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.
Tom
Looking forward to making these cookies this weekend for some therapy to help cope with quarantine! Any thoughts on reducing the recipe size (halving or even quartering) and/or freeze-ability of unused dough?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so excited for you to try this cookie recipe, Tom! You can divide or quarter the recipe if you choose. The cookie dough freezes well too. Enjoy! 🙂
Jhon
Hi I was wondering if I could substitute the maple syrup with something else or can I just leave it out?
Thanks.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi! You can omit the maple syrup however, it really enhances the flavor. Others have also substituted with honey and had success. Either way will work. Enjoy! 🙂
Joan
Loved these cookies! However, I’m wondering how I can make them a little less sweet and a little more “beefy.” In other words, a little less spread and more height with mounds of cookie between the chips. (Hard to describe!) I do live at 6500 feet. These did not spread flat. I just want a little more substance. Should I add more flour? Would I need to adjust anything else?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Joan! These cookies (reference images) should be thick and “beefy”. I do not have experience baking at high altitude so that could be playing a factor in your outcome. If the cookies are spreading your oven may also be running too hot, if you have not checked it for accuracy I would recommend doing so. If you’re measuring your flour correctly, allowing your cookie dough to chill, and using fresh ingredients you should be set. You may just need to find adjustments based on climate. I am hoping someone else who has used this recipe under those conditions will chime in. 🙂
Laura
Hi! When you say chill, you mean in the fridge? Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Laura! Yes, you will wrap the dough and store in the fridge to chill. Enjoy! 🙂
Pam E
My batter was so super thick to the point that it was really difficult to mix in the chocolate chips by hand. Not sure what went wrong here but I think I’ll use my stand mixer next time.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Pam! It is hard to say what exactly happened. It should be thick but not too thick you are unable to mix in chocolate chips. Once baked let me know how they taste. When you say thick, it makes me think too much flour may have been added. If the cookies are dry, this could be the issue. Overmeasuring flour is the most common mistake in baking so I have created a guide on how to measure flour that can be used as a reference for next time. 🙂
Dee
Haha! LOVE the dialogue on your blog post of the ‘worst’ chocolate chip cookies ever! Here’s my oxymoron of a comment… These are the BEST worst best chocolate chip cookies EVER! Ha! Excellent recipe! Delicious! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved the cookies and the dialogue, Dee! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Melissa
The worst chocolate chip cookies indeed! So amazingly delicious. The best chocolate chip cookies ever:) Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Melissa! I am glad you enjoyed the cookies. 🙂
Barbara
IMHO the maple syrup overpowers the rest of the flavor. I may try making them again and leave out the syrup.
Sam
Interesting, none of my taste testers could detect that it was there (including my family of “super tasters”). Did you use any more syrup than the recipe indicated?
Jen Smaridge
These are the BEST chocolate cookies and are the only recipe I make now. My husband LOVES them and agrees these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. They stay soft and chewy even when in storage which never happens with other recipes. Thanks so much for the recipe! I have made them at least a dozen times now in the last few months.
Sam
That is a lot of cookies! I’m so glad everyone enjoys them so much, Jen. 😊😊
Amy Samonte
I just made these and they are amazing!!! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Amy! 🙂
Molly
I just printed off your Worst Cookie Recipe and can’t wait to try them tomorrow! Do you feel that different cookie sheets make a difference in how the cookies turn out? I have a stone that I use most often for cookies, and also a couple of different baking sheets. My stone always seems to produce the best looking cookie. What are your thoughts? Looking forward to putting on my elastic pants tomorrow! Thanks!
Sam
Hi Molly! I haven’t ever tried using a stone. I have pans I favor, but if you typically have good luck with a stone I would stick to that. I hope you love the cookies! 🙂
Molly
Sam
Oh. My. Goodness.! These cookies are fabulous! I literally could not stop thinking about the dough chilling in the fridge as I cleaned up my kitchen! I gave some to our neighbors, friends down the road, sent some to my son and daughter-in-law in Mississippi, my in-laws and then of course, had plenty for us to eat. And I’m amazed at how they stay soft after a few days. We only have one left and I’m waiting on my son to eat it. He only has a small window, and then it is mine! Thank you for sharing your recipes and all of the work you put into it. I have been trying chocolate chip cookies recipes for a long time, and could never quite get them right. This is it!
And by the way, I used both a stone and aluminum baking sheet. There was not any difference in the look or taste of the cookies. The baking time was about a minute difference. Thanks again!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you loved them, Molly! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and sharing it with others. I appreciate your feedback so thanks for commenting. 🙂
Jolie H
I would risk it all for these cookies
Sam
🤣 I am so glad you enjoy the cookies so much! 🙂
Jenny
Last night I followed your pizza dough recipe and it was such a success, we had no leftover pizza. So naturally, when I read your cookie recipe and read how terrible it would be, I knew I had to try it. You were right! I was thankful I had all the ingredients already but SOMEONE in my house already got into the bag of chocolate chips so I improvised and chopped up a Godiva Easter bunny to add to the top of the cookies once I pulled them out of the oven. All I have to say is: thank goodness for pants with elastic waistbands! Thank you for not one, but TWO, stellar recipes.
Sam
🤣 Thank you so much Jenny! I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipes so far. 🙂
Neelum
Hi! What if I don’t have packed brown sugar on hand but have turbinado and granulated sugar? How can I substitute in your recipe accordingly?
Thanks,
Nina
Sam
I haven’t tried with the turbinado sugar. I would probably substitute an equal amount of granulated sugar. The cookies just won’t be as chewy. 🙂
Callie
Does it really matter if you have the eggs or any other ingredient at room temperature and also you keep giving us ways for them to be perfect aren’t these supposed to be the worst cookies? Not trying to be rude! P.S. I love your baking I am a huge fan!!
Sam
Hi Callie! The cookies will still turn out if everything isn’t at room temperature but for best results I recommend it. It helps the ingredients combine better and yields a better cookie dough.