. Wish I could post my picture, but then they look like this post, perfecto!
Sam
I’m glad you like them, Sharon!!
Laurel
Wow! I was incredibly impressed with these cookies. They look and taste spectacular. The only downside is they are slightly addicting haha.
Katherine
Maybe it’s too late for me 😉 but I want to try these cookies!
Andrea
I pinned this back when I first read it last year and promptly forgot about it because I had no syrup (tragic, I know). Well I was looking for a new recipe in my Cookie pins and came across it again. It’s sitting in the fridge now and we’ll see if my “syrup only belongs on pancakes and waffles”, chocolate chip fanatic husband can tell what’s different. Just tasting the dough, I can’t tell so I don’t think he will. The funny thing is, as I’m scrolling through Pinterest later, (because it sucks you in and you can’t escape) it popped up again. It was totally meant to be that I make these today lol. I’ll update after I bake them off. 🙂
Andrea Ball
As a wife and mom to 3 very picky boys I am always looking for good recipes. I love being in the kitchen and try to make 2 or 3 desserts a week to keep everyone happy. Problem is the eat them for a day or two then get tired of them. I cane across this recipe by sure luck and decided why not… I am so glad I did. I am cooking my second batch of the week now. I put sea salt and caramel on them as we all love the sweet/salty and on some I actually sprinkled crumbled bacon. It sounds odd but was delicious. Thanks for the amazing recipe!!!
Debbie
Made these cookies today. The only adjustment I made was half almond flour and half regular flour to try and cut out some of the carbs. Absolutely delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad you loved them, Debbie!! 🙂
Kelsi J
Your blog post about these cookies is so relateable. I have LITERALLY tried so many chocolate chip cookie recipes and I have finally found the one! Chewy and dense, sweet and chocolaty, just the worst! Made these today to bring for our Mother’s Day Celebration and my family couldn’t get enough. Thank you Sam!
Sam
Haha, I’m glad someone else can relate!!! I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed them, Kelsi!!