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.
Stephanie
These are amazing! I will never use another recipe for chocolate chip cookies!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your review, Stephanie! We’re so glad you enjoyed them 😊
JenniferM
This chocolate cookie recipe is an absolute game changer! The best Chocolate Chip cookies I’ve ever made in my life, and I’ve tried a few. The texture, the flavor, everything about this recipe is perfect! I form the batter into balls and freeze them so we don’t eat them all in one day,😳 And every time they turn out perfect! Thank you for creating such an amazing recipe,
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you are such a fan, Jennifer! Thank you so much for commenting ❤
Delena Brott
Jennifer, when you freeze them, what temp & how long do you cook them at? And do you thaw and then cook or cook from frozen?
Maurissa
Oh my goodness 🙃 wow these are amazing…probably the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for sharing this excellent recipe \o/! I added some unsweetened shredded coconut and chocolate baking chips for half of the chocolate chips 😳 – whew!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved them, Maurissa! Thanks for your review ❤
Olga
This recipe is absolutely perfect. I have tried countless other recipes and I could never achieve that chewy, flat cookie. But with this recipe, my chocolate chip cookies are finally to die for. The worst chocolate chip cookie recipe is truly the best ever. Thank you!
Claudia Flint
Not sure if anyone mentioned this already, but I sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven. My friends all rave about these cookies!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Love that addition, Claudia! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review ❤
Britney M
Wanting to add spring colored m&ms for Easter to this recipe. Would you mix along with the chocolate chips?
Sam
Yes that would work great! You may want to reduce the chocolate chips a bit (1/2-1 cup) to not overwhelm the dough. Enjoy! 🙂
Shelley
Every time I make these, someone asks, “Where did you buy those cookies???” They are always a big hit and the trick of putting chips in the blank spots after baking is a presentation game changer!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys them so much, Shelley! 🙂
Bree
I’ve made these dozens (ha) of times and they always taste amazing! Last night I decided to use gluten-free flour so I could share them with my coworkers. Amazing. You wouldn’t even miss the AP flour! Happy that it was a successful 1 to 1 switch. Thanks for this amazing recipe 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know how that substitution worked out for you, Bree! Enjoy 😊
Deb
Hi! What kind of gluten free flour did you use? Thanks!
Bree
Hi Deb! I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. 😊
sportsjunkie
Get ready to try, but don’t see any comments about how much nuts if desired.
Sam
I like to do up to 3 cups of add-ins max. 🙂
Veronica
I’ve experimented with many recipes in order to find my go-to C.C batch until I found this one! The maple syrup really does separate this recipe from others I’ve tried. Since the batter is so perfectly sweet, I like to add a mix of dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your review, Veronica! We’re so happy you found our recipe 😊
Chrissy
These are so good. Moist and chewy! I must say I can taste the maple syrup tho but not in a bad way. I decided to have fun. I made some plain, some coated in sugar, and some coated in cinnamon sugar. Finally I made a glaze and put that on some of each type I made. They came out amazing. Assorted chocolate chip cookies!
LisaB
Not only are these cookies RAWR , but I’ve found that the secret ingredient works in peanut butter and oatmeal, too!! Thank you a million times for this recipe – my family fight over these, the peanut butter and the oatmeal that they usually won’t eat!!! 10/5 stars, all the thumbs ups, mmm!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they are such a hit for you, Lisa! 😊
Connie
I LOVE these cookies. They have been my go to for a few years. I recently moved and am now 4,100+ altitude and whenever I bake these cookies they come out completely flat. Doughy on the inside and crispy edges. Do you have any tips that could help remedy this?
Sam
Hi Connie! Unfortunately I’m not too familiar with high altitude baking. Normally these issues are from adding sugars to butter that is too hot or not quite enough flour. I’m sorry I can’t help anymore than that. 🙁
Patricia Liaop
Hi, I think what will help is switching your flour to high altitude flour, and along with that add a bit more flour at a time and let the dough chill for around an hour or more.
maria
can you freeze the dough if you don’t want to bake all the cookies at once?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Maria! Absolutely–we recommend scooping the dough into balls and wrapping each one individually then storing in a freezer bag. You can bake them from frozen, they will just take a minute or two longer. 🙂
Nicole
I always do! I roll them into balls and place them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about an hour and then put them in a ziplock bag. Then I defrost and bake accordingly!
Jody
Absolutely delicious! I only had 1 cup of semi-sweet chips, so I also used 1 cup of milk chocolate chips. I’m kind of lazy and don’t usually make cookies (I love your cookie bar recipes) but these were worth the effort! Thanks for another fantastic recipe-your recipes are my first choice if I can’t find what I need in my box of family recipes!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That is so sweet of you, Jody! We are so happy the cookies turned out so well for you. Thanks for your review ❤
London kramer
THE BEST chocolate chip cookie is right here! The game changer is using baking soda, baking powder, a corn starch. I get a nice full cookie each time. I love the secret ingredient using syrup! I can’t love this enough. Thank you so much for sharing!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love them, London! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review ❤
Roger Chapanis
Before trying your “Worst” recipe, I tried the recipe for America’s Test Kitchen, and that was very good. But, it lacked the softness of your recipe, which I prefer.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you like our recipe, Roger! Thanks for coming back to let us know how it went for you 😊