The Best Store-Bought Chocolate Chip Cookies According to Bakers

Which Store-Bought Chocolate Chip Cookies Are the Best?

We know: Homemade chocolate chip cookies are pretty much the best treat to come out of the kitchen. But what happens when have a craving but not the time to stir up a batch of Big & Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies (a favorite in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen)? You rip open a bag of the best store-bought chocolate chip cookies!

But before you hit the cookie aisle, take some tips from our Test Kitchen pros. These expert bakers know good treats.

Taste Testing Store-Bought Cookies

There are a surprising number of chocolate chip cookies available at the grocery store. This list goes way beyond the classics you’d typically spot in the vending machine. With a whopping 10 bags in hand (including some better-for-you options), our team got down to business with a taste test.

Each store-bought cookie was judged according to these categories:

• Appearance: Chocolate chip cookies come in all different sizes and colors. No matter the type, our team wanted to find cookies that were full of tasty chocolate chips and looked like something we’d be happy to dunk in a glass of milk or in our morning coffee.
• Texture: Crispy and chewy were both welcome at this party. Our pros’ only requirement: The crispy cookies had to crunch and the chewy ones had to have the right bite.
• Flavor: Most importantly, these store-bought cookies had to taste good. Ideally, they’d taste pretty close to homemade. However, nostalgic and other surprisingly tasty flavors are also welcome.

So which brands make the best store-bought chocolate chip cookies? Check out our four Test Kitchen-Preferred bites.

Best Almost-Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies

This blind taste test confirmed what our Test Kitchen team knew to be true: Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies are the gold standard of store-bought cookies.

If you didn’t see these cookies come out of the bag, you’d think they came from your BFF’s oven. They’re thin and slightly irregularly shaped. Take a bite and you’ll still feel that way.

“The color is beautiful and the texture is nice and crisp while still having a buttery flavor—real butter,” explains Senior Editor Lara Eucalano. “It’s also crisp without being dry, which is a feat.”

Baker Mark Neufang goes on to sing the praises of one of the best store-bought chocolate chip cookies. “The flavor is nice: a lot of browned butter and brown sugar notes with delicious semisweet chocolate chips.”

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Best Nostalgic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chips Ahoy! Original Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you’re shopping for the best store-bought chocolate chip cookies, you’re not always craving that homemade feeling. Sometimes, you just want a cookie that reminds you of after-school snacks and study break sweets. If that’s the case, snag the classic: Chips Ahoy! Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Maggie Knoebel in the Test Kitchen describes these cookies best: “Definitely not homemade-looking or -tasting but they are just plain good.” For many of us, that’s what we’re looking for with packaged treats.

Each of these cookies is a nice size with a good scattering of chocolate chips and the right amount of sweetness. They’re slightly crunchy with a texture that melts on your tongue—especially when dunked into a glass of cold milk.

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Best Better-for-You Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kodiak Cakes Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you ask our Test Kitchen, cookies are meant to be a sweet indulgence. However, if you’re looking for a cookie that’s a smidge better for you than most store-bought sweets, try Kodiak Cakes Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So what makes these cookies the slightly more nutritious option? Kodiak Cakes’ chocolate chip cookies are made with whole-grain wheat flour and have five grams of protein per serving. That’s pretty impressive for a sweet treat.

But how do these better-for-you store-bought cookies taste? Pretty darn good! “These cookies are sweet and you get the taste of brown sugar and real butter,” explains Sarah.

Like the Tate’s Bake Shop cookies, these chocolate chippers are flatter, golden brown and crispy. These are a big win for crispy cookie fans looking for some whole grains and protein.

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