I Tried the Internet's Most Popular Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
When it comes to the internet deeming that a recipe is “the best,” I tend to side-eye those kinds of claims more often than not. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve tried some that actually live up to their promise, like this chocolate cake that boasts more than 5,000 five-star reviews. But sometimes, others fall seriously short.
My editor recently assigned me a project to try what the internet is calling the best chocolate chip cookie recipe (it has nearly 12,000 five-star reviews). So I gave it a try.
My ideal chocolate chip cookie has caramelized edges with a soft center; it should be bursting with rich buttery notes and dramatic flavors of chocolate. Keep in mind that even though I have years of baking experience, I purposely withheld all of that knowledge when trying out this one to judge if it really yields the “best chocolate chip cookies.” I wanted to see if I could succeed without any technical experience. Here’s how it went.
Get the recipe: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
How to Make the Most Popular Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe on the Internet
First, preheat your oven to 375°F. Next, line your baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Next, beat in the eggs — one at a time — and vanilla until it turns a light brown (about one minute).
Mix the creamed butter and sugar into the dry ingredients until combined. Add your chocolate chips and stir well.
Next, roll 2-tablespoon-sized dough balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheet. Bake the cookies in the oven for about eight to 10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn light brown.
Let the cookies sit on the baking pan for five minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
My Honest Review of the Most Popular Chocolate Chip Cookies on the Internet
Does this look like your typical chocolate chip cookie? Yes. Does it taste like one? Absolutely. Is the texture soft and chewy? Yup. From the first bite, this recipe hits all the marks of what you’d expect from a classic chocolate chip cookie.
As a food writer who’s probably sampled thousands of chocolate chip cookies, I found nothing particularly visceral about this recipe — especially if it’s supposed to be one of the best you can find on the internet.
While it has the classic chocolate chip cookie flavors, it lacks depth in both taste and texture. It didn’t impress me with rich buttery or melty chocolate notes. After a few bites, I started to lose interest because it didn’t have those caramelized edges or that slightly gooey center.
I’ll give this chocolate chip cookie tutorial brownie points for being quick and easy to make, but I prefer recipes that involve a bit more effort, like this one. Chilling the dough or browning the butter really enhances the overall flavor and brings out that extra depth I’m looking for. Sometimes the best cookies are the ones that require a labor of love.
Tips for Making the Most Popular Chocolate Chip Cookies on the Internet
Use brown butter. Brown the butter in this recipe, then let it cool and solidify in the fridge before using it. This step will give your cookies a rich, caramel-like flavor.
Add walnuts. There’s nothing more classic than tossing in a scoop of walnuts to your chocolate chip cookie dough to add that perfect crunchy texture to the final cookie.
Don’t overcook the cookies. Bake these cookies until they’re almost done (a tiny bit undercooked), then take them out of the oven to preserve their chewy texture.
Get the recipe: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
