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.
Lauren E
Welp, these were definitely the worst! And now the worst are in high demand. Thank you for sharing, Sam!
Sugar Spun Run
Your comment made my day, Lauren! I am happy to hear that the cookies are now in high demand. Thanks for commenting, I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Tamara
Hi there,
Can i use dark brown sugar instead of light?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Tamara! Yes, you can! The cookies will just be richer in flavor and have a slight toffee-like taste. 🙂
Hadassah McDonald
Well these are the BEST cookies EVER. Could I use this recipe to make a cookie cake/pizza? What changes would you make?
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Hadassah! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I have not used this recipe to make a cookie pizza but I do have a recipe for dessert pizza and cookie cake that you may want to try next. 🙂
Lauren E
Hey Sam, how long does the dough keep in the fridge?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lauren! If stored in an airtight container, the cookie dough will last about 1 week in the fridge. 🙂
Alice
I tried these just for the name! (That and the fact that my son LOVES chocolate chip cookies). I loved how they turned out-not too runny but still soft & chewy. I will definitely be making these again! Thank you for sharing!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, Alice! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. 🙂
Eliza
I’ve been making these cookies for years! I love them and they always turn out wonderfully! However, I’m now living in a country that doesn’t have maple syrup(the horror!!). Do you have any recommendations for substitutes for the maple syrup and if I do just leave it out does it affect the measurements of anything else in the recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Eliza! Is pancake syrup available? If you are unable to get maple syrup or pancake syrup in the country you live 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. 🙂
Christine
Made these cookies yesterday delicious my husband loves them ty
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the chocolate chip cookies were such a hit with your husband, Christine! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Carol S O'Neill
By far the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipeI have ever made and I’ve made many different ones. Followed the recipe exactly. I even measured the raw. dough so all cookies would be the same size (37 grams). I can finally stop looking for a rescipe for these cookies. Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed them, Carol! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Bree
Can you substitute the maple syrup?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Bree! You can omit the maple syrup, however, it really makes the flavors in this cookie come to life. 🙂
Megan
I made these yesterday and subbed dairy free butter and Just Egg (egg substitute) to make them vegan. They were fantastic!! Definitely the best vegan cookie I’ve ever made, probably the best cookie I’ve ever made in general. Thank you for including weight measurements – it makes these even easier to make! I sprinkled a little sea salt on top right after they came out of the oven. So good!
Half of the dough is currently in the fridge because by the time we let two batches cool on the pan (I only have one sheet pan), we were full of cookies and it felt dangerous to keep making more. Haha. I’m hoping the dough will last in the fridge for a few days so we can make more throughout the week. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, Megan, and that you were able to adjust the recipe to be vegan-friendly. 🙂
Jgarcia
Sorry to bother you. But is the dough supposed to taste like sugar cookie dough?
Sugar Spun Run
The dough will have sugar taste, but once baked it should not be as “gritty.” I hope that helps. 🙂
Jill Gilley
Can you scoop this dough out and then chill the balls for at least 30 minutes. Better yet, can you freeze then bake off a few at a time skipping the first chilling if you freeze?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jill! Yes, you can freeze them and then bake as you would like. Keep in mind that the frozen dough might take a little longer to bake. 🙂
Kate
Best Cookies ever!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, Kate! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Toni Flenniken
Oh my this cookie truly changed my life. My family will never go back to a regular chocolate chip cookie again. It is really helpful to view the video as well to see how to shape the cookies, which came out perfect! And I learned about what corn starch can do for baked goods, which is that it makes them irresistibly gooey no matter when they are consumed. The dough on it’s own should be marketed as an eat while raw decadent desert. Don’t know if I should be thanking you or not because these are so good eating just one is impossible.
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy so happy that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, Toni! When I make these myself, I can never just have one… before I know it… I find myself making another batch. lol. Thanks for commenting. I can’t wait to hear what recipe you try next! 🙂
Terry Joe
Best cookies ever, you’re right they wanted more, but I made them wait.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the chocolate chip cookies were such a hit, Terry! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Emily
These are the ABSOLUTE BEST chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! Rave reviews from everyone who has tried them – I’ll never use any other chocolate chip recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Emily! I am so happy to hear how much you loved the cookies. I hope that you enjoy this recipe for years to come. 🙂