The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

My apologies, it seems you've somehow stumbled upon the absolute worst chocolate chip cookie recipe. Turn back now or you'll end up like all the commenters on this post.

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 13

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 58

Servings large cookies

Calories 223kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

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

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.

Video

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