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.
Pam
What do I do if I don’t have parchment paper?
Sam
Just bake them on a regular ungreased cookie sheet, they may need a minute or two less time. Enjoy!
Pam Kove
Thank you!! What’s the best way to store them over night? Tubberware or fridge?!
Sam
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container, Tupperware would work great, or even a large Ziploc bag. I wouldn’t refrigerate them once they’re baked. Hope you love them!
Jessica Weeks
I love to bake but I hate baking cookies. A friend wanted some and I came across your recipe. The blog was so funny I decided to give it a try and they were amazing. Unfortunately I still hate baking cookies so I turned it into a cookie cake. I turned my oven down to 325° and pressed the dough into a 12″ pan. I get requests for this cookie cake all the time. Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, and thank you for sharing how you turned it into a cake, that sounds delicious!! Thank you for commenting, Jessica! 🙂
Nil
I have made these cookies twice so far. This is the best ccc recipe ever! Each time cookies turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing.
Sam
I’m so glad that you enjoyed!!! Thank you for commenting, Nil!
Stephanie
Hi Sam – these cookies look amazing! Thank you for posting! I tried the recipe yesterday and I love the taste, however I can’t quite get the texture right. For the first batch, I followed the recipe and bake the cookie dough in ball shape, but they don’t really melt and retain the height quite a bit, making it a dense cookie. I also find it somewhat overdone. On the second batch, I flat out the dough before putting them in the oven, and cut down the baking time to 10 min. The cookies turn out softer. Today, I baked them 8 minutes and flatten them up, it turns out very soft and yummy. Color-wise, I’m still getting light brown, not the beautiful fair color you have on the picture though. So 2 questions: 1) what could I have done wrong that the dough does not get flatten out during baking 2) cookies turn bit more cakey that what I would have liked it, what could I have done differently other than cutting baking time?
Sam
Hi Stephanie! Hmm, it is hard to know for sure but it sounds like there is too much flour being used. Are you measuring using cups or by weight? If you are using cups, I would recommend using a spoon to scoop the dough into the measuring cup, lightly pouring it into the cup (rather than packing it in or using the measuring cup to scoop it directly, which can pack in the flour) and then leveling it off. This seems like it would be the most likely culprit, I hope this helps but please feel free to comment again if they still aren’t coming out right!
Kim
I am having the same issue. They look like dark biscuits. I’m guessing it’s because I used dark brown sugar instead of light and I also have bread flour instead of all purpose. I was thinking that the recipe needed extra moisture though. There’s no water or milk or oil at all?? I will try with all-purpose flour but I might also reduce the amount of flour used.
Sam
Hi Kim, the bread flour would definitely be the problem. It’s OK to use dark brown sugar but you definitely need to use all purpose flour for this recipe. Most cookies do not call for water or milk and these do not either, no oil either, there is plenty of melted butter and maple syrup for moisture.
Ava
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. This recipe is amazing!
Deneen
Just took my batch out of the oven! They smell so delicious!! Little disappointed that my cookies are not as flat as your pictures. What could I have done wrong?
Susan
Hi Sam! First of all, love the name of this cookie..had me hooked! 😃. Just made these with my granddaughter and easy to make for her…BUT… OMGoodness!! I’m an experienced Baker, but these are PERFECT!! Thank you so much for sharing the worst thing ever with the rest of the world! They are just great! 😆
Aileen M
Wow… this is the recipe I have been searching for years and I finally found it! I can’t stop eating them, they are sooooo good! I will be making these for parties, potlucks, school events, Christmas gifts, you name it! I eat these practically every other day! Can someone please advise how much sugar to decrease without altering the texture to much? Sugar organic, raw or brown is still sugar, I need to find the right sweetness without going overboard. PLEASE give this recipe a try!
Aislyn
Ok. I just baked these after letting the dough sit in the fridge overnight. The third batch is in the oven. The first two are gone already. 5 people just told me it was the best cookie they ever ate. The neighbor won’t leave now. He’s waiting on the third batch to come out. I hope I get to taste one. And yes, 5 people have eaten 24 cookies in a matter of minutes. Followed the recipe exactly.
HR
I know this will probably never be read by anyone since there are so many reviews, but I felt it was worth leaving!!! I have made these twice in the last week and here is what I’ve learned: the dough must sit overnight to really develop flavor, add at least an additional teaspoon of vanilla, 50 gram balls of dough make a perfectly sized cookie (yield 19 cookies), sprinkle Maldon or sea salt on top of the cookies right when they come out of the oven. My cousin has “tested” at least 25 different chocolate chip cookies around where she works (with a whole rating system and everything!) and she said these are easily #1. Thanks for an awesome recipe!!!
Sam
Reading this totally makes my day, I’m so thrilled that you enjoy this recipe so much! 🙂 Thank you for the tips and for coming back to leave a comment, I appreciate it so much!
RACHEAL
I chilled them but the dough was still really really soft and idk why. Like it was running off the spoon a little, worried I did somthing wrong I did follow the recipe to a T
Sam
Is it possible that the butter was still too hot when it was added to the sugar? That’s the only thing I can think of that would cause this.
Anastasia
ok so I have been trying and testing cookies to get the PERFECT recipe & I must say you nailed it!!!! I made these for a bake sale & I am getting hounded for these cookies and the recipe LOL I also made a few bets to see if anyone can guess the secret ingredient and no one has nailed it yet 😉 You are a genius my dear.
Sam
Yay! So glad you enjoyed, thank you for coming back and commenting Anastasia!! 🙂
mary
SO GOOD!
i omitted a half cup of chocolate chips but they were still soft and delicious!
Sam
So glad you enoyed!!!
Kim
Love the cookies and your writing. I am a victim of the worst ever cookies, they have indeed ruined my life. 😂
Jaymie
I made these cookies over the weekend and I don’t know who has eaten more of them – me or my husband:)!. OMG, these are probably the BEST WORST cookies I have ever eaten. I even “suffered” through the 30 min. chill out ( but snuck a couple of small “samples” just to make sure the taste hadn’t changed!!). I didn’t have any maple syrup so I can only imagine what they will be like with the syrup added next time. Can’t wait to make the cookie dough dip and cookie dough fudge.