The WORST EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies


Are they the worst or are they the best chocolate chip cookies in existence? Either way, this easy, soft chocolate chip cookie recipe is insanely addictive. 
Recipe now includes a new step-by-step VIDEO and new tips in the NOTES section (below) to prevent your cookies from spreading too much or not spreading enough!
CourseCookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keywordbest cookies, easy chocolate chip cookies, perfect chocolate chip cookies, soft chocolate chip cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 32 large cookies
Calories 223kcal
AuthorSam Merritt

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter melted and then cooled for at least 5 minutes* (226g)
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed (300g)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (60ml)
  • 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (415g)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips I used half regular semisweet chips and half mini semisweet chips

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together melted butter and sugars.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until combined.
  3. Stir in vanilla extract and maple syrup.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stirring until completely combined.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips.
  7. Cover bowl with clear wrap and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes (chilling!? I told you, this recipe is the worst.)
  8. 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).
  9. Scoop about 2-2 1/2 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.
  10. Bake about 13 minutes (cookies will appear to be a bit underdone, but edges should be just beginning to turn golden brown).
  11. Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet. If desired, gently press a few chocolate chips on top of the hot cookies.
  12. 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

*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.
Why Did My Chocolate Chip Cookies Spread Too Much?
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.
Your oven temperature is incorrect. Make sure the oven is fully preheated and at the correct temperature before baking your cookies. Many ovens do not report their temperatures correctly and run hotter or colder than they indicate. I purchased two inexpensive oven thermometers that I keep in my oven to make sure the temperature is right.
Why Did My Chocolate Chip Cookies Not Spread In the Oven?
Did your cookies not spread at all? Did they stay in balls even after baking? This might be the reason:
Flour was over-measured. It's so easy to over-measure flour, especially when using cups rather than weight measurements. 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).
Your oven temperature could be incorrect. See above note, just as it can cause your cookies to spread too much, it can cause them to not spread enough!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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