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.
Melissa
These cookies are AMAZING!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you loved the Chocolate Chip Cookies, Melissa! Thank you for your comment. I hope that you try more of my recipes. 🙂
Adam Vondenbenken
Burned through every baking ingredient in the house making a second batch. I can’t stop eating the darn cookies. They will be the death of me. It just makes the perfect soft batch cookies. My stomach hurting from eating too many. Butter and sugar process is very important so get it right. Syrup / aunt jimima extra butter flavored is what you want. I tried corn syrup and is not as good as the stupid syrup. It just gives it a richer flavor and the cookies DO NOT taste like syrup.
I hope you all get a sick as I did.
Thank you sooo much for this recipe as I will recover soon and start experimenting with other things syrup related.
Sugar Spun Run
These Chocolate Chip Cookies really are the “WORST” I can never stop eating them either, Adam! I am so glad that you enjoyed them and hope that you recover soon. Enjoy and thanks for your comment. 🙂
KATHY
Any suggestions/adjustments for using King Arthur’s one 4 one gluten-free flour? I HAVE to try these ASAP!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Kathy! I am not an expert when it comes to baking gluten-free so I can’t give any personal recommendations. I know others have substituted using King Arther’s Flour before so maybe they can chime in here. Sorry that I can’t be more helpful. I hope that you enjoy the chocolate cookies. If you do try it, please let me know how they turn out. 🙂
Christa
I usually substitute glutenized flour with Costco‘s Perfect GF Flour blend. It works just fine 1:1.
can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks, Christa! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Patricia
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made or had. I will be making them offend . Thank you so much you are very talented on your baking.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Patricia! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Chocolate Chip Cookies. Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
Nancy Lea
Can I add chopped walnuts to this recipe? We are California walnut farmers — and I try to put walnuts in everything! We were out on the ranch with our dogs this afternoon – picking them up, cracking and eating them–
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Nancy! You can most definitely add walnuts to your batch of chocolate chip cookies. I hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
Susan
This is my go-to chocolate chip recipe! So thanks for that.
Quick question: At what temp and how long should I bake them from frozen?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Susan! Thank you so much. I am glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies! They usually only need an extra minute or two when baked from frozen (same temperature for the oven). Enjoy! 🙂
Ebonie
Brilliant cookie 🍪 recipe
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Ebonie! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Louise
These are amazing!!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Louise. I am glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Marilyn Bridon
Delicious cookies! Impossible to wait until they were completely cooled for the first sampling! This is one cookie recipe that will be well used if not memorized!! Thank you so much for posting!!
The other side of that coin though- I have a feeling these cookies will ruin my life. Soon I won’t fit into my clothes… The PTA at my kids’s school will only hound me to make these for bake sales… I will go to the poor house sending tins of these to my college bound friends and family…
Sam
I warned you, they are the WORST 🤣
Thank you so much for letting me know how you enjoyed them, Marilyn, I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend 🙂
Emily
These chocolate chip cookies are SO delicious and hard to eat just one. I also made ice cream sandwiches with them and equally delicious! Thanks for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Emily! I am glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. I love the idea of turning them into an ice cream sandwich too! 🙂
April
Hello!
What brand of syrup did you use?
Thanks 😊
Sam
I’ll either use real pure maple syrup or Aunt Jemima brand 🙂
Rick
These cookies are ridiculous. I skip the corn starch and they are still absurdly good. They should be outlawed. They likely already have been in distant provinces and galaxies. Bake, eat, feel the burn of addiction
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Rick! I’m glad that you find the chocolate chip cookies out of this world. They really are the “WORST” right? So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Nancy
Can these be made on 10 × 15 jelly roll pan, as cookie bars?
Victoria
Super good
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Victoria! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Deanne
The worst 😭most delicious addictive choc chip cookies ever 🙏quality chocolate is a must for me I might add , callabaut buttons sooo good , thanks for the recipe , love These 😜😋😋😋😋
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Deanne! They really are the WORST Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever! I am so glad that you enjoyed them. 😜
David
Hi,
Ive tried many recipes for cookies and this is by far the best. I followed your video to a tee. The only thing I do differently is I use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment. Loved the tip about making sure all the ingredients are room temperature, they incorporate much more smoothly now.
Thanks for sharing,
David
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, David! I’m glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for commenting. 🙂