Finding the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
With so many chocolate chip cookie recipes online, how do you know which one to make? That’s where this article comes in.
April 5, 2020
Whether you are an amateur baker or a professional cook, chocolate chip cookies are a staple in every kitchen. Unfortunately, the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe is hard to find when hundreds dub themselves the “best chocolate chip cookie recipe.” The truth is, there can only be one. To find the true winner, I took the liberty of putting four of the most popular recipes to the test.
I had a panel of judges rate each cookie based on texture (chewy centers and crunchy edges), the ratio of chocolate chips to cookie, appearance, and overall flavor in order to find the best chocolate chip cookie. The judges were my family members, Julia, Jim, and Nancy Burkholder. As the chef, I also factored in an “ease to make” score.
AllRecipes: “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies”
When searching for a chocolate chip cookie recipe on Google, the first result is this five-star recipe, which promises “crisp edges” and “chewy middles.” This one-bowl recipe was the easiest to make out of the four, taking less than twenty minutes to prepare. However, this recipe received the worst scoring from the judges.
Three out of the four judges agreed that the appearance of the AllRecipes cookies was not appealing, giving them a 2.5/10.
“It looked like a lump from Piggly Wiggly,” says 7th grader Julia, “and it tasted like [the cookies] they have at theatre shows during intermission . . . You don’t understand the Shakespeare [play], and you just need something to munch on. It isn’t special, but it gets the job done.”
The majority of the judges complained that these cookies were bland and had a dissatisfying uniform texture rather than a chewy center and crunchy edges. They also had a burnt flavor on the bottom of the cookie and far too few chocolate chips.
“It was like they were being cheap—whoever was making that was being chintzy with the chips, and it was all bad dough,” says my dad, Jim.
The AllRecipes cookies earned an overall score of 5 stars out of 10, the lowest rating of all of the cookies.
“If you ate it alone without the others, it would probably be okay,” notes Nancy, my mom.
This proved to be true in the following days. As time went on and all of the cookies lost their crunch, AllRecipes wasn’t that bad. When put up against the other strong contenders, however, it fell flat.
Ease to make: 9/10 stars
Appearance: 2.5/10 stars
Texture: 2.5/10 stars
Chocolate chip to cookie ratio: 6/10 stars
Overall flavor: 5/10 stars
Overall Score: 5/10 stars
Dear Crissy: “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies”
The tagline of Dear Crissy’s recipe reads, “Looking for the best chocolate chip cookies EVER? You’re in the right place. These cookies are big, soft, chewy, and totally divine.” Dear Crissy’s recipe is the first result on Pinterest, with a large image of a cookie with the words, “Y’all… these are legit the best cookies ever. Period. End of story!!!” Crissy’s enthusiasm was encouraging, but unfortunately, her cookies were not quite as impressive as the others. Her recipe took the longest to make and used apple cider vinegar and sea salt, ingredients that are not likely staples in most homes. Chocolate chip cookies should be able to be made quickly, easily, and on a whim, and Dear Crissy’s cookies did not fit that mold, causing points to be docked on the “Ease to Make” score.
Dear Crissy’s scoring started off strong, earning second place with a score of 7.5/10 for overall flavor and second place for the appearance rating. The cookies’ score was significantly lowered during the following rounds, in which the texture and chocolate chip to cookie ratio was put into question. The chocolate chip to cookie ratio was where the scoring of Dear Crissy’s cookies went horribly downhill.
“That’s what ruined my cookie experience . . . I thought it was a delicious cookie at first because I only had one chocolate chip and a little bite of cookie, but my next bite was all chocolate chips . . . It was upsetting,” I said at the time. The other judges agreed and gave Dear Crissy’s cookies a losing score of 4.5/10 for the chocolate chip to cookie ratio, which was only that high because Judge Julia is a self-proclaimed chocolate fanatic and enjoyed having a cookie that was 100% chocolate chips.
The texture in the middle was very buttery, which the judges found less satisfying than a chewy center, and the edge gave only a light crunch. On its own, the texture would be fine, but against the other cookies, it was disappointing.
Dear Crissy’s “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies” ended with a score of 6 stars out of 10. Its promising flavor was overshadowed by its overwhelming amount of chocolate chips and average texture. In the following days, the cookie became chewier in the center, improving its texture, but the overload of chocolate chips remained.
Ease to make: 5/10 stars
Appearance: 6/10 stars
Texture: 6.5/10 stars
Chocolate chip to cookie ratio: 4.5/10 stars
Overall flavor: 7.5/10 stars
Overall score: 6/10 stars
Pinch of Yum: “The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Thousands of people have tried and positively reviewed these cookies on Pinterest, making it one of the most popular chocolate chip cookie recipes on Pinterest to date, and the judges saw why. This one-bowl recipe used melted butter, making it easier to make these cookies on impulse—no need to wait for the butter to soften. Additionally, the process of making these cookies was arguably more enjoyable because of the hands-on experience; Pinch of Yum’s recipe involves kneading the chocolate chips with your hands.
The rating of the cookies’ appearance was debated heavily, with Jim claiming that “the light color [of the cookies] was off-putting, it looked kind of like a raw fish,” and Nancy disagreeing altogether, saying that they were her favorite in appearance because “it looked like it was going to be kind of mushy, and I like that as opposed to flat and crispy.”
The cookies were a little “mushy,” with a soft center and a nice crunch on the edges. The cookie was not very chewy, but it did not have an overly wet, buttery center. Judges agreed that the cookies could have used a few more chocolate chips, but it didn’t take away from the overall flavor too much.
Arguments arose once again when it came to rating the overall flavor of Pinch of Yum’s cookies. The almost cake-like flavor appealed to some of the judges, while others disagreed completely.
The overall score for these cookies was 7 out of 10 stars, barely earning the second place spot.
Ease to make: 8.5/10 stars
Appearance: 7.5/10 stars
Texture: 7.5/10 stars
Chocolate chip to cookie ratio: 6/10 stars
Overall flavor: 6/10 stars
Overall score: 7/10 stars
Very Best Baking: “Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Isn’t it ironic that the best chocolate chip cookies don’t even have “best” in the name? This classic cookie took first place with its easy prep and delicious results. Tying for second place with its “Ease to Make” score, these cookies were quick to make and bake.
Judges agreed unanimously that these cookies had the best chocolate chip to cookie ratio and the best texture because of its crunchy edge and very chewy center. The appearance, however, was disappointing.
“It was oily, brown, and flat,” says Nancy, “I wasn’t expecting it to taste good.”
This underdog surprised the judges with its flavor despite its unattractive facade.
“It had the best overall mix of chocolate, dough, and a little bit of salt, along with some crispiness, making it a more complete cookie,” describes Nancy. Even though they earned a very low appearance score, they were able to win with their incredible ratings across the board. They may not be the best sellers at the bake sale, but they deserve to be.
Ease to make: 8.5/10 stars
Appearance: 3.5/10 stars
Texture: 9.5/10 stars
Chocolate chip to cookie ratio: 9/10 stars
Overall flavor: 9/10 stars
Overall score: 8/10 stars
