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.
Brandi
Hi,
Can I use sugar free maple syrup? Will it change the taste?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Brandi! I haven’t tried it, but I think that it will be fine. Let me know how your chocolate chip cookies turn out. 🙂
Aimee
Hello and Happy Holidays,
Will the cookies still turn out good if I don’t use maple syrup? Thank you for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Aimee! I don’t recommend making without the maple syrup unfortunately.
Sarah
These look awesome ! I was wondering if there was any way to make the doah ahead?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sarah! Yes, you can. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two before baking. You can also roll the dough into cookie balls and store them in the freezer until you are ready to bake. I hope that this helps! Let me know how your cookies turn out. 🙂
Sarah
It is a big help, we have a cookie swap to do, and working full time, I need to have Something prepared ahead.
Your tips are awesome, and your video is the best! I hope you get your own tv show!
Sugar Spun Run
You are too kind, Sarah! Thank you so much for your feedback. I am so glad that you find the video and tips helpful. Happy Baking 🙂
Wendy
So I made these cookies & I introduced them to my kids as “The worst chocolate chip cookie”. I explained why. That supposedly they’re are so good that they’re bad that you’ll want more & more !! They both came back saying “They’re the worst cookie” Oh no why? Cause we want more !!!! Hehe Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
That is the best story! Thank you so much for sharing, Wendy! I am so glad that your kids really found them to be the “WORST.”
I hope that you enjoy this recipe for years to come. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Brittany Lynne
If I cut the ingredients in half to make a half batch .. will the cookies come out the same!?
Sam
Yup! Enjoy! 🙂
Ruby and Alizah
My daughter found this recipe and we whipped some up….we are both delighted 😀 thank you for giving the secret ingredient
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Ruby and Alizah! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. I can’t wait to hear what you bake next together! 🙂
Mary
Hi there, do I absolutely need the cornstarch or is there a substitute for it?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Mary! You can do without the cornstarch, however, it helps make it soft & chewy. I hope you enjoy the cookies. 🙂
Barb P.
Can I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar? If not, what difference will it make? I love your explanations of things. They make sense. Still learning new things after all my 72 years! Love your blog!!💞
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Barb! Yes, you can substitute the dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar called for. The cookies will be slightly darker in colour and will have a slightly more caramelly/toffee taste to them. I hope that you enjoy the chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Mark
My wife loves these cookies. As you say their the worst, you are correct. The worst part for me is she loves them so much I’m lucky if I get one.
Definitely a winner , the best ever !
Sugar Spun Run
I am laughing so hard at your comment, Mark! I can totally picture her hiding them (guilty here). Well, I am glad she enjoys them, sorry you don’t get the chance too. Thanks for commenting. I am so glad that they are loved. 🙂
Penny Schultz
Can I use self rising flour instead of all purpose flour? Would I not use the baking soda and the baking powder?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Penny! Unfortunately I don’t recommend it as self rising flour contains baking powder and salt, which means you would end up with too much baking powder and salt in this recipe and the cookies would not turn out as they’re supposed to. I hope that you enjoy the cookies! 🙂
Autumn
Theses are the cookies that my nephew request as part of his Christmas gift. So thank you for making his gift super simple for me 😂
Sugar Spun Run
I love it, Autumn. What a wonderful and sweet request. Thanks for sharing. I am so glad that he loves the chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Allison
This is a must try recipe for anyone who is on the fence. My kids and I made these tonight. They came out amazing! These will be my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you and your kids loved the cookies, Allison! Thanks so much for commenting. 🙂
Sue
Love, love these cookies. My only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use!! People are always requesting them.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Sue! I am so happy that they have become a favorite! 🙂
Sabina
I’ve been baking these cookies since I found your recipe last year and honestly it has become my holy grail. Everyone loves them, they are so chewy and delicious, and so so easy! I’ve used this cookies for gifts, bake sales for my senior year of high school, family reunions, parties, EVERYTHING and they are always a hit. thank you so much!
Sugar Spun Run
What an amazing comment, Sabina! Thank you so much. I am so glad that everyone has enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies! 🙂
Brian
I tried this recipe last year. 😈 My family and friends loved them. I switch up the chips with dark and milk chocolate. This has definitely ruined me for other cookies so thank you for this “worst ever” cookie.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys the cookies, Brian! 🙂