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.
Ayla Owens
Have you substituted the butter with coconut oil?
Sam
Hi, Ayla. I have not done this substitution, but it might work.
Susan Rue
I have tried it and it’s worked for me. It’s good.
Jazz
Hi! I read that line about you having a bottle of Aunt Jemima. Can I seriously use pancake syrup instead of real maple syrup? Thanks.
Sam
Yup! I’ve made it both ways plenty of times and pancake syrup works just fine. Enjoy! 🙂
monica chicoine
Can you use corn syrup instead of Maple Syrup
Sam
Hi, Monica. I would not recommend that substitution.
Gail
Can you add nuts to this recipe?
Sam
Hi, Gail! You can add nuts. I would probably cut back on the amount of chips you use as to not overload the dough. Stir them in at the same time you stir the chips in. 🙂
Gail
Thanks, Sam!
Tia
I have to bake a LOT of cookies by tomorrow (don’t you love when your husband tells you about things at the last minute?). Do you think I could make this recipe into cookie bars and just bake it in a jelly roll pan? I’ve made the recipe many, many times before, but I just don’t know if they’d hold together after they’ve been cut.
Sam
Hi, Tia! I haven’t tried it, I would be worried the edges would get crisp while the center doesn’t cook. That being said it might work. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Terry
hi, i was wonder about worst ccc bars myself.. did you try and could you share results please..thank you and happy holidays…
Nika
Made these for family and friends over the Thanksgiving break and everyone loved them; my friends even asked for the recipe – so I shared it with them on Pinterest. They are very addictive! I had to bake another batch the next day. Even the kids were asking for more of the cookies and commenting on how good they are. This is now my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and don’t plan on trying any others!
Sam
I am so glad you everybody enjoyed them, Nika! 🙂
Anna
I was so excited to see how these would turn out, and I was sadly disappointed 🙁 I don’t know where all these good reviews are coming from, I followed the directions and even used a scale to measure my dry ingredients. I’ve made many cookies before and found my go to recipe but I thought to try out this new one since it has really good reviews. My cookies, after chilling in the fridge far more than 30 minutes, were still very sticky. They are now cooled after baking and are a sloppy mess. The syrup leaves a tacky aftertaste, like some old candy. I’m sorry for this harsh review, I just want to be honest with how my cookies turned out
Sam
So disappointed to hear they didn’t turn out for you, Anna! 🙁
Lesa
These cookies are Amazing! When I found this recipe I knew they were going to be the beat! There is a bussiness downtown with a sign that saids the Worst Boiled Peanuts in town, but they are the best in the state. Love these cookies Great Job!! Hope you and your family has a Merry Christmas!
Sam
Thank you so much, Lesa! I am so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Nikki
Hi Sam, I am hopeless at cooking but plan to bake these for my staff as a Christmas thank you gift for all their hard work. I would like to make them ‘christmasy’, I have some Christmas themed cookie cutters, do I have to bake them in balls or can I use my cookie cutters?
Sam
Hi, Nikki. Unfortunately, they will not work with a cookie cutter. You could add some Christmas colored sprinkles. You would stir them in with the chocolate chips. 🙂
Alli Burnison
Hi! Do you think the dough could chill in the refrigerator overnight? It would be under 24 hours by the time I put them in the oven.
Sam
Hi, Alli! Chilling the dough over night would be just fine. Just keep it covered while it’s in the refrigerator so it doesn’t dry out. 🙂
Alli
Thanks girl! also sorry, I saw someone asked the same question earlier haha.
These cookies ROCK
Kimberly LeViness
Delicious! My husband and kids haven’t stopped eating them. I like how easy the recipe was. Thank you so much!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them! 🙂
Jennifer Lilley
Can you make these and let the batter stay in fridge over night to cook the next day?
Sam
Hi, Jennifer. Yes the dough will be fine in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to keep the dough covered to prevent it from drying out. 🙂
Lesa
What temp should the butter be before adding to the sugars? My second batch did not turn out!
Sam
Room temperature or close to it.
Logan
This is easily my go to recipe for cookies. Hands down my favorite, and my siblings’ favorite too!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys them, Logan! 🙂
Kim Walker
do you have to have corn starch or can you still bake them without it
Sam
Hi, Kim. If you leave the cornstarch out, the cookies won’t be as chewy and soft and you run the risk of the cookies spreading too much. It’s a pretty vital ingredient in this recipe.
Melissa
Can I use Grade B maple syrup? Thanks!:)
Sam
Hi, Melissa. Yes that should work just fine. 🙂