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.
David in Virginia
Uh oh, I’m in trouble. I am not normally a baker but this recipe was easy to follow and I whipped up a batch after cycling class this morning. I will have to go to the afternoon class to pay for all the cookies I just ate.
These cookies are fantastic! Light, buttery (but not overly so), and fluffy. I left my first batch in about 2 minutes longer and they had a nice crispy base. I took the second batch out at the recommended time and they melted in my mouth. I made 3 dozen, 2.25 inch diameter cookies using a 1 tbsp scoop and still have 2.25 cups of dough left. The two types of chocolate chips make them interesting. I could envision adding walnuts next time. Maybe I’ll do that… after my next spin class.
Sam
Haha, I’m so glad to hear they were such a hit!!! 🙂 I told you these cookies are just the worst! 😉
Grant B
I found that pecans tasted better than walnuts
Da Mama
Sorry to be negative, but…unless you are a real fan of maple flavor, use clear Karo syrup instead. For chocolate chip aficionados, it is too strong a flavor and detracts from the cookie. I used real maple syrup and the maple overwhelmed the cookie. I’ll have to return to Mrs. Fields chocolate chip recipe.
Sam
Hmm, no one I shared them with could detect the maple, but everyone has different taste!
Lindsey
I’d much rather have all natural, grade A maple syrup than highly processed corn syrup. Maybe you used a cheap maple syrup? If you invest in a quality syrup than the flavor is far superior.
Sam
The choice is yours, they both work wonderfully! 🤗
Sam
Don’t get me wrong though, I LOVE a good quality maple syrup on my pancakes!
Jay
I’ve made these as written on many occasions. As written these cookies are fantastic!
MLynn
I just made 2 batches of these cookies last night with my grade A pure maple syrup and used just a bit more syrup than was called for in the recipe and no one, including myself was able to detect the maple syrup!
Sash
I have been looking for that perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe…and can confidently say I have found it. Thank you so much!
Sam
Yay! so happy to hear it! 🙂
Anjelica Gonzales
Just baked them and they are puffy cake like and nothing like the pictures 😫😫😫 I don’t know what I did that was wrong please shed some knowledge
Sam
Too much flour, try gently spooning it into the measuring cup and then leveling (don’t scoop the flour). I hope that helps!
Anjelica Gonzales
I just made these and my dough is a little runny might have either put too much butter or not enough flour plus I don’t remember if I put the baking soda 🤦🏻♀️😩
Will post my comment after I bake them to see if they are decent
Sam
OH, I think this is the problem then, sorry, I saw your other comment first! Yeah I would probably just try them again 🙂
Anjelica Gonzales
Can I use salted butter if I have none of the unsalted ?
Sam
Yes, just reduce the salt called for in the recipe to 1/2 tsp
Zahira
Hey! I was about to make cookies with this recipe.. and eventually i didn’t have any maple syrup. Is it okay if i did not use any maple syrup? If it’s not, what substitute i can use?
Sam
You can substitute regular pancake syrup or honey (though it does alter the taste), I don’t recommend leaving it out.
Shana
Made these tonight for my husband, he loved them best cookies I’ve ever made!
Sam
So glad to hear this! 🙂
Kimberly Johnson
These cookies are AMAZING!!! I made them pretty big (a good 3 Tbsp of dough) and cooked them for 13 minutes. Good suggestion about making the balls a little taller than they are wide. The cookies spread, but they were still thick enough to come out perfectly. They were crisp around the edges and soft in the middle, and loaded with chocolate chips. By far the best (or “worst”) cookie recipe I’ve ever made!
Sam
So glad to hear they were such a hit!! 🙂
Samantha
So I don’t usually comment on recipes that I find on the internet but I just HAD to once I tried these cookies! These are the BEST freakin cookies I have ever made/eaten! I used margarine instead of butter (because I didn’t have any butter on hand) and I only used a little tiny bit of extra salt. I let the melted margarine sit in the bowl for 15 minutes because I really didn’t want it to melt the sugars. I also stuck the bowl in the freezer instead of the fridge and also kept it in the freezer when the cookies were baking. Other than that I followed this recipe exactly and they’re amazing.
random fact: I was reading your about me and I saw that your name is Samantha and you were named after the Samantha from Bewitched, i find that awesome because so was I. My mom was obsessed with that show growing up and wanted to name her first born daughter after her. So I love that! 🙂
Fara J
Ok this recipe is magic. I did find that it needed a touch more vanilla and I broke my favorite spatula mixing in the chocolate chips… however totally worth it. This really is the “worst” since we haven’t even finished the batch yet and I am being asked when I will make them again.
Charity
I just made these for the first time this evening, I followed the directions exactly as stated, I am a little disappointed that they seem to be very thin and did not rise much. The first batch I put in for about 12 min, that was too long and cookies seem hard after cooling, second batch I only kept in for 10 min, they seem a little softer. I’ll have to see what my guests at Christmas think of them. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Sam
I hope everyone loves them! The biggest problem that people seem to have with these cookies is that they come out too flat or too thick, and that really comes down to the flour (though I am 100% convinced that the weather plays a role, too), if you have a kitchen scale that can really help 🙂
Mariah
I wish I read the comments 😣😔 I would have altered some things but the dough is chilling as I type this. I just hope they come out alright. I definitely would have paid more attention to the flour because I hate cakey cookies and I would have definitely reduced the amount of salt. I’ll be so sad because I used the rest of my chocolate chips on these 😭 we’ll see!
Sam
How did they turn out for you, Mariah? Why would you have reduced the salt — did you use salted butter?
Jennifer
These are the BEST chocolate chip cookies!!! Thank you for sharing!
Kat
So, so good! My son took one bite and said “can you make these again ?”
Sam
Haha, Happy to hear this!!! 🙂