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.
Olivia
I found this recipe forever ago and its my go to for everything! I absolutley love it!
Just wondering if theres any way to add peanut butter to it to make peanut butter chocolate chip?
Sam
Hi Olivia! I am not sure how adding peanut butter to this recipe would go, but I do have a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie that is also really good! 🙂
Ruby
I’m a grandma who has just started baking, I know, so wrong. But I tried these cookies and I was so happy you added all the extra ideas, like spooning the flour and cooling the butter. I helped me undertand how to bake correctly. My grandkids and amazed and in heaven that I finally baked. Thanks so much!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Ruby! 🙂 It must be that grandmotherly touch. 😉
Jenn
What if I don’t have corn starch?
Sam
Hi Jenn! If you don’t have corn starch, just substitute with flour. 🙂
Angie
Do you think I could brown the butter in this recipe? I love this cookie but read that browned butter really takes cookies one step above. I wonder how it would taste in this recipe. What do you think?
Sam
Hi Angie! I think that would work just fine. 🙂
Amands
How can I adjust for high altitude?
Sam
I’m sorry Amanda, I am not very familiar with high altitude baking. 🙁
Leslie B
Hello, I had made this recipe with wonderful success before moving to high altitude and now live at 8,000 ft. Just tried it here for the first time, the modifications that worked for me are: scant measurements for both butter and sugar so the amounts are slightly reduced, add 1 tablespoon of additional flour for every cup, and increase the chill time! Hope that helps. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Sam
Thank you for your input, Leslie! 🙂
Alyson Pucci
I think these were the best-tasting WORST chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! Although they came out flat and completely breaking apart (I think I didn’t have quite enough flour. It was either that or the baking soda, because it definitely was older than 6 months) they tasted amazing and my family ageeed! You were right on the money about the maple syrup (nice touch!) and the cornstarch addition definitely makes for a softer cookie. I’ve baked your chocolate chip muffins with cornstarch and they came out perfectly soft and moist. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes but it’s really hard trying to stick to my diet with them. It’s the worst!! Thanks, Sam!💕
Sam
Hi Alyson! I am so glad you were still able to enjoy the cookies! The baking soda may have been an issue here. Another reason these cookies would spread like that would be that the butter was too hot when the sugars are added. That will cause the sugars to melt and give you flat, crispy cookies. I hope you can perfect it next time! 🙂
Emily
These cookies are truly AMAZING! Thank you for sharing your recipe! I love Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and wondered if you you have ever tried these with oats? If not do you have a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that you love? Thank you again!!
Sam
Hi Emily! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies so much! I actually have an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. I’d love to know how you like those as well. 🙂
John
Absolutely incredible cookies. Thank you so much for this recipe. Everybody I have given a cookie to it goes Gaga over it. I did find out that making a smaller size cooking really did reduce the baking time quite a bit. I’m new to this so I’m figuring things out. Once again thanks.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, John! 🙂
Elizabeth
I just made these and they turned out great. Beautiful to look at and amazing taste, too. I grew up on “real” maple syrup so that ingredient makes them extra special. I did sprinkle the cookies with a bit of sea salt as they are sweeter than the average chocolate chip cookie. This will be my go-to from now on. Thank you for sharing.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Elizabeth! 🙂
Hillary
I made these last night, and they are so good! I cut the size to 1 tablespoon because they were just gigantic, but they turned out amazing. In theory that means I should have more to share with others..in theory.
I’m a sucker for sweeter sweets, this hit all the good sugar receptors.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Hillary! 🙂
Kara
I’m surprised they turned into cookies 😉😂
These are so good as dough and actual cookies!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Kara! 🙂
Leah
Amazing! Best/worst cookies ever!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Leah! 🙂
Lisa
Everyone at my house loves these cookies! Personally, I find them to be too sweet, but I have a pretty low tolerance for sugar. My husband and seven children said this was the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I’ve made. I’m a fan of the melted butter, as it makes it so much easier. Thanks!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys them so much, Lisa! 🙂
Leslie-Ann Palzer
So, I made this recipe yesterday. Easy-peasy to do, especially when using a scale, which I do! I only made half of the batch “just to try”.
Apparently the two tablespoon-measurement for dough was too much and/or the 2 inches weren’t 2 inchy enough and I ended up with one huge cookie!
Also I kind of think, there should’ve been more flour in the dough, since I couldn’t have rolled any balls out of it. I just scooped it on the sheet.
But other than that, they taste really good. Mine where also rather flat and got a bit darker on the edge and crispy but today they were nice and soft.
I agree, that there’s a bit too much sugar in them. I’m a real sweet tooth but probably just so used to German treats, which then mostly could use more sugar, Haha!
Wish I could post a pic of the cookies 🤣
Thanks for sharing! And greetings from Neunkirchen, Germany!
Sam
Hi Leslie! My best guess here was the butter was too hot when you added your sugars. That will cause the sugar to melt and will cause most of these issues. I hope this helps. 🙂
Danielle
This is my go to cookie recipe. It really is the worst because I Never made chocolate chip cookies before finding these. Now we always have them in the cookie jar!
Sam
I don’t know how you keep that cookie jar stocked! Mine always goes empty right away! 😂 I am so glad you enjoy the cookies so much. 🙂
Julia
My life is forever ruined! These worst cookies are the best. BTW, I used real maple syrup and followed your directions exactly. It was nice not to have to use a mixer. Thank you for this perfect recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Julia! 🙂