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.
Jane
These cookies are by far the best and the cookie dough is to die for! I have a really hard time not eating it all. Lol.
Sam
I know how that goes, Jane! I am so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Cat
OMG.. These cookies are too die for.. hubby loved them.. he gave a few to friends and now I am making them on a regular basis for them.. I am an enabler.. lol..
Sam
😂 I am so glad everyone enjoys them so much! 🙂
Terri
I have made these cookies several times now and they are delicious! My new go to. I learned some little tricks that help me that I’ll share. First, for the melted butter – as stated, it is super important it is cooled so it doesn’t melt the sugar. I was having an issue with this so what I do now is cut the butter into tablespoons, melt 1/2 way (1 minute in my microwave), stir for another minute (the residual heat melts it the rest of the way), and then let it sit for 5 minutes. Second, the cookies are way better if the dough is all the way cold before baking but cold, hard dough is difficult to scoop. So, right after I make the dough I portion it out with a cookie scoop, put all the cookie blobs on a cookie tray, and then refrigerate that. The dough gets cold more quickly and you don’t have to work with hard dough. You can also place the sheet in the freezer and then when the blobs of dough are frozen, place them in a bag then you only have to pull out what you want to bake. Anyway, GREAT recipe.
Sam
Thank you for all of the feedback, Terri! I am so glad you enjoy the cookies. 🙂
grace
Hi! around how big will these cookies be once fully cooked? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Grace! It really depends on how big you roll the dough balls but probably close to 3ish inches in diameter.
Judy
I have made these cookies exactly as the recipe instructs several times and they are always unbelievably delicious. They are slightly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside and taste amazing. I will not use any other chocolate chip cookie recipe ever again.
Thank you, Sam!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Judy! 🙂
Veronica
I am out of light brown sugar, could I substitute it with granulated or organic sugar? BUT THESE LOOK SO GOOD.I cant wait to try them
Sam
Hi Veronica! You can, the cookies may be a bit less chewy but they should still turn out. Enjoy! 🙂
Vanessa
I am out of light brown sugar, could I substitute it with granulated or organic sugar?
Phyllis Elam
Hello Sam, I tried your worst chocolate chip cookie receipe and the cookies turned out perfect.. I took the cookies to work for our tailgate party and everyone loved them, they said the cookies were amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this!! Thank you for letting me know how they turned out, Phyllis!!
Carol
Oh….my…..god………these cookies are incredible! I was a little intimidated at first just because of the melted butter needing to be at the perfect temp as well as the eggs. My go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe is the original Toll House which is really good but I wanted to try something different. So I googled “the best chocolate chip cookies” and what I found was the “worst” chocolate chip cookies! Haha! I can’t believe that they came out just like they were suppose to! I’m not the greatest baker but this recipe is amazing.
Carol
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Carol! In my personal opinion these are way better than the tollhouse recipe. 🙂
Astrid
Hi Sam, it’s hard to find maple syrup or pancake syrup where I live here. Can I use honey instead? I’ve been craving for good chocolate chip cookies for a while and can’t wait to try making them using your recipe!
Sam
Hi Astrid! I’ve tried them with honey before, it works and they’re good but I does change the flavor. So long as you don’t mind the flavor of honey it will be fine 🙂 Enjoy!
Patricia Ann Wright
Hi Sam, I followed your instructions to a*T*. Everything turned out great with the cookies. My first recipe from you and I thank you. On to the next. With regards. PAW
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them Patricia! I hope you love all of the other recipes just as much. 🙂
Heidi
These cookies are evil. My pants suddenly shrunk as soon as I started baking and eating them. I may or may not have demolished an entire batch with the help of 2 kids in a day. Seriously addictive. I want to stop but I can’t. Is there a 12 step program for these?
Sam
Hmmm the only 12 step program I have found for these cookies looks like this:
1. Prepare Cookies
2. Bake Cookies
3. Eat Cookies
4. Prepare Cookies
5. Bake Cookies
6. Eat Cookies
7. Prepare Cookies
8.Bake Cookies
9. Eat Cookies
10. Prepare Cookies
11. Bake Cookies
12. Eat Cookies 🙂
Heidi
In all seriousness, I absolutely love your recipes. They’re so easy to follow and always come out great. You help with troubleshooting before there’s an actual problem, which is invaluable. I linked this recipe on my Facebook page because everyone wants my secret recipe 😉
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy everything, Heidi! Thank you for linking the recipe. 🙂
Stacy
I dont have pure maple syrup
Sam
Hi Stacy! You can use regular pancake syrup without an issue. 🙂
Mike
I’ve enjoy watching people eating them and gaining weight 😂
Jill
I have finally found the perfect chocolate chip cookie! This is going to be my recipe from now on. I can’t wait for my grandson to get old enough to eat a cookie because this is going to be his first one!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Jill! 🙂
Mindy
I’m making these for my family again today. We absolutely love them!! I love baking chocolate chip cookies, but I’ve had trouble in the past with the cookies spreading out too much. These were perfect! All of your extra hints and helps are greatly appreciated! I used all of them. Thanks for helping a novice baker!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Mindy! 🙂
Josette
Sam, these are so very good! You are correct in the fact you will ditch all the other recipes!!
Thank you for sharing, this is a keeper for sure.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them Josette! 🙂