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.
Kendra
I absolutely LOVE these cookies! They are a family favorite in this house, even beating our old family recipe! However, I really want to make them with peanut butter. Any idea how to do this? Thank you!!!
Sam
Hi Kendra! I’m so glad you enjoy the cookies! I have an awesome peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe you could check out. 🙂
Julia
These cookies are amazing! I need to make lots of them for thanksgiving. Would doubling the recipe affect anything or would it be okay? I know some recipes don’t call for the amounts to be doubled so I just want to make sure!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Julia! Yes, this recipe will be fine doubled. I hope everyone enjoys the chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Isabel
I made cookie dough today using a different recipe can I modify it with your ingredients or will that not work ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Isabel! I am not certain nor am I familiar with the recipe that you are trying to alter, therefore, I can’t recommend it.
Emily
This is my go to recipe! I have tried so many recipes to find “the one” and I found this a year ago and I love it!! My mom tried so hard to replicate it because she loved it and I told her I couldn’t share it😂 because I wanted to be the one with the best cookies! Don’t worry I ended up sharing it with her. Lol
Thanks so much for sharing it so I could make yummy cookies too!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoy the chocolate chip cookie recipe, Emily! AND Thank you for sharing it with your mom. lol. 🙂
Jessie
This is the BEST (I meant worst) chocolate chip cookie recipe!!! I have made this recipe multiple times and everyone always raves about them! It also makes delicious sugar cookies if you leave the chocolate chips out for those who don’t love chocolate. Thank you for this recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone hated (I mean loved) the cookies, Jessie! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Melissa
I know it says you don’t need a KitchenAid mixer but does it cause any problems if you do use one? Does it effect the texture? Just mixed my first batch by hand and it’s chilling now!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Melissa! Nope, you should be fine! Let me know how your chocolate chip cookies turn out! 🙂
Sandy
Hello Sam, I have a question. I am an older handicapped woman, and I make cookies into bar cookies b/c I can’t stand long enough to make drop cookies. Can I make these spread out in a pan, into bar cookies? Have you tried it, and how do I alter to recipe to make it? Thanks for your help. 😀
Betsy
I’ve done it before and they turn out great! You may just need to add a bit more flour and alter the temp. on your oven a bit, mine runs low. 🙂
Tiah
These are perfect, I mean horrible, and I’m making them for everyone I know for the holidays 💗 Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
The WORST Cookie ever, right?!!! lol. I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Tiah! I hope others will too, that is if you share. 🙂
krysta Wolfangel
It is a chocolate chip cookie. If I had not made dozens of recipes before it, I might be smitten with this recipe. The cookie is chewy and sweet and chocolate-y. Maybe it needs more salt? I do not taste the maple in the cooked cookie, but it is obvious in the raw dough. I made the recipe twice. The second time I added more salt but the flavor was just plain old chewy chocolate chip. I know a lot of people who would LOVE this cookie but it is not for me.
The cookie is too sweet (did i just say that?). I now have a container of maple syrup … Experiment away I suppose
Scott
Oh how mean you are, these cookies are the worst. I tried the recipe for the first time yesterday and you’re absolutely right, instant addiction to these things. They’re so good that you’ll pretty much forget everything else…haha. Perfect.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Scott! They are the WORST for a reason… I can never stop eating them myself! So glad that you enjoyed them. 🙂
Scott
Yes I really did, thanks. Also, it’s really hard to share them with others, hahaha. It’s also fun to send others the recipe, when they read the “worst” ever cookies it confuses them😂😂
Sugar Spun Run
I really don’t like to share them myself. lol. Thanks for sharing the recipe and again for the 5-star review. 🙂
Chayenne
Maple syrup???? Nope. Nope. Nope.
Heidi C
I’m so glad I tried this recipe! Not only was it fun, but these cookies are the best I’ve baked thus far. My family loved them so much I owed you the respect to post a comment. I appreciate that you provided the ingredient amounts for the scale. Measuring by weight has been a game changer for my baking! I look forward to trying some of your other recipes! Thanks for sharing 💚
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for your comment and 5-star review, Heidi! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Carrie
Can I use milk chocolate chips and peanut butter?
Sam
Hi Carrie! You can definitely use milk chocolate chips. Do you mean peanut butter chips or actual peanut butter? I haven’t tested this recipe with adding peanut butter so I’m not sure how that would work. However, I do have a really good peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe you could try instead.
KMusic
Hello, Can I substitude the maple syrup with corn syrup and if yes in what portion or better grams? Thanks!!!
Sam
The taste will be affected but yes you can, substitute 1:1.
KMusic
Okay, But the texture will be the same? May you have an alternative recipe for choc chip cookies with corn syrup tested?
Sam
It’s similar but not identical. I tested this recipe with corn syrup and didn’t love it, at least not compared to this version with maple syrup. I don’t have another chocolate chip cookie recipe on the blog that uses corn syrup :-/
Cbristina
I thought you’d have more comments by now, wow! I made these cookies a few weeks ago, and am making them again, they are my family’s new favorite! My in laws came over and had some and proclaimed them to be perfect! 😆 You are a genius, the maple syrup adds just the right aftertaste! I’m being selfish and calling this my secret recipe (not taking credit for it whatsoever! Just not sharing it with all my church friends! 😂), because they are so darn good! But, I have been pointing several friends in your blog’s general direction, because I know you have such delicious recipes. I also made your pumpkin bars last week and those were a hit as well. Thanks for all the deliciousness!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for your comment, Christina! I am so glad that the cookies were such a hit! I hope everyone enjoys this next batch. Happy Baking. 🙂
Pinky
Hi Sam! This recipe is the best! I tried this so many times And very thankful to you. More power & God bless you
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Pinky! I am so happy that you have enjoyed my recipes, especially my chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Nicole Charboneau
This is my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Taste delicious and have the perfect bake!
Sam
Yay! So happy to hear the recipe was such a hit for you, Nicole! Thank you for commenting, I appreciate it 🙂