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.
Diana
Mine turned out awesome!! I was really just looking for a basic “Nestle” recipe, but was clearly drawn to this link because of the title (nice work ;)). I had all the ingredients, except the unsalted butter–but I took your advice, only using a sprinkle of salt instead of the teaspoon–so I figured I’d try them…and I am in love! I added walnuts also, and they are just awesome! I can’t wait to share them. Where has this recipe been all my life???
Sam
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them so much, Diana! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how they turned out for you! The addition of walnuts sounds delish 🙂
Maryam Al Ameri
hello… how are you ?
this is one of the best recipe I swear !!, it chewy and melts in the mouth !
today will be my third time baking it !, you are right ” it’s consuming me ” hahaha 😂❤️
but I have one question, How can I make them more flat like the one you did in photos ? mine it a bit puffy or fat …
thanks dear 🌹
Sam
HI! I’m so glad that you enjoy the cookies so much! Hmm, it sounds like the flour may be over-measured just a bit since they are puffy, I would try adding a few Tablespoons less flour, and if you are still having that problem you can skip the chilling, too. I don’t recommend this to everyone since many more people seem to have them come out flat, but in your case I think that might help! Oh, and is it possible that your oven might be running a bit hotter than it says? That could also contribute to this.
I hope that helps! 🙂
RayAnn
My new chocolate chip cookie go to recipe! This cookie is absolutely fantastic!!!
Sam
So glad to hear that you like it, RayAnn! 🙂
Trisha
These tasted too salty and the cookies looked cakey instead of chewy! I swear I followed the recipe… don’t know what went wrong
Esther
Same! Wish I had read your comment first. I never would have made them. What a waste of ingredients and time. Super disappointed. I also used salted butter cause I didn’t read carefully and that ruined it.
Sam
Sorry they didn’t turn out! If they were cakey the flour was probably over-measured.
Chef Marty
Also, when you measure out your flour, scoop the flour using one smaller measuring cup. If you use the same cup of flour that you scooped into the cup, your measurements will be slightly off. Flour compact very easy. One cup of compressed flour could easily measure out as 1 1/4 to 1 1/2. I’ve used this recipe five times and it came out perfectly each time. Follow the recipe to a T and change your way that you measure the flour and I believe that you’ll join the legions of Cookie Monsters!
Sam
Very good tip, thank you Chef Marty!!! 🙂
Adriana
Esther, I use about half of the salt recommended and even less with salted butter. How you measure the flour makes HUGE difference (spooning it into the measuring cup vs scooping it out of flour container with the measuring cup), as I too learned the hard way, butter needs to be room temp after melting; after I made those adjustments, the cookies were perfectly soft and chewy. I’ve made them almost a dozen times as my 17 year old son devours them; any leftovers (rarity) are put in freezer and just as delicious when warmed in microwave.
Rachael Harper
I have made these many times in the last 2 months {when I first found the recipe} I can not afford maple syrup as mentioned in the tips….I use Kroger brand pancake syrup. These cookies do not even last a day. I made 2 tablespoon balls on a sheet the first time. Took longer to bake…it’s just my oven. I have reduced the size to a melon scoop size which makes like 60+ cookies and they are still gone within 2 days. Like any other recipe you have to adjust for your tastes. I only adjusted the “syrup” and the size of the scoops of dough.
Bill
They came out perfect and chewy … not flat or oily at all , as some have said … I used 1 cup mini semisweet and 1 cup dark regular chocolate chips … may have too many chips in cookies the mini chips are prob equal to 1 1/2 cups of regular … next time I will use regular size chips …. this recipe has my thumbs up
Sam
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Shannon
This is my family’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! They turn out so soft, even when completely cooled. Everyone who tries them is absolutely addicted to them! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂
Erin
Seriously so amazing!!! I followed the recipe exactly how it was. Made sure the dough balls were taller than they were wide and they turned out perfectly!!! Never again will I use any other chocolate chip cookie recipie!!!
Trex Eden
The kids love these cookies! I couldn’t find maple sryup so I used honey instead. The cookies are soft and moist. They’re heavenly if dipped in milk. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Sam
Glad to hear that they worked well with honey! I have had a lot of people ask if they can use it as a substitute, so that is great to know! Thanks! 🙂
Harriet
These are the best and most successful chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! I made them exactly as the recipe called for and made 45 lg cookies, soft and chewy….perfection. Hubby loved them.
Tiarra L Nelson
Hi I lived 5 years in australia (I am back in NY now) I thought I would suggest for your Australian readers that golden syrup is a cheaper alternative to maple. Golden syrup is almost indistinguishable in taste to maple syrup and when I lived in Australia I used it for a more cost effective pancake syrup. Maple is very expensive over there. I suspect our synthetic maple syrup in the US may be a very similar recipie to golden syrup.
Sam
Thank you for the tip, Tiarra!! 🙂
annabee
These are so delicious!! We have to use egg replacer and they came out great. We also added marshmallows and used real maple syrup.
Steven
why is cornstarch in there? with most cookies you don’t use them..
Sam
It makes these cookies nice and soft and chewy and keeps them that way, I use it in many of my recipes and definitely don’t recommend leaving it out.
Julie
Can I use tapioca starch instead of corn starch for allergy reasons?
Sam
Ah I’m not sure, I’m sorry! I am hoping someone who has experience with tapioca starch will chime in.
Sam
You can leave out the corn starch and add an extra Tablespoon or two of flour instead, though! It’s not the same but it will work!
Lynn
I’ve made these twice now and they are absolutely AMAZING!!!! This will forever be my go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for sharing 😁
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Thank you, Lynn!! 🙂
Tia
I am so trying these toxic cookies! Sam, you are an excellent writer!!! You have to get published 🙂 It is an absolute must.
Sam
Haha, thank you, Tia!! I hope you love the cookies!! 🙂
Susan
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Sam
32 large cookies