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.
Terri
These cookies are amazing!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, Terri! 🙂
Clarissa
i have a question Do I need to use maple syrup?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Clarissa! You do not need to, however, it really magnifies the flavor. The cookies do not taste like syrup if that helps. 🙂
Justin
You were so right about these cookies ruining your life!!! My wife cant stop eating them and the kids too! Probably the most chewy decadent amazing cookies ive have ever sunk my teeth into! this is the first comment ive ever left on a recipe! Hats off to you and thank you a million for sharing it with us : ) Im going to get another cookie now bye!!!!!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so very much, Justin, for your amazing comment and 5-star review. I am so glad that your family enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. Thank you for commenting! Happy Baking! 🙂
Lourdes Sharp
These are amazing and a household favorite
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Lourdes! I am so happy to hear that the chocolate chip cookies were a hit! 🙂
Christie Brown
Did make these and got lots of compliments. I found the milk chocolate made it a bit to sweet for my tastes, although I know that is personal preference. I was pleased with how the cookie itself turned out, and am always thankful when a recipe ACTUALLY turns out as promised. Will be coming back to this often as I think it would adapt really well to other mix-ins.
Have you tried browning the butter instead of melting it? I usually do that for recipes that call for melted. I followed this recipe as-is since it was the first time, but the next batch will have browned butter.
Lisa
Just wanted to thank you for the warning but I didn’t listen!! Here I am back 2 weeks later to make them again!! The BEST cookies ever, and I am a cookie expert!!
Sam
Haha, I warned you they are DANGEROUS! 😂
Anna
I’ve been trying for a while now to find a really great chocolate chip cookie recipe. Instead, I found this, and I’m happy to say I’ve finally found a chocolate chip cookie recipe to add to my recipe box. The response from my step son: “I took a cookie. It was really good. Really, really, really, really good. I had to agree. Usually I tweak the recipes I use a little, but I decided to follow yours without changing anything…. Almost. I did use salted butter (but that’s because I refuse to buy unsalted butter, even for baking lol.) So yeah… Considering up until yesterday I was following my diet by the book, these really, really good cookies really are the worst 😀 Thanks for the great recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, Anna! I am so happy to hear that you were finally able to find a recipe to include in your recipe box. Thank you so much for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Heather de Beurs
Hello Sam,
I live in the Netherlands and maple syrup is quite pricey and harder to come by. Can I leave it our? Or is there a substitute? I the majority of the reason for putting it in flavor? Or is there a texture reason as well?
Sam
Hi Heather! Do you have pancake syrup? I would recommend using that. It adds to both the flavor and texture so I don’t recommend leaving it out.
Heather
Thanks for the info! How about corn syrup?
Sugar Spun Run
That should be fine, Heather. Someone recently substituted the maple syrup with light corn syrup and the cookies turned out well for her. I have not tried it myself, but hope that it works well for you too. 🙂
Georgia Dillenburg
Hi! I made these earlier in the week and they were wonderful. This time, though I have to leave the batter in the fridge a bit longer. Would it be better to leave in the fridge for a few days or is it okay to freeze? I just don’t want the eggs in it to go bad and ruin such a good (bad?) cookie
Sam
Hi Georgia! The dough will be perfectly fine in the refrigerator for a few days. It may need to sit out at room temperature for a few minutes before you are able to scoop and roll the cookies. 🙂
Christine HB
I hardly ever comment on recipes, almost never — but these cookies screwed me up! In search of the perfect CCC we have made 12+ different recipes. Something about these cookies…I cannot get them out of my head. We ate 1/2 the dough (yes I know you aren’t supposed to do that, I don’t care), we baked the rest. Mom if you read this I love your cookies but I also love these for very different reasons. These are super, super close to the ultimate chocolate cookie for us, maybe including a few of my mom tricks too and these really will be our end-all-be-all CCC. Thank you for this recipe! My mind is all happy jumbled but it might be because I am currently only fueled by cookies.
Sugar Spun Run
Your comment made my day, Christine! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, including the cookie dough. lol. Thank you so much for taking a moment to leave a comment, I appreciate it! 🙂
Jeng
Hello Sam! First time I’ve tried it turned out so amazing! My boyfriend and daughter gone nuts they kept saying it’s yummy in every bite! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Jeng! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Cynthia
I made these cookies with gluten free flour and they turned out really good! I used Bob Red Mill’s gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour and followed the recipe exactly as is (used real maple syrup). If you can’t have regular white flour, the GF version is just as good, IMHO. Thanks for the recipe! -Cynthia
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, Cynthia, and that the gluten-free flour worked so well. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Carmen
If I use less sugar, do I need to cut down on the flour too?
Sam
Hi Carmen! I don’t recommend using less sugar, but you could probably cut some sugar without reducing the flour.
Sasha
These are amazing!! It made 36 perfect cookies. I will never use another chocolate chip recipe!! Here is my current dilemma… I am making a birthday treat for my sons class and one of the kids has a dairy allergy. Can I sub the butter out with anything or should I just make a completely different treat??
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sasha! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies and I hope that your son’s class does as well. As for your dilemma, I would want the kid to also have a chocolate chip cookie so he/she doesn’t feel excluded. I have not made these or substituted butter for anything, however, I know applesauce is a common substitute. If you try it, let me know how it works out. Good Luck! I hope your son has a wonderful birthday. 🙂
Sasha
So… it attempted to make these changing the butter out for peanut butter and coconut oil (on a day that was not my son’s birthday to be safe!! 🙂 )… and they did not hold a candle to the original recipe… or to other butter free peanut butter cookies out there. Ultimately, my family has decided sometime you just don’t mess with perfection!! We will continue to make these perfect “worst” cookies according to your recipe with no substitutions!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy that your family has enjoyed the recipe, Sasha! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Patrice
Hi Sam, should I use pure maple syrup or what I call the fake kind–mostly sugar. I only have 100% in my fridge. Thank you , can’t wait to try these and tell friends and family they are the worst, lol!
Sugar Spun Run
I can’t wait for you to try my chocolate chip cookies, Patrice! Let me know how they turn out. 🙂