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.
Rachel Omadto
i don’t have baking soda, what will i do
Sam
Oh no! I generally do not recommend this with cookies, but since now is not a great time to be making trips to the grocery store, I would try them without the baking soda or double up on the baking powder. They will probably not spread as much and you may need to flatten the dough a bit so the cookies don’t stay in balls. Will you let me know how they turn out for you if you try this?
Heather
About to make with my daughter and I only have salted butter. We have already run out of unsalted. Can I substitute salted for unsalted and delete the salt?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Heather! Yes, salted butter will be fine, you just want to omit the additional salt listed. I hope that you and your daughter have fun making these together. 🙂
Heather
To answer my own question, I don’t know what they taste like with unsalted butter, but they tasted amazing!!! I agree the secret ingredient helps the texture! I made the big Ice cream scoop cookie and my family LOVES them!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad your family enjoyed them, Heather! A warm cookie, paired with a scoop of icecream— Amazing! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Nancy Awabdy
I cannot begin to tell you how much I LOVED this recipe!!!! I’ve made chocolate chip cookies my entire life… tried every kind of recipe imaginable. But NONE compares to this one. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the cute video. ;>)
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you now have a go-to favorite cookie recipe, Nancy. Thank you so much for commenting. I am really happy that you loved them! 🙂
Alba
I’m out of cornstarch. Will it be detrimental to leave it out?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Alba! You can leave the cornstarch out, however, the cookies won’t be as soft. No worries though, they will still taste delicious. Enjoy! 🙂
Stacey Estornel
Hi Sam, thank you for sharing your amazing recipes! This is the Best cookie recipe and clearly the Worst lol!! Our family’s favorite, thank you! I have followed the recipe and they are simply delicious. I have also used it as a base and have added oats, walnuts and coconut and it’s still perfect.
Best regards from Gran Canaria! Hope you are all safe and healthy.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Stacy! I am so glad to hear how much your family has enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Wendy Doucette
Absolutely delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Wendy! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Hannah
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It has ruined my life lol. I have tried other recipes that claim to be the best but this one defn takes the cake. As written, it makes quite a few cookies so if you want to save some for another time (which could be a challenge considering how good these are), the dough freezes well wrapped in plastic wrap.
Sugar Spun Run
I am glad that you too have a love/hate relationship with this cookie recipe, Hannah! I am so glad that the recipe has become a favorite. 🙂
Sarah
Would substituting butter for margarine make a big difference to how these turn out? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sarah! I have never personally used margarine for this recipe, however, others have and reported success. I hope that they turn out well for you too. Happy Baking! 🙂
Nancy Rivera
I’m stuck at home and I have every ingredient to make this recipe but lacking brown sugar, can I use anything else?
Sam
You can substitute the brown sugar for more white sugar 🙂
PJ
Oh my heavens! These are the BEST! I am so glad to have found your recipe and will now throw away all my other chocolate chip recipes! I live on Long Island, NY in the midst of the virus. My daughter is an Intensive Care RN caring for patients…she asked for chocolate chip cookies and your recipe will be her comfort treat after 4 15 hour shifts this week. I will be trying the recipe with Gluten free flour for my son later this week. I’m sure the neighbors will wonder what I am sharing with the kids who are doing drive by goody pick ups!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, PJ! I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies. I hope that the cookies brighten your daughter’s day and bring her some comfort during this difficult time. Please thank for her service on my behalf. The world is truly grateful to have such an amazing team of nurses and doctors at this time. Thank you for sharing your baked goods with the people on the front line of this right now. So kind of you. As for gluten-free flour, others have used 1:1 with success. I hope that it works for you as well. Enjoy! And thank you for commenting. 🙂
Alex
Absolutely delicious so chewy and soft! I substituted honey instead of maple syrup and this is definitely my new go to cookie recipe now!
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Alex. I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies and now have found a new favorite cookie recipe. Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Alisse Ellis
These are absolutely AMAZING!! Also, could you freeze any unused dough?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Alisse! Yes, you can freeze the leftover cookie dough and bake them later. I recommend rolling them into balls prior to freezing it. Enjoy! 🙂
Jaime
These cookies are seriously next level stuff! I’ve
made three batches this week to share with family and friends. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
What a wonderful compliment to receive, Jaime, Thank you! I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and I hope that your friends & family loved the cookies too! 🙂
Aria
I have Made these cookies like 4 or 6 times ando they’re always a hit! Thanks for the recipe, it’s my go todo Know!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved these cookies, Aria! Thanks for commenting and for trying my recipe! 🙂
Agnes
Can you freeze this dough, then thaw it out in the refrigerator before using? Also, how long will the freshly made dough the keep in the refrigerator?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Agnes! The cookie dough can be refrigerated, well-wrapped, up to three before baking. Any remaining cookie dough can be frozen. I recommend that you shape the dough and wrap it in wax paper and transfer to a plastic freezer bag. 🙂