Not all chocolate chip cookies are created equal.
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Hello world, I'm Jesse and I love to bake. I do it almost every weekend!
And if there's one thing I take seriously, it's cookies. I mean, I have a stash of dough balls ready to go in my freezer at all times. I don't joke around!
So, in an attempt to find the absolute best chocolate chip cookie recipe, I decided to test five popular recipes:
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This was my lineup:
1. Martha Stewart: Because Martha is known for making flawless versions of beloved classics, and her recipe seemed like the perfect thing to kick this recipe test off.
2. Snoop Dogg: Because Snoop calls his cookies the "Rolls Royce" peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies, so I had high hopes that these would be good. (Also, it's Snoop Dogg. Why wouldn't I test his recipe?)
3. Kourtney Kardashian: Because her kookies™ are made with all kinds of crazy ingredients like palm sugar, pumpkin, and coconut oil — but no eggs or dairy — so I wanted to see if they would actually taste good.
4. Michelle Obama: Because her recipe (originally developed by Sasha and Malia's godmother) uses three different types of chocolate — including mint chocolate chips — to make the cookies, so I was curious to see if they would be overwhelming.
5. Dwayne ~The Rock~ Johnson: Because I found his recipe in an old WWF cookbook (yes, that's a thing) and knew I had to make it. I mean, who knew The Rock had a cookie recipe?
Here are their methods and how they stacked up:
First up was Martha Stewart's classic cookie recipe. She starts by whisking all of her dry ingredients together.
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Just the usuals: Flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Next, cream butter with brown sugar and white sugar until fluffy — then add eggs and vanilla extract.
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Add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and beat until combined — then add chocolate chips. Scoop the dough into balls and bake until golden around the edges.
So, is this the ultimate classic cookie recipe?
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It might just be! The outside was crispy while the inside stayed chewy and moist — exactly how I like my cookies. There was a ton of chocolate in these cookies, almost more chocolate than actual cookie dough. Some people thought that the inside was a bit too gooey for their liking, but I loved it. This recipe was classic, comforting, and everything I wanted in a chocolate chip cookie.
Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪
Next up was Snoop Dogg with his "Rolls Royce" peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe. He starts by mixing his dry ingredients together in a bowl and setting them aside.
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In another bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add eggs and vanilla extract, stir in your dry ingredients and chocolate chips, and portion into balls.
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Bake the dough balls until golden and you're done. ✓
So, are Snoop's cookies worthy of the Rolls Royce title?
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Eh, not really. The cookies were fine — but certainly not Rolls Royce status. They tasted like a cross between a peanut butter cookie and a chocolate chip cookie, but in a pretty underwhelming way. If I were drunk I would totally demolish these cookies, but the truth is that they were just 100% FINE. If you told me these came out of a package, I would believe you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Rating: 🍪🍪🍪
Then came Kourtney Kardashian's egg- and dairy-free kookies™. She starts by mixing melted coconut oil, palm sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin purée in a bowl until smooth.
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In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients (including cinnamon and nutmeg for a pop of flavor).
Add your dry ingredients to your wet, and stir until combined.
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Fold in your chocolate chips, roll into little balls, and bake.
So, are Kourtney's vegan kookies™ any good?
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NOPE. NOT AT ALL. I could tell from the moment I started making these that they wouldn't work. I appreciate the fact that they're trying to be a bit healthier than your typical chocolate chip cookie, but the recipe just didn't work. They looked like dried up falafel or fake meatballs, and they didn't taste much better, either. They were dry, crumbly, and had a strange bitter flavor that was not pleasing. I honestly don't have enough words to describe how bad these cookies were.
Rating: These cookies don't deserve a rating.
Next up was my first lady, Michelle Obama. (Well technically it's her daughter's godmother's recipe, but it's her favorite!)
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She starts by combining her dry ingredients in one bowl, and creaming butter, shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla in another.
Add eggs to the creamed butter mixture, then beat in your dry ingredients.
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Stir in walnuts, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, and mint chocolate chips, then portion into balls and bake.
So, is Michelle's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookie recipe a winner?
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Yes! These cookies are like the chewy-yet-crisp cookies you get in the grocery store — you know, the ones that stay soft days after you buy them? The mint chips flavor the entire cookie and add an unexpected pop of minty flavor, making it perfect for the holidays. While I'm not usually a fan of cookies loaded with a ton of ingredients, I can totally get into this one.
Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪
Last but not least was The Rock's recipe, straight out of the WWF cookbook. He starts by creaming butter, sugar, and brown sugar together.
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Then add eggs and vanilla.
Blend in your dry ingredients (including quick-cooking oatmeal that has been blended into a fine powder) and fold in chocolate chips, walnuts, and a grated chocolate bar.
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Roll the dough into balls and bake until browned.
So, is The Rock low-key an amazing baker?
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I don't think so (or at least not with these cookies). The dough was super dry, so I wasn't surprised that the cookies came out dry, too. I was expected them to taste a bit like an oatmeal cookie, but they didn't. Honestly, they just tasted like crumbly little cookie pucks with not enough chocolate. I'm sorry Dwayne, but I didn't smell what The Rock was cooking this time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Rating: 🍪🍪
SO WHO WON?
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THE WINNER: Martha Stewart
This was the perfect classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. It was soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, and loaded with chocolate. This will be my new go-to cookie recipe. Get Martha Stewart's recipe.
SECOND PLACE: Michelle Obama
This cookie is not traditional, but it is delicious. It had the lovable crisp-yet-chewy texture that grocery store cookies have, and I loved that. If you're looking for a festive holiday cookie (or if you just really love mint), this cookie is perfect. Get Michelle Obama's recipe.
THIRD PLACE: Snoop Dogg
These were good, but nothing special. If you absolutely love peanut butter, you might like these cookies, but for me it was fairly underwhelming. Get Snoop Dogg's recipe.
FOURTH PLACE: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
These cookies were dry, dry, dry. They didn't have enough chocolate, and the oatmeal flour made them gritty instead of giving them a pleasant oatmeal cookie flavor (which I was hoping for). Overall they were just severely underwhelming. Get The Rock's recipe.
LAST PLACE: Kourtney Kardashian
BAD. BAD. BAD. These were dry, strange, and completely disappointing. To be honest, I would not even consider these cookies. Now please excuse me while I sip my Fit Tea to rid my mouth of the horrendous taste. Get Kourtney Kardashian's recipe.
TL;DR: If you're looking for a classic recipe that makes perfect chewy-yet-crisp cookies, go with Martha Stewart's recipe — but if you're looking for something a bit different, Michelle Obama's recipe (spiked with mint chocolate) is just the thing.
Previous recipe showdowns:
• The Ultimate Mashed Potatoes Recipe
• The Ultimate Scrambled Egg Recipe
• The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
• The Ultimate Stuffing Recipe
• The Ultimate Pancake Recipe
• The Ultimate Guacamole Recipe
• The Ultimate Omelet Recipe
• The Ultimate Mac 'N' Cheese Recipe
• The Ultimate Turkey Showdown
• The Ultimate Apple Pie Showdown
