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.
Joann
These cookies are so easy and delicious. My picky son told me these ARE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies he has evert had!
Riley
Thank you so much. These are amazing! The last couple of times I have made them, the dough doesn’t spread as thin as yours. They look more like “puffy” chocolate chip cookies. Any idea why?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Riley! Are you weighing your flour? If not you may be accidentally over-measuring your flour.
ellen vratoric
I’ve made these several times and they always come out the best. Also make your heart cream cheese cookies and everybody loved them. I also made your fudge cookies. I make your cookies for the ladies that work with my husband and they keep asking him for more. They think I make the best cookies. So thank you for sharing such delicious recipes.
Roni
Hello I’ve baked a few of your recipes, and have never been disappointed. So my silly question is this.. Why did you name these cookies the “Worst chocolate Chip Cookie”?!?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Roni! It’s a fun play on words that I explain throughout the post. 🙂
Tam
Hi Sam,
If I use one cup chopped baker’s chocolate ( uneven sized chunks) and one cup chips, would that change the shape ( flatter, thicker etc.) or texture of the cookies?
Thanks
Tam 😊
Sam
Hi Tam! The chocolate texture will be a little bit different, but shouldn’t change the cookies. I hope you love it! 🙂
Tam
I appreciate it! 😊
Lynn
Hi! thank you for these great recipes. I used to make these all the time and then my family gave up eggs. Has anybody tried these with a egg replacer or flax? I really miss these cookies and I want to try them with a substitute but because of the price of vegan chocolate chips I really don’t want to ruin them.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lynn! While we haven’t tried it, we have had a few commenters report success with flax eggs. If you do try it, we would love to know how it goes 🙂
Tam
Thanks
Kristy
extra OMG, brown the butter first then cool
add toasted pecans in the end
Amber Laska
Hi!
I added two bars of 100 grand, pretzels, and butterfingers candy along with the chocolate chips. They turned out great and chewy! Thank you Sam for another awesome recipe 🙂
Janelle
If I want to add nuts should I reduce chocolate chips
Sam
Hi Janelle! I would cut the chocolate chips a bit. I would aim for about 2 cups of add-ins total. 🙂
kate
Can you use GF flour on this recipe?
Sam
Hi Kate! I haven’t tried it, but several others have done so with success. Most people have reported using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour. 🙂
Joshua Hallal
This is pretty good ig
Sonja
Thanks for the recipe, these really are the WORST cookies I have ever eaten and baked! I’ve been looking for a recipe in Germany for a long time to use up leftover chocolate Easter bunnies and chocolate Santas. The special ingredients make this recipe stand out from the rest. My colleagues now even give me chocolate as a present when they want to eat cookies in the office again. 😀
Terri Bruch
I want to thank you again for this recipe. I wrote you several years ago when I first found it. I used to own a bakery Now I just bake for my granddaughters I have two THe one we do more difficult thing but the younger one we only do this recipe SHe has so much fun teasing her family and friends especially her sister that she knows the secret ingredient!!!!!! Everyone loves them!!!!!!!!!
Corinne
I’ve made this recipe a number of times and it’s always turned out amazing! this time for some reason the cookies went completely flat and look greasy, any tips or ideas why this happened this time? thanks so much!!!
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear that happened, Corinne! Is it possible the butter was a little too warm when you added the sugar? 🙁
Laurie Rubin
Hi Sam. I want to try this recipe but before I do what brand of flour are you using? I use King Arthur A/P flour and per the side of their package ¼ cup is 30 grams. So that would be a total gram weight of 390 grams for 3 ¼ cups. You are obviously using a different brand of flour since your gram measurement totals 415 so if you can tell me which brand of flour you use I will make sure to use that brand for the cookies. The difference between 390 grams and 415 grams would make a difference in how these cookies turn out.
Thanks for your help.
Sam
Hi Laurie! I’ve made these cookies using pretty much every brand of flour out there and the weights are what I personally use myself. Whichever brand you use I would recommend using the 415 grams. I really hope you love the cookies!
Yolanda
I have been in search for the best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for the longest and finally came across the Worst Chocolate Chip Cookie ever. Finally my search is over. Thank you for taking the time to come up with the absolute worst Chocolate Chip Cookie
It’s just delicious.
Alaynna king
13 minutes, not 12 or 14. Perfection. I did use dark brown sugar since that’s all I had. I used pure dark Maple syrup from a Vermont Farm. Supurb. Perfect rise, color and taste. THESE ARE THE WORST!!!
Jacquelyn King
Can I double the recipe or should I make two batches?
Sam
Hi Jacquelyn! You shouldn’t have any issues doubling this recipe. 🙂
Jacquelyn King
Thank you for the reply Sam! I made these at Christmas and they were the HIT of the party. So I am going to make them for our upcoming family reunion! THE WORST chocolate chip cookies ever! Thanks