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.
Carly
Hi, very curious if this has a strong maple syrup flavor? I’m not sure that I would like that in a chocolate chip cookie. Thank you!
Sam
No one who taste-tested the cookies could tell that I had used maple syrup, I talk about it a bit in the post if that helps 🙂
sabina
hello
have you tried these cookies with something other than chocolate chips
like nuts ar white chocolate chips
Sam
Yup, you can substitute out the chocolate chips called for with an equal amount of nuts or white chocolate chips or a mix (up to 2 cups of add-ins total). I hope you love them!
Crystal
I made these cookies and they were tasty. The only thing was they didn’t seem as thick and fluffy as your did in the photos. I also noticed that my cookies cooked differently from one side of my cookie sheet to the other, making some of the cookies harder than the other depending on where they are on the cookie sheet. Any suggestions ?
Sam
Hi Crystal! It sounds like your oven may be baking unevenly, I would try rotating the pan halfway through baking. If they weren’t fluffy enough you can try adding another Tablespoon or two of flour to the dough when making them. I hope that helps!
Esmeralda
I made a batch of these today as a test run for an event I have to bake for and my family devoured them. They were delicious! I just have a question about freezing them so I could make them in advance. Do I have to thaw them out before baking or do I bake frozen?
Sam
So glad to hear they were such a hit! I would bake from frozen, they should be fine but may need an extra minute or two in the oven.
Taylor
I made these cookies and my family is in love with them. They taste amazing and they look amazing too! Thanks for the recipe!
Len
Hello Sam,
This recipe seems waaay more simple than my typical recipe. I dont have pancake syrup. I usally make my own while making pancakes; although, I do have corn syrup on hand. Can that be substitited for pancake syrup or maple syrup? Thanks!
Sam
I’m actually not sure about corn syrup, I haven’t tried it with this recipe exactly as written (though I have made them with honey if that helps, and while it gives them a mild honey flavor the recipe will work that way) so I’m really just not sure, I’m sorry! If you do try it out I hope you’ll let me know how it works for you Also, you make your own syrup? That’s very cool!
Tatiana
Made your cookies today and they are truly “the worst” can’t keep my kid away 🙂
Thank you! This is a keeper.
Sam
So glad to hear it!! 🙂
Lisa
Hi Sam just curios at the top of page it says bake time is 10 minutes but In your directions it says to bake for 13 how long should I bake these ?
Sam
Hi Lisa! Bake for 13 🙂
Rhi
These are my go to cookie! Best ever! You can use agave, maple sugar, honey, corn syrup, or fake store syrup. They end up perfect every single time. Thank you!
Sam
So glad to hear it that you enjoy them, Rhi!! 🙂
Aya
I would really love to try this! But just 2 questions:
1.) Does the butter need to be really cooled for 5 minutes or should it be room temperature?
2.) Do I need to really completely cool the cookies in the cookie sheet or can I cool them in the parchment paper in a cooling rack?
Sam
It should cool until it begins to approach room temperature again, you just don’t want the butter to be too hot or it will melt your sugars, but melting the butter is important.
If they’re cooked correctly they will be too soft/fragile to move from the cookie sheet until they’ve cooled for at least 10 minutes, so I’d let them cool for at least that long.
I hope you love the cookies!!
Kerri
Absolutely the best…err…worst chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have ever found! The whole batch was gone in 2 days. They are addictive!
myrel
hi sam can i prepare this recipe in advance and then keep in the refrigerator? bake it on the day i want to eat. thanks
Sam
Sorry I’m just now seeing your comment! Yes, you can make them in advance, the only thing is that as the dough sits it gets pretty firm and can be really hard to scoop, so either roll out the dough into balls in advance and chill the dough as already scooped balls, or let the dough sit at room temperature until it is soft enough to scoop again. I’d store the dough covered with cling wrap in the refrigerator, whether you scoop it or not. I hope that helps!
Nana
I used Log Cabin syrup. Really didn’t taste it in the cookie. Cookie was unremarkable for flavor. Texture was good. I’m going to try this recipe again and use real maple syrup and different chocolate chips.
Geetha
Hi, does the cornstrach need to be added in the recipe or can I substitute it with something else? Its the only ingredient I am missing.
Tristan
Ok, so I am always looking for amazing new ways to make chocolate chip cookies and I stumbled across this recipe. I was a little sceptical because of how highly you spoke of them… they couldn’t be THAT good…. but I have to say, I stand corrected. To be honest with you, I have only made the dough so far! Its currently cooling, but I snuck a taste and OH MY HEAVENS…. my knees nearly buckled underneath me. This is the best cookie batter of all time. I can’t wait to eat the actual cookie! LOL. Thank you for this recipe. Absolutely amazing.