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.
deannie
I have made these multiple times in the last year – great cookies. I was wondering if you have ever used browned butter?
Sam
I use browned butter in a bunch of my cookie recipes, but have not tried it with these, it may make the dough a little too dry without making other adjustments. 🙂
Desiree Matthes
Love this recipe! I have a nieghbor who is addicted to these cookies, but we recently learned she is type 2 diabetic. What can I substitute to make this a little more diabetic friendly? Thanks!
Sam
Hi, Desiree. Unfortunately I can’t give a good suggestion here as I am not very familiar with making desserts diabetic friendly. I am glad you enjoy them! 🙂
Nicole
OMG Sam!!! These are the worst and most DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! They taste even better the next day since they stay super soft and moist. I will definitely be making these cookies again like next week. LOL! I love this easy and delicious recipe and I can’t wait to try out your other recipes. Also, I’ve subscribed to your YouTube channel. I’m a fan for life. Thanks Sam!
Sam
Thank you so much, Nicole! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies! I am surprised that they made it to the next day though. 😉 I hope you love everything you try. 🙂
Emily
Amazing cookies!! I bake mine appearing slightly undone but they are too brown on the bottom. I also use a light colored pan. Any tips to avoid this?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi, Emily! It sounds like your oven temperature may be slightly higher than what it says it is. That would cause the bottoms to brown and the tops to not quite finish. Is this possible?
Emily
Thanks I will try them at 340
Amazing cookies!! I bake mine appearing slightly undone but they are too brown on the bottom. I also use a light colored pan. Any tips to avoid this?
Thank you!
Dee
I don’t have unsalted butter. Can I use regular butter or no.
Sam
Yes you can use salted butter, just cut the salt that the recipe calls for to 1/2 teaspoon. Enjoy!
Paola
Can you freeze half the dough or at least leave in fridge for a few days?
Sam
You can do either. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week if you cover it tightly. If you choose to freeze the dough make sure you scoop it into balls first then store in an airtight container.
Paola
Great, thank you! They turned out great!
Pau
Hi! I just made this. They are just out od the oven. They seem very fine! Can wait to taste them! Thanks for the recipe! I have a question, I save some of my cookie dough in the fridge, how much would it last in there before the dough gone bad. Thanks!
Sam
I hope you love them!
Keep the dough tightly covered and it will keep for a week. Enjoy!
Ken
The first time I made these, they were PERFECT! I’ve just made a batch (my 5th since the first one) tonight, and I don’t think it’s right either. I didn’t change anything I done the first time, but I can’t get them to come out right.
Sam
Hi Ken! I’m wondering if one of your ingredients might be bad? If you’re doing everything the same that would be my best guess. I’m not sure what went wrong with them (how did they turn out that seemed wrong?) or I might be able to better advise.
Ken
I bought everything new. The only thing is I’ve been keeping the baking soda in a ziplock bag since I opened it. The dough is nothing like the Firth’s batch. It’s more stiff. Instead of stirring it, it’s more like I’m folding it after I’ve added all the flour.
Sam
Interesting, are you weighing your flour or using measuring cups? And how are the cookies turning out when baked? It might be helpful to check out my troubleshooting notes below the recipe “Why did my chocolate chip cookies not spread”. I’m wondering it the flour could be accidentally over-measured.
Ken
I use measuring cups. The four batches after the first didn’t spread enough. They were too thick. The batch last night was kind of the same, so I flattened them more instead of doing the egg shape, and they turned out ok. Still nothing like the first batch though.
Sam
It sounds like too much flour, try stirring the flour then spooning it into your measuring cup then leveling it off, make sure you don’t pack in the flour. I hope that helps!
Kathryn
Mine tasted good, but after they cooled, they were super hard! Did I overmix or use too mush syrup or something?
Sam
Hi Kathryn! over-mixing shouldn’t be a problem and if you used the amount of syrup that the recipe called for you should be fine there, too. My best guess is that they were simply baked too long in the oven. For nice soft cookies you want them to appear ever so slightly underdone when you pull them out of the oven, then let them cool completely on the baking sheet. I hope that helps!
Stefanie R.
These cookies are STUPID good. I followed the recipe exactly as stated including the tips listed (microwaving butter in 10 second intervals, spooning flour into measuring cup etc..) and they came out perfect. Also used pancake syrup, next time I’ll try pure to see if it makes a difference (can’t imagine them tasting any better). Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Definitely my go to from now on. DELICIOUS!!
Sam
So happy to hear you enjoyed them!! Thank you for letting me know how they turned out for you, Stefanie!! <3
Tiffany
So my butter sugar combination looks NOTHING like yours at all. My butter was not hot when I combined it and it turned into a watery sugary mess anyways.
Sam
So the butter and sugar will be pretty liquidy when just those two ingredients are combined, did you watch the video (I’m guessing that’s what you are comparing it to)? If the butter wasn’t too warm then there shouldn’t be a problem unless there is something wrong with one of your ingredients.
Stephanie Williams
I don’t have cornstarch. Is it nessesary??
Sam
The cookies will be flatter and less chewy without the corn starch.
Katie
Love these! I have made these a few times and they are always a hit. Thanks!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Katie! 🙂
Kristi
I just made these cookies with my 2 year old and they turned out wonderfully perfect in looks, I hope just as well in taste. Just waiting for them to cool. I am excited to try one. Happy New Year!
Sam
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Bella
Does the batter freeze okay, as with other chocolate chip cookie doughs? (I might as well double the recipe and have some extra dough on hand frozen)
Sam
Hi, Bella! Yes I have frozen it with success. You should roll the dough out into balls and wrap each one individually in cling wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. 🙂